Rowing Program

We have one last chance to get a diesel workout in before race day.  For fun we are going to go with the prime number ladder mini-diesel workout.  The twist here is that we are going to try to hold a faster pace for these pieces than we do in regular diesel workouts.  In regular diesel workouts we hold between 65-80% of our 2K pace, today we will shoot to hold between 75-85% of our 2K pace.

Primary Workout: Prime Number Ladder Mini Diesel:

13 min, 11 min and 7 min pieces at 75-85% of your 2K pace, work to hold a slightly higher stroke rate than your regular diesel pace.

Secondary Workout:

3 x 1000m at race pace; practice first 1000m, middle 1000m and final 1000m.

Race Day Count Down

1 – Mile High Sprints, January 21, 2012, 24 Hour Fitness Southglenn

2 – Denver Indoor Rowing Championships, February 4, 2012, Colorado Athletic Club Monaco

TEST DAY - Results

Congratulations on your performance at last week’s 2K test.  I was very impressed with how professionally everyone approached the test.  Major shout outs to Andy, Berj and Scott Olson for huge improvements from the beginning of the season.

My one sense however, was that as a group we have underestimated how strong we are.  I think we all have room to dial up the intensity a bit.  If you get to a point in the third 500m where you feel  like you cannot take another stroke, that is right where you want to be.  Then you just have to find a way to trick yourself into taking one more hard stroke, about 100 more times.

This week’s workout will give you a chance to practice tricking yourself into carrying on when you feel like there is no more gas in the tank.

Primary workout:

2 min on / 2 min off x 6: Anaerobic – this is flat out as fast as you can go.  Row 2-4 strokes per minute above your 2K race cadence.  So if you raced last week at 28 spm, today you will hold 30-32 strokes per minute.  Go flat out.  Hold to the 2 min rest interval.  If you start to fade in later pieces, that is fine.  Just practice convincing yourself to take one more hard stroke, over and over.

Secondary workout:

2 x 10 min: Anaerobic Threshold, 75 – 85% of your 2K pace.  5 min rest.

TEST DAY

Rules for test day –

1 – If you are shaky after your piece and cannot operate a simple mechanical device like a car…

                That is acceptable and transportation home will be arranged.

2 – If you pass out, during or after your piece, for any amount of time up to and including 4 minutes, and you have difficulty walking once you regain consciousness…

                That is acceptable and transportation home will be arranged.

3 – If in the third 500m, you pierce the veil of consciousness and have a very pleasant conversation with your Grandmother who passed 16 years ago, and you feel her hand resting on your check, as she leans in to whisper in your ear, ‘GET BACK TO WORK!!’…

                That is acceptable and transportation home will be arranged.

4 – Any other result will be open to endless (endless) debate.  Have fun.

-          Good Luck.

-          Have a race plan in mind (split times, when you are taking power 10’s or 20’s, a single or double cadence shift sprint, etc.)

-          If you want a coxswain or coach to help you stick to your race plan talk to that person beforehand.

-          General rule is for a short race, you need a long warm up.  This is a very short race.  Be warmed up and ready to go by your start time.

-          Practice putting your race face on and building up mental energy.  When you wake in the morning, and then throughout the day, remind yourself that you creator has only one purpose for you on Dec. 14, 2011, and that is to blaze one 2000m piece.

-          Good Luck.

RACE day Preparations

We are eight weeks out from our first race.  Today’s workout is a brief discussion of how we prepare for race day followed by a Transportation (80 – 85% of Heart Rate Max) workout.

Primary –

3 x 8 min Transportation Training: Row at 75 - 85% of 2k Race pace, u pick fan setting, cadence 24-30 spm.

Secondary –

1 x 20’ Utilization Traning 1: Row at 65-75% of 2k Race pace, u pick fan, cadence 24-30 spm.