where can i log my rate 20? Can i just enter it in me logbook or do i need to do something else?

As far as your online metres go, you can stick it in your logbook. For the purposes of the Cross-Team Challenge, you need to enter it here. Let me know what name you want to be listed as, and I'll add you to the site, then you will be able to update your own results.

Great to have you on board, Owen, and super 30 min @20 piece. And you're really Welsh!!! Iill have to pop over to the CTC site and see what boat you're in.

Dougie, I had the same experience the other day, pooped out after around 10 minutes, and will have to try again today or tomorrow. It's getting to where improvement seems to come only if you sweat a little blood! You'll nail 7700 this week, we'll be watching!

Finished the challenge, how do I post my distance traveled on your websight, Daren?

I just need to set you up as a user, then you will be able to do it. Let me know what name to list you under and I'll get it done.

Jumpsoda.

Thanks

My back hurts

You've now been through your initiation ...



... feel free to join the club.

Ouch!

Hey, awesome row, Scott! You pushed us back into 2nd place!!! Way to go!!!! Good for you for making Taff 1!


I had another failed attempt at the 30@20, made it to 9 minutes left and just couldn't make myself keep it up.

The pace boat thing on PM3 is driving me bats. I was using "rerow" with my last effort being rerowed. When I started out, my average pace/500 was slower than the pace boats, but each pull was faster than the pace boat's average and my little boat was ahead of the pace boat. Then the pace boat's average dropped. I was still ahead of the pace boat even though my average was slower than the average it was supposedly going. This became very agitating to me wondering if it was suddenly going to zoom off on me or something.

I shall have to go stand in the corner or something..another poop out..so I've improved it 3 times and failed to finish twice. Uck.

One more shot and I'm done, and next time I will have to promise myself chocolate cake or something if I finish and do better.

STRETCH!!!!!!!!!and stretch in the hot shower. Stretch every time you think of it like 8 times a day.

Yeh, fantastic result Scott. You fully deserve your position in the Taff 1 Boat, nice one!

Carla, if you improve on your 30mins r20 distance, I'll send you a copy of the British Indoor Rowing Championship 2005 DVD that I've compiled. In addition to the races themselves (including Jamie Schroeder and Graham Benton's races), it also includes:

1. UKTV G2 Channel coverage of BIRC 2005 (10mins)
2. Matthias Siejkowski at BIRC 1999 - 5:44 2K (6mins)
3. BIRC 2002 Mens Hwt 30-34 (6mins)
4. Pinsent/Cracknell at BIRC 2001 (9mins)
5. Pinsent/Cracknell at BIRC 2003 (20mins)
6. MAD Team 100K Team Relay World Record (3mins)

Total running time for the DVD is 1hr 53mins.

Some of the comments I've had so far from UK rowers who've had copies:





So what more incentive could you need!?

Jumpsoda - welcome aboard.

Great time for the 30 mins - looks like we are staring to accumulate some strength in depth across the team.

... and Godfried and I are on the "development squad" -- young talent being developed for the future, yes Godfried?

Does 1 meter more count?

Thanks for the offer, Niall, that will help me keep going when I hit that "why am I doing this again" point, thouigh maybe from the sound of it I should watch it while I'm trying!

Scott,
Awesome row mate. Gotta love gettin' back into that #3 spot.

Niall,
You up to sending me one of those DVDs? Let me know what the costs are, and I'll send you the cash (would need an address of course (PM me with that)).

Garth,
Also an awesome row. Knocked Dougie right out of the Taff I boat.

Dougie,
You gonna put up with that???

Dwayne

Yes Carla, every meter counts. You can do it!!

I'll PM you Dwayne



You stirrer you!! I love the way you play people against each other (in a friendly rivalry way of course). Sheer class!!!

Cracked the 7700 target by a country mile at lunchtime.
Knocked Gofer back into Taff II with 7766m.

I won't be doing this again - that one hurt too much.

Very nice Dougie, very nice ... back sore, or back very strong? Which is it?

Very nice!!! What a way to come back.

Ok Garth...your serve.

Is the team challenge a different distance every month? What distance is it in Feb?

It is something different every month. I believe 300m is the challenge for Feb.

Speedy

Dougie - well done, great row.

Paul

PS

Your AIO should be with you in the next day or so.

No problems with the back. It was the last 8mins with HR > 180. Then the lying on the floor legs up the wall waiting for my HR to recover down to 100 after. That took much longer than usual.

This 30'R20 is the hardest thing I've done. At least a 2K is over in 7minutes.

Now I want to sleep.

I agree ... (slower) prolonged pain ... but Carla loves 'em ...

Getting good this month now. My place in TAII under serious threat - Two people missing though?

Martin - Knock me out.
Mrs T - Are u not rowing in sympathy of Phil?

I'll have another go after Manc, oh dear.

Scott,

Since you're back online can you send me a PM with the following:

1. First name - exactly as used on the online ranking system
2. Last name - --- ditto ---
3. Online ranking ID number
4. E-mail address - as used on the online ranking system

I need to add you to the January virtual team challenge.

Owen,

The same holds true for you. I need the same info.

Every other TAFF who isn't part of a JVTC team - please send me the same - if you've rowed any metres this month.

Mrs T is planning a row today.

Hey, where is that Aussie Taff???? I think it's wicked hot summer down there right now. Maybe he's catching some rays at the beach.

Fantastic row, Doug!
If the heart rate bothers you at the end there, take the monitor off and then you won't know how awful you feel!

I need a day off after yesterday's miserable attempt. Maybe if I get to bed by 10 tonight I won't feel like my head is a barrel full of marbles tomorrow.

Can we attempt each months distance more than once?

Yes, as many times as you wish. If you get a better time or distance, just update your entry on the site.

Do you really WANT too?

Next month? Yes, every day. This month? NO! That sucked!

I was determined to improve on my Jan 2nd effort at least once duringthe challenge, so today's attempt saw me with gritted teeth.

Last effort 7326m; today's 7383m, a 57m improvement. Nothing to shout from rooftops for, but after about 3 previous failures to improve my distance, I'm happy I've finally nailed it.

It only moves me one place up the table though. =)

How did you feel towards the end Daren?
What's your MaxHR by the way?

My MaxHR is currently 201bpm (hit that during a 2K race in Abergavenny in December) and I managed to get my HR up to 194bpm during my 30mins r20 set. Hit this during my final 6mins when I was averaging 1:58.3 (felt like I was going to die after each stroke!).

I don't know what my max HR is at the moment, Niall. I know that when I did my 2k PB, I would typically see about 183 at the end, but I haven't seen more than about 175 for months and months. It's not my heart rate going too high that seems to be my limiting factor at the moment, but the shortness of breath for one. For example, in today's effort, I was taking three breaths per stroke, two of them udring my dwell before the recovery (a significant pause in the stroke).

I can't remember how my legs felt. Not that bad, I think; I could have pushed them harder if I'd been able to supply the oxygen, and not been gasping.

So, no, I didn't collapse off the machine, but I didn't feel confident going any harder, either.

I'm guessing that the more rowing you do, the less stress you'll have oxygen-wise.

Well, this week I've ditched my lower rate rows and have reverted to rattling along at 30spm for 8k or more. It seemed to do me more good last time, and if I can improve my times a lot closer to my 2004 level, I'll be happy.

Cant wait for next months 300m challenge

Me too! I might be able to beat the women at that one. Might...

For some reason the 300m seems to easy. I'm thinking that this is only because we've been doing such long pieces the past two months.

Me thinks me will have a big surprise when the 300 roles around for the first time.

8K at 30spm
Hellfire!!!!

Nah, it's because you're not trying hard enough Speedy

I imagine 300m is pretty much a case of go out fast and see how long you can hold it (and hope the answer's 300m!!).

I reckon so - after slapping the drag lever all the way up to 10. It'd be interesting to know what people rate for this piece. I reckon a lot will be 40+ short slide "cheat strokes".

I'm with you Darren!

OK, this is a great exchange. Let's make the most of next month. How about a discussion on strategy for the 300? I know the drag factor suggestions helped me this month, and I'm going to try one in the middle of the drag factor range I've used on the last day of the month assuming I'm not too sore (have put it off to be ready for Sunday's race).

Any thoughts on strategy for the 300? Drag? Stroke rate? Full, 3/4, 1/2 slide? Etc.? I'm clueless about this distance.

I reckon such a short distance means that aerobic capacity won't feature much if at all, and it'll all come down to POWER! For me, that means the highest drag I can get on my machine, and just hope the legs are with the programme. That said, I haven't done a lot of experimentation, but the great thing about the distance is that you can readily experiment a lot throughout the month. Try high drags, low drags, fast rates, slower rates, short strokes, long ones... I'm thinking that I might set my PM3 to do 10x300m intervals with 3m rest or something, even adjusting the drag between intervals, then I'll rank the best interval as my piece.

What we need is some inside info on sprinting tactics for next month...so Niall, when you are travelling up to Manchester on Sunday with Jumpin Jono, tap him up for some info

For anyone who doesn't know Jumpin Jono, he's the guy who organised the MAD Team 100k world record...what he doesn't know about sprinting isn't worth knowing - it'll save us all messing about trying different variations of drag, stroke length and spm.

oops Jono is perusing our thread at the moment...so he'll know when he's being tapped up

Never would make a spy me

I think you'll be in for a surprise! Look at 400m runners like Michael Johnson. Fair bit of fitness needed too. Bit painful this 300m!

By the way, the best way to row a 300m is..........................

P.S. Just read Paul's comments while posting this!!

Jon