HJS:

I didn't realize you were a Taff! Welcome aboard!

Regards ... Mark



Awesome job Carla!

Thanks mark me neither .

I didn,t know threads are restricted and so I thought I make a comment
And although joking a bit is had a serious note in it. If you train and don't improve there is something going wrong.

Good luck

Sometimes that is called aging - and, when that stops, something is really wrong.

There comes a time when the main value of training is just trying to slow down that inevitable aging process. Any improvement is just a temporary bonus - a result of starting from an less than fit state and moving up to optimal fitness or at least a higher level than at the start.

Bob S.

Hi Fellow Taffians,

I just got a nice PM from Carla. I haven't posted for a while so it's time to say hi to everyone again. I've been rowing on the water lately. The river is unfrozen and lately I've had the river all to myself. The students get back from spring break next week, so then I won't be alone on the river any more.

I mentioned in another thread that I use a homemade two-piece seat that lets the top part rest on a dowel, making the seat very unstable. So I've been practicing balancing while erging. I had no idea it would work as well as it seems to have worked. It's a great core strengthener and if you want to strengthen your back, abs, etc. and get a 6-pack, I highly recommend it. I notice that keeping the boat set is much easier now, especially when it's windy and the water is rough. Also I am going faster on the water. I think the core strengthening has been a big help.

The granddaughters play the fish game on the C2 when they visit. The younger granddaughter came with a book of Sudoku puzzles. I'm teaching them how to use a spreadsheet to solve Sudoku puzzles. While erging I thought of a simple and fast algorithm to solve such puzzles and I wrote a program. Just what the world needs--another Sudoku solver.

Doug, you're a programmer, right? Do you want to see the program? Any other Taffians need a Sudoku solver?

Carla, Last year I showed Paul Smith a short video and I also was opening up too early. He's a valuable resource.

Happy erging, everyone.

Byron

[quote name='dadams' date='Mar 10 2006, 08:16 AM' post='58909']
[quote name='seat5' post='58907' date='Mar 10 2006, 08:01 AM']

Adam,
Also a very nice piece. Think you can go sub-11?
[/quote]

Speedy

thanks. i'll pace it better next time and i'll be pulling for 11 or quicker.

Adam

very true in the long run. Never true in the short run. No matter what age you should always try to get better in a trainingsperiod. And yes after you are fully trained and above 35/40 you will decline year after year.

Oh, I thought you had decided to join the good guys!



Of course one needs to have a plan if one wants to get better ... but if one is so committed to a training program so as to be "unable" (actually unwilling) to join something like the CTC to add some variety and friendly competition to thier training mix, they're likely too serious to be reading these threads ...

I was just trying to get our mates to do the Rugby Test and put up a time.






Very well said Bob ...

HJS

We all want to improve and can but at what cost,I know if i really wanted to get my 2k time down to 6.30
i could,it would mean giving up work,shuning my mates and following a training regime that made me unhappy,but i could do it.You got to get the balance right .I train 6 times a week and luves it, Twice
a day 7 days a week would piss me off. Thats enough serious bull sh*t. Just did the bleep test
ready for next saurday in London,then played the Rickster at squash,He his a pro and had me running around like a fool,BUT I ENJOYED IT.

Chippy

Now THAT'S the REAL Taff attitude!



Go Chippy! Woo hoo!

Well, I just finished my first ever live erg race about an hour ago. I made it into lightweight women, but with a lot of difficulty. I'll just say there was a lot of fasting, running on the treadmill wearing a couple sweaters and other general ugliness involved. And then I was under 133 lbs for the weigh-in so it might not have been all necessary. I am going to be sooo glad to have a good lunch now. My mom is off picking up some hamburgers for me!

Anyway.... Because of the shortage of lightweight women (5 DNS), they grouped a lot of the different classes together and had me in an open HW women heat. I got gold in lightweight and 4th woman overall, with 7:39.3. That's actually a little slower than my PB, but I did feel that I gave it everything I had at that moment, so I am not disappointed. The ergs were on stage and I almost fell down the stairs trying to get off stage after the race. I think fatigue and making lightweight probably cost me heavily. BUT, I had a really, really good time. Everyone was friendly and I got recruited onto a relay team which won silver, in spite of having 3 lightweights on it. Our transitions were a little sketchy and I kindof fell while getting on for my stint, but recovered quickly.

I was the only person there that didn't belong to an OTW rowing team. For them, it seems that the erg is the enemy, just a necessity of training in the winter off-season. But, everyone was curious about Taff Attack, and I sported the colours proudly. This computer at the hotel won't allow me to upload pictures from my camera, but I will post a picture later.

- Krysta

I can tell your Canadian!

Well done Krista!

Krysta:

Outstanding performance and congratulations! I still predict big things ... or should I say EVEN BIGGER things. Glad you had a great first experience ... the rest will be a piece of cake ... a while you're at it, go eat a piece or two as well!

Regards ... Mark

Krysta - great performance well done

Brendin

Fantastic showing Krysta. Congrats.

Ready to eat now??

I'm not a programmer. I'm a systems programmer (so I get to beat up applications folks with my baseball bat). [I'm a tech support specialist for IBM these days, but my background is systems programming rather than applications programming.]

I'll send you a PM with my email address; I'm interested in your program - I'm a pakrat for keeping sample programs that I've collected (or written) over the years, if nothing else.



Well done Krysta - good result. You don't have to PB to get a medal.


Does that make you self appointed Taff Attack Publicity Officer?

Yay Krysta!!! Good for you. Can't wait to see the pictures, hurrah! That was a great row even if it wasn't a pB because you had to deal with all the stress of being in your first race and making weight. Sounds like you had a great time and I'll bet you feel ( and looked) terrific. Congratulations!!!!

Now you're going to do a Rugby test and dump me out of Taff 1, yes? with a 7:39 2K you definitely are a better sprinter....we need you!!!!

Most people train to hard Chippy not to soft or not enough. Ask what a average erger does and you will be suprised . I row 50 k on an average per week. I think that enough to row relative ok.
The though that just making meters will bring you better times is symply not true, and for most peolpe like you and me doing more then 1 hour per day (fit in a normal dayroutien) is simply to much.
So to make it short: I agree, have fun ans try to train smart, don,t try to make just a lot off meters.




Very true. And that means not thinking "every K is money in the bank" But thinking and feeling is the training I did this week working. Didn,t I go to hard or did to much? enz

Great performance Krysta

Chippy

Nice 1 Krysta!

Owen

Thanks, everyone. Here's a couple pictures.


My mom was my cox and did a great job of cheering me, even though I couldn't keep to the pace I told her to try and stick me to. Also, when I started really dying in the last 600, the coach of the Lakeland Rustlers RC came up and started coxing too. He kept telling me to "push harder with your legs", "keep your head up", "don't look at the big screen", and had me doing power tens. I owe him one for that - really nice guy. My one-year old daughter watched too, very well-behaved, so I gave her my medal after and I think it's her new favorite toy now!



Seriously, Carla, you are by far the best sprinter (of the fairer sex) on Taff Attack. I saw your 300m results! But I will try and put in a good Rugby Test effort for the 2nd or 3rd boat when I get up to my sister's place in a couple days. I am still on the road now. Shannon has a couple ergs at her house and I will finally have someone to help watch my baby while I am there, so I want to do a lot of racing with her and my brother-in-law, Yukon John. Shannon and I both made lightweight last week, so we have a lot of time trials to do for rankings.

You look like you are having a ball! Was that actually during the race, or warming up? I mean, you are smiling!

That isn't a smile! That is my version of complete open-mouthed agony in the final 500. But I did have fun. My Mom thought it looked like I was laughing in the pictures too. I will definately go again next year if I am not pregnant. And maybe to Monster Erg in Victoria.

You should be in the movies, then....you probably look angelic when you cry!
Maybe there will be a special division for pregnant lightweight women 20--29. Though depending on the trimester you might be a HWT temporarily! This would be a good way to test the crazy theory I have seen espoused that merely weighing more makes you faster (of course, it doesn't, though there are those who firmly believe it!) Here is a chance to prove the theory wrong once and for all. Unless, of course, you train SO hard between now and when you are expecting next that your times improve in spite of the baby...Hey, how much do those Taff AIO's stretch, anyway?

Krysta

Great job! was the race experience what you expected?

Adam

Krysta, there is power in those arms and legs, no? Fantastic work.

Great stuff, Krysta! \o/

Krysta,

Welcome to competitive indoor rowing! You really look great in your AIO and showed great focus in making weight for the event. I agree with Carla, it looked like you really enjoyed it and that's exactly how it should be. Pain is pleasure!!

Nice one!
Nx

Great Effort Krysta!

Me and Mr Chips are goying to London village next week for the Bleep Test. A minute on, a minute off sounds painful, but will be nothing compared to the pain of the journey home if Chippy beats me.

Game On!!!

(PS Wales are playing so we may have to find a pub midday, few beers, watch the game, then head back to defend our Bronze relay medal. Must remember to take sick bucket.

So who apart from Chris, Chippy, Niall and me are doing SLIRC?
Who's up for the 24hr / 50K?

And who else is doing the Southampton 2K? Or Kingston Uni 2K?

There's also the small matter of choosing what we're going to subject our fellow rowers in the other teams to for the April CTC. 10K unrestricted , Mile (1609m) , 2K, 20'R20 , Boat race (6780m) , Grand National (7200m) , 250-500-750-1K-750-500-250 pyramid . We need the Taff votes.

Cant have another interval session so no pyramids, grand national sounds original, but mile gets my vote, mainly because i have never done one but also because i am too lazy/rubbish for the long distance stuff, 5k piece coming up on wednesday, gotta be sub 17:30, full of cold at the moment though-this one is really gonna hurt!

Owen

Hah 250th k and 100th post. Bring on the next 250 million k i say!

I vote for:

1) Mile ...

1) 5K, unrestricted ...

1) 6K unrestricted ...

1) 500M, 1K, MILE, & 2K ... best times at each of these distances, added up, and done at any time during month ... good for setting new PBs ... maybe? We could also make this 1K, 2K, 5K & 6K ... or 2K, 5K, 6K & 10K ...

OK, so I have no preference ...

My vote is for 10K unrestricted or how about something like 3 x 5K w/5 minute rest betwen

So at the moment the voting is:

Mile: 3 votes: Me, Mark P, Owen
10K Unr: 1 vote: Carla

There's only one vote per person and it can only be changed within 24 hours of being cast.

I'd go for the 10k as a first preference but the mile wouldn't be too shabby an option.

I like the idea of the 10k though because it would effectively amount to a good workout session.

The last two challenges have played havoc with my training routine.

Paul

I'll go for the 10k. Carla's been waiting for something like this for a while, so let's keep her peppy eh.

Speedy

Hear, hear! Thanks!
Like my husband says...."when Mama ain't happy, ain't NO-BODY happy!"
I'm sure we'll be back to some nice nasty intervals or hideous thrashing sprints for May to keep the rest of the gang excited.

Due to my mental weakness, I've signed up to do the 24-hour relay and the 50K relay



I'm not doing the Southampton IRC as it's my birthday weekend and I'm being taken out (also the small matter of it would mean having three consecutive weekends competing! I'm up for Kingston though



My vote goes for the 10K. It's right up Carla's street and I think it's one the Taffs can do well in. We've had a lot of sprinty challenges and I think it's time for some an endurance challenge.

So, just so there's no misunderstanding, my vote goes to 10K

10K for me too. April is generally the timee I work on my FM, and HM distances. No more events post Bleep test until evesham. Florida holiday (going to visit 'Gods gift to women') interferes with a few races.

Did I say I wanted a Marathon, but didn't want a load of tea cups threw at me - so 10k it is. At least it would get paul b back in a challenge.

The mile should be kept until June/July ready for evesham.

IMHO

If I can be arsed to row at all, I vote for 10k, too.

Current standing:

Mile: 3 votes: Me, Mark P, Owen
10K Unr: 6 votes: Carla, Paul Tulk, Dwayne, Niall, Chris, Daren

There's only one vote per person and it can only be changed within 24 hours of being cast.

Mile for me......10k is just too much pain for too long

Citroen
Guess as i invented the name Taff Attack i get 2 votes 10K FOR ME

Chippy

How about a Mile and a 10K? One (you pick) done April 1 to 15, one (the other) done April 16 to 30?

Just trying to complicate things after the Rugby Test.

9:49.6 on my second RT. Still not strapped in on the left foot. Should be able to take care of C.W. by next week.

Dwayne

Great job!

i'll give the RT another go later this week.




Dougie

my vote is for the 10k

thanks
Adam

Current standing:

Mile: 3 votes: Me, Mark P, Owen
10K Unr: 10 votes: Carla, Paul Tulk, Dwayne, Niall, Chris, Daren, Mike, Robert (2 votes), Adam

There's only one vote per person (except Chippy) and it can only be changed within 24 hours of being cast.

13 votes so far out of 47.

Mark, it's hard enough trying to get the CTC to work (without the nay sayers) let alone trying to split it into two parts (which would also need more coding from Daren for the website).

I spy a new member of Taff Attack - welcome

Brendin





Dougie where does the 47 come from?

Brendin

Dougie:

Are you questioning Daren's ability to code? Them's fightin' words!



-- Mark

Hi Dougie, 10K for me! Congrats to Krysta on the GOLD medal

Cheers,Paul