You can use this link for now. I'll add a proper "View completed challenges" link later.

Niall, can you add a link to the current challenge, too? It drives me nuts having to go to the UK site, with its link coming and going from the training log page (why DO they keep taking it away?!?!?!?!) and then scanning the CTC thread to find someone with a link...oh, forget it, I just realized I should just bookmark it. Duh.

I've updated my signature to include the link to the CTC site all the same Carla.

I know it's early days yet but we're currently 2nd in the CTC rankings!!

I'll be doing my 30mins r20 session tomorrow but unfortunately I'm limited to 2:02 pace for now. I'll ask coach if I can do an unrestricted session this month.

Thanks Carla! I just tweeked it the other day and then yesterday I figured I would just row light, but I felt realy good. Actually I think this low rate work forces me to row the way I was taught on the water vs banging away at higher erg scores. Oddly the better form does not bother my back...funny how that works. I guess all these strapless folks are right.

Down to 3rd, now that Julian Tomkinson has posted another score for Team Oarsome. /o\ Our boat is only 12m behind Oarsome II, though, and I'm in it so I am sure we'll gain ground once some other heavyweights start posting some scores. In fact, if you can do 30m at 2:02 you'll do 7377, which is 50m more than I did anyway, so you'll take my place in the boat and add most of those metres (as it's an average, so we need to gain 60m in total, to gain 12m average).

9025m tonight for the CTC. Still keeps us in 3rd though. Need some serious meters out of TA 1. Not sure how many more I can crank out at this rate.

Speedy

Since I'm doing the January Challenge with Taff Attack and my annual meters are posted against The Ohio State University, if Taff can use my first 30'@19SPM (yes, I missed 20) of 6,897 to fill the slow boat, go right ahead. If you can, let me know what's required to get access to the site to update it myself. I have an ID on the C2 UK site, but not sure if that matters.

That's an incredible row Dwayne ... nice work ...

You BRUTE!

Last year you did 9207.... I'll bet you can do 182 more...that's only 1/3 of a meter more per stroke.. . I'm sure you can do that.

You gonna try, Captain Sir?

I am away until Sunday and then I will have another go. I expect to be able to do 7500 before the month is out.

Awsome result Speedy! clearly you go fast even when you are going slow! I am going to take anouther crack at it on friday. I think I can pull out something in the 8200 range if I put my mind to it.

Just goes to prove yet again, the guy's a machine when it comes to erging! AWESOME STUFF!!



The more the merrier Mike! I've added your score to the CTC site (click on the link in my sig for details). I'll PM your password so you can go in and update it when you get round to doing a full r20 session rather than the trial one you've just done at r19

Thanks Niall ...

As always a great effort Speedy.

I am afraid I have blown my chances of supporting Taff Attack for the next few challenges.
Whilst Skiing last Monday i ruptured my Medial and Cruciate ligaments.
OW..A lot of pain..

I have just returned early and left the family out there. Event more painful. I see a specialist on Monday but I think it will be many weeks before I back to waht I was doing before.

For the record if allowed I did 8133Metres just before Christmas.

Not much sympathy from the family Tilley because they think I was crazy on skis anyway.


Phil

Really sorry to hear your news Phil

Good look with your recovery..be patient.

Cheers

Paul

Phil:

As a fellow skier, I feel for you. Ouch!

Here's to a good prognosis and a solid recovery!

Regards -- Mark

PS/NB - I have to ask this ... how did it happen? Please tell me it was a spectacular high speed crash (with video to follow), with only you involved.

Phil,
That totally sucks!!! Been there...done that (broke my leg years ago skiing).

Ok Taffs...who's going to step up?? We need a power house performance to make up for Phil being out.

Poor Phil! I wish you a speedy recovery! OK I am set to take a stab again in the 8200+ range on friday hopefully this helps. it should push us into 2nd.

Poor Phil, Poor Taff Attack - Big loss for us to take. Speedy recovery My Ole Mate.
I will do my best, but I reckon I'm only good for 7700 ish, which ain't going to be enough with Paul B's love of pain, and Spec's new found low pull form.

Martin will probably chase you all the way for it though! Yeah, look out, he'll be up for it!

Should be interesting

Phil,

Sorry hear the news mate. I'll give you a call regarding a sports injury clinic I used when I did my patella a few years back. They cannot do the op (if you need one) but they are excellent on the physio recovery side of things (much better than any hospital). Might also be worth seeing them before you see a surgeon as it always worth a second opinion before going under the knife.

Mike

Daren

awesome meters this week! I just cannot catch you ....seems like you have found the stuff that Speedy must be drinking

Mike

Heheh, Mike. I only resolved to average 15km per day, but when I have a target, I like to make sure I have it well covered. One the new season starts in May, I aim to be on the first page of the "Honor Board" from the outset, and to stay there.

Thanks to everyone for the supporting comments.
If we make the Taff Attack Challenege Arms Only then I will be back in with a chance

I have an appointment with a knee specialist on Monday and so hopefully after that I will get an idea of exactly what is ruptured and how long it may take to mend. I believe an operation is inevitable but from what I have heard it is best to get it operated on sooner rather than believing that it will mend by physio alone.



So how did it happen?
I have always been known as an aggresive, fast skier with limited technique, I have never had a ski lesson in my life but have relied on leg strength and competitve spirit to always get me to the bottom of a ski run before anyone else. I have been skiing for 15 years and so plenty of experience.
My wife and eldest daughter believe that this year I started out faster than ever, I think my increased fitness this year allowed my to put more effort in without realising the additional speed I was doing.

The accident happened on day two, it had been snowing for a couple of days and so there was a lot of fresh powder about, however it was not on a very deep base due to early in the season. We had done a couple of off piste bits in the morning nothing radical just down through a few trees. I found I was struggling with my ski bindings and if i dropped over a small ledge then my bindings came undone at the bottom. This generated a couple of falls which shouldn't have happened and I was really cursing the bindings for being too loose.


I was on a blue run down to pick up my youngest two daughters from Ski School. It was a simple blue run wide and open and so decided to go into the powder at the edge, I had done a couple of turns and then was going straight to get back onto the piste, Whilst going straight and not at great speed I suddenly dropped down a dip, the left foot came straight out of the binding, whilst I believe I was still in control, having lost a ski and slightly off balance all weight went onto my right ski which must have dug deeper into the snow and hit a rock or something, it stopped very abruptly and I just kept flying stright forward. All my 95Kg weight flying straight over the top of my right knee. Of course my foot came straight out of the bidings but the damage was already done.

After a few moments I managed to pick myself up flex the knee a little and thought I could work off the soreness, so put the skis back on and carried down to the bottom of the run. I think I did most of the rest of the run on one ski because everytime I used my right leg there was pain. I tried the ice pack treratment over lunch but since this didn't provide much relief I had to succumb to take myself to the local medical centre, where as you can imagine this sort of injury is well known.

It was slightly concerning though that the local doctor ( who apparently sees upto 170 ski injuries per day) was worried about the speed it had taken to swell up, he took a couple of additional x-rays and was adamant that I should get back the UK as soon as possible to get it seen to by a professional.

Meanwhile the rest of the family are continuing to ski and showing the correct amout of symapthy.

I am still elft with the question if the bindings were too loose or too tight. If they were tighter I don't think I would have stumbled, if they were tighter what would have been the additional damage?

Apologies for those non skiers but Mike did ask what happened and since I have plenty of spare time which I would have spent on the Concept 2.



I will keep you all informed as to how the rehabilitation is going, my target is to still achieve a million metres logged this year.

Thanks
Phil

Ouch, Phil! That serves as a great reminder to me as to why I've never gone skiing. Well, that and I reckon I'd dislocate my loose knee for a 3rd time.

Gosh, sounds like a righteous injury Phil ... let's hope the damage is not as bad as it might look/feel.

Seriously, this also serves as a reminder that if one is skiing, one should have their equipment checked (with a binding release check done at one's current weight and ability level) at least annually ... preferably before the season starts.

I'm an ex-lower-level ski instructor. Poor equipment adjustments have the worst impact on faster, more advanced skiers. For beginners, it's not as important because they typically are afraid of speed until they can achieve a reasonable level of control. They feel they're going faster than they would like. The more accomplished you become and the faster you feel comfortable skiing, the more important it is that the technology built into the equipment be adjusted to your ability level. And the technology in today's equipment is awesome.

Regards -- Mark

On account of the fact that Mrs 'T' is still away enjoying her Skiing I think it would only be fair that she did her bit for the team.

Since I shan't be going far I will be able to sit over her and shout.

Phil,

You just have to do things right and keep the belief you'll come out the other side of this injury. I broke my leg bad (I'd prefer the break to ligament injuries thou mate!), and ankle, and cartilidge in a bike accident - but it was a blessing. The knee is better than its been in years and the recovery introduced me to rowing.

Carole Mac broke her ankle recently and i think she was rowing with her foot on a skateboard, or I think sock on a shiny floor. Either way it kept her doing whats she loves doing. PM her for some advice and encouragement.

Anyway, we're all here to take the p**s out of you when you need it fella.

Im off now to beat Darren's distance now, then I'm going to search the internet for ski injury related jokes.

Tidy Like

Phil,

Unknown to yourself you little calamity was caught on Camera and posted. Click on the link below

http://www.boreme.com/boreme/funny-2005/ski-jump-p1.php

Cheers

Mike

Phil
Bad luck fella,think you should take up Chris's suggestion and row one legged,
you would still beat me.

Had a lash at the 30mins @ 20 spm tonight and got 7601m, that is ARD.
I will try and put it on the challenge web site ,but if i fail could someone help me out.

Chippy

7375, managed to control HR to 162, so got a bit left yet.

Phil,

Are you bindings made by the same safe thinking company below?

Bindings: Automatic mechanisms that protect skiers from potentially serious injury during a fall by releasing skis from boots, sending the skis skittering across the slope where they trip two other skiers, and so on and on, eventually causing the entire slope to be protected from serious injury.

7601 - Chippy, you make me proud, that hadda hurt!

PS - I think you have something to confess to me thou? There were 6 Welsh cakes on my desk at 2PM, but only 5 at 2:30PM . Someone said they saw a wide fella grining like a chesire cat?

Who was the misterious cake thieving feline?
Hope the lard greased your joints and made you row fast!
Well Done Mate.

Carla,

Coz I KNOW you'll ask, heres the recipe:

It usually came from that special tin your mother would produce as a special treat, or if you were lucky enough hot straight from the baking stone. There is no definitive recipe - they all seem to be a variation on a theme. Having taken the first bite a comment always follows - is it a bit sweet? Perhaps too dry? Then there's the currant versus sultana debate! In recent healthier years we have swapped the lard for butter!

Welsh Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

5 oz Wholemeal self-raising flour
3 oz white self-raising flour
3 oz caster sugar
4 oz butter
3 oz currants
1 teaspoon of mixed spices
1 large egg

Method:

Mix both flours with the mixed spices.
Rub the butter and the sugar together into the flour mixture.
Add the currants and egg and then mix everything together until it's a light dough.
Roll the dough half an inch thick, then cut with a 2" diameter cutter.
Fry four minutes each side on an bake stone over a slow heat.
Before serving, sprinkle with white sugar and eat them straight away.

Chris
My target for today as you know was 7500m because all my training,racing,
SPM,DPS,HR,MAX PULL,500M PACE,AND YOU said so So the WELSH CAKE
must have given me the boost for the extra 101 meters. IF i had eaten
17 of them i would have beaten speedy


Chippy

Start eating!!!

Then why the 'ell didn't ya???!!!

Wasn't it a welsh cake that Ben Johnson, tested positive for at those olympic fings?

Is it on C2's banned substance list?

My mam would never give her recipe away, so it must have been dodgy!

[QUOTE][quote=Bore Da!,Jan 6 2006, 04:10 PM]
Wasn't it a welsh cake that Ben Johnson, tested positive for at those olympic fings?[/QUOTE]


Don't bring in Ben, we're still trying to forget him! I don't think it was the cakes that made him fast, unless they can be injected into your seat?

Chippy - Good first go my friend.

Chris - I think you've found your forte in this team - cake baking
I think it's only fair to point out that you do appear to be living up to your nickname of "The Tart" as your effort was not as quick as Niall's, who is a light weight and was on a deliberate go slow because of his coach's instructions - for you to speed up my advice would be to leave your apron in the kitchen next time you row as it's obviously causing too much drag and slowing you down

I had my first go at this last night - 8266m (1.48.9) - which beat last weeks pb of 8199m - so happy with that. Didn't find this half as painful as the 6k so hopefully there's more to come before the end of the month.

I think it's a really strange session this and is all to do with not going out too quickly and blowing up, whilst at the same time having enough confidence in your stamina to commit to increasing the pace slowly but consistently early enough in the row to let you average come down in a nice steady fashion.

I'll put my splits in my blog on the UK site if anyone is interested.

I'm actually coming to Wales later today to watch Lincoln against Wrexham. Looking forward to this as I've never been to Wrexham and it is my aim to visit every ground in the football league - after today I will have visited 67 out of the 92 grounds. Come on you Imps

Chris
Checked the Olympic banned sustance list and Welsh cakes are ok,but they
recommend the lard in moderation.

Paul.
Great time. Welcome back to wales

Chippy

Chris,
What is the technique for ensuring the apron doesn't get caught under the seat?

Paul,
Great effort, Gutted that I can't keep trying to push you but based on my previous attempt at this I am not sure I would get too close.

Enjoy the visit to Wales, perhaps you can pick up some Welsh cakes and see if they help you go further. Of course they won't match Chris's...

Perhaps Chris if your cakes are proven to enhance performance you should distribute to all TAFF ATTACK members, who knows we could get a 1,2.

Phil

Very Amusing, I wish it was that good.

The sound makes the clip ... best to play it with the volume up ...

How's the injury? Are you getting better or will it need surgery?

Which Taffs are rowing the Surrey 3K and ½Mi? (I know Niall is.)

I'm heading to Croydon by train (it's at 07:57 start from Basingstoke to get there for 09:30 ish) so I won't be constrained by time and I can drink more than the legal limit. (I'll be on my bike to Basingstoke station, so there is a small risk of getting nicked.)

More discomfort than pain right now. Worse at the end of the day.
I suspect it will need surgery but I will know more once I see the specialist on Monday.

I snuck onto the rower today to see how it would feel, two options. 1) arms only or 2) rest bad leg on a skate board alongside and let it slide ideally back and forward. Again I shan't try anything properly until I see the specialist and he can advise what I sould and shouldn't do.

Phil

P
Get that expert advise before you move on ,could save a lot recovery time.
Called in to see grumpy today who set a new pb for the half marathon of
1:40.6.9 Thats a ten min improvement and second pb since he turned 68


Chippy

Hey gang, I'm back from New Yock and will be back in the saddle again tomorrow. It was a great trip--visit to the shade factory to learn all about how they go together, a few meals out, and a Broadway show! I'm all the wrong kind of tired right now and need a good workout tomorrow to get back to normal.

The Welsh cakes sound a bit heavy to me, I would think they would slow you down a tad. And do you all make taffy on Christmas Eve or not? No one ever answered that one.


Phil--take care of that leg--tough luck and I'm sorry to hear you're out of the boat for a spell. I've had some pretty rough falls from equipment that let go on me, too. Sure is no fun. When it happens to my husband, though, he just skis down the mountain on one leg. Show off!

Great job on all the 30@20s, I'm off to the CTC site to see where we are right now. I can't imagine ever getting over 8000 like you guys but I'm aiming for 7500 next.

Go Carla - hold that 2:00 split. I'm looking at trying to beat Gareth Storer (Gofer) with 7,700 to get back into the TAFF I boat.

As I will be lightweight soon (no, really, I will!) I'm interested to hear what drag factor other TA lightweights use. I think Citroen uses arund 110, is that correct? What about you, Niall?

At the moment, I'm using 120.

Daren, I have been using 117-120 but I have now dropped to 110-112. I just seem to be smoother at that drag factor. I am yet to try a 2K to get a reference time at this drag factor as I'm locked in a meters challenge at the moment and just don't have the speed in my legs.

Mike

Lucky for you I took yesterday off, then, innit? =) I've only done 10k today so far, too, but will get in at least another 7k later.

I started at 110df on my return to erging in July, but soon increased it to 120. I think I'll experiment a bit in the 105-140 range.