============================================================ INDOOR ROWING NEWSLETTER # 34 ======================== 12-April-2001 ========================= _________________________________________________ C O N T E N T S 1. Concept 2 Message Board 2. Modern Pentathlon 3. Tel's Tales #1 4. Herbert Leah 5. Horses For 6. Red Nose Row 7. Nigel Gower 8. Motivation 9. Tel's Tales #2 10. Concept 2 Shop 11. Faridah Newman 12. E-Row ________________________________________________________________ ========================================================= Concept 2 Message Board ========================================================= This newsletter sees the number of subscribers break the 10,000 mark for the first time. After we'd celebrated with brandy and cigars and called everyone we knew, we decided we needed something special to commemorate this occasion. We toyed with various ideas ranging from flying everybody out to Vegas to producing a special Franklin Mint plate featuring Matthias Siejkowski. In the end, however, we bottled all of these. What we'd like instead is to know a bit more about all you unique snowflakes out there. We've started a new thread on the Concept 2 Message Board (http://www.concept2.co.uk/messageboard.htm) under the Miscellaneous section of the Indoor Rower category. Called Introduce Yourself, what we'd like is for everybody to, well, just introduce yourself. You can say as much or as little as you want; you can detail your entire sporting career and your greatest indoor rowing moments, or just pop your head up above the parapet and give us your name, age and where you're from. Whatever, it doesn't matter. Even if you normally just lurk around the fringes of the message board and never post, we'd like to hear from you on just this one occasion. Go on, do it for us. ========================================================= Modern Pentathlon ========================================================= The Modern Pentathlon was the brain child of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, and was based around the exploits of a Napoleonic military officer who, during the Franco-Prussian war of the 19th Century, was dispatched on horseback to deliver an urgent message. Riding across hilly, woody terrain behind enemy lines, he encountered a soldier with his sword drawn and after duelling him, his horse was shot by another soldier. The unlucky, but determined officer wheeled and shot the other soldier and continued on foot over the hostile, difficult terrain, until he came to a river which he had to swim across to finally deliver the message. Rather than stroking his chin in disbelief, de Coubertin instead devised a new event to test a contemporary warrior-athlete's mettle with the corresponding events of shooting, fencing, swimming, equestrian show jumping and cross-country running. Cut to 2001. Despite the absence of any black monoliths on the moon, we're now in a new modern age demanding a newer, moderner, pentathlon. The first Inner City Schools Modern Pentathlon took place at Brunel University, Borough Road Campus, Isleworth on March 20th. Seven schools took part in the event which began with a three minute swim, followed by darts (which replaced shooting), table tennis (instead of fencing), indoor rowing (instead of riding) and concluded with a 2,000 metre run. As most state schools lack facilities for shooting, riding and fencing, these alternatives allowed the youngsters a taste of the challenge of the Pentathlon, thus making up for the fact it's pretty tricky to think of a situation when a soldier would need to play table tennis and darts for his life. Overall Individual Winners: BOYS 1. Yorke O'Leary (Greycourt) 2. Craig McCluskie (Ashburton College) 3. William Vicar (Greycourt) GIRLS 1. Jessica Harvey (Greycourt) 2. Alice Ward (Greycourt) 3. Holly Latimer (Ashburton College) Best Indoor Rowers (Five minute piece): BOYS 1. Tamar Hassan (Battersea Tech) 1461m 2. Joseph Anthony (Hackney F&P) 1368m 3. Nathan Scott (Willesden High) 1352m GIRLS 1. Jessica Harvey (Greycourt) 1205m 2. Alice Ward (Greycourt) 1180m 3. Samantha Barret (Hackney F&P) 1131m ========================================================= Tel's Tales #1 ========================================================= The priest looked at the six year old nervously. If the rumours were true then this child was the reincarnation of the high priest. The gossip in this remote village of a child born at the exact time of the death of the last high priest, and having wisdom far beyond his earthly years, had reached the main temple. Now the child stood before him, impossibly collected, his blue eyes seeming to see into the depths of the priest's soul. The child finally spoke, "Wotcha cocker, if you've got a question, just send it to tels-tales@concept2.co.uk". Graham Price: "I have seen a FISA [the World Rowing Federation] table giving boat speeds as a percentage of 2,000 metre speed, for the different training zones, e.g. UT1 65-75%, AT 75 - 85% etc. I presume that these are lower than for a rowing machine as there is not the same increased resistance on one compared with on the water. Could Terry let us know what he thinks of this and suggest some speed zones?" Terry O'Neill: "Graham, when you were rowing at international level we only referred to training types as steady state, tempo and interval training. The increased training bands started when the wall came down and a lot more of the training regimes and coaches from the DDR popped up in the west. On water training in the bands monitored as a percentage of 2,000 metre speed is a way you can control the quality of the work and this would be a combination of technique and effort. The problem is that different conditions on different days have a big effect on boat speed. By taking the predicted gold medal time for the particular boat you would measure boat speed through 250m markers and compare them. When you do this every 250m on every day you can build up a picture that is irrespective of conditions, in other words you would see a trend. As you rightly point out, the rowing machine is not affected by conditions and so it should be a much easier prospect to relate training band percentages to target 2,000 metre time. But here is the rub; if the session is 20 minutes UT1, you should be working between 70-80% of your target time. If this target time was 6 minutes then at the top end of 80% your 500m split should read 1.48. What can happen is that when you are aware of the split you achieve it by moving up out of the band you are supposed to be in. Done on a regular basis the training programme becomes totally corrupted and the athlete can become run down. The training bands are based on lactate levels and as there is a correlation between lactate level and heart rate, and heart rate is easier to monitor, the training bands are grouped in percentages of heart rate. Once you do this you have an average for the general population which is unlikely to fit any one individual (the average family has 2.2 children but no one family has). At the lower intensities, heart rate increase to increase in load is pretty linear but once you reach anaerobic threshold this is no longer true. What you could do is to identify what your split time is for each of the bands specifically for you, but you would need to take lactate levels from your blood at each of the steps. You would also need to do this on a regular basis, 6-8 weeks as you adapt to the training load. Taking blood lactate is not as difficult as it was as there are now portable pocket size kits that you can buy for around 500 pounds that give an instant readout. At the end of the day it is a question of balance and return for physical and financial outlay. ========================================================= Herbert Leah ========================================================= In The Indoor Rowing News #33, Paul Karanevich asked a question regarding the rowing technique displayed by some competitors at the World Indoor Rowing Championship. Terry O'Neill replied, using the example of Herbert Leah, the current world champion at 70-79 Lwt, as an example. Herbert himself read the question and has penned his own thoughts on rowing technique. "All athletic events start from a premise of what technique is required to give the best results for a particular activity and is based on anatomical and physiological considerations for the ideal human build/shape for the specific event/activity. "However, in reality there are many different human forms - long and short legs, arms, trunk and neck plus many computations of these with the result that the ideas as expressed in the original contention of what correct technique for a specific event should entail, is rarely achieved. "This generalisation would not apply where athletes are selected specifically for an event, as the aim then will be to take only an ideal (subject, of course, to other criteria) e.g. selecting a rowing 8 or 4, or where selections are being made to pick out potential top performers for special training through Sports Academies. "Although indoor rowing started as an additional training medium for wet rowers it is likely that the ideal technique was then more or less the norm, whereas, now it has grown into a massive sport in its own right attracting competitors from many differing backgrounds, with the majority perhaps never having sat in a boat. It is perhaps understandable, therefore, that there are now various interpretations emerging for one reason and another. "This is not to imply that the aim, certainly when beginning, should not be to emulate the approved technique but, as time goes by and one assumes variations that may produce superior results, there seems little justification in changing purely for academic or aesthetic reasons. "Examples of top athletes that veer from the accepted norm are numerous - who would want that outstanding athlete Paula Radcliffe to change her idiosyncratic movement of her head for the sake of technique, even though in theory it may reduce physical and nervous demand, albeit likely also to reduce performance. "Terry is right to give as an example my bad technique; that is as a result of trying to compensate for some physical defects i.e. gross restriction in extension and flexion of the elbow joint as a result of a sports injury. Also a need to sit lopsided on the machine due to a shortening of my left leg (not the 2 inches Terry quoted I am pleased to say otherwise I would be walking with one foot in the gutter). "I attempt to overcome the loss of reach by using a more flexed trunk action and have tried various approaches for the leg problem, rowing in odd footwear, differing position for the foot rest, pads in my shoe but have dispensed with them all. However, from what Tel says, I am delighted to be in the same company as Sir Steve Redgrave!" ========================================================= Horses For ========================================================= Gym Instructors, Personal Trainers, private users - in fact anyone interested in using the Indoor Rower - are invited to apply for places on Level Two Instructor Courses on Wednesday 23 May in Nottingham or Thursday 26 April or Tuesday 26 June at Watford Leisure Centre. You will receive: Expert tuition at a one-day training workshop. A clear and concise technique video and handbook illustrating and explaining safe and efficient indoor rowing technique. An information pack with training log and training information manual. A distinctive qualification certificate as an approved Concept 2 Instructor. A Concept 2 Instructor t-shirt for all successful candidates. Registration on Concept 2's Instructor Register. The opportunity to progress to Crew Class Instructor. The course offers expert in-depth tuition on the safe and effective use of the machine. It is a workshop style course that qualifies candidates to be listed on Concept 2's Instructor Register. It is also a requirement to progressing to a Crew Class Instructor. In addition to the courses at Nottingham and Watford, it is possible to book 'in-house' sessions for up to 12 candidates. Full details of the courses are available from Concept 2 at sales@concept2.co.uk or by phoning them on 0115 945 5522. ========================================================= Red Nose Row ========================================================= The (approximate) figures for the Million Metre Challenge are ready now. So far the following numbers have reached the various milestones. 250,000 metres - 65 people 500,000 metres - 33 people 750,000 metres - 10 people 1,000,000 metres - 220 people If you've not yet sent in your log sheets, make sure you send them in to us NOW, and you too will receive a special Steve Redgrave signed certificate. The address to sent 'em to (along with your T-Shirt size if you're claiming one) is: Million Metre Challenge Concept 2 Vermont House Nott'm Sth and Wilford Ind. Est. Ruddington Lane Wilford Nottingham NG11 7HQ Quick note: remember if you've not sent in your cheques to Comic Relief they should be sent in the form of ONE big cheque and made payable to Comic Relief Red Nose Row. Send this to Red Nose Row 2001, Ernst & Young, P.O. Box 678, London EC4A 1NT by Friday 18th May 2001. ========================================================= Nigel Gower ========================================================= Weybridge Rowing Club member Nigel Gower has become the fastest man in the world to row a million metres on the Indoor Rower, setting a new record of seven days, four hours, 44 minutes and 21 seconds. Starting his marathon row in Putney at the Head of the River Race on Saturday 17th March, Nigel moved between venues for the challenge. These included a day at Victoria Station, three days at Brooklands Shopping Centre and two days, as well as evening and afternoon sessions, at Weybridge Rowing Club. His million metre row ended back at Putney on 24th March during the morning of the Boat Race. Supported by fellow members of Weybridge Rowing Club, Nigel rowed for 11 hours a day. His schedule incorporated 10,400 metre pieces every 49 minutes followed by a 10 minute rest with an hour break after every third piece. His performance was relatively consistent, clocking a stroke rate of 24 and split times of two minutes, 23.9 seconds. Despite an inflamed knee towards the end of the challenge Nigel's performance dramatically improved in the last 15,000 metres. His split times reduced to two minutes, five seconds in the last 10,000 metres and in the final 500 Nigel touched one minute, 36 seconds. Despite his unbelievable achievement Nigel commented: "I could have done it faster but I wanted to finish in Putney!" Standing at a height of five feet eight inches and weighing just over 10 and a half stone, Nigel used up 8,000 calories per day. Surprisingly he put on four pounds in the first two days but lost 11 pounds by the end of the mammoth row. His diet consisted of bananas and pasta which he ate at regular intervals throughout the day, complemented by liquids including water and isotonic drinks. President of Weybridge Rowing Club and manager of Nigel's million metre row attempt, John Turnbull, said: "Nigel's determination and strength of mind were the key to his success. He trained three hours a day for three months before the million metre challenge. He also read up on endurance events and received dietary advice from various members of the club." As well as setting a new record Nigel also raised more than 3,000 pounds for the White Lodge Centre and Weyfarers Rowing Club, an offshoot of Weybridge Rowing Club. The centre caters for people with disabilities while the rowing club focuses on the development of recreational rowing particularly for disabled people. On Sunday 29th April Nigel will be presented with an official Concept 2 Million Metre certificate at Weybridge Rowing Club. The ceremony will be attended by Elmbridge Sports Council and the Deputy Mayor of Elmbridge, Maureen Sheldrick. ========================================================= Motivation ========================================================= A couple of newsletters ago we reported on Georgina Evers-Swindell, who became the new fastest woman in the world when she rowed 6:31.6 at New Zealand National Team Trials. A story which Paul Flack for one took great interest in... "Motivation is a very important thing to keep me grinding out on the Indoor Rower every day. Last autumn, I did it to get in shape for the first Irish indoor rowing championships. Then there was the Million Metre Challenge for the Red Nose Row. But now that the Million Metre Challenge is over and the sun is starting to come out, I was seriously thinking of changing sports to golf for a while until I read your last newsletter. "I am a 45 year old, 95 kg, 6'3" male who was quite satisfied about my strength and conditioning and rowing times until I read your last newsletter. It appears that there is a female that is bigger and badder than me. During the last two days, all I could think about while rowing is that Georgina Evers-Swindell can row a 6:31.6 and I can't. How can I call myself a real man if I can't even beat the women in a power sport such as rowing? Long ago, I acknowledged that women could beat me in intellectual sports such as chess or even in sports that require skill such as golf, but a power and endurance sport - no way! This situation has to be rectified to restore my dignity. I have rowed twice since discovering my lack of masculinity. The first time, I set a new personal best, but it still wasn't good enough. The second time, I was keeping the 1:37.8 pace that separates the men from the boys, but died in the final 400 meters. I am going to row 2,000 metres in 6:31.5 if it is the last thing I do on Earth! I have never met Georgina, but she is a great motivation for me." Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King, eat yer heart out... ========================================================= Tel's Tales #2 ========================================================= Thomas Pattichis wrote in with regards to suffering a slump in training. We've had to edit his letter for space, but the gist of it is this: "In the last couple of weeks I seem to have gone backwards for no apparent reason. This time two weeks ago I did 20 minutes at a 1:57 average and felt fine. The next day I attempted it again but died before the 15 minute mark. I completed the 20 minutes but it felt unusually hard. The next day I tried again and this time died completely and did not complete the 20 minutes...I was wondering if you could shed any light on what you might think to be the problem. I am a 20 year old lightweight" Terry O'Neill: There are several possibilities. If it is a result of over training this could be identified by a blood test and you did not mention whether your doctor carried out one before giving you the all clear. The second possibility could be that at your age you could be going through some final growth period that is demanding a lot of energy. I think, although, that you have put your finger on the most likely problem, and that is that you have created a mental block. From the sketch of your training routine it would appear there is not enough of a wave pattern and if you want to push up your PB, the attempt needs to be built up to, rather than just keep banging away at the same level. It could also be that 1:57-58 is your limit at your current basic strength level and to step up you would need to leave the 20 minutes alone for about 4-6 weeks and work on developing your basic strength. At the end of this strength period use this increased strength to develop your endurance at a higher intensity. The thing is, if it is a mental thing, the more you worry the more difficult it will become. You need to step back and get things into proportion. If you consider a scale where on a good day you find a tenner and a bad day on which you get trapped into making incriminating remarks on tape by a journalist dressed up as an Arab sheik, your problems are nearer the first than the latter. ========================================================= Concept 2 Shop ========================================================= With the announcement of a couple more additions to the Concept 2 On-Line Shop, Marks and Spencer's shares went into further decline. As there're plans afoot to add quite a lot more to the shop in the near future you'd be advised to liquidate any remaining stock pretty toot de sweet. The Indoor Rower Floor Mat is made out of 3mm thick fluted rubber and measures 250cm by 76cm. Designed to be placed under your Indoor Rower (duh), it helps eliminate slippage and stops you getting sweat all over the shag pile. Non-marking, it can be used on any surface and costs 35 pounds. The Monitor Guard is aimed at institutions, whether schools, gyms, the armed forces etc, especially those where the machines might be operated unsupervised. Made out of special safety plastic, it fits snugly over both the PM2 and the PM2+ and eliminates the possibility of the monitor screen being smashed by an errant rowing handle. Also, priced at 35 pounds, it's a lot cheaper than getting a screen repaired. Both these (and more!) at http://www.concept2.co.uk/v4/merchandise.php3 ========================================================= Faridah Newman ========================================================= 12 year old Faridah Newman paid a trip to the Concept 2 offices last week, the day before she turned 13, in an effort to have a crack at Fie Udby's world record of 7:30.3. Although Faridah was unable to best this, she did slice nearly six seconds off her own British record, making the new mark 7:46.0. Full British and World records can be found at http://www.concept2.co.uk/v4/brit_world_records.htm ========================================================= E-Row ========================================================= E-Row is the name given to the software that's used by the PM2+. One of the most hug-yourself-in-excitementriffic features of it is the ability to race and train with people the other side of the street/world/beyond via the Internet. Unfortunately the vagaries of dot com companies meant that the people who used to host the old race server vanished leaving everybody up the creek and wishing they'd remembered to pack their paddle. A new Beta version of the software can, however, now be found at: http://166.82.35.96/concept2/c2web/switchboard.asp?chapter=0&article=92 which now allows you to row over the Internet again. Unfortunately, as the new version uses a different race server, this is *only* possible between people using the new version, so make sure you've got the new copy downloaded. ____________________________________________F E E D B A C K Like what you read? Dislike what you read? Ideas for future newsletters? Make sure to tell us at webmaster@concept2.co.uk. Or of course, you could always tell us at our message board: http://www.concept2.co.uk/messageboard.htm. Oh go on. _________________________________________________________ _______________________________________SUBSCRIPTION INFO If you think you're on this mailing list accidentally, just return the e-mail with "unsubscribe" in the subject header. If you're getting more than one copy, then reply with "multiple" as the header.