Great! I will let you know how it goes..Feb 12 is the big day. I missed ergomania in seattle, so this is going to be my only shot this season in my area unless I travel up to B.C. or down to San Diego. Are there any races in Britain in September? I will be over for a wedding.

Anyone remember our team total from last year?

Enfield had an competition last September. If I were you I'd keep an eye on the link below as this is updated as and when races are confirmed:

UK Race Calendar

You've probably all read that I failed making weight yesterday, and I eventually raced in the 500m HWT at Manchester, with a time of 1:35.7. As noted, my season's best is 1:35.6. Well, I reckoned yesterday that if I hadn't done 10km to make weight (and failed) and starved myself, I'd have pulled a SB in the race, and possibly even a PB (1:33.0).

So, although I did 11km at r20 earlier today, I found myself ditching my evening row after 2250m, and deciding to try a 500m test instead.

Result, 1:34.3, a season's best by 1.3 seconds. It's 1.3 seconds outside my PB, and I really lost it in the final 100m. Up until then I was on target for 1:32.something, but after earlier efforts I'm happy enough. It sets me up well for another PB shot soon. Maybe the 300m sprints for next month's CTC will develop the technique I need.

Good work! You can beat that with a little rest!

Good show on the SB Daren.

You know, I've got to give it to you guys that are on that border between heavy and light. It's got to totally suck having to watch what you're eating, drinking, etc. Or, do what Daren did this last weekend, and try and burn it off moments before weigh-in. Serious ouch mate!! No wonder you were able to pull three seconds faster today.

I guess the lesson you've learned from this is to come in as much as a fat cow as possible. That way you don't have to worry about being close to the cut off eh?

Daren: once when I was a kid rowing in the 64kg cat. I had to row 10k wrapped in black plastic garbage bags to loose weight for a race. That night after the race we went to an all you can eat buffet and i ate so much I threw up on all my crewmates on the bus home. Ive been a heavy weight ever since.

And kick some tail in the CTC 300M event starting the day after tomorrow ...

Not at our heights Dwayne ... you guys with the length kick our butts every time, even though you're weakings pound for pound! All you use is that unfair leverage!



LWs KICK BUTT!!!

(just very, very small butts ...)



I wish that we could enter LW and HW boats in the CTC ... it would make things more competitive for us shorties.

Nice idea Mark. I'm going to pass on your suggestion and see how it's received.

Great Niall, thanks, even if they had to be smaller boats (no pun intended) ... as in fewer rowers (maybe 3?).

We'd all need to go recruit some more lightweights to get a larger competitive crowd for the CTC, but that would only make it all that much better.

Okay, I change the suggestion slightly. I checked the numbers for each category (MHwt, MLwt, WHwt and WLwt) and there would have been insufficient to cover boats for the Lwt and Women's "boats". However, I've suggested that maybe we could have Leaderboards for each category. I think this would motivate people to say get into the top 10 MLwt Leaderboard rather than, as it is now, get in the top 100!!

Here's a link to my post:

http://www.concept2.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=180424#180424

Hey Krysta,
I haven't dared order one. First of all, I'm wicked long in the torso and fancy it will give a pretty nice wedgie if it's too short like this stuff usually is. And I loathe "shelf bras" which are guarenteed to fit everyone universally poorly. I'd rather just a lined top like a Speedo suit.

Let me know how yours fits. I've thought of getting one as a reward for some acheivement but it would be a bummer (literally) to reward myself with a rump splitting weinie suit!

And we all thought 30'@20SPM was bad!

K, I will let you know. I do have an AIO from Regatta Sport already and it fits fine though, so probably I will find the TA one ok. I ordered a medium and a large, just to be sure! For me, the biggest problem fitting clothes is my upper legs. If it fits my waist, it's usually too tight in the thighs. But with this stretchy stuff, I don't think it's a problem.

I see Tracy almost gave you a run for your money in the CTC. She finished just 2m short of your awesome distance. You two will be fun to watch sparring next month, I think. Hope your knee is feeling better.

Just pulled 7795 (1:55.5) in CTC challenge. Pretty pleased.
Have to say big thank you to Browny for his silent pushing - Look forward to next month now. Last 11 mins was the toughest, all that kept me going through the last 9 mins was the thought of writing this post, and what Martin would say if I gave in.

Having said that I had enough to compete the last minute at 1:51's, and went into it at 176 bpm (max 186 ish). Anxious wait now to see if anyone pushes me back out of boat II.

Hanging On,
Chris.

Chris:

Nice row. I was going to give it a go this morning, but sat down and realized it wasn't going to happen. Did a 45' LEVEL 3 instead and called it a day. I admire your gumption to get it in last day.

-- MP

I got the seat just right in TAII - I don't want to lose it now. Forced into it really!

Well done Chris, that beats me by 29m.

I had a last go at the 30'R20 today. Did a comfy 20' 5K+ warm-up. I was trying for 7789m (to beat Harry Blackwood and Andy Darling). It didn't happen, put the handle down after 7:49.5.

CTC 300m starts tomorrow. Plus there's the logged 2,500 for the UK C2 Challenge.

I think I'll start with a 2,500m as a warm-up then up the damper a bit for a blast at 300m. I don't think we should be doing this 300m without a good solid warm-up.

I may stay up until midnight just to do the 300M and get in the first boat for a few nanoseconds until the bigs dogs get woken up by the milk delivery person or the newpaper delivery person and rip one off. Gotta take the erg off the slides first.

Dwayne, will you use slides for this, or do they bang too much? It's probably my poor form on the start of a short test piece like this, but I have a hard time starting fast and smooth and not banging slides. Which truly sucks.

Chris - Well done on the CTC - you're starting to get hooked again on this rowing lark aren't you Good to see.

Wonder whether Boat 1 can hang onto 3rd place in the CTC, or whether the MAD boys are waiting till the last minute to log some extra metres.

4 x 20 mins for me tonight - Ave 1.50.2 @ 23 spm - total m - 21,777. I hope all this base endurance work is doing some good in the long run, because it's hurting my ass right now

With the addition of my 1210m warm up tonight, this takes me over the 2 million metre mark for the season

Good luck to everyone for the new 300m CTC challenge.

Niall - did you manage to get any advice out of Jono on Sunday with regards to drag and tactics?

Yes, did you work him over until he spilled the beans and sang like a canary, Niall?

Cannot wait for 300m tomorrow, will be at the rowing club so plenty of support
One query, is anyone allowed to hold the erg in place while i row?
What is a good time for a junior over 300m?
Ok, so that was 2 questions but hey, i'm excited!

Well, yes, we managed to get onto the subject of the 300m Challenge. What Jon basically said was:

- it's not an all-out effort where you reach your low pull within a few strokes. But you're still going to be stroking fast and hard all the same.
- he considers it one of the hardest distances as the times he's done it before he's almost been sick (obviously not trying hard enough I say ).
- can't remember whether we discussed drag. Seem to recollect it's down to the individual (certainly wouldn't just wack it up to 10 - you listening Daren!!??)
- sack of potatoes is purely optional

Chris/Chippy,

You wanna add anything to the above (your memory may be better than mine!)?

That would be acceptable.

Hehe, Mark. It won't change over at midnight, either GMT nor whatever funny time you guys run. I'll leave it until it's at least mid-morning in the US, to give everyone a chance to log those last rows. The Dec/Jan changeover didn't happen until the 2nd of the month.

Rats, the webmaster ALWAYS gets to have the last word! Hate that.



We are able to start doing the 300M tests tomorrow though, yes? Just won't be able to log them?

Yes, absolutely. Anyone that does a 30'r20 and logs it is a cheating goit.

Paul
The main thing we learnt from Jon on sunday was about diet, Nail and Chris will
back me up on this one.
1)First call one hundred yards from the arena MCDonalds ..full monty
2) Half way home Burger king ... Chicken nuggets + a big bag of revels +a
big bag of M Ms + a bigger bag of pringles all washed down with a sugary drink.
Makes the little bit of lard in a Welsh cake look super healthy

Great day out and Jon is pure entertainment, Not bad for a MAD team member.

Chippy

Who owns the erg? Who owns the floor it's on?
One tactic is to wrap duct tape/gaffer tape inside-out, that is sticky side out round the feet of the erg and stick it to the floor with that.

Geography already has you beat. The Aussies were over a half a day ahead of you and no one in the eastern hemisphere would have any trouble beating your head start.

You can also place it up against a wall (fan side toward the wall).

Great row Chris and a well deserved place in Taff II. You're quite right, I would have given you a monster serve if you had wimped at the 20 min mark - not that I'm in the best position to do so with a 30min20SPM distance of 0

Well done on the 6:52 at EIRC - sub 6:50 before season's end ?

And what's happening Niall, is there a devilish connection between weight loss and 2K times ??

Martin

Hey Martin!

What's up these days? You are in hot summer now, I guess, and probably lots of humidity--not very good rowing weather. Hope your family is all well. Are you joining us for the CTC this month? we've missed you!

When the season started I pledged sub 6:40 by the end of it. Then I fell on the slippery slope so thats not going to happen. No I'm back on plan, and times are coming down, the plan is to break one of my original PB's before seasons end.

Game On, Glad your still about - important member of the team.

OK, I give up. I've googled, I've asked friends. What's a "goit"?

It's a made-up insult from the BBC's TV show, Red Dwarf. From the episode, 'Future Echoes':

Rimmer: Holly, this is Rimmer. Remember me? Rimmer. Arnold Rimmer. The poor goit you made look like Helen Shapiro. I'll see you toast on the fires of h*** for this.

Rimmer: Yes, you, you ugly goit.

Rimmer: You goit! [Turns to the original Lister.] No, *you* goit!
Rimmer: You're all goits! I'm surrounded by goits! Holly, you're a goit!
Holly: I'm a what?
Rimmer: You heard.

See also 'gimboid', again from 'Future Echoes':

Rimmer: Lister, don't be a gimboid.
Lister: I'm not being a gimboid!

=)

Now all the hits on Google suddenly make sense!

I did two of these stinkin' 300M pieces for the February CTC today after a shortened L4 workout (30') as a warmup.

1, at 111 DF: 58.8 (1:37.1)

1, at 140/141 DF: 58.3 (1:38.0)

For me, I don't know how anyone can "pace" this. This was all out for me, the entire way, just like running a 400M race. Go out fast, stride fast, finish fast (or tie up and struggle to the finish line). Torture certainly.

Next go, the DF is going up even more. I want to break 58.0 for sure ... could 56.9 be possible?

I used a significantly higher drag, Mark.

0:54.3 52SPM 1:30.5 150df

100m 0:18.1 50SPM 1:30.5
200m 0:17.9 54SPM 1:29.5
300m 0:18.4 52SPM 1:32.0

Dig the crazy stroke rate! Very short strokes, seat-wise. Probably only about a foot of rail used, if that. I weighed in at 75.8kg this morning so it won't be ranked as a LWT piece, but I'm hoping that once I make weight I'll be giving Dougie, Niall etc. a run for their money.

I'm planning on trying an even higher drag factor next (maybe 180), then going for "the full monty" (200 or so) to see what happens.

Good job Mark. I'm not sure how to pace this one either. Something like a 500, but obviously shorter. I'll give it a try this weekend (got a 3k relay this Saturday, so no more sprints for me this week).

My first guess would be around a 46 (about a 1:17 pace), but I'm really not sure. My goal will be to see a 42 (about 1:10), but I don't think I'll get there.

I guess I'll be motivated by what Graham puts in. He's the guy I'm always trying to catch.

Dwayne

Good job Daren. How did it feel?

Mark - same question.

Like hard work! Obviously not 2k hard, but more taxing on the legs. I'd say they were easily the limiting factor - I got to the stage that I felt I just wasn't able to push any more. I don't know what my heart rate was, but it was pretty high at the end. Next time I'll wear my monitor.

It was work, but not as hard, I feel, as an all out 500M. Maybe I'm used to the distance from doing the L1 pyramids with their all out 250M pieces on each end.

I did these at a rate of 37 and 38 respectively, and was using most of the slide. Since I only wanted to change one variable at a time, I'll likely try a higher rate piece at the 140/141 DF next week, by shortening the slide. I'll have to practice this because: 1) I've never done it; 2) I'm almost certain I was born with not one fast twitch muscle cell - speed at anything has never been my forte. I am the turtle, not the hare. Any suggestions on hitting a higher rate?

Until next Thursday, I'll be at altitude (7K ft. +) leaving early tomorrow morning on a ski trip. Not sure the ergs at the gym there are likely to see a better time than this from me. I'll just be sucking hard to get enough oxygen to do a reasonable workout.

Nice time Darren. I can't remember what I predicted for you, but I know it was sub-55 ... very good. Nice for a first go.

I just noticed you're about the same height and weight as me ... just 10 years younger. So, I need to catch you. Look out!

That was then...

0:54.0 45SPM 1:30.5 180df

100m 0:18.3 43SPM 1:31.5 145BPM
200m 0:17.8 44SPM 1:29.0 166BPM
300m 0:18.0 47SPM 1:30.0 170BPM

So, the first 100m was slower, no doubt due to the heavier drag making it harder to get up to speed. Most of the gains were done in the final 300m. I used a slower rate, as you can see. From this empirical evidence, I think I'm going to favour higher drags over lower ones, but it will bear more statistics.

I'm yet to try the max/200 drag.

Good luck, mate. I've just knocked 0.3 seconds off. =)

So far, two tried it and two got better times as the drag was raised. Not statistically relevant, but I'll guess that it will be as more try.

Change of mind. Next time, more drag before raising rate too much.

This does require a good warmup and cooldown. 30 minutes of L4 (after a 1K warm up ... about 7.7K total) was barely enough warmup to be set for this. And, a 5K piece afterwards felt awful for the first 10 minutes ... back very "tight" ... please do these with care team!

I still get to use age as an excuse though ...

Both times I've done 2500m/10 or 11 minutes as a warmup. That seems enough for me, but obviously Mark's advice is very sound - be careful, particularly if using high drags.