Concept2 Challenge Series ..... Anyone signing up?

dmch2

5:55.1 so I'm still not fit enough! I think I used to be able to maintain that speed for 5000m a long time ago...

Cycling obviously uses different muscles to rowing - that's my excuse! So why am I rubbish at both!

wastrel

dmch2, managed to match you exactly, which is very annoying as I'll have to have another go before the end of the month.........and I really don't want to. Bring back the turbo VO2 max intervals - i used to think they were nasty!

Welcome aboard the non-floating 'boat of suffering' wise prankster.

springtide9

Good effort by all.

Need to complete my effort, but still in recovery from the weekend (and managed to bash both knees!) Not that I'm already making excuses already LOL

Keep it up guys. What we should also do is see whether this challenge is also improving our fitness.

BTW, there are some great pdf docs on Concept2 website regarding improving fitness, including using the C2 for training for other sports.. worth a look read if you haven't already.

Simon

springtide9

Finally have a time for the second event.

5:30.1

I can see this is going to get harder as the months go on.

weeksy59

springtide9 wrote:

Finally have a time for the second event.

5:30.1

I can see this is going to get harder as the months go on.

5.30 !!!!

Damn mate what's your average/500 ?

wastrel

1:42 pace! - I've never even got the machine going that fast, let alone for 5 minutes plus.

We can see why he started the thread now....

springtide9

weeksy59 wrote:

springtide9 wrote:

Finally have a time for the second event.

5:30.1

I can see this is going to get harder as the months go on.

5.30 !!!!

Damn mate what's your average/500 ?

The average 500m splits were 1:42.6.

You actually helped me! I looked at your splits and you'd mentioned that you could row at roughly 2 secs slower per 500m compared to to the 4min event. I averaged roughly 1:40.5 spit for the 4min event, so assumed that 1:42.5 would be about right. The last couple of hundred metres were really hard work, but I could just about keep pace.
It will be interesting to see if our splits for the 2k are approx +2sec/500 compared to the 1mile.

And, I have been milking the rower every gym session since roughly March, so I have had plenty of practice!

springtide9

wastrel wrote:

1:42 pace! - I've never even got the machine going that fast, let alone for 5 minutes plus.

We can see why he started the thread now....

Some folks can do 2k in 5m30s!

We are all different weights etc so actual rankings aren't that important. What's good is that you know every month you need to put in a good effort to hold your position or lead.. and that (hopefully) mean pushing yourselve.
And hopefully, its also a bit of fun

wastrel

My splits are the same for the two events so far - so just got to keep that pattern going up to the 10km row! ha ha - I'll settle for the 2k at the same pace though.

Unfortunately it's more because my first row was so terrible than any fitness gain.

I'm very glad you had the idea - it's also fixed my season-long dodgy knee that has stopped me racing much - maybe because the range of knee flexion is much greater than on the bike?

dmch2

I'm assuming that as the snow starts up here and I'm forced off the bike I'll be onto the erg for all my exercise. Then I'll be flying (erm, wheezing) up the table!

10km in 40 minutes would be nice but it'll need to get pretty cold pretty quick to give me enough time to get to that level for the January challenge!

springtide9

@wastrel
Glad to hear that the C2 Challenge is having a positive impact on your general fitness. I hope we all benefit over the winter months, and help us achieve a few personal goals in our main activities.

weeksy59

I need to up my game. The month seems to pass so quickly doens't it.

I've not rowed a huge ammount at the moment as cycling and holidays have got in the way.

I'll be putting in more times though.

springtide9

weeksy59 wrote:

I need to up my game. The month seems to pass so quickly doens't it.

I've not rowed a huge ammount at the moment as cycling and holidays have got in the way.

I'll be putting in more times though.

Cool.

BTW, Not sure if I mentioned it in the other thread.. I must thank you.... the training advice you have give me has helped me a lot.... so a 'big thumbs up' mate

We all know that practice makes perfect ; I'm very aware that you will be on my tail before I know it.... it's just a matter of 'when' rather than 'if' LOL

WisePranker

Well I'm pretty happy now as i've managed to knock a lump off my time this month.
I've managed to get it down from 6:55.8 down to 6:30 dead With another 10 days or so until the closing date for this month, hopefully I'll be able to knock another few seconds off!

I'm finding it quite enjoyable using the rower and the challenge aspect is pretty he pful for motivating me as well.

springtide9

WisePranker wrote:

Well I'm pretty happy now as i've managed to knock a lump off my time this month.
I've managed to get it down from 6:55.8 down to 6:30 dead With another 10 days or so until the closing date for this month, hopefully I'll be able to knock another few seconds off!

I'm finding it quite enjoyable using the rower and the challenge aspect is pretty he pful for motivating me as well.

Good time!

Remember to signup @ http://concept2.co.uk/challengeseries/mini_leagues and enter your time (and sign up to the BikeRadar mini league)

You can enter your best time as many times as you like during the month... so as you get a best time enter it so that we can all track where we are.

Not that I'm feeling the pressure , but it's always useful having a time or distance to aim for!

Sign up.. and get those times on the board!

dmch2

I decided to have a longer go as I can't cycle tonight. So I did 30 minutes and managed 7289m at a 2:03.5 split reasonably comfortably.

I think I'm reasonably fit but lacking in power. So the shorter distances and (road) cycling up hills show me up as rubbish.

I guess I should really do batches of almost flat out 1000m intervals? Or go and find a hill and cycle up it half a dozen times every time I go out...

springtide9

dmch2 wrote:

I decided to have a longer go as I can't cycle tonight. So I did 30 minutes and managed 7289m at a 2:03.5 split reasonably comfortably.

I think I'm reasonably fit but lacking in power. So the shorter distances and (road) cycling up hills show me up as rubbish.

I guess I should really do batches of almost flat out 1000m intervals? Or go and find a hill and cycle up it half a dozen times every time I go out...

Not sure if you were asking for suggestions, but will answer it so as you put a question mark!

What I found useful to improve my times on the faster/shorter distances (thanks weeksy59) - were interval sessions.

I picked a speed that I was happy rowing around 2000m (or slightly faster), and tried 10x 500m, with rests of 60 secs. I also mixed this around a little, reducing the rest time, trying a ramp up, ramp down in speed (e.g. 1:55, 1:52.5, 1:50, 1:52.5, 1:55 etc) - but would every so often try my 'known configuration' to compare (to see if I improved)
If you can easily do the full 10, them you need to increase something (from about 8 reps, should feel like rowing through treacle!)

After a while of getting used to the higher speeds, when I switched to the longer distances and slower pace, I was able to keep a much faster pace.

After about three weeks of introducing this training ... I managed to reduced my split from around 1:59.5 to around 1:56.9 over my longer distance row. It also brought down the splits of the shorter distances. I also limited the killer C2 challenge time to only once a week... found that once I'd done this, it would effect my whole gym session.

Only a few more days left... will get one more row in before it closes.. how is everyone else doing?

dmch2

That sounds like a good (ie painful!) idea to try. I got proper wet cycling today so I'll be doing less road miles which means less excuses to avoid the rowing machine!

although I've got to do another 201 miles before Christmas to meet my 1000 miles target. That's starting from mid July after only do a few miles of trails.

springtide9

dmch2 wrote:

That sounds like a good (ie painful!) idea to try. I got proper wet cycling today so I'll be doing less road miles which means less excuses to avoid the rowing machine!

although I've got to do another 201 miles before Christmas to meet my 1000 miles target. That's starting from mid July after only do a few miles of trails.

You mean you avoid the rowing machine? I know what you mean.. I (unfortunately) do most of my training at the gym due to family commitments, so there's no escape (or excuse) for me!

Didn't manage to get a final run in last week... but was happy with my original time.. Started trying to run this week and it messed me up a bit. Was also off with the kids, so had a very nice week taking it easy as well as having a few beers.

Will hopefully have my road bike by the new year, so will get a bit of experience of riding from the other side of the fence soon!

But.... hasn't the 2k round just started..
Current Round - Olympic Race Distance - 2,000m
Everybody knows and loves he 2k....

wastrel

mmm....lovely.....another 391m of pain on each attempt!

As a mountain-obsessed roadie I cheered myself up by geekily working out the w/kg for the mile - I end up the same as springtide9 on this criteria!

I'll just move the goalposts as we go along :idea:

springtide9

wastrel wrote:

mmm....lovely.....another 391m of pain on each attempt!

As a mountain-obsessed roadie I cheered myself up by geekily working out the w/kg for the mile - I end up the same as springtide9 on this criteria!

I'll just move the goalposts as we go along :idea:

Nothing wrong with working the numbers... makes complete sense
Also I wonder how much height has an effect (as you get a longer stroke)
Looks like I need to loose 10kg to rule out these types of calculations!
Good job it wasn't a year ago, as I was more than 105kg this time last year (but unfortunately not 105kg of muscle LOL)

Current results...
http://concept2.co.uk/challengeseries/mini_league_results?id=30112e8d5d9b29993bc8c3

The percentages are also interesting... I wonder how these will change as the distance increases?

weeksy59

springtide9 wrote:

Also I wonder how much height has an effect (as you get a longer stroke)

HUGE.

All the worlds best are BIG BIG men.

It also means you can lower your stroke rate.

Anything over 2000m and i row at approx 21spm. I see people slower than me rowing at 28-35spm

I'm not tall at 6'0" but tall enough.

springtide9

Is it me, or everyone dreading the 2k LOL

Seems like I'm setting myself up for the pain of the 1609m, but need to keep going for an extra 1m30s

I invited my friend (Martin Kilb) to the BR league - as he was the one who got me signed up for this year long monthly pain challenge.

He's always wiped me on the rower, so it's no surprise that I've been knocked off 1st place!

weeksy59

i'm down with flu/cough at the moment so not training at all

springtide9

weeksy59 wrote:

i'm down with flu/cough at the moment so not training at all

Not good. A lot of it going around at the moment and it's the session for it.
Hope you shake it off soon mate. Take it easy.

WisePranker

Managed to beat my previous 2k time of 8:37 by 26 seconds so down to 8:11 now which I'm pretty happy with
Hopefully by the end of the month I'll be under 8 minutes!

wastrel

With all these coughs and colds going round I thought I'd better get a time in quickly.

Managed 7:18.2 and i reckon that'll be the best it gets this month - or ever.

springtide9

@all: Looks like everyone is improving, so it must be doing us some good


Had a really good one today for the 2k, although I did really pay for it afterwards

6:51.3 (1:42.8 split)

Think this is very close my personal best ( ? 6:48 ? ), but I was 10 years younger.

Spent 15 min on the bike afterwards spinning with almost no load, and struggled to get rid of the horrible sick feeling. But hey, I'm sure it did me good - no pain, no gain LOL

Improve your times... (a tip from a friend of mine)
If you started off slow and picked up your speed at the end - you are more than capable of rowing the distance at that improved average split. Next time around, row that split from the beginning (no faster), but if you have energy at the end pick up the speed to improve on your split... keep doing this until you have nothing left at the end. Some days you'll flag early (bad day), some days you'll surprise yourself.

Today, I knew I was planning the 2k... so for some stupid reason didn't go to bed until 1:30am (and was up at 7am).... I had no expectations of doing a good time (I think I was trying to make myself have a poor time for some reason - and this was a good excuse for me to put in a poor time)... but some days, you get surprises

WisePranker

Good advice Simon, I'll have to give it a try.

The first time I rowed 2k I did a 9:00 or thereabouts and couldn't get rid of that sickly/going to die feeling for about an hour and a half afterwards! I staggered out of the gym and into the locker room and had to sit down for half an hour before I could even move

poppit

Just started rowing again in the gym so got some way to go to get the fitness back. When I was doing lots a few years ago my PB for 2k was 6'38", 5k was 17'58", not sure if I'm going to get back to that level again!