Paul,

Actually first I copied the post and then I moved the text that I'd copied to be as a part of the posts supporting Mike, in the special thread that had been opened for him.

Alas, Mike, we tried.

Here is the previous thread posted by Bayko:

http://concept2.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=2692&view=findpost&p=35262

And the one I posted earlier:

http://concept2.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=2692&view=findpost&p=38567

Notice they are basically identical, with the exception that mine is more supportive than was Bayko's.

This morning I posted some comments about altitude rowing.

Then Bayko posted a paragraph which was clearly intended for nothing except insults.

Note, the thread I posted for Mike was about love and not insults.

In any case, have you removed Bayko's post from the altitude thread?

And have you removed AFolpe's posts that are clearly intended as insult and out of line with the discussion of cholesterol?

I am sure you can justify why you would leave their insults, which really was the reason that I started a love thread about Mike -- doing the opposite you see -- however the guidelines should really fit their intention.

Pacing, Part 3
To reiterate again some of the major strategies from the Wolverine Plan regarding pacing:

1) Select a Goal pace for a given workout (e.g., 4 x 2K) based on an overall seasonal progression. Know where you are at the start of a training season, and where you want to end up at the end of the season. Follow a fairly linear progression (i.e., rate of improvement) from the beginning to the end of the season. Goal paces for a given session should be chosen with consideration for the number of weeks before your Big Race for the season (e.g., twelve, eight, or four weeks before CRASH-Bs). From one week to the next, modify the Goal Pace slightly if dictated by recent results. So, if the goals for the same/similar session from the past two weeks were achieved easily, you might consider making the next pace a little faster than you originally calculated. If you’ve recently struggled to reach your goals (or failed to reach a goal), you might want to adjust your current goal to be a little slower than originally calculated. This might involve repeating the previous goal, or even going back to a goal from a couple weeks ago.

2) Once a specific target has been selected for a given workout, determine Goal Paces for each individual piece within the workout, as I described previously. For example, if the overall GP for a 4 x 2K workout is 1:41.8, my format would be 1st piece @ 1:42.0; 2nd @ 1:41.8; 3rd @ 1:41.8; and 4th @ 1:41.6.

3) Have a strategy for finishing each individual piece at the desired pace. One strategy is to simple start a given piece a few tenths of a second slower than GP, and gradually bring the pace down to GP over the body of the piece. I’ve used that strategy successfully for years. I still use it for Level 1 workout intervals shorter than 1K. I haven’t performed the Level 2 workout 5 x 1500m in a couple years, but I plan to get back to it a couple times this season using this “fairly even pace” strategy. When I do Level 3 intervals (i.e., 3-5’ or 1250-1500m work intervals with a strict 3:1 work:recovery ratio), I also use this format. But for other workouts (specifically 4 x 1K, 4 x 2K, 3K/2.5K/2K, 6K/5K/4K, and continuous Level 3) I have developed a more elaborate format.

Again, a basic disclaimer: the format I am about to describe is not meant to represent the optimal way to produce the fastest times for these workouts. It is a strategy I use to facilitate consistency of performance, to facilitate a steady structured progression of fitness, and to give myself a firmer mental grasp on some tough workouts.

I divide each interval into 5 segments (inspired by the default setting of the PM3). I plot whole number (no decimal) GPs for each segment, and round the interval GP as well as the overall workout GP off to an even decimal. Example:

Workout GP for 4 x 2K: 1:41.8
GP for first 2K interval: 1:42.0
GP for 1st 400m: 1:44
GP for 2nd 400m: 1:43
GP for 3rd 400m: 1:42
GP for 4th 400m: 1:41
GP for 5th 400m: 1:40
GP for second 2K interval: 1:41.8
GP for 1st 400m: 1:43
GP for 2nd 400m: 1:43
GP for 3rd 400m: 1:42
GP for 4th 400m: 1:41
GP for 5th 400m: 1:40
GP for third 2K interval: 1:41.8; format same as for second interval
GP for fourth 2K interval: 1:41.6
GP for 1st 400m: 1:43
GP for 2nd 400m: 1:42
GP for 3rd 400m: 1:42
GP for 4th 400m: 1:41
GP for 5th 400m: 1:40

I have created tables for all the various combinations for paces between 1:30-2:10, but unfortunately I can’t reproduce them here. Hopefully the pattern becomes clear. If the GP for an interval (2K in the above example) is a whole number, then the segment GPs are, 1st segment = GP+2; 2nd segment = GP+1; 3rd segment = GP; 4th segment = GP-1; 5th segment = GP-2. If the GP for an interval is a whole number -.2, subtract 1 second from the first segment; if the interval GP is a whole number -.4, subtract an additional 1 second from the second segment; and so on. I know it sounds confusing, but it’s based on a simple repeating pattern.

So, for an interval GP of 1:42.0, you have (from 1st to 5th segments):
1:44, 1:43, 1:42, 1:41, 1:40.
For 1:41.8: 1:43, 1:43, 1:42, 1:41, 1:40.
For 1:41.6: 1:43, 1:42, 1:42, 1:41, 1:40.
For 1:41.4: 1:43, 1:42, 1:41, 1:41, 1:40.
For 1:41.2: 1:43, 1:42, 1:41, 1:40, 1:40.
For 1:41.0: 1:43, 1:42, 1:41, 1:40, 1:39.
For 1:40.8: 1:42, 1:42, 1:41, 1:40, 1:39.
For 1:40.6: 1:42, 1:41, 1:41, 1:40, 1:39.
Etc. etc. etc. Just substitute the same general pattern for other interval GPs (1:54.2, 1:35.6, etc.)

An example using 3K/2.5K/2K and a 1:59.8 GP for the entire workout:
First interval is 3K; GP is 1:59.8 + .4 = 2:00.2.
3K is 5 x 600m segments; segment GPs are 2:02, 2:01, 2:00, 1:59, 1:59.
Second interval is 2.5K; GP is 1:59.8.
2.5K is 5 x 500m segments; segment GPs are 2:01, 2:01, 2:00, 1:59, 1:58.
Third interval is 2K; GP is 1:59.8 - .6 = 1:59.2.
2K is 5 x 400m segments; segment GPs are 2:01, 2:00, 1:59, 1:58, 1:58.

Another example using 4 x 1K and an overall GP of 1:35.2:
The GPs for the four 1K interval s are 1:35.4, 1:35.2, 1:35.2, and 1:35.0.
Each 1K is divided into 200m segments. Segment GPs for the first 1K are 1:37, 1:36, 1:35, 1:35, 1:34. For the next two 1Ks: 1:37, 1:36, 1:35, 1:34, 1:34. For the final 1K: 1:37, 1:36, 1:35, 1:34, 1:33.

You have to be technically sharp to row this way, to make the desired shifts when necessary and consistently hit the desired splits (and hold the correspondingly appropriate stroke rates). It is extremely challenging during 4 x 1K when the shifts come every 200m and the fatigue factor is high. But I believe this technical proficiency (the skill to hit and hold the descending paces) is beneficial in allowing one to utilize maximal efficiency. – I don’t hit every target GP exactly on every segment, but pretty close, and it is rare that I miss a target GP by more than a tenth of a second. If you attempt this method, and struggle initially, I encourage you to stick with it until you develop the ability to hit your desired goals almost automatically (the same as with Level 4 training).

For long, continuous Level 3 rows I modify the format slightly. These workouts should be 60’-plus in duration; that will be at least 12-16K for most people (I am currently doing 24K, which most recently took 87:02.7). My approach is to break the long row into multiple smaller segments with 4-5 whole number GPs to achieve my overall GP for the workout. The number of smaller segments varies depending on the length of the workout and the best division to keep the math simple. So I divide 24K into a dozen 2K segments. I am going to bump the workout up to 25K soon and will divide it into 10 segments each 2.5K in length. For 15K I would probably keep it simple and use 3K segments. Once I establish my overall GP for the entire workout, I use the general format described above for the interval workouts, but play with it a little bit to adapt it to the longer workout. The spread of segment paces from start to finish (gradually getting faster, of course) will be 3-4 seconds (e.g., 1:51-1:47). Yesterday my 24K goal was 1:49.0, and my GPs for each 2K were 1:51, 1:51, 1:50, 1:50, 1:49, 1:49, 1:49, 1:49, 1:48, 1:48, 1:47, 1:47. Again, this isn’t the absolute fastest way to do a long workout like this, but I know I’ll be warmed up before things get too hard, and I can break the overall workout down mentally into shorter segments. These workouts just don’t seem that long any more. The last 4-6K can be pretty challenging, but by that point I’ve invested too much in the workout to give up easily, and proportionally the remaining distance is small enough that I can usually tough it out. Perception-wise, each segment might feel something like this:
1st segment: almost too easy; have to hold back to keep from going faster.
2nd segment: fairly easy; could keep the pace for a long time and the thought of going faster doesn’t concern me much.
3rd segment: just about right; couldn’t cruise like this forever, though; could go faster if I HAD too.
4th segment: this feels like work, but I can handle it; don’t know how I can go faster, though.
5th segment: hang on somehow; I guess I can do it after all.

Overall, I’ve found this strategy very helpful when approaching tough workouts for which I’ve reached plateaus over the past couple years. (You think 4 x 1K is a bitch? You ought to be in my shoes, who has done it so many times and know that even if I kill myself on this workout, rather than becoming faster I can only hope to become less slow.) Others who are newer to these workouts might not need such special guidance. Still others will think it is another example of how the Wolverine Plan is too complicated and structured. Well, you pays your money and you takes your choice. This is just an option. To summarize the main advantages of the system:
• Built-in extended warm-up makes hard work physiologically less stressful
• More consistent, reproducible results
• Mentally reduces longer, tough workouts to manageable chunks
• Develops technical proficiencies required to change pace/rate on demand
• Ingrains the concept of finishing strong/always getting faster
But, I would also say this strategy requires a certain level of commitment and mental toughness some people just don’t have. It takes a certain faith in your abilities to spend the entire workout behind your goal pace, knowing there isn’t much room for error and that as tired as you are, you have to find a way to get faster before the workout is over. But with practice, the proper attitude can become automatic and I think the value of such an approach when racing is tremendous.

Well, there you have the Wolverine Plan approach to pacing during training & racing. I don’t imagine everything will sink in all at once or that everyone who reads this will be convinced of the strategy’s effectiveness. But as I have said repeatedly regarding the WP, I’m not seeking converts. I’m just trying to clarify for anyone interested exactly what the program is all about. Happy training.

Mike Caviston

Mike: I will begin by saying "thank you" for all the work you have done to present the WP to this forum. Also for the patience with which you answer and-reanswer questions for everyone who asks you to.

I have read many pages of literature about the plan and have been implementing it since the first week of September. I have been able to design a weekly plan which is reasonable for me and has been working very well with one exception. I have been doing the level 4 workouts at too high an intensity. Now I don't know quite what to do to correct the problem. I set my reference pace too fast (yes, I know; what are you supposed to do when people don't follow the plan as they should. Then they ask you to bail them out). Although I have been able to exactly meet all splits and spm for each interval on each workout I can see a point in the near future where I won't be able to make the progressions. I also am beginning to get mental fatigue and am afraid of burnout. I knew the advice about reference pace and chose to somewhat ignore it. Since I have limited time for training I was increasing the workouts by changing reference pace. Based on reading additional literature and seeing physically where this is going I need to make some sort of change but I don't quite know what to do.

My last level 4 sequence was this:

60 minute 196/208/192/208/196/208. The 196 and 192 sequences at 1:51 ref pace and the 208 at 1:52. I incorporated the 208 sequences about 6 sessions ago to try and get some higher stroke rate work into my longer workouts as my stroke rate has been stagnating. I think this was the wrong thing to do.

My workouts are scheduled like this with the last session per workout listed:
Sunday: level 3: 1250 x 8 with 1:30 rest. Last session 2:01.2 avg 26 spm
Monday: Level 4: 4x10 3,3,3,1 made all splits and spm ref pace 1:51
Tuesday: Level 1: 8x500 with 3:05 rest. 1:51.7 avg 32 spm
Wednesday: Level 3: 10K continuous 2:04.8 24 spm
Thursday: Level 4: 60 continuous (sequence above)
Friday: Level 2: 3K/2K/1K rest 2.5K/1,5K/ cooldown: 2:01.8 26 spm /1:57.1 29 spm /1:54.9 31 spm
Saturday: Level 4: 60 continuous and in sequence with Thursday.

Level 4 55% of training
Level 3 30% of training
Level 2 9% of training
Level 1 6% of training

My last 2K test avg'd 1:53.2 which I think is in line with my training so far but if I continue with my Level 4 schedule I think my Level 1 and 2 workouts will begin to suffer. I have continued to make gains but am beginning to see a limit, especially in level 4.

How do I get my Level 4 workouts back in alignment? My spm is already at 20.13 for these sessions and we have just hit November. I really don't want to keep the same sequences and just back off on reference pace because it will lower the meters by 50-70 per session and set me back about 4 weeks. Should I keep the faster reference pace and back down on the sequences or return to the slower reference pace and make the workout longer to keep the number of meters up? That may be the best solution: to increase the workout from 60' to 70' to keep the meters going up but get the pace back where it should be.

Any comments or thoughts you may have would be greatly appreciated as I know it's not your job to analyze everyone's training program for them and you do this to be of (great) help to those who ask.

Sincerely, KJGress

Karen, at a quick glance your overall training looks pretty balanced and reasonable. In my opinion, the simplest and probably best solution to your Level 4 problem would be to keep the same Ref Pace but go back to easier sequences (say the 180-190 range). Don’t automatically increase the number of minutes (Level 4 volume) to compensate. Don’t worry much about the overall loss of meters as long as you are continuing to improve with your Level 1-3 workouts. For Level 4, re-establish your overall technique and consistency with your paces, rates, shifts, etc. The Level 4 workouts may seem a little too easy at first (though don’t be too surprised if they don’t), but that’s okay as I expect things will reach an appropriate balance before long. I’ve gone through a similar situation the past couple years as I’ve worked hard to get in shape in the fall for my USIRT trials, and then realize I can’t keep increasing or even maintaining the same workload all the way to CRASH-Bs. I just drop my weekly average spm back 6 weeks or so and re-cover old ground. That’s not ideal but it’s the adjustment I have to make to stay competitive for such an extended period. As my Level 4 training intensity has been somewhat out of phase with my overall 2K preparations on a few occasions, I have learned that Level 4 is the least critical of the WP training bands to maintain in exact proportion with overall training. There is a certain threshold I feel I need to reach for a fast 2K (probably about 19spm); beyond that I’d like to be faster, and work to become faster, but consider it less critical than getting those Level 1 & 2 scores as fast as possible. Hope that helps. Good luck!

Mike Caviston

Mike: Sounds great and thanks so much for the feedback! Sincerely, KJGress

Mike, a training topic that comes up fairly often re the Wolverine Plan but that I don't think you've revisited here (yet) is Drag Factor. In the 2002 update of the general plan you wrote



Presumably you wrote this with the eventual goal of seating compatible varsity-collegiate female athletes in efficiently stroked, well-synchronized multiple-person sweep boats.

How do you feel about DF for other types of rowers, whether ergers only, scullers, males, HW vs LW, elite vs. non-elite, adaptive vs non-adaptive, juniors vs masters, etc.? Would you recommend changing anything?

For anyone who is looking for them, you can find the charts you need for Level 4 workouts in Post #42 on Page 3 of this topic.

Thanks, Mike!

I spent about 45 minutes today just trying to digest and figure out this whole idea--the Level 4 workouts. Finally I have written down what I'm supposed to do tomorrow. I couldn't find the last chart I needed, the pace per stroke rate chart, but finally found it.

The whole thing seems out of whack for me; I must be doing something wrong? My poor sad pokey 2K pb is at 1:57. If I plan on my first Level 4 40' workout being 168, 172, 176, 180, have I figured this out right?

I'm supposed to do a 40 minute workout that goes like this:

2 min at 2:26, 16 spm
2 min at 2:21, 18 spm
2 min at 2:26, 16 spm
2 min at 2:21, 18 spm
2 min at 2:26, 16 spm
this should total 2084 meters

2 min at 2:21, 18 spm
2 min at 2:26, 16 spm
2 min at 2:21, 18 spm
2 min at 2:26, 16 spm
2 min at 2:21, 18 spm
this should total 2099 meters

2 min at 2:26, 16 spm
2 min at 2:21, 18 spm
2 min at 2:17, 20 spm
2 min at 2:21, 18 spm
2 min at 2:26, 16 spm
this should total 2111 meters

4 min at 2:26, 16 spm
2 min at 2:21, 18 spm
2 min at 2:17, 20 spm
1 min at 2:12, 22 spm
this should total 2113 meters

warm up and recover rate is supposed to be 2:32
5--10 min before and after

Total meters for workout @ 8407 plus warm up and cool down.

These paces seem so ridiculously slow. Last spring I was rowing 30 min at 2:00, but my 2K was way out of line with my other times.

Should I just go ahead with this even though it seems too slow? Should I guess at a faster pace, or jump ahead on the chart and at least start with harder sequences? I don't want to make the mistake of just jumping ahead and then burning out.

Also, does anyone have any good tips for getting the stroke rate right? I was going to try to use a metrenome, but even if you do 3 beats per stroke (because most metrenomes don't go any slower than around 30), how do you cope with the fact that you would have to reset it every 2 minutes? That can't work. How does everyone else get in the right rate?

I really want to give this a try but I'm somewhat baffled.

One way around the metronome problem is to use an electronic metronome program (or drum machine) you run through a computer & speakers. See my post in the FAQs thread on Rowing Music: Metronome

Alternatively, ErgMonitor's metronome bar is a great way to work on timing your stroke.

Carla,

You've got it right. The paces will seem slow, on paper, but this workout builds endurance, and is not a speedy workout.

Getting the pace/rate combination down is a challenge, but I think the best way to do it is with feel and watching the PM while fine tuning your stroke. It sometimes takes me 30 seconds to get it right when I'm slowing down, but soon you'll get the feel for the various segments. Mike's suggestion to get this was practice, practice, practice. (Did I expect anything else from a coach???) Another month of practice, and I fully agree. This is simply a workout you have to do to understand fully. And you have to do it several times to get some of the nuances of the shifts between pace/rate combos.

You can't use a metronome effectively with this workout. You also can't use the PM clock for 20SPM, because of the display variances of up to .5 seconds...you'll range between 18-22 SPM if you're able to follow the clock. So, you'll have to go by feel and the PM.

My reference pace is 1:49 based on my 2k from July. Although I'm probably capable of about 20 seconds faster for the 2k, I've kept the reference pace the same, and the workouts are still a challenge. This week I'm doing three 60 minute sessions. Those extra 20 minutes really start to fatigue the muscles, so you'll want to increase your total weekly time doing L4 workouts and get some longer workouts in. (I also do 70' and 2x40'). So, keep the reference pace but increase the time each week.

I'd say have fun with this, but I have yet to find fun with this workout. You have to stay focused on where you're at with almost every stroke. Music can even be distracting, but I keep the tunes low key to not get caught up in the beat.

Finally, don't overstroke the workout just to get the meters. I use RowPro and calculate the total strokes per set. On Sunday, I did a 184/188/184/188/184/188 workout that came out to a 180/190/181/190/190/190 but I hit all of the distances. I want to come in under the stroke count for each set and for the total. This is a challenge. When I do this workout again tonight, I'll do the same sets, but will have to watch the stroke rates to keep them slow. (16SPM is hard to hit with a consistent pace).

Best of luck with your workout, but dive right in and keep adjusting. You'll get it.

If the segments are only 2 min. to start with, I have the feeling there will be many segments where I can't ever get to the rate pace&rate combo.



If I can't go by the PM, because it's apt to be off by .5 seconds, how can I go by "feel" and looking at the PM? Last time I tried this I tried to go by the seconds counting down on the PM, which works for 20 spm but not really well for anything that 60 is not divisible by. It didn't work. I don't have a sense of the right "feel" to go by. The whole point is to get the right number of strokes done at the right pace and the right rate, so completing the workout and being off by 3 or 4 strokes on every single 2 minute sequence I can't think would feel like having completed the workout succesfully. With the paces slower than I usually use for recovery, I can't see how the workout will feel as though I have expended any real physical effort but will have succeeded very well at making myself crazy. How do you not find it tremendously frustrating?

I would think a metrenome would be excellent, because you can set it 3 x faster than the beat you want and have a 2 tic recovery and drive on the third; it's finding a way to have one that will change every 2 minutes to the beat you want so you don't have to stop and reset the foolish thing, which seems like it would totally ruin the workout.

Obviously, lots of people are using this system and finding it very helpful, so I really must be missing something! Plus, Mike is an experienced coach of a good team of strong athletes and has the hammers to prove that he knows what he is doing. I am going to give it a try tonight, using a metrenome--maybe it won't be that disprutive just to reach over and turn the knob to the new beat every 2 minutes.

Carla,
I've been doing these workouts for a few years now, and I agree that hitting the stroke rate and pace is challenging, but does come with practice. I set the monitor for 2:00 intervals with no rest....So, the 2 minutes just keep repeating (the monitor will do up to 30x2:00 intervals). The interval number is displayed on the monitor, so it's not too hard to keep track of where you are. I find these workouts fun...The continual challenge is to hit the stroke rate and the pace, which seems to make the time go by faster. Good luck!
Joan

Maybe I'm missing the question but the following works for me .... (aside from looking at the monitor to get overall feel of too high/low SPM) I use the following which means that I take exactly the right number of strokes per 10' / 6':

1st stroke of each minute on 00 seconds, then if monitor counting down (eg. from 40'):

16 SPM I count to 4 strokes and look to see the seconds at the following as I take the catch (00s / 57-56 / 53-52 (shd be "52.5")/ 49-48 etc) and, most importantly, try to take my 5th stroke (mental count = 1 again) on 45 secs. Repeat taking 9th stroke on 30 secs, 13th on 15 secs. etc....

18 SPM count to 3 strokes every 10 secs, so hit 1st, 4th (mental count = 1 again), 7th etc on 00, 50, 40 secs etc.

20 SPM is "easy", 3 seconds per stroke, .. 00, 57, 54, 51 etc...

22 harder, but you get the idea, I count to 11 and aim to split the middle stroke over the 45 / 15 secs.

etc...

Every so often when I grab a drink etc it is still possible to make up the right number of strokes by putting in (and counting) some faster SPM (and faster pace) strokes until catch up with where I should have been.

Guy

S5, you really are over thinking this, the PM will give you both the current Stroke rate and Pace, hit the Rate first and stay on it while getting on Pace. After some practice the rate change will become consistent and you can put more focus on hitting the pace more accurately, with the change in ratio and flywheel speed, it will take at least 3 strokes to stabilize the Rate/Pace combination. The combinations you list don't require a different drive, but the time on recovery will change considerably.

I use 2 (identical) beats per stroke. For example, set the metronome at 64 for 32 spm.

The metronome sits beside me so I just reach over in mid recovery and press it up a beat or two in between.

Carla,

you could try the Ergmonitor software. It has a metronome that helps a lot hitting the right stroke rate AND right stroke/recovery ratio. With Ergmonitor you only need to focus on the right pace. The right stroke rate becomes child play!

Tom

I use the PM for pace and rate only. When I used the clock on the PM for 20SPM, the display variances in the clock goofed up my rates. I asked this in another post and C2 confirmed this variance for me.

I simply do like Paul stated, and get the rate right and then apply or back off on the power to get the pace. I didn't have a feel for this at all until I tried it. Now it's still a challenge, but I've learned to simply concentrate on the pace and rate only. Too much more information would make me crazy.

The metronome is a great idea for maintaining a constant pace, but the variable rates in this workout present a challenge that I don't think can be overcome. (Unless you have 4 metronomes set up and know which one to follow for each pace!!!)

Just do the workout and see how it feels. You can fine tune it as you go, and it will get better each time. There are some fine nuances on the shifts up and down, but I'm simply relying on Mike's success, and sticking with it for this season. (And probably for every future season for that matter).

I have to agree with Pauls 3 stroke assessment, but I sometimes take a bit longer on this one, especially when slowing down, but it's getting better.

Anyway, lots to think about with this one. I'll be doing another 60' tonight, and will see if I can pick up any tips. Let us know how your session turns out. (If 40 minutes is too easy, bump it up to 50 next time).

As I said in the previous post, just set the metronome beside you when you row.

Then it is very easy to just press the button in mid recovery, to up the rating every few minutes or whenever you want to change it.

Hello,

I had a go at this last night using Rowpro - I was hopeless. Found it really difficult to do a strong slow drive and stay synchronised with paceboat.

Tom - When using either Ergmonitor or Rowpro on these low spm's do you adjust the stroke recovery ration or just accept the defaults ?

Bill - and HM coming soon about time I got ahead on Nonathlon

Thanks everyone for the helpful ideas.

I tried my first Level 4 today. This is how it panned out:

It should have been 168(2084)/172(2099)/176(2111)/180(2113).

It was: 166(2076)/172(2110)/176(2139)/182(2151).

So basically it was close to perfect, the first 10' being minus 8 m and minus 2 strokes, the second 10' plus 11 meters and right on the strokes, the third 10' plus 28 meters and right on the strokes, and the last 10' plus 2 strokes and 38 meters.

The metrenome made it very easy to hit the stroke rates, a great improvement over watching the seconds on the PM or trying to keep the spm on the PM reading the right number. The slowest mine will count is at 35 bpm so I tripled all the settings and used beat 1 for the drive and 2 beats for the recovery.

My monitor is the PM2. Does anyone know how you make it tell you which interval you're doing while you're doing it? I had the workout posted on a white board with the stroke rates and paces and the intervals numbered but I kept getting confused which one I was doing.

Also, it seems you can't set a rest time of 0 on the PM2. I think the shortest rest time you can set is 10 seconds so I had to do that, but I used it to reset the metrenome and start getting used to the new stroke rate for 2 strokes before it started counting.

Rowing this extremely slowly seems to be making my stroke feel really jerky. Maybe it's always jerky but I can't tell when I go my normal pace/rate?

I don't feel taxed in the slightest, so I think I should move up the chart somehow, but don't know how. Should I go for a slightly faster 2K pace, or do an increase in the number of strokes in the workout?

Thanks for any help on this--Mike or anyone who has some solid experience with this.

Level 4 sessions have been a great assest for me in getting the longer sessions done. I usually do 40-minutes where the sequences are in 2-minute increments, which allows me to scroll through the recall to see if I hit the pace with the respective spm. I jut get locked in to the spm and pace.

There is a Level 4 session that I had learned from one of Mike's posts, which he claims is very hard: 116 116 116 128 128 140. I have found that if I can hit that session for the chosen pace chart, than I can break that pace for 2k. It starts out innocently and becomes challenging in the second 128 and extremely challenging in the 140.

Something to keep in mind with the PM's are that you can only be so accurate with your pace. If the PM2+ display shows 1:30, you are somewhere in-between 1:29.5 and 1:30.4 or its 1:29.6 and 1:30.4. I have only raced on the Model D's and have seen them display the pace with a tenths digit, which must be madness for someone trying to nail a particular pace.

I was glad to see mentioned the importance of Level 1 and Level 2 scores. It is only in the last few weeks that I have been hitting those sessions again.

Do you mean in the Main Pace display? I've never seen this, anyone else?

My Model D does not display tenths in the Main Pace display. While rowing, I see tenths in the smaller display of the average 500m pace (if set to display average).

Joan

Bill,
I try the low spm's first using Ergmonitor. That shows me proper stroke/recovery ratio. Then I adjust the ratio in the metronome, to help me maintain the proper ratio.

Tom

Challenging, yes indeed! I just did that sequence tonight, and the last 3 minutes hurt, but it was fun nonetheless!
Thanks for bringing that sequence to our attention.

Upon the advice of Bill Moore, a WP acolyte and local indoor rower, I've decided to adopt the Wolverine Plan and use it to prep for the CRASH-B. I got a lot of help from Bill in setting up this plan and understanding how to progress from week to week, and I'm sharing it here so (a) I can get feedback, and ( other WP novices can learn. I believe everything I have below can be traced back directly to the WP document or something Mike Caviston posted.

6 workouts a week
Day 1 - Level 1
Day 2 - Level 4 (40')
Day 3 - Level 2
Day 4 - Level 4 (4 x 10')
Day 5 - Level 3 (15k)
Day 6 - Level 4 (60')
Day 7 - rest

2k reference time = 7:11.3
2k reference pace = 1:47.8
recovery pace = 2:32

Level 1 @ 1:47.8
8 x 500
4 x 1k
4k pyramid

Level 2 @ 1:56.7 (108.3% of 2k pace)
5 x 1500
4 x 2k
3k / 2.5k / 2k
recovery distance = 75% of work distance

Level 3 @ 2:04.6 (115.6% of 2k pace)
12k
15 x 3', 1' recovery

Level 4
40' = 176/180/176/180
4 x 10' = ?
60' = 176/180/176/180/176/180

The only question I have at this time is regarding the 4 x 10' intervals for Level 4. The WP document says that "Other variations include ... 4 x 10' at a proportionally greater intensity". How do I determine what the proportionally greater intensity is? Do I select 10' pieces that have a higher SPM than my 40' or 60' pieces (e.g. if I'm doing sequences that average 17.8 SPM for the long pieces, I select a sequence with a ~20 SPM, for example), or do I, only for the purposes of this interval workout, use a faster reference pace but otherwise use the same SPM (e.g. my reference pace is 1:48, so I use that pace to select the pace per stroke rate for the 40' and 60' workouts, but I use a reference pace of 1:43, for example, for the 4 x 10' workout)?

If this question has already been answered, I apologize for asking it again - Mike Caviston has so much detailed information out there, there are some things I've only read twice or three times.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I think Level 4 is all in 10' sequences. 40' = 176/180/176/180 because 176 is 10', 180 is 10', 176is 10', and 180 is 10'. 60'= 6 10' peices all strung together. I don' t think there is such a thing as a Level 4 60' or 40' that isn't made up of the shorter 10' bits.

Guess I'd better go back and read some more...

Level 4 has 10 and 6 minute sets. Mike suggested that the 6' sets be used when increasing the time each week. (To get to 50', you could do 42' and 48' sessions made up of the 6' sets. I've always just bumped it by 10').

FYI, a 4x10' is a 40' session.

Also, keep the same reference pace for the "season", and increase the total strokes to increase the intensity. I've moved from 176/180 repetitions to 180/184. For 40', this would increase the total strokes by 16 over 40'. Mike gave a lot of advise on increasing this. There's an endless combination of sets to play with on this. Just hit your rates and paces before increasing the number of strokes for a given time.

I'd also put an extra day between your L1 & L2 workouts. Since you'll be cranking the paces down each week, you'll want the recovery between these two intense workouts.

Don't expect to perform your L1 & L2 workouts at the same pace. For example, start the 8x500 at your PB pace, but back off by 4 seconds for your first 4x1k. The first time you do these, set a goal pace you can achieve, and then you can start going faster each week. I've been pulling 1 second off every 3 week cycle, but that's sure to end soon.

As I've said before, come on in, the water's fine. Start with one of the interval sessions. If you make a "mistake" don't worry about it. Just start putting in the time to do these sessions, and it will become clearer once you've experienced each workout. CRASH-Bs are 16+ weeks away, so you've got time to really benefit from using a training plan.

In some of the literature there is some info about 4x 10. Mike recommends it as a level 4 workout in the following parameters: There are at least 2 other level 4 workouts during the week using continuous formats and of at least 100 minutes duration. Choose a format so the stroke rate average for the total workout (all sets combined) is about 2 greater than the average for the other level 4 workouts (if your average stroke rate is currently 18.6 for the level 4 continuous then make the average for the 4x 10 around 20.6). He recommends 3:20 between pieces. I do it as an active recovery.

Hope this helps!

KJG

I stand corrected. I am thinking of RowPro. The RowPro displays your pace in tenths of second.

Cool. Lots of info to go through to get this kind of detail. Thanks for clarifying this workout.

If you have a computer near the erg, a copy of ergmonitor could solve your problems. Last night I set up my workout to do a 10 minute warmup followed by 172, 176, 180 and 184 sequences where I set up each 2 minute interval of each sequence to its own stroke rate and split goal. The software also allowed me to setup the 4, 3, 2, 1 minute splits of the 184 sequence with their own stroke rates and split goals. There were no rest times in the entire workout, the metronome in the software automatically adjusted to the stroke rate needed for each 2 minute piece and changed the displayed split goal to the one selected for the piece, so I did not have to keep track of which piece I was on. All I needed to do was to watch the metronome and keep the split to the displayed goal. For the first time I was able to get through a Level 4 and watch my favorite TV shows without messing up my workout plan.

I'm giving Fred the title of "Unofficial ErgMonitor Workout Setup Wizard", as that's the most detailed use of the interface I've ever heard of. I broke a sweat just reading it.

Paul, no sweat at all, since the 172, 176 and 180 sequences use mostly 16 and 18 spm pieces, you only have to set up 1 each and use the (very handy) copy and move up/move down functions. It took less than 15 minutes for me to set up workouts for all of the following

L4 - 40 min
L4 - 50 Min
L4 - 60 min
L3 - 2 x 6000
L3 - 3 x 6000
L2 - 5 x 1500
L2 - 4 x 2000
L2 - 3000, 2500, 2000
L1 - 8 x 500
L1 - 4 x 1000
L1 - 250, 500, 750, 1000, 750, 500, 250
and all L1, L2 and L3 workouts included setup of appropriate rest intervals

Did you confer with Mike Caviston when you were designing ErgMonitor, it certainly fits the bill for these workouts.

My workouts were set up for a 1:47.0 reference pace but this can quickly be changed. If anyone is interested I can send the workout files via email (don't worry Paul, I will not send the software). Use the mail feature through Concept2, you can find me on most of the ranking lists, if you limit the search to New Hampshire, the search will be easier.

I know, but if I say it, people might think that I'm pulling their leg. The most common feedback about the CBreeze goes something like this. "Wow! It does exactly what you say it does!" I'm not quite sure what they were expecting it to do, other than exactly what I would say it does...

Please feel free to send the workout files, that's why we made them. MikeN gets the Kudos for the far ranging capability of the Workout Set-up, I row Steady State single distance pieces 99% of the time, but he insisted that we've got to allow for multi-segment independently configurable modules. My only contribution was to suggest that there also be a choice between "immediate" or "on first stroke" transitions between segments. Since the Wolverine Plan fits into the model of having target Paces/rates/times/etc... we just have to chalk it up to thoughtful design on both sides that end up being compatible.

A couple years ago MikeN came to Ann Arbor and demo’d ErgMonitor for the UM coaches. Unfortunately it just wasn’t practical for the current indoor training facility at Michigan. The program definitely has a number of applications that are useful in conjunction with the Wolverine Plan. I really liked the ability to review the actual number of strokes taken during any defined segment (1’, 2’, 3’ etc.) during a session. So if training with ErgMonitor is an alternative for anyone reading this thread, I say get it. (And since I got a CBreeze a couple years ago, it’s hard to imagine getting along without one.) For myself, I simply set the PM2 or PM3 to sub-intervals of 10’ or 6’ and record the meter totals after the workout. I never know if I got each minute PRECISELY on target within each subinterval, but I know I must have been close.

As for a metronome, I guess that might be helpful initially but I wouldn’t want to come to depend on one. Try to get to the point where you just find the stroke rate you want naturally and easily. All it takes is practice. Isn’t Carla (Seat5) a musician? There must be some parallels there. I personally don’t count anything; I just keep making subtle adjustments in recovery speed until I see the desired SR consistently on the monitor. I find that pace pretty much naturally follows rate. That is, if I get my rate then pace is almost always what it’s supposed to be. I have been asked before about how to keep the rate so low (my recovery rowing is almost all at rate 14-16). Imagine doing a jumpie (an explosive squat jump). You leap up off the ground and when you return to earth you don’t simply collapse onto your heels; you eccentrically contract your quads to prevent gravity from pulling you down too rapidly. Just apply the same concept to the recovery of the stroke. After the finish, bring your hands away and pivot your body in a normal fashion, but once the knees start to bend just bend them a little slower and resist the movement of the seat towards the flywheel a little more. The rail is angled and the bungee attached to the handle is pulling you towards the flywheel, so to slow the recovery just resist the pull. Of course, always row strapless at low (and even moderate and moderately high) rates.

Just today in the Kinesiology course I am teaching this semester the topic was Information Processing and the phenomenon of overthinking simple tasks, resulting in “paralysis by analysis”. Same concept applies here. Don’t overanalyze the process, just relax and do it. It might not become automatic in a day or a week or a month, but I bet there will be noticeable improvement soon. Good luck.

Mike Caviston

It seems like I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t. One of the things I deal with regularly is people contacting me for information that I’ve already supplied. (My students do that, too – they have the syllabus, but they’re always calling or e-mailing to find out what chapters to read or when the next quiz will be.) I got a PM recently from someone who asked me where they could get information about the Wolverine Plan. My response was something like, Umm, how about this website you’re using to contact me? And they responded that, no, they were looking for a specific program and did I have any advice? I replied, sure, I have lots of advice, you can read it in the Wolverine Plan Discussion thread… Finally I received this:



I guess my time is less valuable; sorry about all the mumbo jumbo.

Someone copied and pasted one of my posts to the UK forum, which generated the following response:



Oh well, can’t please everybody, I guess. HOWEVER, I will encourage anyone coming in late to read the ENTIRE thread, and those looking for a particular answer may need to re-read. I really AM trying to be helpful, but I’m not able to quit my day job yet…

Happy training,

Mike Caviston

ROTFLMAO.... Thanks Mike!

Half of the people can be part right all of the time,
Some of the people can be all right part of the time.
But all the people can't be all right all the time
I think Abraham Lincoln said that.
"I'll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours,"
I said that. --Bob Dylan



I think that at least half of us are appreciating you Mike. Carry on.

Rick

I sincerely apologize if I implied that you should pay for my laziness when it comes to searching through the material you've already posted (and given the amount of time it must take to type all of this up, let alone do the research in the first place, it is very valuable material indeed) - I did not mean to. My comment above was a (clearly poorly phrased, at best) joke about how much material I have at my disposal to look through. I certainly did not intend to fault you in anyway for what is or is not available, readily or otherwise.

I wanted to take to heart what you wrote in some remarks about the WP:

I've already asked several questions about the WP that were previously answered in "the literature", and I've seen others ask questions that showed they read even less of the WP than I did. I therefore wanted to do as much of the homework upfront, and only ask questions when I got stuck. As the responses from the other students of the WP showed, I did not do enough of my homework.

mike,

first off, thanks for all the info. clearly many are benefiting. have read the entire wp document and all posts here and do not recall guidance for level 1 pyramid pacing specific to each distance. should i assume that pace should be the same (i.e. 103%) for each distance or should it progressively slow as you climb the pyramid while remaining in 95%-105% ?

thanks, and sorry if i missed info on this.

dw

Hi Mike,
Yes, I'm a violin student, and I have the coolest metrenome...It actually will count out loud with words if I want it to, including the 8th and 16th notes! A sort of a Cox in a Box.

The practicing and concentrating involved with Level 4, especially as a beginner, is very similar to some of the practice I have to do musically. It is very appealing to me to work at something which requires this kind of discipline in order to actually have the results come out as intended. Right now I have to do a series of 3 octave scales, using an electronic tuner, that is incredibly sensitive, to make sure each note is precisely exact. The difference between flat, sharp, and right on to this Draconian device is so minute that it takes less than the slightest lean of the finger--like the width of a human hair--to make the difference. The scales have to be played 1 note to a bow, 3 to a bow, 6 to a bow, and then the whole darn scale on one bow and then bouncing the bow 2, 3, 4 and 6 times per note....and in tune. It's making me crazy!

After only one Level 4 session, I already saw improvement in the ability to settle in to the right stroke rate after only a few strokes. The metrenome really helped get me started right on each 2 min. interval. Not so easy was getting the pace to match; right now it almost always wants to be faster, which makes me think my reference pace is a bit low, but I thought I'd do a couple of weeks like this so as not to make it too hard and then burn out.

Thanks!

Mike discussed this earlier in this thread. See page 6, with his Pacing Continued on 10/22.

I hadn't seen this anywhere before and was always saving myself on the way up, and would run down the hill pretty fast. I'll try his pacing strategy on this next time.

from page 6

"I use the same approach for other Level 1 workouts (5 x 750m and the Pyramid). That is, I negative- or even-split each individual piece. I don’t do the Pyramid often enough to have developed what I believe would be an ideal strategy, but I do it roughly like this:
250m) fast as I can
500m) about the same as my best 8 x 500m pace
750m) about a second slower than that
1000m) about another half second slower than that (i.e., the 750m)
750m) faster than the first 750m
500m) faster than the first 500m
250m) fast as I can
In the end, my best Pyramid average will end up about half a second slower than my best 8 x 500m average"

thanks

I surely didn’t take offence from your specific post. It was just a convenient quote to illustrate a point. There is a lot of material, and some people will in good faith simply overlook something and ask an innocent question. In those cases I tend to sit back and see if anyone else was paying attention, and usually someone else speaks up and locates the desired information. I only take offence when someone takes the attitude that I owe it to them to give them instant summaries of what they want, like I’m some kind of Google search engine. I also read with interest others’ interpretations of my comments. It helps me see what I’m explaining clearly and not-so-clearly. Sometimes I’ll need to make a correction of factual error, but just as often someone else will eloquently state something I was fumbling around to express. So I’m not trying to discourage anyone from asking questions; far from it.

Mike Caviston

A follow up to my Level 4 pacing education:

Tonight I did 60', alternating 184/188. I used PaulS suggestion to concentrate on the stroke rate, and I found it much easier to do this when I was concentrating on hitting the rate first, and then letting the pace come with it. I noticed that it was essentially maintaining the same intensity/feel/pull with the rate changes. (I think Mike's said this before, but I didn't understand it until tonight, when I started to feel the shifts. "To feel is to believe"...Ed Parker).

I also was able to make the shifts in about 2 strokes. I also didn't overstroke this workout like I did last time. Maybe it was just the training coming together, but I specifically focused on getting the rates right and making a quick transisition between rates. I believe this one focus point can help people "get" this workout.

I'd like to suggest that people put the metronones and counting strategy away for a few weeks with this workout in order to get the feel down. I believe that once you get this feel down, that you won't have to think about it anymore. You can then concentrate on the timing and shifts with each sequence.

Anyone else find something like this after working Level 4 for a few weeks?

I went moderately steady today and did the entire session with a metronome.

It was fantastic, rhythmic, smooth, and I enjoyed this better than listening to music.

I would say to first try the metronome first.

Than you will have a better conception of how it feels and the positive effects it can have on your stroke.