5/28 - M - IRAs 17

Set technique and no pressure longer than 30 strokes. Did not go past the train bridge. Buoys are now out. Lots of pauses at body over: every other and every five. Pauses at the finish still squared. Square blade rowing. Rates at a 33-34 or higher for the 10s, 20s, and 30s. Length needed for Smeglin and I while retaining the same attack at the catch. Bear claw at the catch. Coach wants us to sit up over our catch, have our hand have a wicked hook around the handle, and dominate the catch. Loose outside hand at the catch results in pulling w/ your inside hand. I'm now pulling into my nipple at the finish, or at least trying to. It's going to take a while to get used to. My down & away and the path of my stroke is erratic. Hopefully it will come together as Thursday rapidly approaches. Overstroking tomorrow, starts et cetera. Visual 2k likely Wednesday. Keep off your feet and out of the heat.
Row like sasquatch.

5/16 - W - Session 1

2a, 60'. Lightweight women were out again this morning. Launched before I even arrived at the house. Catches again today. HR 142-150. Should probably be a solid 145. Most of the work was between 145-149. I've developed a major tendency to thunk my catches. Sometimes I do this as well when sweep rowing. Low rate, square blades. An air gap develops between the blade and the water that then rapidly fills the space. It's like dropping a large stone into a pool of water or a fat kid doing a canonball. Thunk. It can't be efficient. My only hope is that the thunk isn't from the blade hitting the water. There would be even more major power loss if this was so. Catches need to be dropped in effectively. Total loss of downward pressure on the oar handle allowing them to rise nicely and achieve the catch. Strange how when you get tired it becomes hard to not use your muscles. In order to thunk I doubt there is V-splash. At first I thought thunk catching happened behind the blade. The gap caused by driving before the water knew what was happening to it. There is backsplash, I think. The oar does not lock, however, and the blade moves forward through the water instead of having the boat move past the blade. Terrible slippage, leaving the gap behing the blade. But after rowing today I feel like the gap might occur in front of the blade. An air gap from the backing of the blade into the water. And then, thunk-drive. Driving through unsettled water or driving into the water that just thunked. Even worse, starting the drive w/ no water in front of the blade to hold it in place. I'm not a doctor, but either way this is bad. None of this could be true, I haven't experienced this outside of my own seat. It's an interesting concept though. Just filmed Doc for a few passes. I'll have to get a hold of my own video. It's quite humorous to film from the dock and pan across the river. My back hurt a little at the start of the piece today. My thoughts go to overuse injuries caused from the stiffness of S2 superlight oars that do not have cutaway blades. I'll have to be on guard. Must remember to stay tall but still achieve reach/body prep from hips.

5/15 - T - Session 1

4e, 70' w/ 2x10' in SR 26. I'm an idiot. I misread my training schedule twice. The first time yesterday at the track, the second time this morning before launching. week 1 tu I. was supposed to be 2a, 60'. I'll have to switch the workouts. It should turn out okay. Doc's Kaschper feels better and better. This gives me an impetus to get my own boat, a nicer newer boat. Yesterday's encounter with the tracks gave me fair warning that I need a boat that can adjust. I'm so short it's absolutely necessary. Maybe w/ a lightweight shell all these problems will go away. The workout today was a long one. One I couldn't handle in it's full extent. I approached the first 10' piece all wrong. Too much leg drive, not enough speed up the slide. Everyone knows this drill kills in practice. When you bring it from a 16 to a 30 (and only get to a 28) w/ just leg and a little hands - it's brutal. I started the 10' at 20:00 and decided to break it down after 5'. There was no way I could keep up the MCP, maximum concentrated pressure. The body was in 155-165 HR. HR monitor on the fritz from the dock to the top. The thing just likes to give me trouble, but after that first time up it started acting normal. I should be careful not to anthropomorphize the thing. The second 5' came at 44:00. Originally planned to be 45:00, but I wanted as much down stream as possible. My ratio was a little better for sustainment and this 5' turned into the actual 10' it was supposed to be. This is when I realized I was a fool for that first 5'. I closed off w/ another 5' at 63:00 to make it the 20' at a 26 it was supposed to be for the workout. Hands getting destroyed. Not open yet, but very tender. Long training twice a day w/ sculls does them in. Serious case of long burng getting off the water. Butt & hamstrings trying to tear apart. Hips compressed from sitting & rowing for so long at that increased pressure. Today was the first day I did a long peice above a 140 HR. Nothing the hot tube and a stretch can't fix.