HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

You mean for your birthday your family didn't give you 3 hours of personal time to do a marathon

David

No such luck!
You'd think they know me better by now wouldn't you?!

Go Girl

Great racing on the weekend Chris and Chippy, you did us Taffs proud. Any details ? How did the other Taffs go ?

Top 500 Carla, putting you firmly in the Nonathlon Top 20. Elbow problem has curtailed my progress on marathon attempt and PB'ing so looks like I will have to wait til next season to see if I can join you up there. Hows that 1K PB looking ?

Go Debra - 2 million is now a distinct possibility if you can remain healthy and injury free.

When's the next run Niall ? Achilles pulled up OK I gather ?

Welcome back Godfried - fully recovered yet ?

Cheers all

Martin

Aussie Taff wrote:

I decided on Sunday that I was going to go for the 2 million. A challenge to myself really. BUT THEN...Today I was in the back garden playing with my 2 year old and fell on some ice. When it happened I was more embarassed than anything and didn't feel like I hurt myself. As the day and night progressed, my arm, shoulder and back are very sore. I don't suspect it's too bad - nothing broken - but enough that I didn't row today! Yikes! I guess this will give Niall and Chris a chance to get caught up!

Hey Carla, did you try a 500 on the slides? Did you notice that your rates are quite a bit faster? How does it compare to static rowing for you?

Niall, I hope your legs are feeling better soon. What about just doing some walking or really light rowing to ease out the soreness? Have you taken ibruprofen? It works wonders!

Happy rowing all!
DB

Hey Debra,

This last 500 was on the stationary erg. It was faster than the one I did a few days ago on the slides. I do rate higher on the slides and have to really work to make myself stay at a rate that does 10 MPS, though on the 500 PB the rate was free and around 33.

It felt odd to switch back to stationary erg. I plan to kind of alternate.

Hope your boo boo feels better soon! It's amazing how awful it feels to fall down hard when you are an adult. It's one reason I quit down hill skiing!

I'm sure you'll hit your 2M regardless!

MikeZ,
Congrats on hitting 2M.

Speedy

Mike Z

Beat me to 2million like you said you would. Tops

Carla
Nice pb, you got to be thinking of slamming that 2k time soon.

Martin
Only Chris and myself made the trip across the border to the S.L.I.C.
Dykie (sick as a parrot)
Eddy (had to help his son move house.)
Graham (Got a late sking holiday in Andora)



Chippy

No, I am trying to get back. After the first 2k it feels like a full marathon.

BTW uploading the scores failed - will try again tomorrow.

1K PB, still slow, but better...3:50 (on slides) Nonathlon points jumped from 835 to 910. I started out pretty conservatively and wasn't dead at the end, so obviously can do better, if I just don't wimp out.

Godfried, I'm glad you're back! You were out for so long. I hope you recover quickly!

Carla keeps on going...and going...and going. Way to go Carla.

Dwayne

Dwayne, you "only" have 800,000 to go by April 30, and that's "only" 25,500/day! (you're the only one I know to whom "only" would apply in that sentence) to make your 14M this year. That's got to be some sort of record.

How come you picked 14M, by the way? just curious.

Interesting bit of news. I just read a thread on the UK Forum and Steve Redgrave's going to take up indoor rowing and is looking for a team!

C2 UK Thread - It's not a boat so I'm allowed...Don't Shoot

Looks like he's going to go for the MAD team but Rocket Roy has actually suggested Taff Attack .

Thats because he does not know any numbers higher than 14 He is improving though, last year he could only count upto 12

Luv ya Dwayne

Sir Pirate

Thanks Niall - top response by NW on that thread. Wouldn't it be great to have Sir Steve in the Taff boat, imagine the friendy 'head to heads' with Speedy !!

Another great PB Carla. 1:55 pace for 1K sounds pretty good to me - comparing it to your 500 PB is not quite as relevant as comparing respective Pace over longer distances I think as 500m tends to be a bit of a one-off 'scramble' compared with longer rows.

Good to see you have recovered from that slippery fall Debra - gave the Bookies a bit of a scare ! Remember the old adage "10k a day keeps the others at bay" Maybe throw in a gentle marathon at 2:30 pace to gain a few rest days ??

I'm clocking up a few Ks at the gym now that I'm 'training' half a dozen gymmies that have expressed a desire to master the rower and discovered the euphoria of PBing a 2K. By the time I sit alongside 3-4 people and join in their sessions I find I've clocked up 15K or so ! Great fun too as I get them to work hard, not me

Progress to date (their goal in brackets) :-

Vanessa (30-39 Lwt) - 7:41 (sub 7:30)
Gail (40-49 Hwt) - 8:21 (sub 8)
Louise ( 40-49 Lwt) - 8.58 (isn't this quick enough ?)
Rob (50-59 Hwt) - 7:48 (sub 7:30)
Danny (40-49 Hwt) - 8:28 (sub 8)
Ron (60-69 Lwt) - 8:45 (don't hassle me !)

Cheers for now,

Martin

Martin,

Thought you had your own little harem for for a second there! Vanessa's time is an impressive start for a F30-39 Lwt. British record is 7:10 and WR is 6:56. Is this a star in the making and more importantly, any of your coachees want to join Taff Attack so these metres they're pulling can be put to good use?!

Far be it for me to question your integrity Niall, but today is April Fools Day, isn't it? But in the highly unlikely event that Sir Steve is likely to associate himself with us, it would be great if it was true.

You had me fooled for a couple of minutes, Mr Niall.

Bernard

Hi Niall,

Yes, Vanessa is one focussed lady ! Her main aim is to compete in an Iromman event sometine (Hawaiian ?) so erging is not a priority - she only hops on when I talk her into it to keep me company ! And then insists on doing 5 - 10K at 2:02 pace on level 10 !! She certainly has the potential to get into the low 7's for 2K if I could get her away from those 20K treadmill runs at 4 min K pace.

Haven't sussed out the group on Welsh heritage yet - waiting to see who gets 'hooked' first. Rob is a good chance down the track so I'll get him to brush up on his Welsh geography, the rest are still about the beauty of the 'beast'

Well done on flushing a post out of Bernie North England - must still be pretty cold up there as he and Daren are very quiet these days.

'Harem Wallah'

No reason really for the 14M. Seemed like a good figure at the time.

I've been challenged to do 15M. Not sure about this one, but we'll give it a go.

Dwayne

Out of no where.....the Pirate rears his ugly head.

Now I see what Carla was talking about. I just did the workout on Zeno Muller's indoor workout DVD. It is a good workout and very interesting. I found it helpful to actually watch him row while I was.

He does the workout on slides, but I think the DVD would also be valuable without slides. The only part you couldn't do exactly the same way is the one-legged workout, but I imagine you could put your foot on a skateboard ala Carole Mac. or else use a slippery sock on a smooth surface.

What fun.

Byron

Hey Bryan,

I don't know if it's the slides or not, but lately I'm getting a sort of pain in the inside of one of my hips.Are you noticing that at all? It happens I think if I get too much layback. I think faults in my technique are showing up worse on the slides so I've been trying to get it right...gosh I wish I had someone who could actually come and see me row and tell me how to make it better..

A really lousy pokey waste of time 10K of junk meters today...I was going to take a nap and rowed instead. Probably should have taken the nap.

Carla,
If you have any way at all to film yourself, that would help alot. Just watching yourself can do wonders.

And if you have the capabilities of downloading it, you can get all sorts of advise from the forum. Or if you'd rather it be a bit more private, PM someone on the forum that knows alot.

Dwayne

Carla wrote:
Hey Carla,
It may be from the 'swing' out from the finish which would be more pronounced using the slides. Swinging from the hips is actually a good thing, but you just have to make sure you do it properly so as not to injure yourself. At the finish, make sure you are sitting straight. Think about as if you are sitting in a chair with your back against the back of the chair. If you think about that, it will minimize layback. As far as the 'swinging from the hips' goes, your body angle shouldn't be changing very much at all throughout the whole stroke, so if it is, you may be putting unnecessary strain where you don't need to.
Anyway, Dwayne is right. Try to videotape yourself.

PS ANY rowing is good, whether it's 'junk' or not! Although if you indeed physically needed a nap, maybe that would have been better (?)

DB

I don't have a video camera but I could borrow one maybe. But I have no idea at all how to get the video on the computer. I'd probably have to snail the tape to someone. Actually, my son has one of those tiny web cams, but the wire is way too short and I don't think you can put any sort of extension on it.

Hi Carla,

I don't notice much difference between using the slides and just using the C2 without slides, except I have to concentrate on not rushing the recovery with slides.

Here's one way to submit a video showing your technique:

Borrow a digital camera that has a movie mode. Lots of them do. The camera comes with instructions on how to record a short movie and put that movie onto your computer. Next, you need to store that movie on a website that allows movies. Perhaps someone can suggest a website that allows jpeg and movies. My camera stores movies as avi files. That's supposed to be a format that is compatible with Windows, but my Windows Media player doesn't work with avi files. However, I downloaded a free version of QuickTimePlayer that works fine.

Next, you just list the web address where the file is stored, such as:

http://www.math.msu.edu/~drachman/row/Mr_Wimp_rows.avi

When I click on the above, I get a message asking if I should open the file or store it on disk. I prefer to store such a file on disk, and then use QuickTimePlayer to see the movie.

I'm using dial-up so uploading the movie took me almost half an hour. I'm used to taking a break and getting a snack during such long uploads or downloads.

If you look at the movie of me on the ergometer, you will notice some similarities between me and Xeno Muller. For example, we are both using C2's with slides. Also, I have a similar hair style on the top of my head. My hair style is involuntary. Also, the movie I took was under strange articifial lights and was a little over-exposed. Unfortunately, the image got distorted from the bad lighting and it makes me look like a scrawny geezer. In real life, I am heavily muscled and much younger appearing(heh, heh.)

It seems each time I put up a mirror or shoot a video, I see something I should be working on. For example, my hands are a little lower than Xeno recommends in his workout video. When I use a mirror, I find it helpful in seeing how straight I am holding my back. In the video my back isn't quite as straight as when I concentrate on holding it straight. I was doing easy strokes when I took the movie. If I'm doing intervals, sometimes I lengthen the body swing a little. I just know from trial and error that a longer body swing lets me get a better time.

If anyone wants to view the video and make a suggestion about what I should be working on, I'd love to hear about it. The last time I posted such a video I got some good coaching from Paul Smith.

Byron

Byron,
You could use a bit more forward body angle. And almost no layback. Since the handles you're using aren't really anything like a oar, it's kind of hard to make determinations about your arms.

Just out of curiosity, what are you sitting on?

Dwayne

Hi Dwayne,

Thanks for the advice. As I mentioned, I usually do more of a body swing, and it was good of you to remind me about getting a more forward lean.

That's a homemade seat. It's made from wood and a piece of thick leather. I put in supports and straps to get it shaped just the way I want it, and it has taken the pressure off the sitz bones, even though I am supported there. It also doesn't build up heat the way the plastic seat does.

added later: I looked at the video again and I think I'm starting the arm pull a little early. Rats! I've been working on that. It's time to get out the big mirror and row slowly. I think a video is really useful since you can go over it a bunch of times.

Byron

Thanks for the tips, Byron! I found out that the web cam thing my son has actually does have a long cord on it. He was asleep when I did my row tonight so I didn't bother him about it but I will soon & post it here so everyone can take a look and see if I've got any really bad (rowing) habits.

NEW 60 MIN PB 14366

I actually got to start my row before midnight so I had some extra pep. 2:06 was my old avg so I just worked on hitting anything below that. It was on slides. Also, I didn't pay any attention to the rate at all, for a change, so I'm sure I wasn't getting 10MPS (avg was 26 spm). It wasn't really hard work till the last 4 minutes or so and I stopped twice to drink and almost didn't bother to finish the second time I stopped.

Great stuff Carla, you really are the PB Queen right now!!

And to think you stopped twice too!!! Think how much improvement you'd make if you rowed through .

Nice one!!

Great video Byron! My only comment on technique (please note, I'm no expert so I'm basing this on what I've been told so you may want to take with a pinch of salt!) relates to your hands at the end of the stroke. You need to start moving them away from your body before any leg movement. The slide forward shouldn't start until the handle has gone passed your knees (hope this makes sense).

You've got a good starting position though with your shins perfectly vertical. There, I knew I could end on a positive!

I'm really gonna have to get me a video clip done so I can get some feedback too!

Many congratulations to Bernard for smashing his way through the 1.5M metre mark for this season, nice one mate. Also, a big WELL DONE to Debra who continues to put distance between herself and the also rans otherwise known as Chris, Niall and Godfried (although I have to say Chris is doing a great job - unlike me - of keeping the pressur eon Debra).

Niall wrote:
Chris has been putting in so many metres this week that I'm sure he will overtake me very soon. I just can't do that much. I am trying to make it to 2 million by the end of the season though, and the only one I have to compete with for that is myself!

Niall, I hope your back is feeling a lot better. It's good to see your metres moving up again!

Carla, way to go with those PBs! You're awesome! The slides sure do agree with you.

DB

Debra,

Day off and a curry for me tomorrow - enjoy your lead.

Chris

Chris,
Enjoy that curry. It sounds wonderful! Is there a specific 'curry' dish? Here, in Canada, when I tell people I'm making a curry dish it can mean a vast range of things.

Thanks for keeping me motivated to row so much! It's really helping me get back into shape. I'm going to try to make the 2 million by the end of the month. I think I can do it if I stay healthy. I made the holiday challenge in 3 weeks so I know I can do it.

Carla,
Way to go with that fantastic 60 min PB. Now, what about that 10k? Promise me you will demolish that one soon?!

Happy rowing everyone...
DB

Great to see you are going for the 2 million goal Debra. Bookies have you at 2:1 on to achieve the magic figure provided ice has melted. Not sure if it's possible to hold Chris at bay as he is on a mission to catch his old mate Chippy and crunch the 2 Mill together, but who knows what unforseen consequences a Welsh curry can have ....

Odds on Niall have blown out to 10000 : 1

Another great PB Carla, you really are enjoying your rowing and are in fine form.

Thanks for posting the video Byron, your style certainly looks very efficient, effortless and strong. Unfortunately can't see your hands at the catch so not sure if the following comment is accurate but I thought I would pass it on seeing as you sounded keen on any feedback :-

At the start of the drive (i.e. the catch) it looks like the seat moves bach about 6 inches before the chain 'slack' is taken up (known as 'shooting the slide' in rowing circles). If this is the case then you have missed out on a bit of leg drive power at the start of the stroke.

I found the mirrors at the gym very useful in self analysis and must have fine tuned my stroke heaps of times since starting - highly recommended that one uses a mirror or does what you did with your video shoot Byron. At the catch I now use a 'hooking' action by opening up the angle between back and upper legs before engaging leg drive ( in so doing the seat actually moves forward an inch or so as I 'hook on' ) to take up the couple of inches of 'slack' in the chain before the tension kicks in. Think the feeling of 'slack' in the chain at the start of the drive is to do with the "Reverse Clutch' internals of the beast ?

Sometimes for variety I 'hook on' at the catch by letting my shoulders 'roll' forward a couple of inches as I approach the catch then straighten them up at the catch to take up the chain 'slack'. In both techniques the overall aim being to 'save' the power of leg drive for when there is a feeling of tension on the chain.

Enough rambling for now,

Cheers,

Martin

Dwayne, Niall, Martin, thanks for the suggestions.

I asked about that six to twelve inches at the beginning of the drive in a different posting, and I was told that the C2 uses a roller clutch, so the chain doesn't engage until it is going fast enough to catch the moving freewheel. Martin, years ago I learned from some people on the local crew team that trick of relaxing the shoulders and getting an extra reach at the catch to help deal with that delay on the erg. Maybe I'll try going back to it, and maybe doing that little extra lean at the catch.

Carla, I think you'll also get some good suggestions by posting your video.

Byron

Well I'm out of the running now, back's gone again (worse than before too ). Full details in My Blog.

Good luck to Debra and Chris as they battle it out over the next 3 weeks!

Very sorry to hear about the back problem
Have you been able to figure out a pattern? Does it seem to happen when you are doing low stroke rates?
I hope you have a complete and quick recovery.

David

Thanks David. I get the pain when doinq low hard strokes. Although today's wasn't that hard (2:00 pace at 22spm) it was enough to do the damage.

Hi Niall,
Have you tried giving up running entirely to see if that helps the back? I see from your blog that you do run a little. I hope you get the problem solved soon.
Byron

Runnings going to stop too until I'm completely fit and then it'll be just easing in gently (not starting off with a 4-mile run!!). It's definitely the rowing that has aggravated the back but I wont be telling my wife that!!

Just going through some photos from the South London IRC on the 27th March and found one of Chippy with his well earned hardware for Taff Attack! (Chippy's the good looking Welshman on the right, proving you don't have to be tall to be fast !):

How frustrating for you Niall. Have you been able to get a definitive diagnosis yet ? I've experienced lower back problems off and on for many years (recent diagnosis - degenerative back due to age/wear and tear !! plus stiff Fascia (?) joints) and know only too well how cheesed off you must be

Think David A is on the right track with the low SPM thought - when my back 'goes' nowadays its usually when doing power-drive stuff at low SPM for a long interval. Nowadays when it goes I drop the DF down to 100ish, ease off on the power and have a couple of rest days between rows until the sore/achey/stiff feeling goes (usually takes 3 weeks). Interestingly, in my case going for a slow run doesn't seem to have any adverse effect when back is in the 'sore' mode and sometimes it even feels much better afterwards.

Speedy recovery,

Martin

PS Great photo of Chippy - you could rest a slab of beer on each of those massive shoulders and still have room to spare ! No wonder he's pulling a sub 1:30 500m.

Went to the docs this morning about my back as I wanted to check if I had a permanent/long term complaint or just a strain. Had resigned myself to no rowing for the rest of April (season doesn't start until May 1st so in my mind this was acceptable). It went better than expected though. The doc said I'd strained a muscle and I was given a prescription for anti-inflammatories. As far as exercise is concerned, we came to an agreement that I could do some gentle swimming from early next week and then some gentle rowing from the week after. So I'll certainly be off the low spm, power sessions for a good while yet. Can't say fairer than that. The (female) doc even told me I looked "incredibly fit" (was tempted to tell her to get her coat as she'd pulled but thought better of it ); it's nice to get compliments like that at my age I must say.

So I'm a lot happier (or should that say, relieved) today than I was yesterday.

Interestingly the doc told me I'd be better off running than rowing in the early stages of the recovery and this really surprised me as I thought the jolt of running would be worse.

Thats relatively great news Niall, could have been a lot worse.

To avoid similar lower back muscle strains I now do an easy (2:20 pace down to 2:10) 3K warm up on DF 105ish then hop into a series of back exercises/stretches on the floor mats in the gym. Then do whatever pieces are on the agenda. I only deviated from this once this year - did a 10k straight off, and guess what - back spasms at 8K mark and took the past 3 weeks to recover (though I did row every 2nd day on Superlow DF) !!

Silver lining - looks like a good opportunity for you to get some long slow steady jogs (without any sprints) under your belt over the next few weeks ? Don't forget to dial the DF to 'Superlow' for those comeback sessions too !!

Cheers you 'incredibly fit old dog' you (wait 'til you get to my age - you will really savour those complis then !!)

Martin

Carla wrote:

Carla,
I didn't know that slide times could count towards the rankings. When did they change this?
Just curious in case I get some of 'em slides for meself!

DB

Just going through some photos from the South London IRC on the 27th March and found one of Chippy with his well earned hardware for Taff Attack! (Chippy's the good looking Welshman on the right, proving you don't have to be tall to be fast !):



[/quote]

Well done Chippy on winning the medal

By the way are they big blokes or small medals

Dykie

Martin/Dykie

After getting my medal i said to Chris."i felt like a dwarf stood next to those guys"
i am 5-10..He replied "They might be taller but you were wider" As for the beer
Martin i have carried a few tins in my time most of which Dykie has sipped.

If Chris can get close to me as we near the 2million we are going to race of again
for the 2miiloin title.I have the 1 million T shirt so he will be out for revenge.
If you fancy a go Dykie let me know.

Chippy.

That gives me a chance to get past you this season.

I plan to end at 1,760,000 ( just ahead of Daren - he has not moved for a long time )

So that is 164,000 for me to do , and if you only do 110,000 I will get it.