[quote name='Tulky' date='Feb 10 2006, 09:45 AM' post='55441']
[quote name='Brendo' post='55393' date='Feb 9 2006, 02:27 PM']

Have you seen the rugby training guide on the UK site Phil?

All the images are of the Welsh side from last year's 6 nationa and the previous autumn internationals.

I guess because either

a. Wales are the 6N champions (still)
b. The images are cheaper than the English ones
c. someone who put the guide together is a Taff?

here it is if you haven't seen it - great images http://www.concept2.co.uk/training/rugby.php

Paul
[/quote]

Saw the site the other day but didn't pay enough attention to notice the endorsements were from Welsh players.
Why are they not logging their metres for Taff Attack?

I guess the English team would have charged too much to endorse the product.

Phil

That's the nice thing about being a newbie I suppose - A p.b. is usually on the cards! Not looking forward to the point when I "hit the wall"

[/quote]

Saw the site the other day but didn't pay enough attention to notice the endorsements were from Welsh players.
Why are they not logging their metres for Taff Attack?

I guess the English team would have charged too much to endorse the product.

Phil
[/quote]

I'd really like to know how they shape up for the rugby challenge - I tried it a couple of months back and it's murder. Totalled if I remember about 11:50 something but it would be great to know Gethin Jenkins' time

paul

That was a good day! It makes up for the slogging along getting no where days, doesn't it? I have lots of them.

Congrats on your PB!

I've been at this for 4 months and i think the wall is still a distance away. .
With this CTC you get to have a variety of paths to take as well.
Cheers,

Kirk

Your times will come down ; what you weigh is what I need to loose to get LWT.

Carla,

Glad to hear your 'crazy talk' is over, and you made it through the 300m with no worries. Sure showed the other two 1st team hopefuls who the daddy is???

I knew you wouldn't make it through the month - for your info you lasted 9 days - wish I layed out some bets on this now but I doubt I'd have been given any odds???

Tidy

I looooooooooooooooooooooove the 300 Meters, it is more what I am built for. The long stuff I cramp up on. How can I put in my time????

Go to c2ctc , at the bottom of the page you can register , a little higher you can enter your time.

If you register don't forget to fill in the password you want to use for c2ctc.

Had another go at the 300. Lost the plot in the last 100m - 0.4 outside my best, so far. Got another new low pull - 1:25 this time (so I won't bother updating my sig util the end of Feb when we've finished this 300m MADness).

Then I tried to sweat as much as possible by leaving the damper high and rowing a 5K. Won't do that again. High damper for the 300m, normal damper for normal rowing. I think that hard 5K spoiled my 5*1500 intervals, since I gave up after the 4th.

I was worried the whole time and concentrated more on keeping my stomach as hard as a rock than about anything else to make sure I didn't blow the back out.

I think I have an appointment tomorrow with a pro coach--not sure if the schedule is working out--to have some real scrutiny of my stroke and what is going on with uneven leg strength/frequent injuries to just one side--and lay out a sensible actual program that I might actually manage to follow. Should be interesting. I actually hope my technique is horrible so that's an easier fix than actually training harder Now I wouldn't want to actually push myself would I?

I think there's a belated congrats due for you, Carla, on your 300m. Nice work, and good boost for Taff One.

This month's challenge aint my distance, apparently. I knew I couldn't sprint, but didn't realize just how far out of line my endurance vs. sprinting abilities are. I better start hitting the weights again!

It's not my distance, either, that's for sure! and the way I did it bears no resemblence to any sort of rowing that would keep a boat upright. I didn't even know I could do 51 strokes a minute, they most have been at about 1/8 slide or some such thing, and the chain was clanking like mad. Really I think this is an idiotic event because nothing you do to train to row well has anything to do with it. You rush the slide, row partial strokes, and stomp so hard the chain rattles. Though I must say it's pretty impressive what some of the guys are doing in the 44's.

WOW SCOTT! - That'll get them all talking.
Top Effort There Mate

Could not get in as Jumpsoda, maybe an mistake on my password....C'est La Vie. I am Jumpsoda1.

The lactic acid was running through the vessels, a nice burn indeed. Maybe 100 meters at some time, no? Would be working the Creatine Phosphate for energy then. How does one make an entrance into the big competitons where you meet face to face?

Incredible time for the 300m Scott! I've set your "Jumpsoda" password to the same as the one you set for "Jumpsoda1" and altered the entry so it appears as your original name.

Top stuff Scott

Great effort Scott. I see it has got the UK forum memebers talking.

Had another go this morning, a more respectable time of 59.8 at 53SPM. Apart from first pull I had my legs locked straight and no slide movement The chain was ratlling all over the sho and it certainly wasn't pretty.



Excellent team work all around.

Phil

Scott:

Awesome ... glad you're a Taff!



-- Mark

Wow
Great Scott!

How do you guys DO that!!!?

I had a great first session with Tom yesterday. He showed me a whole bunch of little things to work on. My stroke overall is OK, no glaring novice type errors, but enough small things that have been likely contributing to frequent injury/stiffness. I will be working for the next 2 weeks on steady state 10Ks just concetrating on these technique points. I have to say that rowing the way he showed me felt infinitely better than what I've been doing. It felt smooth instead of robotic and jerky, and much more evenly distributed, effort wise, between the two legs. It was great having someone who knew what to look for to fine tune the stroke and knew how to communicate it so I could tell when I was doing it right. It should be interesting to see how speed improves once it's the natural way for me to row because according to what he says it should be much more efficient.

Paul:

Nice row, you moved the III boat up a position. I'm going to take another crack or two this week and see if I can contribute.

Cheers!

-- Mark

Hey Scott, they're talking about you!!!

Great Time Scott

And another thanks to Dwayne on the racing start thing, I still need to practice some more but smashed my 500 (down 6seconds to 1:44.3) and 2k (down 14seconds to 7:44.0) times over the last couple of days. Is there any video around of the racing start?

The times aren't great but I've only been on the C2 for 10 weeks after about 5 years of no exercise

And we've caught up the team in front by 1.95 million metres in the last week, 1.5m from me and Tulky joining but a real 450K

And on a completely different subject...

...There I was reading the Australian Financial Review at the weekend and there before me is a double page spread on Wales - How it is the centre of Organic farming in the UK and mentioning my little home town of Llandrindod Wells by name. Can't get away no matter how far you run

Brendin

Thanks Mark, but I'm finding it hard to improve by very much at the moment. I'm also finding it hard to do any decent rows after I do a 300m piece - feel very heavy limbed. Perhaps I'll leave the 300m for a few days and try to put in some distance instead.
Good luck with your attempts this week!
Go boat III!
Paul

Paul:

I understand ... and feel/felt exactly the same way. It's the age thing I believe ... we need a bit more recovery after the explosive pieces.

-- Mark

When's Carla gonna take another crack at this months CTC? I'm willin' to bet we could move to the #2 spot with a good show from her. How 'bout Carla?

Dwayne

WOW: great work Taffs! the CTC board is full of red up near the top!

I raced on Sunday under the Taff Attack Banner and came 2nd in my division with a time of 6:37.8 It was the first time on a model D for me and I have to say the machine felt very different. Between the new feel of the machine and all my nerves I just came out of the start too fast. I held the lead unitl about 200m togo when another guy finally broke past me to win. While I was disapointed to give up the lead I beat my planned time by 4 seconds and my PB by 20seconds. It was a great day of racing for all divisions. There were several very close finishes, one of the junior girls heats finished just .1 of a second apart between first and second. I had never seen a team erg race before and this was by far the most popular race for everybody present. It is a sight to behold 12 teams jumping on and off ergs racing their guts out. If you are interested in all the results they are posted here: http://www.row2k.com/results/resultspage.cfm?UID=7423558&cat=2

I Just wanted to thank you all for letting my join up and participate. It had been many years since I rowed comptitively and never thought I would return to the sport. Being a part of the Taffs is the perfect motivation to keep me at it without getting tired of all the steady state slogging. ALl the banter and support are great thanks again! Now back to the CTC, I will make an attempt at a sub 50 but I am not a sprinter. I have no Idea how Dwayne and Scott do it!

Spectre, 20 seconds is an astonishing amount to take off your PB!!!

And to do it representing your team at a full-on race meet must be a great feeling.

You're a complete star

Paul

Just tried the CTC and registered it on the site 54.1 secs - I'm now in boat three

Haven't done anything so short before.

rated at 53spm which I thought was impossible for me.

When I finished I noticed that the erg had slid 2 feet across the rough concrete garage floor. Now I'm not an expert but I reckon there's a technique issue there

BTW when I weighed myself yesterday I was 75Kg, which I haven't been for nearly 20 years.

Will have another go @ the 300 probably next week but will have a look at the technique first.

Paul

Paul:

All good stuff, congrats!

-- Mark



Now that's a ROW! Nice work!

Thanks Mark

like your avatar on the UK site - is that Mike Myers?

paul

Yep, in honor of my wife, who is Canadian, and absolutely abhors the potty humor in all of the Austin Powers movies ... even though Mike is Canadian, and a national hero there ... well at least to the under-16 crowd ...

Just looked at the CTC site and see that I am now down in Taff V.
The only team to spill over into a 5th boat excellent work team.
This is without some notable Taffs Niall, Wilko, Paul B. Our biggest shortfall are the lack of Women, We need a female recruitmant drive.
Mrs T is having another go tommorrow.

Phil

Phil:

I would love to get my wife erging (and rowing). Was your wife a rower prior to erging? Just wondering what caused her to start to pull. My wife's tried it several times, was up to doing 2Ks at a reasonable clip (9:00 or so) clandestinely (thank you C2 for the memory in the PM3 when the log card's removed!), and then bagged it for long walks again. She was a sprinter in high school, so I believe she'd have good power. She's also just a bit shorter than me, about 5'6". I refuse to try to push her into something she does not want to do, but maybe a few "success" stories would help push her over the edge.



Regards -- Mark

C'mon Daren, you and I can make it to the 7,500M per day pages with a good long row today! We can go keep Dougie (and all the others) company!

Hi guys, have not had a crack at 300m for a while, not been feeling 100%, been mostly doing long stuff at 1:52/3 and nice low ratings. Have decided to not have a crack tomorrow at the club but instead save it all for one last big crack at it next week, i'd really like to get close to 45s. Good luck to everyone else with their attempts and HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

Owen

P.S. Just realised i have some sort of obsession with the word crack, very worrying!!!!

My Taff Attack AIO and T-shirt arrived today! Here's the pics. The AIO is not very flattering on me, but I still can't wait to wear it to the Alberta Indoor Rowing Champs in March. When I registered for that, the organizer asked which university I was with.

I said, "No university, I'll be racing for Taff Attack."

He said, " For WHO??"

So the AIO and t-shirt will be great to show all these university on-water folks that Taff Attack is a real club!

Krysta,

Let me be the first to say it. I think the AIO looks mint on you!

Now if we just get a photo of you sweating in it that would be great.

All the other lads were thinking it, I was just brave enough to say it!


On the downside Mike Ruddock has resigned as coach of Wales. Personal reasons - young family and can't give the job the committment it requies - Gutted, Mike took us to the Grand Slam last year, And the first Welshman to coach Wales since we can't remember - Gutted.

The king is dead, Long live the King!

Thanks Chris, you took the words out of my mouth. Curious you used the word mint though, this is a word I normally associate with Welsh Lamb.

Krysta, I think it looks the business and I am sure the pride with which you wear it will give you that bit extra in Alberta.


Regarding Mike Ruddock I think he knows which way the team is headed and jumped early. Everyone is starting to point the finger towards Henson and comments in his book, I be he'll get a bit of a shoeing from his own teamates next time out.

So the lesson to be learnt here is, if Taff Attack are to continue performing harmoniously then nonone is to go and get their autobiography ghost written.

Phil

I think you will be a worthy representor of our team.

quote name='mpukita' date='Feb 13 2006, 11:25 PM' post='55789']


Neither Mrs T nor I have ever rowed and only got into it through training in the gym. Her times have always been quite reasonable but she will only enter something if she thinks she can win. Her partcipation has only come through gentle coaxing, slowly she is putting more and more time in on the erg.
During the summer the kids sail in their national championships and during the past two years to encourage the kids to do get a little fitter there has been a side competiton of a one minute sprint on the C2. In 2004 she went up against a college rivel who always used to beat her sailing however on the erg nearly 20 years later the tables were turned and my wife beat her. That was certainly the encouragment required to push harder knowing this rival would be back for more in 2005. The Tilley family cleaned up all prizes and are now all keen on doing more but on a fairly low key.

With some luck we may see her enter a couple of races at the end of the year but before she does this she will need to feel confident of a good result and it won't happen if I push too hard.

I think it is important to realise that these competitions and involvement in the forums isn't for everyone however I know it is a great motivator for many.

Can she just do 300Metres to help complete another ship, the time is irrelevant Taff Attacks need to be first with 5 complete boats.

Phil

Krysta, I think you look great in that AIO! I'm glad you're competing in our colors!!!

I'll give another go at the 300 some day soon. This strange thing is happening, I think my car has an exhaust leak because on the days I have to drive around an hour on the way home I always get home feeling awful. I'd better get it checked. Tuesday and Thursday I drive 1/2 hour home, 1/2 hour to get my daughter to karate and 1/2 hour back again and then I'm supposed to row and I keep getting home feeling like something the cat dragged in. This happened to another car I had when I was in my 20s and it felt just like this. You can't smell the exhaust but you sure can feel the effects of it. ugh

Mama mia, as they're saying in Torino right now. Even all us old guys with bad vision are speechless! I have yet to see another Taff wearing the AIO that looks better, although a few of those blokes from Evesham come close!

I'm stunned. So stunned I'll have to wear my Taff AIO to the gym tomorrow (well today now).

I'm cool with Mrs T because she's always been about in TAII the same as me. There's extra competition now that Krysta chasing, but thats part of it. I'm probably talking b*ll***s, but I have to ask - Is it harder for women to enter the pain zone - men seem to go there because we think it's funny, and laugh about it - how do the girls feel about lungs feeling like they wanna burst, and calves and quads on fire.

As far as I'm concerned you do what you can, if Carla had decided to do a 1:30 this month, (yeah, like it would have happened), I would have been fine with that - no worries.

There's 5 active women in this team, TA would not be what it is without them, and in the CTC we simply wouldn't exist.

Sorry Guys but its valentines day and I been watching soppy films all night - C'mon we LOVE our TA women - say it loud and say it proud.

GAME ON!!![b]

All of the planets were in the proper alignment in Dublin this evening ...

Valentines Day, a glass of wine, some home made pizza (hand made dough and all mates!), watching figure skating and curling at the Olympics (I endure for the cause), a bit of chat about the CTC and the competition ... BINGO, she's hooked! Wants to know what rate, "I can do 30 strokes per you know!". When to do it? Should she train in advance? This might just do the trick!

I saved the big gun for last, but never had to shoot it. If I got in a jam, I was going to show her Krysta's picture in the AIO and tell her, "That's what rowing does for a gal." She would have broken a leg getting down the stairs to get on the erg!



Expect to see a listing for "Mrs. P." as soon as she's comfortable. It won't be very fast, but it won't be very stylish either.

Cheers!

-- Mark

Sorry, guys, I tried the 300 again and was slower by .3--56.5. I am beginning to wonder if maybe the first time the flywheel wasn't at a total dead stop. I had been rowing--not fast--and had stopped for 2 minutes, but maybe it was still slightly moving. This time it was absolutely stopped because I took a bathroom break between rowing and doing the 300m. I saw lots of 1:33s but nothing lower and highest spm was actually 55, which was faster than last time. I don't know if I'll manage to improve on this horrid event or not but I will make several more attempts.

Re: women vs. men and "the pain zone": I think it might be harder for us to intentionally enter it, but I think we are good at standing it when we're there--child birth comes to mind....

Today was my first row after the coaching session Saturday. It feels very different to row this way. He has me pulling the handle in much higher than I was and keeping the arms really level, then letting the knees relax a tad as the arms move forward, knees actually to bend when the hands are over the knees; at this point the body angle is supposed to be set. Then I'm to concentrate on loading the weight evenly on each foot as I go up the slide. This is making it much more possible to get even effort out of both legs; it seems easier to correct this problem by making the pressure on each foot the same as I go up the slide than it is to do it by trying to push off evenly at the catch if I'm not evenly balanced to start with. A revelation of sorts. On the drive I have to concentrate on not slamming my legs down so that the knees are too straight but doing more of a squeeze.

All in all it feels more powerful and I can pull lower splits with less effort, but it is tiring in new places, mainly upper back.

Sorry this was so long!

Very smooth Mark, very smooth!!!!

I don't think you should beat yourself up about it Carla.

There are lots of reasons why you can't quite find the energy you had the first time, but I reckon the fly wheel moving very slightly wouldnot make that much difference.

Also the 300m seems to me to be a bit of a thrash with such a reduced stroke length for it to be more about power than technique.

Did you try to pace yourself? I found that on my attempt, I started at 1:28 and finished at 1:33. Next time I'm going to start at 1:30 and see if I can squeeze a bit more out at the end.

Also, I found that for me it was less a case of pain at the end but simply not having any energy left in my muscles - so plenty of fluids and a banana 30 mins beforehand.

Paul