tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6160139376542506702024-02-07T17:56:46.289-08:00ScullduggeryDigging into the physiology, physics and psychology of sculling,
and whatever else amuses me.T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-33335135641756268022011-07-29T06:43:00.000-07:002011-07-29T06:43:23.863-07:00The Oursler Seat<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRadYrs5miRXUeH98wCfX3YZZreWTBhoxvPXDelZIwvyK3uII36bE8B4-it6zghUgwwUb0kYvWTV6UrUFAwDjGeC-7V1FgEz0yDk5ldNwgEQyv6_U1x95QiD4BsgnOHawNMJtoy1NTE0/s1600/ourslerseat2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRadYrs5miRXUeH98wCfX3YZZreWTBhoxvPXDelZIwvyK3uII36bE8B4-it6zghUgwwUb0kYvWTV6UrUFAwDjGeC-7V1FgEz0yDk5ldNwgEQyv6_U1x95QiD4BsgnOHawNMJtoy1NTE0/s1600/ourslerseat2a.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr Paul Oursler rowing his Sliding Slantboard Seat</td></tr>
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I haven't rowed a conventional rowing shell since CPR, but I've been doing a fair amount of rafting. Most of this rafting has been of the two-oar variety (as opposed to paddle rafting). The two-oar aspect is about the only thing rafting has in common with sculling (apart from the fact that both activities are in a boat on water). I have often tried to make rafting as similar to rowing as possible and have used these rafting trips to train for longer races like CPR.<br />
<br />
A few years ago, a friend (Bill Cross) and I started rafting relatively longer distances (e.g., one-day Wild and Scenic Rogue--35-miles) and using his slant
board frames to allow ourselves to slide up the board and use our legs in the rafting rowing stroke. This arrangement is a vast improvement over conventional, stationary, tractor seats, coolers or dry boxes that many of us use. However, sliding up
and down a slant board seat for hours on end will leave your butt raw. Adding vinyl to the boards and adding sunscreen as a lubricant on the vinyl made the sliding better, but did little in the way of posterior pain mitigation.<br />
<br />
For the longest time, Bill and I have discussed potential rafting and kayak equipment improvements and on the top of our list has been a sliding seat like we have in rowing shells. Bill and I would get bogged down in the implementation details, wondering if we needed things like a firkin (sp?) (seat clip) to hold the seat down to the tracks. Bill came as close to buying an actual seat, but when I showed him my rowing seats, he returned the hefty tractor seat he had bought.<br />
<br />
We included Paul Oursler, a rower, in our discussions and Paul decided to implement the sliding seat forthwith: no dillydallying for him. He took his slant board and routed some track grooves for his Pocock seat: simple and elegant. He added a small retention cord and that was it. He tried it on the Wild and Scenic section of the Rogue River this past Tuesday and it was a sensation.<br />
<br />
Paul ran most rapids, including Mule Creek Canyon and Blossom Bar with the sliding seat. Very impressive. He could motor backwards through the flat and mild rapid sections using the considerable added power of his legs.<br />
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<br />
I rowed with the Oursler sliding seat for a bit and loved it immediately. My experience is that it made a huge difference on flat water and wasn't a liability on most rapids. There was a slight tendency to dig deep with the blades during the drive, but that could be remedied easily with experience. I was a bit concerned about side-to-side seat action, but there was minimal, and I never came out. The extra power available from my legs because of the sliding seat was tremendous. And I didn't find the seat to be uncomfortable either.<br />
<br />
I am sold. Now, what I want is a cataraft with a slantboard and an Oursler sliding seat. That would be fast! Yes, I know, it's not all about speed. But going fast is fun.T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-16403015502912605302011-06-08T14:36:00.000-07:002011-06-19T12:30:47.466-07:00Race Report: CPR XIII (part 2)This is a continuation from <a href="http://scullduggery.blogspot.com/2011/06/race-report-cpr-xiii-part-1.html">this post</a>.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Corvallis to Portland Row: Race, Tour, Something Else?</b><br />
CPR defies easy classification; for some it is a tour, for some it is a race, for some it is just a personal test. The closest analog in my sports experience is the original <a href="http://www.deathride.com/">Markleeville Death Ride</a>, which used to be a 150-mile, 15,000 ft cycling event. As in the original Death Ride, CPR participants "compete", but there is no special distinction for first place, no age groups, no gender classifications. In CPR, you can even substitute rowers in your boat, though that will earn you an asterisk. Bill Byrd, sitting in for Tiff Wood as race/event director this year, reminds us that this is supposed to be fun. Sit a leg out if you want, he says. <br />
<br />
<b>Let's get this party started</b><br />
Bill mercifully decides to start rowers at 5:30am rather than 5 because the current should push us downstream and make up the time difference. The extra half hour allows us considerably more light, the better to see obstacles and hydraulics.<br />
<br />
My wife can hardly contain herself. She just wants to launch NOW. Joe McGuire, the other single rower, and I will push off first, followed by various doubles and fours. We're instructed to row upstream initially because otherwise the current will pin us against the dock. And, we're off. Just a 115 miles or so to go...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early dawn hues </td></tr>
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<br />
The wind is blowing upstream already and the temperature is quite warm. I start in a long sleeve jersey, but that's just because I've been standing around for awhile. I will shed that very soon.<br />
<br />
My Garmin GPS is on, my hat-mounted rearview mirror is set. I've got a 20-ounce water bottle and a 20-ounce electrolyte drink. I've got a flask full of Espresso Love Gu and a flask of EFS. I've got a first-aid kit, sunscreen, space blanket, duct tape, sunglasses, and a whistle (all required). I've got a spare skeg and some Sportslick lube for my hands. I'm wearing gloves. I've got miles and miles of training. I'm prepared. What could possibly go wrong?<br />
<br />
<b>Yaw and Roll</b><br />
I know within the first few strokes that 1) I am flying and 2) there are hydraulics. My boat does not track straight. In fact, at first I think I may have lost my skeg. I know I have to relax in this water, not grip the oar handles and not tense up with other parts of my body. I know this and yet the bracing and gripping is instinctual and automatic. Imagine standing in a moving bus; your body makes constant micro-adjustments: in your legs, arms etc. You don't think about it. In my rowing shell, I am making these micro-adjustments (and many macro adjustments) in my inner thighs, abs and forearms (oar handle gripping muscles). These movements, small as they are, will eventually exact their toll. The Maas 24 is probably a good boat for these conditions, but I feel like I am wallowing my way down river, yawing and rolling.<br />
<br />
<b>Fast Water</b><br />
I catch Joe McGuire within the first 5 miles or so and offer a few words of encouragement. He seems like he's navigating a course really close to the shore, but maybe he's seeking faster flow. As a rafter, I know you can really benefit by using the current to your advantage. The outside of turns can be a lot faster than the insides. In fact, the inside of turns may have upstream eddies and eddy fences, the turbulent boundary between upstream and downstream currents. On the other hand, when you're moving this fast anyway (about 10 miles per hour or 1:52/500m split, relative to land), the gains of seeking faster water may be outweighed by the effort to get there. By the time you <i>do</i> get there, the fast water may be somewhere else. I stay mostly in the middle per Bill Byrd's pre-race instructions.<br />
<br />
The lead launch is following me at about 150 meters back. The sun is now on us and it is warming up fast. I stop to take off my long-sleeve shirt and drink some water. I need to pay attention to pacing and energy conservation; my stroke rate is about 27, which feels about right, but my stroke feels too long. I cut off the ends of my stroke and it feels better if slightly slower.<br />
<br />
We pass through Albany and under several bridges, one that has a huge stack of logs piled up against the middle abutment. We have been warned about this and so I steer to the port side. The hydraulics behind the abutments are formidable--downward funnels, upward boils, eddies and other nasty shit. I leave my blades flat on the water for a 50 meters or so. The time lost by not rowing here is tiny in comparison to the time lost in a swim.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVb_o6nM_JRyuhyfKebIgRxXMH9KH07PgXWnPcKGdwpEO5g3DDgD-4ADoMu8w7pvPaVZhPrSCKbkCGR6CEo7A8hYGQJqLUlhVc8D-aunqvBg5ibgff9gse2GlLpNHpG_zLn5tudQZ27kI/s1600/albanyweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVb_o6nM_JRyuhyfKebIgRxXMH9KH07PgXWnPcKGdwpEO5g3DDgD-4ADoMu8w7pvPaVZhPrSCKbkCGR6CEo7A8hYGQJqLUlhVc8D-aunqvBg5ibgff9gse2GlLpNHpG_zLn5tudQZ27kI/s1600/albanyweb.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The swollen Willamette in Albany</td></tr>
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<br />
<b>What can go wrong...</b><br />
I notice that my GPS is not showing me anything but the start area. What?! The wind has picked up, probably about 10 knots with occasional stronger gusts: my hat lifts off periodically. It's feeling quite warm and I've drunk a fair amount of my water and electrolyte solution. I want to pour water over my head and top, but I don't want to waste it either. I motion to the lead launch to bring me water as we've told they can, and they start to accelerate toward me. But when I resume rowing, they back off to 150 meters. They apparently think that if I continue rowing, it means I don't need anything. I yell to them to bring water, but they gesture to their ears that they cannot hear me. <i>Then get freakin' closer...</i> I don't have the breath to continue yelling over their engine and give up. When I reach forward to get a water bottle, I can feel my inner thighs cramping. I have rowed fewer than 20 miles and my legs are cramping. Uh oh.<br />
<br />
<b>Where the heck are we?</b><br />
I've been down this first section before, but it looks different with the high water. The river markers are few and far between. I try to get the attention of the launch, but we're clearly having a hard time communicating. Eventually, the launch driver gets me a water bottle. Thank you! I toss some down my throat and some over my head. I've apparently drunk enough so that I'm starting to need to pee. There's an aid station at 35 miles, but I have no idea how soon that is. By my reckoning it's just a few more miles. I can hold it or go. Going in the boat is awkward, but not going may be more so. You gotta do what you gotta do. I do. But it's time consuming. My doc <i>says</i> my prostate is healthy. Nuff said. Maybe too much.<br />
<br />
The aid station is literally within a mile. Doh!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpx9kAIC0gVsqEBOTmRdR1wBdoYy0q_8Ntcvc25XrLM1u9ZZKHyAWrc29hafXaEBVWDfFo7jzJ_Vg1j6vVg7a8oiOHhy2piMOMhznhFTPRGKdvV31wmhhYhAvcb2r0XIQhwI2xfIz9n84/s1600/slumpedweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpx9kAIC0gVsqEBOTmRdR1wBdoYy0q_8Ntcvc25XrLM1u9ZZKHyAWrc29hafXaEBVWDfFo7jzJ_Vg1j6vVg7a8oiOHhy2piMOMhznhFTPRGKdvV31wmhhYhAvcb2r0XIQhwI2xfIz9n84/s1600/slumpedweb.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oar handles may be holding me up. Arriving at Independence aid station.</td></tr>
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<br />
<b>Aid stations and the race assistants are wonderful.</b><br />
I catch the upstream eddy and guide my boat into the waiting hands of all the helpers. I hop out of my boat and they take care of everything else. Wow, valet parking!<br />
<br />
The food folks have literally just arrived and are now setting things up. They have put out all manner of good forage and a large bottle of Ibuprofen. I have brought my own cooler with wrist wraps and hightail it to our truck to put these on. I get more hand lube ready and some special snacks that I know I can get down and digest while rowing. I've only been rowing for 3 hours and a quarter or so, but I am beginning to feel stupid. I put my water bottles down by a curb and forget where they are. I leave my gloves in the sun to dry out and my hat somewhere else. I behave like a squirrel planting stuff in a hundred meter radius. And, like the squirrel digging holes for nuts, I will find some of it. The rest of it will grow into something. The only thing I can say in my favor is that at least I am aware of my mental decline: the unbearable lightness of the sun-addled brain. And, it's not even 9 am yet.<br />
<br />
Beth and Alex arrive next; they have apparently passed some boats. I don't think about their time or mine because I can't do the math in my head (even if I knew when they started, which I don't) and don't really want to know. All I know is they look a lot happier and fresher than I feel. I don't actually feel that good and I really want to. I'm worried about my legs cramping, my incipient wrist pain and my non-working GPS. I try to act happy. I remember actually having fun the last time I did this.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsc3yfYgWgoVTs78sLb2UPHs6J7hVRCBB7UvpV4UObCqu0M_EaPp3VNEFILzJm1q4V-gKtNysD6DBppiuSkKMIiNH8v6tgS2tuuJQvCEqHNa1F0weOk81IQJFYYDthftblNtQq1gPC4Q0/s1600/bethalexweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsc3yfYgWgoVTs78sLb2UPHs6J7hVRCBB7UvpV4UObCqu0M_EaPp3VNEFILzJm1q4V-gKtNysD6DBppiuSkKMIiNH8v6tgS2tuuJQvCEqHNa1F0weOk81IQJFYYDthftblNtQq1gPC4Q0/s1600/bethalexweb.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alex (stern) and Beth (bow) looking way too happy at Independence. Simon stands ready to assist.</td></tr>
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<b>The Leg to Wheatland Ferry</b><br />
After an hour break, I am freshly dressed, watered and fed. I have futzed with the GPS, iced my wrists and stretched my leg muscles. I'm feeling a bit better. I can smile genuinely now. It's time to embark on the next leg--only 23.5 miles--but I know it features some islands and "rapids". As it turns out, some of the smaller islands are mostly underwater, but you have to stay clear of the shallows and rough water near that.<br />
<br />
The rest breaks are nominally an hour long (they used to be 45 minutes, but people had problems with the math). You don't have to take all of the hour, and any time over an hour gets tacked on to your elapsed time. Because of this arrangement, you don't really have a sense of the time separation between boats. It may be a race, but you don't feel the competition. You're all in this adventure together and you help each other out with tips and hints about how to deal with some of the adversity. My wife doles out petroleum jelly to the Princess Pea four. We all offer encouragement, knowing that there are moments for virtually everyone when all feels hopeless.<br />
<br />
I plod along, keeping my stroke rate steady. My leg cramps have started to subside and actually my leg strength feels great, but my wrists are feeling worse. This wrist phenomenon is not new to me; it happened in my previous CPR effort, but it didn't happen this early.<br />
<br />
This leg seems to fly by and, as we approach Wheatland Ferry, the lead launch tells me I may have to wait for the ferry to cross. I slow down, but the ferry seems to be staying where it is. Our aid station is just beyond the ferry landing area on the east side of the river. The ferry is on the west side. I keep looking around and slowing to make sure they aren't going to suddenly start across. Apparently they are going to wait for us. Thank you!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVjDKbFv10jgT4JyTlU1HHbhCJvOgknHWkzrJyB_l9W2zjvuzerdrtqM4QlwOUC5TcjZXDvJ3P6nJbbcuC26KmScNocQovKUvif0BWy9gBJYJRia4nH_LkBRzAZXBnhwGZ0PI6H51EO8/s1600/Wheatlandferry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVjDKbFv10jgT4JyTlU1HHbhCJvOgknHWkzrJyB_l9W2zjvuzerdrtqM4QlwOUC5TcjZXDvJ3P6nJbbcuC26KmScNocQovKUvif0BWy9gBJYJRia4nH_LkBRzAZXBnhwGZ0PI6H51EO8/s1600/Wheatlandferry.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wheatland Ferry</td></tr>
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<br />
Race volunteers leap out and grab my boat and oars and I crawl out looking for a restroom. Locked. Bummer. The aid station is still being set up, so I make for the bushes and try to avoid the poison oak. I lose a sock. I'm losing my mind. It's hot, must be in the mid-80s already. The headwind is annoying. My wrists are complaining and I ask if I can plunge my forearm in the container full of ice and sodas and Gatorade bottles. One of the main volunteers, Caleb Burns, makes me an ice-water bag and duct tapes it to my wrist. Oh, that feels good!<br />
<br />
The rest hour seems like 20-minutes. I make myself eat but I don't feel that hungry. However, I suck down a couple of Gatorades and a water bottle, some salty snacks and a bagel with peanut butter and jam. Maybe some of this will help today, but I'm eating for tomorrow.<br />
<br />
After climbing back into my boat here, I try to put on my socks (a fresh pair). There is something about this motion that causes my upper abdominals to seize up into a painful ball. A <a href="http://www.cyberpunkreview.com/alien-page-3-the-chest-bursting-scene/">baby alien</a> is trying to escape from my chest. This is not good, unless you're Ridley Scott and have a film crew on hand.<br />
<br />
<b>Leg to Champoeg</b><br />
Many CPR participants will tell you that the third leg, to Champoeg Park, is unadulterated hell. I would like to qualify that: it's different <i>circles</i> of hell with a few lapses into purgatory. OK, just to not sound like a whiner, I can spin the re-telling so that parts sound For instance, I despise the heat, but am amused by the topless sunbathers. I dislike the wakes from passing motorboats, but I enjoy watching wakeboarders execute flawless flips. The headwind slows me down, but cools me off a bit. The deadheads--the tree trunks and branches that appear all over the river in this section, not the local Jerry Garcia fans--are just a pain. I can't make them sound desirable in any way. They are a nuisance.<br />
<br />
I chose to find some mental place beyond the wind, the wake, the din and the pain and, remarkably this seems to work. That or I'm imagining the cold amber ale in the cooler. I get into a nice rhythm in this section and I feel fast. I also know that virtually everyone dislikes this section, and if you want to make time, this is the leg to do it. By the time I arrive at the Champoeg stop, I will have put 5 minutes on the next boat which is my wife and Alex. Is this a race? Hell yes!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBT-n1N1ezglvaoCRtNkfzXRsGd4b-fQ-Dp9unnCSGs60lzcuz48nJ1QtzFXHlNSzNRNoc44hW4jLqRu4SPQEBS_CY5b_Vdlw3W-mGW-ZoH2PjiQBkKFn9U7K820RCHZ08coj4hjfmlag/s1600/bethalexchampoeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBT-n1N1ezglvaoCRtNkfzXRsGd4b-fQ-Dp9unnCSGs60lzcuz48nJ1QtzFXHlNSzNRNoc44hW4jLqRu4SPQEBS_CY5b_Vdlw3W-mGW-ZoH2PjiQBkKFn9U7K820RCHZ08coj4hjfmlag/s1600/bethalexchampoeg.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alex and Beth arrive at Champoeg, motorboats and all</td></tr>
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After getting out of the boat, I take off to the truck to get changed, ice my wrists, grab a chocolate milk, a bagel and a beer. When I return to the dock, Beth and Alex have arrived.<br />
<br />
The timer, Christian, is hiding in the shade. He's got a good sunburn going: we pale Oregonians have not seen this much sun since September 2010, give or take. He tells me the rough order of the boats so far, and by his off-the-cuff reckoning, it's me followed closely by Beth and Alex, and then 20 minutes or so back to a couple of fours and then a few doubles.<br />
<br />
I like the social nature of CPR and would love to hang out at Champoeg, but it's hot, and frankly I feel like crap and want to ice my wrists properly and am eager to take off to the hotel for a shower, a good dinner, fix my GPS and get a really good night's sleep. We won't launch until 6am, so we can sleep in. Ha!<br />
<br />
Beth falls asleep at 7:30. I have that buzzed fatigue you get from lots of exercise, maybe too much caffeine Gu and the excitement of a race. I keep icing my wrists and trying to figure out why my GPS is not working properly. I'm down by 10.<br />
<br />
<b>4th leg to Willamette Park, Bernert Landing</b><br />
What a great night's sleep! That was rejuvenating. We leave the hotel at 4:45 and Beth and I eat breakfast en route. I'm not very hungry this early, so it's a bit of force feeding. The launching will be in reverse order of finish, so Beth and Alex will launch next to last and I'll set off last with a follow launch.<br />
<br />
Normally, this leg would take us to the <a href="http://scullduggery.blogspot.com/2011/02/as-seen-in-real-life-4-cpr-locks.html">Willamette Falls locks</a>, but they're closed for maintenance. So, we'll exit a bit sooner. The water should be relatively calm on this leg, except for a few short bits, so I am thinking I will switch boats and try the Hudson.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmyQbJ6HRqK9nhuzlbacbAQKMe2etWCuLlpgaE3meyXvD9T06SRyTIuF3EvyW7CwkTdRNSHefOI_-83OiJQEKMyijhL9adJVVkFYKIjBDprXfFrarNmIWQwSVv5a3oQxAqlNxMWCpZtyA/s1600/champoeglaunch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmyQbJ6HRqK9nhuzlbacbAQKMe2etWCuLlpgaE3meyXvD9T06SRyTIuF3EvyW7CwkTdRNSHefOI_-83OiJQEKMyijhL9adJVVkFYKIjBDprXfFrarNmIWQwSVv5a3oQxAqlNxMWCpZtyA/s1600/champoeglaunch.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skinny boat time!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The Hudson has a StrokeCoach, so I have something new to look at. But, what to make of the splits? Bill Byrd describes the remaining water as a big bathtub, but there is still a current. I keep my stroke rate up at 27-28. The Hudson feels really fast compared to the Maas. I'm seeing splits of 2:19-2:25, but what does that really mean? My GPS, still not displaying a map of any relevance, does tell me that since Corvallis, the average pace is over 10 miles per hour. Yowza!<br />
<br />
In my rearview mirror, I can see the telltale signs of boils. These look like bubbling circles in the water and they signal some rough going ahead. My bow gets tugged to port, starboard, port. It's that missing skeg feeling again. I crab several times, but with no great consequence other than killing boat speed. The positive side of the boils is it probably means there is still current. This is confirmed when I notice I am in an upstream eddy. Oops.<br />
<br />
My legs feel really strong this morning, but it takes awhile for my wrists to limber up to feather properly. I try letting the water do some of the feathering. A lot of technique goes out the window to accommodate some of the circumstances. So be it.<br />
<br />
I catch glimpses of Mt Hood and maybe Mt Jefferson. I keep seeing deadheads, but the obstacles are generally fewer. It's cooler than yesterday and mercifully, there is virtually no wind! I am a happy camper.<br />
<br />
Somewhere ahead of me Beth and Alex are trying to make up time on me. Both are very driven people and I have no doubt that they are powering through this section. I make a few navigation errors complicated by confusion in the follow launch, which points me in one direction around an island, then the opposite way. I stop completely while they sort this out. This is my own fault; I know I should go to port, but when the launch emphatically signals the other way, I pay heed. They eventually change their minds.<br />
<br />
The subsequent 300-meter section is fairly turbulent and I basically coast down with blades flat, adjusting my course every so often. I just really don't want to swim here, time be damned.<br />
<br />
It's a quick sprint from the end of this to the take-out. Phew! A portage around the locks and just a little over 8 miles to go after that.<br />
<br />
<b>Final Stretch</b><br />
If there weren't just 8 miles left to go, I would stop. My wrists are absolutely killing me. I can't perform really basic tasks involving my right index finger or my wrists. I can't open screw-top water bottles. I can't unzip things. Last night, Beth and I struggled with a bar of soap wrapped in plastic. Anything wrapped remains wrapped: soap is overrated. <br />
<br />
Oddly, though, my legs feel really strong. I feel like I can keep rowing for many more miles. Other than my wrists and the blisters on my fingers (the largest is on my thumb, of all places), I feel great. Getting in the boat, for the last time, I once again try to put on my socks only to have another alien make an attempt out of my abs. It takes a minute, leaning back, to massage down the beast. It needs a little more gestation time and I don't want a C-section right now.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0BD-LYJHrdhZsR17D5BqQ-ZgVSH-li0tC6u1xSbsR1e3DpLErpRUcZtOgzBi_bJrPvxu_yrEt551LMMbu12La-Vcc0jJPRdsW8qDkhB3UWqKErlNjE6x3DfcUUyzSI1o0Qj2HoXS3ors/s1600/lastleglaunch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0BD-LYJHrdhZsR17D5BqQ-ZgVSH-li0tC6u1xSbsR1e3DpLErpRUcZtOgzBi_bJrPvxu_yrEt551LMMbu12La-Vcc0jJPRdsW8qDkhB3UWqKErlNjE6x3DfcUUyzSI1o0Qj2HoXS3ors/s1600/lastleglaunch.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last leg launch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As I get ready to launch, I'm get waked by fishermen heading out from the Clackamas river. I give up on the second sock. What's a few more blisters at this point?<br />
<br />
There are a lot of fishermen in this section and it will be a slalom course for the first few miles. Another wake smacks me and adds about a few cups of water to the cockpit area. I realize I have left my bailing device, a sponge, in the truck for this last leg. Crap! Another double gets waked by motorboat so badly, they have to land and dump the water out.<br />
<br />
I have no idea what the race standings are and don't really care at this point. I'm rowing well and fast and feel pretty good. Then we arrive at Elk Island.<br />
<br />
The race organizers provide a single sheet description of some of the major navigation hazards and Elk Island is one of them. "Stay to the port side of the island unless the river is high <i>and you are using someone else's boat</i>." Nice humor. I see a double ahead of me going on the starboard side of the island and another double going around the port side. Sometimes it's better if you're not following so you make your own decisions. I choose door #1 (the port side) and it is fine, thankfully. Just got to watch those big red buoys and mostly stay on the correct side of them.<br />
<br />
The last few kilometers are really fast and before I know it, I am eyeing the Willamette Rowing Club dock, around which are clustered a bunch of fishing boats. The CPR instructions suggest a "power-20" to finish off the 115-mile effort, but that might result in an impaled fishing boat.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgeY9-_X4onMmyq1F2hUfMe-L2cRiZYTgZomrFFqfrxghF0KT6x9c0yd1c006TYPkCrYNkFpVm9qxtKJOZZohQqzHflEYgUkPIYzDgQKhz81OKN66jR9As2BFiruM5HpqKy4VXLT9Anxg/s1600/4finish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgeY9-_X4onMmyq1F2hUfMe-L2cRiZYTgZomrFFqfrxghF0KT6x9c0yd1c006TYPkCrYNkFpVm9qxtKJOZZohQqzHflEYgUkPIYzDgQKhz81OKN66jR9As2BFiruM5HpqKy4VXLT9Anxg/s1600/4finish.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A four finishing</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Everyone who entered finishes. That's impressive! What's amazing is how little time separates many of the boats. After 113 miles or so (not the whole 115 due to the portage around the locks) of rowing, Several other boats are neck and neck in time, but have hardly seen each other. Beth and Alex finish just 3 minutes (!) behind me. We've averaged about 10 miles per hour during that time. My wife, ever the competitor, looks back at ways they could have saved time. I can think of ways I might have moved faster too, but I don't dwell on this. I am really glad to be done. Beer please!<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiylEm6s-gvGfgTiQHYmWTfmw2flEIBG0fZx0dGUs3X2LUcQpe_SOFcxB18lHYjgoVgQrHq7UR0vRAxHmGFXATiRZmvogx_xnx_928ygaaqMb2ftg1mH3ndom948MRb_hxYNZ51x3a2UM/s1600/doublefinish.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiylEm6s-gvGfgTiQHYmWTfmw2flEIBG0fZx0dGUs3X2LUcQpe_SOFcxB18lHYjgoVgQrHq7UR0vRAxHmGFXATiRZmvogx_xnx_928ygaaqMb2ftg1mH3ndom948MRb_hxYNZ51x3a2UM/s1600/doublefinish.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will Kalenius stroking a solid double. These guys look good sculling.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
We are all grateful to the many helpful folks who have supported us in this event. Logistically, this row is a tremendous challenge. We know there was much debate about whether to hold the event at all, based on the flow. I think we've shown that some folks can safely row in this volume of water.<br />
<br />
If you're reading this with the idea of participating in a future CPR, realize that what you bring is a lot of what you get out. Being well-prepared is certainly a part of that. A flexibility of approach will also help immensely. In this regard, my hat is off to a bunch of rowers, but particularly Alex (below with pizza and Row Quixote shirt). Alex jumped in an unfamiliar boat with an unfamiliar partner (my wife) and rowed full force and took on whatever came his way, knowing all along that he would be sitting in a plane the following day to the East coast. No whining and lots of good-natured, articulate comments--from a 22-year old! I predict good things from this lad. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbnecIS5vbp1C3XQGiQT69YRzDRjap92ApB5TOQwB-ngZ_O_mq3YjpAdwazo4hFVP9aMXsEZaFoe8JSC7uVD9lI_IhCUcuU8DBZl94oIt3g0ayO5Ie1rk9dgqurxRNeD57qSSYDf1iMk/s1600/trio2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzbnecIS5vbp1C3XQGiQT69YRzDRjap92ApB5TOQwB-ngZ_O_mq3YjpAdwazo4hFVP9aMXsEZaFoe8JSC7uVD9lI_IhCUcuU8DBZl94oIt3g0ayO5Ie1rk9dgqurxRNeD57qSSYDf1iMk/s1600/trio2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alex, Beth and myself with CPR medals</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-3319164301826656582011-06-06T22:50:00.000-07:002011-06-06T22:52:29.789-07:00Race Report: CPR XIII (part 1)This post is about the Corvallis to Portland Row (CPR) XIII, which occurred on June 5th and 6th. This is a two-day, 5-stage, 115-mile rowing event on the Willamette River from the college town of Corvallis to the Willamette Rowing Club boathouse in Oaks Park in Portland, Oregon.<br />
<br />
People have been asking me what CPR is like. Well... <br />
<br />
<b>CPR is like...</b><br />
Ok, I'm not a mother and therefore not entitled to make this remark (but when has that stopped me): CPR is like childbirth because during and immediately after, you say: "What the hell was I thinking?!" and then some time passes and you do it again and say: "What the hell was I thinking?!"<br />
<br />
The child-protection top on the pain relief medicine taunts me: "You can't open me, nyah, nyah, nyah." It's true, I can't grab much with my right hand and the mere thought of any twisting action involving my right wrist elicits a paroxysm of pain. Still, the child protection top is not immune to my steel-toed boots. If I could get them on...<br />
<br />
And, this would be a surprise after the last CPR? Hello! Doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome, duh...What the hell was I thinking?!<br />
<br />
This is what CPR feels like: vulnerable, inadequate, at the mercy of nature and fellow man.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BoXfqtYBOcuWT1K4_wAdM2EsEL7Wdq1wt2FRIqjzR5Y0I_nenmJVcnHtVzgvLnXvUr9A_OHwsZ95FKfB7IEWMuROQbYfRu_O4ZcPu6Hw7nlFxE6pJrMQ3ughcLSQe0JycRaHkfSJSQ8/s1600/upcreek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BoXfqtYBOcuWT1K4_wAdM2EsEL7Wdq1wt2FRIqjzR5Y0I_nenmJVcnHtVzgvLnXvUr9A_OHwsZ95FKfB7IEWMuROQbYfRu_O4ZcPu6Hw7nlFxE6pJrMQ3ughcLSQe0JycRaHkfSJSQ8/s1600/upcreek.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up the proverbial creek, launching at CPR </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
OK, I'm getting ahead of myself...<br />
<br />
<b>Pre-Race Roller Coaster</b><br />
The last two months and particularly the last week have featured huge ups and downs relative to CPR. First, there was the enormous amount of snow and rain this winter and spring, suggesting to most everyone that the event would be canceled like the year before. Watching the <a href="http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?CORO3">Willamette river flow projections</a> has become a several-times a-day neurosis for me. Even other rowing friends start to monitor this data and give me discouraging news: "Doesn't look good for CPR, does it?"<br />
<br />
Earlier, my wife's CPR doubles partner, a college classmate, bailed. He hadn't had enough time to train, injuries weren't healing, etc (all legitimate excuses delivered early enough to do something in response). My wife was quite disappointed. I happened to be emailing a Santa Cruz rower and asked her if she might be interested. Surprisingly, this woman agreed to do it and my wife was quite happy again.<br />
<br />
Exactly a week before the race, Tiff Wood announces that the race is going to happen. Yay! Spirits are high. Shortly thereafter, Beth's second doubles partner announces that she won't be able to row (fitness, money, etc). Spirits crash. With 6 days before start time, my wife and I email a bunch of folks to see if we can scrounge up someone (hey, wanna row 115 miles next weekend?). Needless to say, there aren't many folks who 1) want to do it, 2) can do it, and 3) have the time to do it on such short notice. Miraculously, Beth's first partner finds someone who qualifies on all three accounts, a strapping, super-nice 22-year old with lots of experience, some even with CPR (helping out). Beth now has a third doubles partner, Alex, and he will meet us in Corvallis. Muy Bueno!<br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<b>The Boat Dilemma</b></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
Paul Noyes (our fearless support person), Beth and I arrive at the Oregon State University boathouse around 2pm on Friday to rig our boats and check out the river. I am particularly interested in seeing the flow up close because I have some apprehensions about the water. OK, my apprehensions are not about the water so much as about my ability to avoid entering the water. </div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
The CPR web site says: "Click
<a href="http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?CORO3" target="_blank">here</a>
to monitor the water depth at Corvallis. If river levels are less than 2 feet or more than
6 feet, an alternative course will be rowed." Ha! On Friday when we arrive the gauge is reading above 16.5 . Achtung Baby!</div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMnFW1CCzsarj4s2duAOcnWoN8lzEcPdNy0YJySPUXGc7klK99a1Y5JTeYOZuStI_wf5kR5YjiAiRKRsDKqndsurDNUT9iB9wWOtVm6-06CRRAL7i1T8Ug9_SsNXXz8zCpS1yiVkMhD9M/s1600/racedayflowweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMnFW1CCzsarj4s2duAOcnWoN8lzEcPdNy0YJySPUXGc7klK99a1Y5JTeYOZuStI_wf5kR5YjiAiRKRsDKqndsurDNUT9iB9wWOtVm6-06CRRAL7i1T8Ug9_SsNXXz8zCpS1yiVkMhD9M/s1600/racedayflowweb.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talk about a roller coaster ride...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
In other words, the Friday flow is 275% of the maximum for a conventional Corvallis to Portland Row. That
translates to about 20,000 cfs (that's 566.3 cubic meters per
second) at the start in Corvallis and around 50,000 cfs (1415.8 cubic meters
per second) at the finish in Portland. That's a lot of water. I have just enough experience with
rivers to know that volumes like that on this river can create interesting
hydraulics: boils, shears, pillows, eddies and eddy lines, holes,
standing waves, and all manner of shell flipping phenomena. I really don't want any part of any of that.</div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
Another CPR competitor, Will Kalenius, is at the OSU boathouse and we talk briefly. He remarks that he
doesn't row the Willamette in a single when it's at this level. I think he means that it's too hard to row back upstream...Or maybe, as he's a new father, he is feeling conservative, better part of valor, etc. </div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
I've brought two boats to this event because of the flow. The sleek and fast Hudson racing shell is tricked out with water bottle cages and various electronics (GPS and StrokeCoach) and is the boat I have been training in. I've optimized everything in this boat (foot stretcher height and angle, riggers, free space for extra clothing, food, inflatable life vest, etc) for this long rowing event. I am eager to row this shell, but the water may be too much for this skinny craft.</div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
The other boat is my stouter steed, a Maas-24. The last time I rowed this open water boat was in the <a href="http://scullduggery.blogspot.com/2011/04/race-report-open-ocean-regatta.html">Open Ocean Regatta</a>. There is not much that can be easily optimized on this: there is a fore and an aft setting for the riggers (and not much difference between these). The seat tracks are semi-permanent factory, one-size fits all. You can move the foot stretchers fore and aft but you can't change the angle. My custom setting for this boat is a bag that I have attached with Velcro. </div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
I am schizophrenic: the racer demon part of me sits on my shoulder yelling Hudson (speed, speed!), while the prudent angel fellow on the other side politely suggests the Maas (safe, safe!). I decide to rig both boats and have both cleared by the one of the race officials:</div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhA4VbMg1sj4eYlR_shIsar5adxSFuzCRI05GflCTnV5flepifJmepnSBetLvX9iQeKk01TjInZ2eMzjLLzqU6BIgc-esmgN12eV1wuqfoIiBJJKhDp44wa-eua_ekwLYbD8ZL5Hi1UJk/s1600/boatcheckweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhA4VbMg1sj4eYlR_shIsar5adxSFuzCRI05GflCTnV5flepifJmepnSBetLvX9iQeKk01TjInZ2eMzjLLzqU6BIgc-esmgN12eV1wuqfoIiBJJKhDp44wa-eua_ekwLYbD8ZL5Hi1UJk/s1600/boatcheckweb.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hudson on left, Maas on right. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Race Day Forecast</b><br />
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
The forecast is for mid to high 80s. This is a temperature increase of almost 30 degrees from the recent highs and this has some significant implications for this race. We are not prepared for this: we have
scarcely rowed in shorts and tanks this year. More importantly, this will also be the first warm and sunny Saturday in
months, and it is likely to bring out every water skier, wakeboarder,
jetskier and pleasure boater. Finally, the temperature differential between the cold snowy areas and the heated land is going to set up a headwind. <br />
<br />
All of this is shaping my boat considerations. I am now thinking
a Maas-24 may be in order. I realize I will sacrifice some
speed (how much?), but I am significantly less likely to swim and the boat is
equipped with a self-bailer when I get waked. On the other hand, the Maas presents a bigger area for wind. My wife--she of the "just get in the damn boat and row it" persuasion--is amused (appalled?) at my paralysis by analysis. </div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
After dinner, Paul and I move my Hudson, rigged, onto his lumber rack. I can switch boats at any time if I like, but for now I'm going with the Maas.<br />
<br />
<b>Race Day Dawn</b><br />
The race organizers have decided to start two singles first, then
most of the doubles and then the fours. Will Kalenius and his doubles
rowing partner will start last as the race organizers peg them to be the
fastest. The goal is to have everyone relatively close together and by
starting the slower boats first, the thinking is that we will all come together by the end of the first leg, 35 miles down river. I will start with or shortly after Joe McGuire.<br />
<br />
The nice thing about rowing the Maas is I know I can basically hop in it
and row. It's comfortable and stable. On the other hand I have never
spent 11-12 hours in a Maas seat before.<br />
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhUok3W6fUR8DMD72MkKK_hwK2m3BZmIB0iaHdfuVdUJ3DFwYPkzrwuKYNJRqXlC3w7aDLFMYn1Q30AbvJA3wwNchalQRH82_MJBl5sEBHK2LhFfHBTWfIxnmKgKoGEAAWrn7ZT3ojs0/s1600/satdawncpr.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhUok3W6fUR8DMD72MkKK_hwK2m3BZmIB0iaHdfuVdUJ3DFwYPkzrwuKYNJRqXlC3w7aDLFMYn1Q30AbvJA3wwNchalQRH82_MJBl5sEBHK2LhFfHBTWfIxnmKgKoGEAAWrn7ZT3ojs0/s1600/satdawncpr.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Attending to last minute details in the pre-dawn light</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Speaking of seats, it's interesting and fun to see what boat mods
other people make in preparation for a 115-mile row. Some have rigged up music. Others have arranged food trays. The four below have prioritized posterior protection. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2P3MOlGnWmEq-2D2GlI0sM5Z-jJ_7Soqp60PboId0nAY_-tW_OJ0kUBC0zr75nqKn1ktfYpeK1PizFh9Yq6PDuS1ysAM5UDG5fqkTJ_7ZJRNsk0siM2YguZkv-Snw1be2DtRtyhjZ6k/s1600/comfyseats.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2P3MOlGnWmEq-2D2GlI0sM5Z-jJ_7Soqp60PboId0nAY_-tW_OJ0kUBC0zr75nqKn1ktfYpeK1PizFh9Yq6PDuS1ysAM5UDG5fqkTJ_7ZJRNsk0siM2YguZkv-Snw1be2DtRtyhjZ6k/s1600/comfyseats.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The princesses and the pea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
More in the next post...
<br />
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
</div>
<br />T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-51111292111581249092011-06-03T08:23:00.000-07:002011-06-03T08:23:50.229-07:00As Seen in Real Life #5: June SnowFrost on the roof this morning. Tomorrow at the Corvallis to Portland Row (CPR) the temp is supposed to rise up to 86 (we're not used to that yet!). Yesterday (June 2nd), there was fresh snow on the local hills. I went for a short row and happened to have my camera. It was sunny <i>and</i> raining, great light for a good photographer (not me). <br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4qR57_TIeXMklcgrTQJAr-SjNN_-P4sPyUbV3kymUd251RbH73d8pOSHc_2wDVgAkej5mlCQV2k-pTQ3Zagw2RlR5B55REXV3uvFCr057CYpOjgG3KmjKeZJhKgPngsXW9W_7RPtGr5k/s1600/ficklejuneweb.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4qR57_TIeXMklcgrTQJAr-SjNN_-P4sPyUbV3kymUd251RbH73d8pOSHc_2wDVgAkej5mlCQV2k-pTQ3Zagw2RlR5B55REXV3uvFCr057CYpOjgG3KmjKeZJhKgPngsXW9W_7RPtGr5k/s1600/ficklejuneweb.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fickle June weather: will it rain, snow or shine?<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A friend cross-country skied nearby in fresh and falling powder. Another friend is supposed to start climbing Mt Shasta today, but I suspect there is significant avalanche danger. Mt Shasta is <i>only</i> 12,000 feet higher than here. <br />
<br />
<br />
One could be forgiven for thinking the shots below are not from Emigrant Lake, but some Andean peak, particularly when you see llamas...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85-6dZZcK4eCz9G6o-0xJq8RfVT8GAkK6G8_u8fnkvkrlOSwv_-fdUx6fGcP0bESd0HPYvHuhYEcxRz2ZngE2lcJfaSzZMr6Bo6l4p93a-MwA97hqF6qVNoGIRkx6io6CIrmaTo5U-jA/s1600/emigrantorperu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85-6dZZcK4eCz9G6o-0xJq8RfVT8GAkK6G8_u8fnkvkrlOSwv_-fdUx6fGcP0bESd0HPYvHuhYEcxRz2ZngE2lcJfaSzZMr6Bo6l4p93a-MwA97hqF6qVNoGIRkx6io6CIrmaTo5U-jA/s1600/emigrantorperu.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andean scene: snow on the left and llamas on the right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Below is a close-up of the llamas. Usually there are cows and horses grazing here. Sometimes all three share the vetch and grass.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxLIeyzYpnvL-gfZMtyN5E9H5MgE2TmkCoaQalTh-EHnyXt2N0vHFOqAuJ_1UfqqpWC8nUzBxrX_ZxREKegyvN0tf2JRcSX0f5JGz9Ni34eGv0ooDsi0I_Ife2iraeuvyYPttJ0fF_rc/s1600/llamascloserupweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxLIeyzYpnvL-gfZMtyN5E9H5MgE2TmkCoaQalTh-EHnyXt2N0vHFOqAuJ_1UfqqpWC8nUzBxrX_ZxREKegyvN0tf2JRcSX0f5JGz9Ni34eGv0ooDsi0I_Ife2iraeuvyYPttJ0fF_rc/s1600/llamascloserupweb.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peru or Oregon?</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
A coyote was checking these two out and I just got my camera out in time to get a quick glimpse (below) as it ran away:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJgtoaraqA0KIU0Qt_8LycxmwDg90Uqt5H-kSGDd40LGjiCtKWmFGZO9ZxIFQgYYQusMe8G4gnHsQpq2FShIM3xkUfwk4Ewa6YFp2vP3tGHbo1Z7bEPegVolm43L-hQqcSkCUvBGLmfk/s1600/coyoteweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJgtoaraqA0KIU0Qt_8LycxmwDg90Uqt5H-kSGDd40LGjiCtKWmFGZO9ZxIFQgYYQusMe8G4gnHsQpq2FShIM3xkUfwk4Ewa6YFp2vP3tGHbo1Z7bEPegVolm43L-hQqcSkCUvBGLmfk/s1600/coyoteweb.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get along little doggie...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I was testing my CPR set-up. Didn't have it quite down, but you can get an idea of what it looks like here:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyf2NTdrAQ41EhVldZ8qhYs9CD7HjPXlsadnTdBvG0_af85-vg3xTGtr7C-S42JlZ07eCfoNn1qgCqTnPKLTgyVsLPWJND0DMUYIPjQzt_OmvW7Wxeq183EnX3zq1FBAA3TaXvPZuaCSM/s1600/donttouchmyjunkweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyf2NTdrAQ41EhVldZ8qhYs9CD7HjPXlsadnTdBvG0_af85-vg3xTGtr7C-S42JlZ07eCfoNn1qgCqTnPKLTgyVsLPWJND0DMUYIPjQzt_OmvW7Wxeq183EnX3zq1FBAA3TaXvPZuaCSM/s1600/donttouchmyjunkweb.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too much junk poorly arranged</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Great Blue Herons flew by close to the water and just over my head. A couple of egrets too. Someday I will row with a good camera with the express purpose of shooting photos of what's out on Emigrant Lake.<br />
<br />
<br />T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-42692351060735068362011-05-25T09:58:00.000-07:002011-05-25T09:58:49.913-07:00Corvallis to Portland Row (CPR): Part 3<b>ROI</b><br />
In the previous <a href="http://scullduggery.blogspot.com/2011/05/corvallis-to-portland-row-cpr-part-2.html">CPR post</a>, I alluded to some of the "investment" that some of us have made in this 115-mile rowing event. I'm speaking of the training, of course, but also the time and energy ascertaining better ways to:<br />
<ul>
<li>prepare oneself physiologically (train long distance all the time?)</li>
<li>rig a boat for a long-distance row</li>
<li>replenish nutrients and liquids</li>
<li>deal with banal aspects like relieving oneself. </li>
</ul>
<br />
There is the investment in time of <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=203566743570867455171.0004a276277338007c91d&ll=45.013234,-122.932603&spn=0.912708,0.656254&t=h&source=embed">mapping the course</a>, setting up the GPS points, attaching hardware to your boat like bottle cages and the GPS mount. There are many little things like scrounging up a spare skeg, duct tape, first-aid kits, spare gloves, sunscreen and various types of food (it's easy to suffer from food fatigue in a long event). There is the small matter of committing to memory many of the hazards mentioned in the previous post. So, for all this effort what does one get out of CPR?<br />
<br />
With all due respect to Bill Byrd and Tiff Wood, the medals (see below) are not the reason why people train for and row Corvallis to Portland, despite what the CPR web site says. Below is my take on why I do it and how I train for it, not necessarily in that order.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWAXXD32fG7Su1lnu1vvY5ckhB9xZjIz2hzkN630LvNxNnpxpegmPlU0onEkfRoaJ-KDd_8677vWFfm5LtGxnSasH-ZaoDVg-1Sr2n6Oya5_qEXvBHEP37n_SlT5PRM_3deCMr3wJyJOM/s1600/cprmedals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWAXXD32fG7Su1lnu1vvY5ckhB9xZjIz2hzkN630LvNxNnpxpegmPlU0onEkfRoaJ-KDd_8677vWFfm5LtGxnSasH-ZaoDVg-1Sr2n6Oya5_qEXvBHEP37n_SlT5PRM_3deCMr3wJyJOM/s1600/cprmedals.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert, Corinne and myself sporting our CPR <strike>doorstops</strike> medals. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Feel the Earth Move</b><br />
Both my wife and I have been training for the 2011 CPR for some time. I've been training for this event pretty much since October 2009 and she's been training for at least the last 6 months. Of course, many years of rowing (and other sports) and competitions have preceded these particular efforts, so it's really a training continuum. If you think of a training log as a seismograph, then our CPR training would register as a sustained Richter rumble, but only barely distinguishable from the surrounding training noise.<br />
<br />
<b>Past Results Don't Guarantee Future Returns</b><br />
Beth has completed CPR twice, once in a double (2007) and another time in a quad (2008). I rowed in the 2007 CPR, but lasted only 85 miles as wrist pain and swelling prevented me from being able to feather my oars effectively. I'm better prepared this time around and my body seems to endure the stresses better.<br />
<br />
<b>How Do You Train For a 115 Mile Row?</b><br />
The answer to that is not clear. Many of my training queues come from my ultra-running friends:<br />
<ul>
<li>Frequent: 4-6 times a week, but also lots of rest days</li>
<li>Continuous: there is no off-season</li>
<li>Long distance: up to 45km at a time, with frequent 25-35km efforts and seldom less than 20km.</li>
</ul>
I briefly did some shorter, harder efforts (4 x 1200 meter intervals) prior to the <a href="http://scullduggery.blogspot.com/2011/04/race-report-covered-bridge-regatta.html">Covered Bridge Regatta</a>. I also briefly did some 2 x 20 minute intervals prior to the <a href="http://scullduggery.blogspot.com/2011/04/race-report-open-ocean-regatta.html">Open Ocean Regatta</a>. There is some research to suggest that these more intense efforts might boost mitochondrial- and capillary density, both of which might help in a long-distance row. Still, 95+% of my training has been of the slow, steady variety. I average about 2:30/500m and just plug along. Lately, I have been rowing a little faster pace and that might be fitness or it might be smoother water. Sometimes I speed up to chase down a friend, just so I can have someone to talk to.<br />
<br />
I have made sure to experience two consecutive days of longish training bouts so I can see what I
will feel like on the second day. So, I might row for 4 hours one-day
and 2 the next. I have had no problems with these efforts. No back pain,
no wrist swelling, no knee discomfort and only a mildly sore posterior.
Often I get off the water, feeling like I could keep on rowing. That's a
good thing, since those rows are a small fraction of what I would have
to row in the first day of CPR. <br />
<br />
I consider eating, drinking and resting as part of the whole training scheme. I try to make sure that I eat a fair amount during my longer workouts, if for no other reason than to get used to it when I row in CPR. I also try to consume lots of carbs immediately after my longer workouts, per information I learned in writing <a href="http://scullduggery.blogspot.com/2011/02/research-sport-performance-and-carbs.html">this post</a>. Still, I have been losing weight and I didn't have a lot of weight to lose. Yes, I'm eating a lot of protein too, but I may not be getting enough fat(?).<br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>How Do You Rig For a 115-Mile Row?</b><br />
I've spent an inordinate amount of time contemplating this and futzing with my foot stretcher height and angle, my catch angle, inboard and outboard oar length, my stroke rate, my upper-body position etc. <br />
<br />
I consulted various folks and the following, among others, responded: Rob Slocum, Valery Kleshnev, Stephen Seiler, William Atkinson, and Carl Douglas. I was surprised by many of their answers:<br />
<br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left; width: 450px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="center"><b>Person</b></td>
<td align="center" width="30%"><b>Rigging Advice</b></td>
<td align="center" width="28%"><b>Stroke rate advice</b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Quotes</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><i>Rob Slocum</i></td>
<td align="left" valign="top" width="30%">Would probably go lighter than when he previously rowed CPR</td>
<td align="center" valign="top" width="28%">20-23</td>
<td align="left" valign="top">"I put vaseline on my hands and then put the batting gloves over them. No blisters. Redo the vaseline at each stop. I did a mileage binge for forty days or so leading up to CPR. Like 1000k on erg/water, something like that. Wow. It boggles my mind to think of it."</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><i> Valerie Kleshev</i></td>
<td align="left" valign="top" width="30%">"longer catch angles"</td>
<td align="left" valign="top" width="28%"></td>
<td align="left" valign="top">"I’ve never measured or studied marathon rowing. If someone would be able to give complete advice in this case, many coaches would lose their jobs." (!)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><i>William Atkinson</i></td>
<td align="left" valign="top" width="30%">higher gearing
<br />
"maximize catch bow angle"<br />
"Increase the outboard.<br />
By all means use a big blade."</td>
<td align="left" valign="top" width="28%">low stroke rates</td>
<td align="left" valign="top">"strong pull/low rating vs. lighter pull/higher rating" (!!)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><i>Stephen Seiler</i></td>
<td align="left" valign="top" width="30%">"I really dont think the gearing (oar outboard length) will make that much difference. Your own stroke rate choices are more important by far. So, I probably didn't tell you anything revolutionary, but my vote is for a relatively low rate."</td>
<td align="left" valign="top" width="28%">"My philosphy is that when rowing with the wind or with the current, you use lower stroke rates and let the extra run of the boat work for you. I also think that rowing at a lower rate will actually protect your back because it will add up to hundreds of saved strokes over the course of the many hours of rowing in front of you."</td>
<td align="left" valign="top">"In long races like this, you have to use the wind and stream to your advantage and search for the best conditions on the river all along the way. Also, dont be fooled into rowing too hard in the first hour or two. Whatever gains you might make then will be lost many times over between hours 3 and 10."</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><i>Carl Douglas</i></td>
<td align="left" valign="top" width="30%">"A slight shortening of the stroke can be as, or more effective than, changing oar gearing, since what you clip off the ends of the stroke will be just those parts which are most severely geared. You don't need more than a smidgen of shortening to significantly ease your effective gearing." </td>
<td align="left" valign="top" width="28%">"I agree completely ... about easy gearing & maintaining the rate - just spin it along."</td>
<td align="left" valign="top">"Sustainable steady-state force application falls exponentially with planned distance. Power output also reduces, but you can maximise the work you usefully do if you re-shape your technique & loadings to increase pulling time (= time in the water). This will come if you keep the load light but waste no time between strokes - do not treat the recovery as personal recovery time.
<br />
Final thought - be comfortable. Check you are comfortable with your equipment over longish training distances & make all changes necessary to achieve comfort since bits of you will have all sorts of problems if how you sit or what you do causes them local pain that's not directly related to boat moving."</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
After experimentation, I found myself agreeing with Carl Douglas on virtually every account.<br />
<br />
For sprint racing, e.g., the Covered Bridge Regatta, I set myself up further into stern relative to the pins, so that my catch angle was fairly steep. I set the shoes relatively high and the shoe angle relatively steep. I found this arrangement unsustainable for longer rows (20+ km), day after day. My ribs, shoulders and lats didn't agree with this set-up. Even my abs complained.<br />
<br />
For distance rowing, I "relaxed" the settings on everything: I lowered shoes, lowered the foot stretcher angle, reduced the catch angle by moving the foot stretchers toward the bow a few notches. My oar length--285 cm--actually increased 1 cm from 284. I've been rowing relatively upright, with almost no forward lean (from the hips) at the catch and almost no layback at the finish. The why of all this is a potentially long discussion, but it all seems
to result in reduced perceived load and I can sustain a stroke rate
between 22 and 25 with little threat of feeling over-geared. I'm sure I am sacrificing some stroke length, catch angle, and optimal power application for sustained comfort, but that seems like a prudent goal for an event that might take 12-13 hours.<br />
<br />
I briefly had some wrist discomfort, but that seemed to go away after rowing less rough water and frequent icing and vitamin I (-buprofen). <br />
<br />
The only thing that has bothered me much at all through this training is a recent coccyx (tailbone) discomfort. This may be related to my weight loss. I seem to have an increasingly bony ass. I'm now experimenting with a seat pad.<br />
<br />
<b>Why?</b><br />
I think it was Napoleon Bonaparte who said "It is only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous." That may apply here. What I find, though, is that the more I prepare, the closer I stay to the sublime. To not prepare, on the other hand, would lead to the ridiculous.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgT-hfZk9AA73dLAWNLbQG2UU-xQmLH02IzOxQ1xDKDC9Vk18NmIYOY3bfSEQ9Qkcnoy3VFa-PQZCRNUhe9nM1qGPpxKlZ0EjbrrCI1RrYDfdjGjIL1GVY_jeSfe_Kjx4e7Tau3evY1A/s1600/arewedoneyet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgT-hfZk9AA73dLAWNLbQG2UU-xQmLH02IzOxQ1xDKDC9Vk18NmIYOY3bfSEQ9Qkcnoy3VFa-PQZCRNUhe9nM1qGPpxKlZ0EjbrrCI1RrYDfdjGjIL1GVY_jeSfe_Kjx4e7Tau3evY1A/s1600/arewedoneyet.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Are we freaking done yet?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The longer the training, the more I seem to enjoy it. Often, it
takes 5 or 10 k just to get comfortable, but then I get into a nice groove. The rhythm of long rows leads to an almost mindless state, a type of mental floss if you will, cleaning out the cerebral plaque of everyday living. Stroke after stroke, meter after meter, kilometer after kilometer. When I start rowing, I usually contemplate the day's non-rowing goals--things I want to get done--but after a few "klicks" I stop thinking too much and I get into a pleasant state of conscious semi-trance: I'm alert, but not trying to volitionally process anything. It's as if the meta-awareness part of me is turned off and only the animal part of me is left. My mind becomes like my heart and lungs, functioning autonomically. I'm aware of where I am and what I am doing and not a whole lot else. This is when the miles fly by and <i>nothing much happens</i>: sometimes, the mundane is the sublime. <br />
<br />
Not that my rowing surroundings are boring, mind you. On a typical training day I see bald eagles, great blue herons, osprey, geese and their goslings, and fish jumping out of the water. I see coyotes, foxes, llamas, horses and cows on the lake shore. I have seen deer swimming across the lake, not that deer are rare around here, but seeing them paddling is a bit unusual.<br />
<br />
Occasionally I'll see a tandem duo of bald eagles dive-bombing ducks. This is wildly entertaining if slightly gruesome.<br />
<br />
Every once in awhile fighter jets from a nearby airbase will come screaming seemingly just above the water in some kind of Top-Gun chase scene. That puts the adrenaline in overdrive.<br />
<br />
Local firefighter helicopters train for future fires by sucking water out of Emigrant Lake and then dumping it again. Imagine a huge insect with a gigantic proboscis dipping into the water and then letting it loose a few minutes later.<br />
<br />
I've seen seaplanes land and take-off and jetboats send up 30-foot high plumes of water.<br />
<br />
Occasionally I will see other rowers narrowly missing each other, but I'm more worried about the fishermen trolling with their eyes on the screens of their Bass-o-matic fish finders. Colliding with a fishing boat can harsh your mellow.<br />
<br />
What does my local rowing experience have to do with CPR? Well, I had better enjoy the local rowing because I'm going to do a lot of it. The time I spend rowing <i>each week</i> might be the same amount of time I spend rowing at CPR. Add up all the training weeks and hours and you realize that the actual event time is a small fraction of the training time. <br />
<br />
I train because I enjoy it. I'm not doing it for the fitness and only secondarily for the racing. The race is certainly a big part of this endeavor and more than just icing on the cake. I have to remind myself that the race is not the whole goal, though when the race seems likely to be nixed, this is hard to stomach. Still there is intrinsic value to the training itself. The race may be the big goal but it helps sustain the training which is the other goal. <br />
<br />
I will be depressed if this year's CPR regatta is canceled. It would be like training for the Western States 100-miler the year California fires prevented it from happening. Except in my case it will be like missing two consecutive Western States: last year's CPR was scratched and this one appears likely to be. And, while there is only one Western States, there are plenty of other ultra-marathons. There is no other fresh water distance race like CPR anywhere in this country and maybe not anywhere. <br />
<br />T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-58070327223937672282011-05-24T13:17:00.000-07:002011-05-24T13:21:49.490-07:00Corvallis to Portland Row (CPR): part 2<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Navigating Backwards</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The previous <a href="http://scullduggery.blogspot.com/2011/05/corvallis-to-portland-row-cpr-part-1.html">CPR post</a> mentioned some of the hazards one might encounter on the Willamette river between Corvallis and Portland, including docks, rocks, and locks. </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi065Asa8C2lKg2x6F9H-jAxhHoCGES7ENYhgOPzA-NokDte0Ke0XDdQ_E8BlwBiB4WmsymhuqVUrlaYzjsC21RABD49oghoC_9OJsqKb6Rf_rNsCZcx2kD7SY7lxZ_Yrt9E-1Xj7B-wwo/s1600/cprhazards.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi065Asa8C2lKg2x6F9H-jAxhHoCGES7ENYhgOPzA-NokDte0Ke0XDdQ_E8BlwBiB4WmsymhuqVUrlaYzjsC21RABD49oghoC_9OJsqKb6Rf_rNsCZcx2kD7SY7lxZ_Yrt9E-1Xj7B-wwo/s1600/cprhazards.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CPR rowers face a number of potential hazards</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Some of these are well-known and documented by the Oregon State Marine Board <a href="http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/library/docs/WillametteGuide.pdf">here</a>. Race organizers also issue a list of hazards by river mile. </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkr8hvmjnC3DyeZpJna6ToAMFPJ3jqZ9Ev98_jzk3VT0Bc6T5hlUcLUMS-OskXeCdLe1iDQv_DK4xpI8ms91qU-uuP5tRSE1meGBJhFrgmhSDnVk19FtlnAH9HrX8gTtjxts9n0_soHU/s1600/fallslocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkr8hvmjnC3DyeZpJna6ToAMFPJ3jqZ9Ev98_jzk3VT0Bc6T5hlUcLUMS-OskXeCdLe1iDQv_DK4xpI8ms91qU-uuP5tRSE1meGBJhFrgmhSDnVk19FtlnAH9HrX8gTtjxts9n0_soHU/s1600/fallslocks.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Willamette Falls Locks: It's not a good idea to be next to the sides when they let the water out.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=203566743570867455171.0004a276277338007c91d&ll=45.080309,-122.90062&spn=0.42279,0.6427&t=h&z=11">Google map</a> below </span><span style="font-size: small;">lists many of the hazards and indicates aid stops and other "features." Of course, hazards like moving craft and wakes can't be mapped.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=203566743570867455171.0004a276277338007c91d&ll=45.013234,-122.932603&spn=0.912708,0.656254&t=h&output=embed" width="425"></iframe></div>
<small> View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=203566743570867455171.0004a276277338007c91d&ll=45.013234,-122.932603&spn=0.912708,0.656254&t=h&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Corvallis to Portland Row (CPR) Route</a> in a larger map</small>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>GPS: We're the Fagawi (Again) </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A mounted GPS comes in handy for traveling backwards. For the 2007 CPR, I mapped the route in Google Earth and then derived the GPS coordinates for all the various hazards along the route. As we rowed, the hazzard markers appeared on the GPS screen just before we reached the hazzards on the river. I used green markers to indicate that we should row to starboard and red markers to indicate when we should row to port. This can get confusing, but after awhile we got used to it. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Being rafters and kayakers, my doubles partner and I would lapse into "river right" and "river left" directions occasionally. </span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A hat-mounted rear-view mirror comes in handy too. Fashion statement aside, these mirrors are really helpful. They, too, take awhile to get used to and they are no substitute for looking around. I imagine I looked like Stevie Wonder, rocking my head side to side to capture the full view of things. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I used both a mirror and a GPS in the 2007 CPR, while rowing in a double. We managed to avoid hitting anything. Just in case, though, we carried some duct tape and a spare skeg for the boat and a small first-aid kit for us.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHOh5qLGFMhH1c20viEdjjvKoooAO6To_XevLLQXPKSxNK29NR0QQteYeNM-Xkl0zBMVrqGnfPhA7uUvUK7fjFgYWlg7tCp1Df7riy4hsNi4MqG2zZ_PPFUjuNQzE7PkvZko2jgiG5hSI/s1600/Willamette-Fallssm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHOh5qLGFMhH1c20viEdjjvKoooAO6To_XevLLQXPKSxNK29NR0QQteYeNM-Xkl0zBMVrqGnfPhA7uUvUK7fjFgYWlg7tCp1Df7riy4hsNi4MqG2zZ_PPFUjuNQzE7PkvZko2jgiG5hSI/s1600/Willamette-Fallssm.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willamette Falls: The "mother of all hazards" according to the CPR landmark guide. (photo by Susan Parkman) </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Rowing With the Flow</b><br />
Rowing with a current is a different experience. My friend Robert and I rowed on the Willamette in January last year (2010) when the current was quite strong. Just launching off the dock was a bit daunting. Rowing first upstream we battled the current and found eddies and protected areas. Then turning around we found ourselves just zipping right along. On the first weekend after Memorial Day (when CPR is scheduled), the flow is not usually that substantial, but there is considerable variability.<br />
<br />
In 2007, the flow registered 3 feet on the scale (see bottom), and while the current was a few knots per hour, by the time we reached mile 60, there was almost no current to speak of. Last year (2010), the river rose to near flood levels, the flow approached "flood action stage" and CPR XII was canceled.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2uIRnvyjwD_uwUNVTRSb9futuhgKL-13p60NSoKmE_J5A2YZFNPZU0G9d7PT0Bp8CG-EeapcgqOeL0GaZ7oYHAeHhIs5o526c1cDqpUkdlZ5mRKn9clMaRzeBCAQ5GIramb5bjGAas4/s1600/100fttree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2uIRnvyjwD_uwUNVTRSb9futuhgKL-13p60NSoKmE_J5A2YZFNPZU0G9d7PT0Bp8CG-EeapcgqOeL0GaZ7oYHAeHhIs5o526c1cDqpUkdlZ5mRKn9clMaRzeBCAQ5GIramb5bjGAas4/s1600/100fttree.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">100-foot tree floating down an engorged Willamette in 2010 (photo by Susan Parkman)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This year, the flow is already too high and the projected levels don't offer much solace. The CPR website stipulates a flow between 2 and 6 feet on the gauge. The flow is currently over 15' and projected to rise to nearly 17' (over 20,000 cubic feet per second (cfs)). Around race time (June 4 and 5), the flow looks to be around 15,000 cfs. This would make for an expeditious trip down the river!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ezgJEZN6DLQQKY7EGS2Vzj_o5DvmIcxls0ak0Vv1d1K04WmxoF2FdAZNrRHZ0DhfpR98Eq61Rzea4N_QQm6afibPZrtWge8V2InvH6sL6bl0iBta5-nRa9gjKQRKXeY0XBZ9bEFwE5Y/s1600/willametteflowsm2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ezgJEZN6DLQQKY7EGS2Vzj_o5DvmIcxls0ak0Vv1d1K04WmxoF2FdAZNrRHZ0DhfpR98Eq61Rzea4N_QQm6afibPZrtWge8V2InvH6sL6bl0iBta5-nRa9gjKQRKXeY0XBZ9bEFwE5Y/s1600/willametteflowsm2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Willamette current flow and projected.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The Willamette river snow water
content is ~200% of normal for this date and as soon as it rains or
warms up significantly, the river is likely to approach the "action" or
flooding stage. The Columbia river, in which the Willamette flows, has been at the flood warning stage for several days already.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The snow melt, rain and river flow projections don't bode well for those of us who have a lot invested in the CPR event. More on that in the next post.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-60426353627872485972011-05-23T17:15:00.000-07:002011-05-26T08:08:47.408-07:00Corvallis to Portland Row (CPR): part 1<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Length <i>Does</i> Matter</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The 185 km (115-mile) Corvallis-to-Portland Row (CPR) is one of the longest rowing events in the world involving conventional racing shells. The <a href="http://occringvaartregatta.nl/">Ringvaart Regatta</a> (whose slogan is in English: Length <i>Does</i> Matter) at 100 km seems to be the next longest. Meanwhile, The <a href="http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/Search/Details/Longestrowing-race/44634.htm">Guinness Book of World Records</a> suggests that the longest rowing event is the </span><a href="http://www.nautique.org/pdf/Invitation%20Courrriel%20%20Eng%202010.pdf">Tour du Léman à L’Aviron</a>, however this regatta is "designed for<span style="font-size: small;"> four rowers and a coxswain in larger boats called 'yolettes.' " Meanwhile the <a href="http://www.murraymarathon.ymca.org.au/Pages/default.aspx">Murray Marathon</a> is longer still at 404 km, but it seems to involve primarily kayaks, canoes and surfskis over 5 days. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Rowing_Race">Atlantic Rowing Race</a>, involving specialized craft, is clearly longer still.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left; width: 450px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="center"><b>Event</b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Total Distance</b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Longest One-Day Distance</b></td>
<td align="center"><b># Days</b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Boat Types</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><i>Murray Marathon</i></td>
<td align="center">404 km</td>
<td align="center">96 km</td>
<td align="center">5</td>
<td align="center">Kayaks, canoes, surfskis. It's not clear that rowing shells are allowed.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><i>CPR</i></td>
<td align="center">185 km</td>
<td align="center">137 km</td>
<td align="center">2</td>
<td align="center">Racing shells: 1x, 2x, 4x, 4+, 8+</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><i>Tour du Léman à L’Aviron</i></td>
<td align="center">160 km</td>
<td align="center">160 km</td>
<td align="center">1</td>
<td align="center">4+, 4x "Yolettes" generally</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center"><i>Ringvaart Regatta</i></td>
<td align="center">100 km</td>
<td align="center">100 km</td>
<td align="center">1</td>
<td align="center">Racing shells: 1x, 2x, 4x, 4+, 8+</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Whether it's the longest conventional racing shell regatta or not, CPR is certainly the most understated. There are no brochures like Ringvaarts, </span><span style="font-size: small;">no reports like the Murray Marathon's, </span><span style="font-size: small;">and no fancy website like any of the other events. </span><span style="font-size: small;">There is virtually no publicity, no marketing, and no
self-trumpeting. Last year, the simple event <a href="http://www.newworldrowing.org/cpr/index.htm">website</a> didn't even have a link to an
entry form until right before the event was supposed to happen.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Organized by <a href="http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1983/10/22/tiff-wood-pthe-fastest-sculler-in/">Tiff Wood</a>, better known for helping start the Crash-Bs (aka the World Indoor Rowing Championships), the bulk of the information about the event is basically contained in this one short paragraph.</span><br />
<br />
<blockquote>
"The distance is 115 miles, including a trip through the Willamette Falls
Locks at mile 104. CPR is a 2-day event, with 85 miles rowed on the first
day, ending at Champoeg Park with a campfire and an excellent catered dinner
(bring your own tent). Then early to rise Sunday morning for the 19-mile row
to the Locks, a half-hour to rest while descending 45 feet to the lower Willamette,
then a mere 11-mile sprint to the finish. The medals, designed and made by
Bill Byrd, are worth rowing the distance." </blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Nulli Complorantor </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Don't let the phrase "excellent catered dinner" deceive you into imagining this is some cushy tour with brie and Sauvignon Blanc. Far from it, this is really a self-sufficient event with minimal support. Any food, drink, medical attention you need during the rowing portion has to come from you or your crew (if you have anyone). You will likely row for hours at a time without seeing a "race official".</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> This is not a closed course and there are many obstacles, including barely submerged tree stumps, rocks, logs, old dam walls, projecting docks, and an assortment of motorized watercraft like jet-skiers and wakeboard boats. Many past participants have run aground, ripped holes in the their hulls, knocked off skegs and generally abused themselves and their boats. Here is a paragraph from one of <a href="http://www.row2k.com/stories/index.cfm?action=read&ID=71">Ted Katauskas' accounts</a>: </span><br />
<br />
<blockquote>
"We drifted alongside the other eight, which had also struck the log.
Foundering, we paddled to a beach, removed our oars, and lifted our boat
from the water. It was missing its skeg and had sustained an
arm's-length gash in its bow; the other boat, beached nearby, had a hole
near its mangled rudder. There was nothing to do but bake in the
noontime sun. Our neighboring castaways from Corvallis cranked the
volume on their cox box and converted their useless Dirigo into a
karoake machine."</blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Lest you need more pampering or think you've earned the right to complain about your blisters, swollen wrists, butt aches, chafing, wind, temperature, wake from jetskis and wakeboarders, etc, think again. No Whiners is the motto for this event. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMH1C7iGVmeqhmetX3K1j2-_rdHrEX1pjnb5JSx_MRvQb2oipPYWzmUtaXdWVdDwOCVvIuAjbo6cPFjtjR8I93N2i0ouJBippo3eHy1IAps-MVGrihrrLo4TcHs6BllQiP8enREPw1bSU/s1600/NoWhiners.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMH1C7iGVmeqhmetX3K1j2-_rdHrEX1pjnb5JSx_MRvQb2oipPYWzmUtaXdWVdDwOCVvIuAjbo6cPFjtjR8I93N2i0ouJBippo3eHy1IAps-MVGrihrrLo4TcHs6BllQiP8enREPw1bSU/s1600/NoWhiners.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Don't expect informative communications from Tiff either. He is laconic, borderline cryptic, and non-promotional. Once in a blue moon he will respond to email. It would seem he is more interested in rowing the event than organizing it. And, in fact, you may see him participate in a boat on one leg of the event or maybe the whole distance. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Volunteers are sometimes obtained the day before from rowers' support crew. Susan Parkman seems to be heavily involved and one wonders if the event would happen without her.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Why do I care? I hope to row in CPR this year, actually in less than two weeks. More about that in the next post.</span>T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-92085000014347361882011-05-22T16:51:00.000-07:002011-05-23T14:33:25.580-07:00You Weren't Raptured Either?<b>4 Oarsmen of the Epoxy Lips </b><br />
Either the "End Times" didn't materialize or you're one of the 200 million <i>rapturees</i> reading this from God's 'hood. I've been calling some of my friends to see if they've been lifted to the holy realm, but all except for one has answered the phone, and I don't think AT&T offers service up in heaven. Maybe when 5G rolls out...<br />
<br />
My wife and I went rowing this morning and noticed that many of the shells and oars in our boathouse were missing! Raptured?!?<br />
<br />
Oh, right, many of our masters were racing at the Goldrush regatta in Sacramento, California and the juniors were off competing at the Northwest Juniors regionals in Vancouver, Washington. Or so they said, anyway. Maybe they all hightailed it to Oakland to be at the FamilyRadio Apocalypse headquarters...<br />
<br />
No earthquakes, no swords, no horsemen, no rapture. What's up with that? George Takei's proposed
headline: "Today's Rapture postponed as Jesus awaits announcement of
surprise guest
on final Oprah. Savior "hopeful" but "okay with it" if not.." <br />
<br />
By the way, if you have no idea what this rapture talk is all about, these two short YouTube videos capture the essence of the most recent doomsday prediction, the followers and the, well, lunacy.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="292" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nRbLFfWa1oM" width="350"></iframe>
<br />
I especially like the idea of buying the possessions of people expecting to be heaven-sent. No use for that Mercedes? I'll take it off your hands.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="257" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qljTU0bZ-7I" width="400"></iframe><br />
Uh, yes, a little picnic before the Apocalypse. <br />
<br />
Harold Camping's doomsday prediction is allegedly based on biblical mathematics (Differential Geometry, Integral Equations and now Biblical Mathematics, who knew?) and his notion that God is fed up with gay pride. So, assuming that this was a doomsday dud, maybe Camping's math is off or God is OK with gays? Seemingly the latter since Camping spent a lot of time refining the math from this earlier prediction (1994).<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
Camping came up with his prediction using a calculation that started
with the supposed the year of the Great Flood, 4990 BC, added 7,000
years because, in the Bible, God "reminds us that one day is as 1,000
years," and then subtracted one because of a glitch when passing from
the Old to the New Testament calendars. (<a href="http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/apocalypse-not-doomsday-prediction-falls-flat-107448">source</a>)</blockquote>
<br />
My lone missing friend (the only one not to answer the phone) is probably on a "Rapture Run," some 100-kilometer race somewhere. I hope he ascends with the best of them and descends equally fast.T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-67248902373553020302011-05-17T14:52:00.000-07:002011-05-17T14:52:50.094-07:00Drive RatioThis post has nothing to do with the ratio of drive and recovery in a rowing shell: apologies for the misleading title. Rather, this is a lamentation about the ratio of driving (e.g., via automobile or bus) to activity time.<br />
<br />
<b>The Travails of Travel</b><br />
This spring, like the previous three, I've coached a girls' high school tennis team. The 8-school district in which we compete is larger than several small European countries, and for some reason our athletic director scheduled us for 'away' matches 90% of the time. After this weekend, I will have logged over 1500 miles (see below) in just a little over three weeks. If I were in Europe, I could have traveled <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=barcelona,+spain&daddr=Grenoble,+France+to:geneva,+switzerland+to:ulm,+germany+to:Luxembourg+to:Brussels,+Belgium+to:Amsterdam,+Netherlands&hl=en&geocode=FY2HdwIdPxwhACn1KO0mcZikEjEwA6Qh4PoABA%3BFSScsQIdMnVXAClvvonWi_SKRzGYU5luzRCMYQ%3BFXjuwAIdWLldACnr4tCTBmWMRzE5vAt7NZW2oA%3BFQeF4gIdP4mYACn9CzWYaWSZRzGQfd-lt2sfBA%3BFeke-AIdr4ddAClHISHKuUWVRzHvktMC9mDbZA%3BFSTqBwMd3mZCAClnaMdz7aTDRzGnAnN4ZjqLwQ%3BFUAmHwMdPqZKAClVd5qUtT_GRzGNr8C3TP0AZg&mra=ls&sll=48.77514,6.185665&sspn=26.063381,41.132813&ie=UTF8&ll=44.809122,7.844238&spn=13.997878,20.566406&t=h&z=6">to at least 7 countries with those miles</a>. I chose to skip the state tournament seeding meeting in Portland; that would have added another 600 miles round-trip (or about the distance from Paris, France to Salzburg, Austria).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEg_xoLDlMXA38btDXstooJ6XNOxNtQJPyKOzdTcQwmzJBjjO3nGcET_v3olxT36NBJlCxUw8kJ4liQ1leJ30Ke23nWZ5uD_y6aMTi_UbaLkD2LB1s5_Kpk-8bx2YrPT39QLhjvMC4Srg/s1600/tennistravails.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEg_xoLDlMXA38btDXstooJ6XNOxNtQJPyKOzdTcQwmzJBjjO3nGcET_v3olxT36NBJlCxUw8kJ4liQ1leJ30Ke23nWZ5uD_y6aMTi_UbaLkD2LB1s5_Kpk-8bx2YrPT39QLhjvMC4Srg/s1600/tennistravails.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The route to madness: a lousy drive-to-play ratio</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
That is absurd for a number of reasons:<br />
<ul>
<li>We drive 5-7 hours for maybe 1.5 hours of tennis.</li>
<li>The girls miss a lot of school time.</li>
<li>We spend a huge sum of money on buses.</li>
<li>There are plenty of local schools against whom we can play.</li>
</ul>
Don't get me wrong: travel can be good and meeting folks from other places can be great. But traveling to the same town twice in a period of 3 days (325 miles of total driving) to play two schools is idiotic. Why not schedule these two schools back-to-back in the same location? Schools are going to run out of money for sports, and senseless, expensive travel has to be one of the reasons.<br />
<br />
<b>Think global, row local. Or, travel but leverage.</b><br />
My hat is off to the creative people at our rowing club who organized a post-regatta regatta recently. After an official one-day regatta was over, a couple of juniors clubs raced the following day, enjoying the benefits of a buoyed course. No extra travel required. Brilliant!<br />
<br />T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-32692257802658369042011-04-13T14:08:00.000-07:002011-04-13T14:09:26.618-07:00Race Report: Covered Bridge Regatta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0pVABjyNQe36Hop-lopDSttfQ2xrCk9zjA7WEBAfsxByFO7I_9iBhhwgdVahYDf69xg8dJAychyKy7L9gOdMf5G36zvlmWPs014sucyANvnH6YcjfPT3tbx12oglCnK8u0DLXpAMWGQ/s1600/cbrlogo.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0pVABjyNQe36Hop-lopDSttfQ2xrCk9zjA7WEBAfsxByFO7I_9iBhhwgdVahYDf69xg8dJAychyKy7L9gOdMf5G36zvlmWPs014sucyANvnH6YcjfPT3tbx12oglCnK8u0DLXpAMWGQ/s1600/cbrlogo.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.oarowers.org/CBR">Covered Bridge Regatta</a>
is one of the early season sprint events in the Northwest. Attracting
close to 400 collegiate, juniors and masters rowers for a mostly
one-day competition, CBR as it is called, is held at Dexter Lake, a
beautiful venue just east of the college town of Eugene (U of Oregon)
and just west of the looming Cascades. Dexter Lake features a 7-lane
buoyed 2000-meter course made possible by the generous contributions of
the Oregon Association of Rowers (OAR). And there is a real covered
bridge.<br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome...</b><br />
Reliable
spring rowing weather in Oregon is an oxymoron and CBR is notorious for
some of the foulest regatta conditions. One year, on-the-water
competitors were asked to take cover under the bridge because of
threatening lightning. Another year it rained pretty much incessantly.
Yet another year, race organizers decided to cancel the regatta if the
howling winds didn't subside by 12:15. They slowed at 12:10 and the
regatta proceeded, but not until several eights were severely damaged
after they blew over in some sudden gusts.<br />
<br />
Normally
held the same weekend as the Open Ocean Regatta, CBR has
been on my schedule only once before--in 2008. That year the wind blew
over an eight which eventually landed on my single, knocking off the
skeg. A quick repair
job with silicone and duct tape by my doubles partner, Scott, and I was
able to race later in the day. <br />
<br />
Knowing how jinxed this
event is with weather and that snow fell in Ashland on Thursday, my
neighbor and doubles partner, Bob, and I leave on Friday with appropriate
expectations and lots of warm clothing. Who knows what the weather will
be 180 miles north for the masters singles later in the day or Saturday
for the bulk of the regatta. But, think about this: the mascot of the
nearby University of Oregon is the duck. <br />
<br />
<b>Training for distance, testing for sprint</b><br />
Entering
this regatta is partially an academic exercise: how will my mostly
long, slow training work for sprint racing? I am training for a very
long race in early June and, while my odometer has turned over many
k's, I only have about 7 days of intervals in me in the last 12
months. I've also rowed only 3 times in a Hudson single this year--all
of those this past week. I have rowed twice in a double, also in the past week. I
keep my performance goals high and my expectations low--a potential for
cognitive dissonance in a keener mind.<br />
<br />
Bob and I drive north on Friday afternoon, battling headwinds,
arriving in time to see huge numbers of boat trailers and general
pre-regatta mayhem, but seemingly calm water. My single's race is
scheduled at 5:20pm and Bob's is 10-minutes later. By the time we
launch, the water conditions have changed considerably for the
worse--wind--and I worry on behalf of some of my teammates, one of whom
does not swim. Bob and I warm up, but it is not with much vigor as
there's a reasonable danger of crabbing and swimming. Bob sagely brings a
sponge in his boat and gets to use it; I just let the water slosh
around (oh, for a boat that would allow me to kick the water out!). I
begin to think that the organizers will postpone the event until the
next day and this seems confirmed by the absence of any race officials
at start time. The first heat of racers including myself are lined up,
ready to go, but not a race official is in sight. <br />
<br />
<b>Wake ↑ Call</b><br />
Temps
are dropping fast as cloud cover blocks the late afternoon sun. Rain
threatens and everyone is getting cold. Some of us are wet, both from
occasional light rain and from waves splashing us. A launch has waked
several of us: thanks, I needed that. An oblique angle headwind will
make this a long, tough race. This is shaping up to be a quintessential
Covered Bridge Regatta!<br />
<br />
The officials arrive and begin
to get us organized. They tell lanes 1 through 6 to adjust, but somehow
they either don't see me in lane 7 or think I'm perfectly situated <i>wherever</i>
I happen to be. I feel invisible. We had been informed earlier that a
quick start would be used and that we should not listen to the officials
words, but watch the flag drop instead. The officials are over in lane
0, so I look sideways for the flag to drop. Either the wind has picked
up or the speaker is not projecting very well. I hear the official
talking: "brah bah, brah, bna baa bar bla bna", but I have no idea what
she's saying.<br />
<br />
With tunnel vision, I wait for the flag
to drop. Some more syllables: "bah, brada bla...bala bah na..." Nothing
else. I wait for some clarity. No flag movement.<br />
<br />
I
notice that everyone else is rowing, albeit not with much conviction.
Maybe they've postponed the start. I wait for an explanation; maybe the
officials are giving us a few more minutes? I raise my hand. I wait.
Maybe the official are looking for the missing rower in lane 3? I
realize the follow boat is starting to cruise behind the rowers. Oh no!
WTF!! The race is on?! You've got to be !&?%! kidding me!<br />
<br />
How long have I sat on the line? Probably not more than 3 or 4 seconds, but I am hopping mad and I tear out faster than <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nd13ARuvVE">Fabian Cancellara</a>
in Paris-Roubaix--with or without a motor. The wind is a factor and
oncoming waves are cresting over my bow and smacking me in the butt and
hips.<br />
<br />
<b>Don Quixote and the Windmill of Oars </b><br />
I
watch in apprehension as the lane 6 rower veers into the lane buoys
between us. Uh oh! I pass him quickly. A dozen or so strokes later and
he is all the way in my lane.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnCvG_QLyDLtsgG-6rUz8OeRXNKX_emCumHaKbuWRLLOl9FvzNWAKCekxqjTPx4lNIaGkE1qMMH97Ks04dFj9Z8ylrOQ_1pd8AfQj9Z3CKEoPCq9R1NUMIw0Qyc5_CmvLymS7vnRmT2wI/s1600/crabahead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnCvG_QLyDLtsgG-6rUz8OeRXNKX_emCumHaKbuWRLLOl9FvzNWAKCekxqjTPx4lNIaGkE1qMMH97Ks04dFj9Z8ylrOQ_1pd8AfQj9Z3CKEoPCq9R1NUMIw0Qyc5_CmvLymS7vnRmT2wI/s1600/crabahead.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Things are not looking good. A few more strokes and a dramatic
windmilling of oars ensues. He is going for an unintended cold swim. These are tough
conditions and I could easily be this person, so no joking. Only 3
rowers will move on to the finals, but there is no Schadenfreude here
with one fewer participant. This is a serious situation, and fortunately
one of the race officials' launches is immediately there to help.<br />
<br />
<b>Math while rowing</b><br />
I
try to balance the need to pass other rowers with the need to stay
upright (no swim for me, thank you!). I don't like to perform algebra
while racing (e.g., one boat length equals ~3 seconds in a headwind and
that guys' age handicap differential is equal to 7 seconds, therefore I
must beat him by 2+ boat lengths). The chance that the finals will be
canceled is a possibility and our finish in this heat may determine who
wins. So, I don't hold back much and cross the line first with enough
margin that I am assured to race in the final if there is one.<br />
<br />
My time,
as I find out much later, is 4:00.00, which I accept with gratitude and a
wink because, although that time is nowhere near my best or what I
usually row, it seems a bit fast considering the circumstances, and
frankly, fabricated with all of the zeroes. It has been an ugly row, but I am reassured that I am in the next heat with a core temperature reasonably close to normal.<br />
<br />
<b>Second, cold"heat"</b><br />
I
head back in to put on more clothing and try to find out my lane assignment for the
final. The start of the second heat is delayed so the swimmer from lane 6
can get back in his boat. He is determined to do it on his own and
eventually succeeds. He has to be hypothermic. Water launching at this
regatta is enough to keep me chilled for a long time; a prolonged swim
in this water is potentially deadly. This brings me to thoughts of my
teammate in the second heat who doesn't swim. I am vicariously nervous
and I watch as he rows tentatively down the course, significantly
trailing several of the competitors, including my neighbor, Bob. He is
rowing to survive, not to win or qualify.<br />
<br />
At age 70,
this teammate has an immense handicap, but will it be enough? Bob,
meanwhile looks strong and finishes second to Bill Byrd, a 61-year old
who has won this event before. Bill must be holding back because his
time is 5:27.20. That, or the conditions in the second heat are even
worse than the first.<br />
<br />
The results are in and both my
teammates and I have qualified for the finals. The officials don't have
lane numbers for us by the time I relaunch. Some folks are still
sporting their bow numbers from the first heat.<br />
<br />
<b>The Finals: first but second</b><br />
My
daughters have make me feel old and lately I seem to be sprouting gray
hairs, but in the world of masters rowing, I am a youngster with a
rowing age of 53. Bill Byrd has a 12 second handicap on me before we
start, roughly 4 boat lengths more or less. As I start with a port oar in the buoys, I
have even more to make up. Still, everyone is in the same boat, so to
speak, so no whining already.<br />
<br />
I see a flurry of
activity and know only that I am not in the lead at 200 meters. I don't
look and actually don't care (really) what's going on in the other
lanes. I'm racing my own race and, at the moment, that means rowing with
enough control not to flip. I feel like a bit of flotsam cast about by
the wind and the waves. The conditions seem roughly the same as in the
first heat and I can't seem to commit to full-pressure leg drives. I
have a few bad releases and recoveries and feel fortunate not to have
lost all momentum.<br />
<br />
I'm past the 500-meter mark now and
I'm seeing a bunch of boats flailing behind me and one guy, Bill Byrd
just about even with me. It will be hard to make up 4 boat lengths in
less than 500-meters. I cast a look over at his lane. He actually looks
smooth and steady. Damn him.<br />
<br />
<b>Hypoxia </b><br />
The
buoys have changed from white to red: think, what does that mean? Oh
yeah, 250-meters left. Sometimes I find that if I start counting 25
strokes backwards, my splits get faster, and even though 25 is not
enough to get me across the finish line, I can always manage a few more.
I try that, but lose track of the numbers. Then I have the odd thought
that anesthesiologists often have you count backwards before they put
you under. <br />
<br />
I hear the merciful beep as
my bow passes over the line. I quickly sneak a glance over at Bill Byrd.
Crap. He's about a boat-length behind. No way the math will work for me.
He is clearly the best rower on the day and will get his name on the
Offchiss Trophy once again. I am first across the line, but end up second. I need to work on my age...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxAARd4db-aqaYD_d1YDsPsZoI8tKKZu6Ww6RqvjXGJ4iQWB07F_WYB4-XDiaopt8d11eaGpLKCX1zyl4FGz6XbzXwVBfFo7ocpaMKE9rnMRsVeIqsSznYU-YYtiN1IgKDIcX0radUHk/s1600/EdOffchisstrophy1pbsmall.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPxAARd4db-aqaYD_d1YDsPsZoI8tKKZu6Ww6RqvjXGJ4iQWB07F_WYB4-XDiaopt8d11eaGpLKCX1zyl4FGz6XbzXwVBfFo7ocpaMKE9rnMRsVeIqsSznYU-YYtiN1IgKDIcX0radUHk/s1600/EdOffchisstrophy1pbsmall.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ed Offchiss trophy for men's masters single champion</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Double Trouble</b><br />
The next day
is gray and cool, but when Bob and I reach the rowing venue, we see the
water is gloriously flat. It's funny: when it's windy, you can't really
see the white lane dividers among the white caps. But now, the lanes are
crisp and clearly delineated. This looks like a real rowing venue.<br />
<br />
It's still pretty cold and I move
around a lot about the venue. Bob and I won't row the double until close
to 2pm. I am mostly a spectator and try to be available to help people
launch, carry oars, move boats etc.<br />
<br />
I cheer on some of
our junior rowers who are here rowing 2000 meters, a far more reasonable
distance as far as I'm concerned. Somehow, someone in a position of
power decided that we old people, i.e., anyone over 27, would have an
easier time rowing 1000 meters instead of 2000. This makes almost as
much sense physiologically as having lightweight weight limits higher in
the fall for head races than in the spring. Almost everyone I know
weighs less in the fall than they do in the spring... I'll step off the
soapbox now.<br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>ARC-A, you may proceed to the take off area </b><br />
The
CBR 1000-meter course starts in the middle of the 2000-meter course and
collegiate, high school and masters events are interwoven like an
expensive oriental rug. Not only that, but all the rowers have to row
through the middle of the course to get to the
warm-up area! I think OAR hired two air-traffic controllers from O'Hare
to handle the logistics of all of this. Kudos to race officials for
pulling this off.<br />
<br />
Remarkably, by the time of our
doubles event, the regatta is only 15-minutes behind schedule. Bob and I
launch. The sun is threatening to emerge, but there is still a nip to
the air. Our warmup is on the short side. Bob has already had a race
today (a four) and he'll have another (a quad) after this 2x race. We
practice a few starts and make our way to the line.<br />
<br />
Bob
and I have rowed some doubles events before with mixed results. In our
two trial rows the past week, we have not rowed particularly well and I
am a bit concerned about our ability to handle a high rate. Since I am
stroking, I am going to keep the stroke-rate low and hope we
can extract the maximum power and distance per stroke rather than go for higher
turn-over. My strategy will be for an even-paced row throughout--no fast
start, slow up and sprint at the end. <br />
<br />
There is a mild
headwind and cross breeze and as we line up we drift into the
port buoys. We will have to adjust right from the start. Another quick
start and we're off right over to the other buoy line: ok, this is going
to be interesting. We adjust and I catch a glance at our splits. They
are barely sub-2 minute. That's not fast enough, not even with this
headwind. I raise the stroke rate from 31 to 33, but it doesn't seem to
help the speed much. Unlike the singles races, I am able to sink some
good, solid leg power into this and I know I can give everything. Bob
seems to be giving his all also and we're rowing the best we have so
far, maybe ever.<br />
<br />
Next to us is <a href="http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1983/10/22/tiff-wood-pthe-fastest-sculler-in/">Tiff Wood</a> (Willamette)
and his partner, with whom we are neck and neck. I have forgotten our
age handicap relative this or the other boats and it won't change our
approach anyway. I can sense that two boats are considerably ahead, but I
have no idea how far until I hear the beep of the finish. I know we
have a few strokes left. I have nothing left in the tank and I'm going
through spasmodic muscle contractions. There is a flurry of beeps as 3
boats cross all about the same time (as it turns out, within .5 second
of one another). We are among these, but three boats were ahead of that
sequence. <br />
<br />
We did close to our best today, certainly
better than I expected in terms of boat set, power application, catches
and recoveries. Other than the steering, our race went exceptionally
well. That is good enough for me.<br />
<br />
<b>Last but first</b><br />
We change clothes and
I seek out some food. I'm ravenous and thirsty. The race organizers
have set out lots of water and I'm headed there now. As I fill up, the
results announcement is made over the loud speakers for our event: Bob and I
have won. Although we crossed the line in last place (only 9 100ths of a
second behind Tiff Woods and partner) we have won by three seconds
based on our age handicap. Age has its
benefits.<br />
<br />
<b>Praise the Race Officials</b><br />
This ends up being possibly the most pleasant Covered Bridge Regatta in many years as the sun eventually comes out to stay and the wind dies to almost nothing. The race officials keep everything running smoothly and safely. There's plenty of good food and water, and if you were cold, it was your own fault.T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-27019344015849114242011-04-07T09:56:00.000-07:002011-04-10T13:14:17.490-07:00Race Report: Open Ocean RegattaSome events are so seemingly unique and relatively unheralded, you just want to broadcast to the world how exceptional they are. So it is with the <a href="http://www.owrc.com/">Open Ocean Regatta</a>, held each year in Sausalito, California since 1976. A small regatta, it is typically held in early April with 3 separate races and a total of ~50-60 boats entered.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLZWTSK68F5Zxr6XdUPYP_SyQMuB7pEnqqKmyRkC2pWKV-HDY1QpP2oWVdgjd0rMgGx93o9yiWPz1IREcsQHomunKcVJBMhyeasayui61FxGx7XMLfTEbFkHfkFcNC7XntP2xP0ssG4g/s1600/tandr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLZWTSK68F5Zxr6XdUPYP_SyQMuB7pEnqqKmyRkC2pWKV-HDY1QpP2oWVdgjd0rMgGx93o9yiWPz1IREcsQHomunKcVJBMhyeasayui61FxGx7XMLfTEbFkHfkFcNC7XntP2xP0ssG4g/s1600/tandr.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Under the Golden Gate in the 2007 edition of the Open Ocean Regatta</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
<br />
Richardson and San Francisco bays, where the regatta is held, are magical places to row, full of incomparable views (Angel Island, Alcatraz, the San Francisco skyline, the Golden Gate Bridge, etc), and full of wildlife (harbor seals, porpoises, sea lions and the occasional whale). The race experience is enhanced by warm, sometimes eccentric people, an incredibly indulgent support staff ("can I wash your boat for you?") and a sumptuous post-race outdoor banquet. Last year, as I was driving down from Oregon to do this regatta, race organizers called me to inform me that the regatta would be canceled (bad weather). How many events do that for their participants?<br />
<br />
Still, the race is not for everyone. This is not your protected, buoyed course with wakeless launches. You may have to weave your way through moored sailboats, yield to crossing motorized craft and prepare for immense wakes created by passing container ships. This doesn't even begin to describe the challenges presented by the outside course, which might include (this year, for instance), some very large rolling swell.<br />
<br />
The gem of the regatta is the 7.6 US nautical mile (~14 km) <a href="http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4404620%20">Pt. Diablo course</a> with its route under the Golden Gate Bridge. Starting in Sausalito, the course wends its way south around Yellow Bluff and the historic Point Cavallo (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Baker#Cavallo_Point_conference_center">future home of the Star Fleet Command</a>) then west past <a href="http://www.militarymuseum.org/RidgeBty.html">historic Lime Point</a>, under the Golden Gate bridge to Point Diablo, then into San Francisco bay to Peninsula Point near Belvedere, rounding Cone Rock and back to the Start-Finish area. Easy, eh?<br />
<br />
While the other two courses allow flat water boats (conventional racing shells), the outside course requires an open water boat with some kind of a self-bailer. Most competitors row in a <a href="http://www.maasboats.com/boats.htm">Maas</a> single or double. <br />
<br />
<b>Start at 9, but really earlier...</b><br />
It's the rare Open Ocean regatta that doesn't start 15-minutes early. A half-an-hour early start is not unheard of. You read it here: arrive early to the start--way early.<br />
<br />
This year's start might have been conventionally on time (which is to say, 20+ minutes early)--the rowers were all there then-- but some of the motorized support boats were not in position. Still, over ten minutes ahead of announced start time, the doubles take off. Then the singles--men and women--line up, myself included. Alignment is always a bit of a challenge as the tide pulls people in different directions, but we arrange ourselves, somewhat precariously close to one another. Then, we're off.<br />
<br />
<b>First out of the blocks</b><br />
As is often the case with mass-start events, there is a mad dash to...well, something. I'm not sure what, actually. Mind you, this is a 14k+ race that takes well over an hour and the first turn is over a mile into the race. Immediately after the start, rowers unnecessarily jockey for position, as if the first 1000 meters will determine their finish order. I really don't understand this. Why not pace yourself?<br />
<br />
This year I find myself sandwiched between two fellows who seem intent to be where the other is, and they seem to want to get there <i>through</i> me. Our first 500 meters is rowed in a sub-2:00 split. The opportunity for oar clashing and hull mauling is great. One of my two pieces of bread ultimately finishes over 10 minutes after I do. The other is a horizon away. I'm thinking they could have paced themselves a bit better in those starting meters, but maybe they have some clever strategy I'm not aware of.<br />
<br />
True confession: I actually <i>want</i> to be first out of the blocks. Tom McInerney, a frequent winner of this event, has the same strategy. He is successful in his ambition and I slot in behind him. There is something to be said for having your competition in your view at all times. <br />
<br />
<b>Nuances of Rowing in the Ocean: picking your route</b><br />
When rowing in the ocean, particularly near land, the fastest route between two points is seldom a straight line. About a mile into the race, the course wraps around Yellow Bluff and starts to turn west. The tide and the topography hold implications for an optimum route in this area, as illustrated by the red line in the David Lay diagram below:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikof3CMXkWpnmo1LrA15a4CBp0BSDJa91fN3odpD5-H8iE6ybwBc9Kh9zTwUa0h9Mf9AfzrVtP8nyLp11iKvyaBVRO3iRuOLlBafGrqFPwZ87WduQo_zSkO5FlzDqzXSBHpiNhPv0U65w/s1600/gcroute.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikof3CMXkWpnmo1LrA15a4CBp0BSDJa91fN3odpD5-H8iE6ybwBc9Kh9zTwUa0h9Mf9AfzrVtP8nyLp11iKvyaBVRO3iRuOLlBafGrqFPwZ87WduQo_zSkO5FlzDqzXSBHpiNhPv0U65w/s1600/gcroute.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical route taken by a rower in the Open Ocean Regatta during a mild flood tide. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
During the pre-race meeting, the organizers tell us to stay as close to the rocks and the North Tower of the Golden Gate bridge as possible. This seems extremely counter-intuitive. The waves smack into the cliffs here and, well, you don't want that to happen to you. In fact, there is an almost visceral reaction NOT to row as close to the rocks as possible. However, underlying the advice is some well-worn knowledge as this graphic attests:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxGo5NJpM89uTMiI5tHdVKY-8GQT8n_HLey-WX4w2Qj6YZR3k_cH4dk-zgWB9BviBBSoYi1Vl_DF265fWFXmVQLSCh0FvGC5IKLBf9ilr7v69qSyGiWe_1_uY2ztAr68MAabmf2L3IG4/s1600/BridgeRow.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxGo5NJpM89uTMiI5tHdVKY-8GQT8n_HLey-WX4w2Qj6YZR3k_cH4dk-zgWB9BviBBSoYi1Vl_DF265fWFXmVQLSCh0FvGC5IKLBf9ilr7v69qSyGiWe_1_uY2ztAr68MAabmf2L3IG4/s400/BridgeRow.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back eddies and tidal currents help determine optimum routes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Tides and eddies aren't everything, or, the life force trumps tactics.</b><br />
The advice above works well in a relatively low swell day, but during the 2011 event, the swell outside the bay is sizable (4-8 feet) and hitting us and the shore at an angle. This makes for interesting rowing (and by 'interesting' here, I mean white-knuckle and bowel-loosening) on the outbound route as the waves rebound off the rock walls with no predictability. Rowing the section under the Golden Gate bridge always seems precarious, but this time I cannot bring myself to row close to the concrete walls. The richochet waves just made it a bit too dicey. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIrF78IgzcyG1rDvs5rNxV1k9IABXkc47Xodout9DbTQGyl7GEUKwubFKVobCEMsbtlXDkjbgYMUDMEcgUEEqq07ZMUN7MUkcUY1wNmHlGIThhQIQstgAYe6C_uXzns0E7_0XWr0fouk/s1600/arewecloseenough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIrF78IgzcyG1rDvs5rNxV1k9IABXkc47Xodout9DbTQGyl7GEUKwubFKVobCEMsbtlXDkjbgYMUDMEcgUEEqq07ZMUN7MUkcUY1wNmHlGIThhQIQstgAYe6C_uXzns0E7_0XWr0fouk/s1600/arewecloseenough.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rowing close to the bridge like you're supposed to. (<a href="http://www.jaygraham.com/">Photo by Jay Graham</a>, re-sized by me. Sorry Jay)<br />
By the way, the bow rower in the photo below is <i>blind</i>. Really.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This section of the race is challenging enough as it is, but for a velvet-ass landlubber who rows in the ocean for this event only, it is particularly daunting. Survival mode sets in: shorter strokes, higher turn-over. Open the self-bailer. Try not to crab. Try to keep feet in the boat. Think positive thoughts: that last time with the skeg in the air, was just an unlucky fluke. Where's that auto-inflate tab on the life-vest?<br />
<br />
Eileen, my host, tells me the night before the race to look for the waterfalls on the way to Point Diablo. It has rained so much that cascades of water drop from the adjacent cliffs. <sarcasm>Amazingly, I have completely forgotten to look for these.</sarcasm><br />
<br />
<b>Release the Kraken!</b> <br />
Clenching the oar handles, the forearms start to ache. Gloves are wet and the oar handles slippery. Still, a quick inventory of body and equipment suggests I'm actually not doing too badly. My GPS still works (one year it spent too much time submerged). My legs feel remarkably good and my lungs aren't complaining like they were in the first mile. My heart rate has gone down substantially. The truth is: I'm not actually rowing that hard, just trying to get through this section without capsizing. Yet, I'm only a minute down on Tom McInerney and making time on the other tough guy rowers like Kenny Robinson, Don Hunt and Tom Kelly, all of whom actually know what they're doing.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtZLxlHAajAZ88NndyCE4Y8pdOTpl3QBms0qqDPpGG3_1LJ6fUgEdUc4kk6E_HK2pGiNmr_fPdxo17Klu-LVeuYn63poHiWug1NVvV-M55mBKyiJq0m8Nlih1vNT6lkIq3CVSV8QaIoE/s1600/RIMGP0726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtZLxlHAajAZ88NndyCE4Y8pdOTpl3QBms0qqDPpGG3_1LJ6fUgEdUc4kk6E_HK2pGiNmr_fPdxo17Klu-LVeuYn63poHiWug1NVvV-M55mBKyiJq0m8Nlih1vNT6lkIq3CVSV8QaIoE/s400/RIMGP0726.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another rower in the 2007 event, a year of nasty water.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I somehow manage to navigate to the Point Diablo turn-around buoy. I start heading back into San Francisco Bay with Tom McInerney in my rearview mirror (which in a sport like auto racing would mean I'm ahead, but in rowing, alas, it means I am behind). I briefly entertain trying to catch Tom. This hubris is quickly spanked by a crushing broadside blow by some errant wave. <br />
<br />
<b>If it swells, ride it.</b><br />
The swell peak to trough height seems close to 8 feet now. Maybe this is hyperbole, but in
the trough of the waves I can't see any other rowers or where I'm going. At the apex, I can see everything. I then anticipate the
ride of my life down the face of the wave. Cowabunga, dude!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDDHF0Ssiay2-j-d3cfh4PHOolw_rC2iJvaqkHrehqY1Jc8OCl6hv0VTZ9Hsq9IcZzQd12u2hcPUnqEQoH393LmclkwAedj9DakYKLk29coR9GYrq1rMfuYygKCVgfQegCk3lsfyoJ30/s1600/wavedisappear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDDHF0Ssiay2-j-d3cfh4PHOolw_rC2iJvaqkHrehqY1Jc8OCl6hv0VTZ9Hsq9IcZzQd12u2hcPUnqEQoH393LmclkwAedj9DakYKLk29coR9GYrq1rMfuYygKCVgfQegCk3lsfyoJ30/s1600/wavedisappear.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stefan and Eileen, winners of the 2011 doubles race, in another ocean row.<br />
<a href="http://www.jaygraham.com/">Photo by Jay Graham</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Better ocean rowers perform a sort of jazz: they spontaneously improvise to the conditions. I try a somewhat syncopated rhythm: at the crest of a wave, I draw 2 or 3 quick strokes followed by a pause while I ride down the wave. It's almost a "clave" beat of sorts. I adjust my weight on the tracks so I'm not so bow-heavy: I don't want to pearl the nose of my boat into the trough of the wave.<br />
<br />
I used to surf, so I am familiar with catching waves, but surfing backwards and at an angle to my desired direction of travel is stretching my abilities. My bow ball digs into some wave trough and my shell violently veers to one side, my port rigger diving into the dark green ocean water. My feet are almost yanked out of their neoprene velcroed instep wrap. I gather myself for another ascent up and ride down. I'm losing time on Tom. He's the Benny Goodman of jazz rowers and I'm a novice kazoo <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hodad">hodad</a>. <br />
<br />
We're past the Golden Gate now and into the bay and Tom has changed his course. He's only a few hundred meters ahead of me.<br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Aside: GPS Navigation</b><br />
Several of the more experienced and successful open water rowers here do not use GPS. Diane Davis, a perennial winner here and at the Open Water Nationals, for instance, never seems to use one and feels like it detracts from the experience. Well, that's all fine for her, but as I row here about once a year, I'm not familiar with the points, currents and other nuances of rowing in the bay. I use a GPS.<br />
<br />
GPS comes into play when there are long reaches AND the currents, tides, etc aren't that significant. Today is apparently one of those rare times when the fastest route is actually a straight line, at least between Yellow Bluff and Peninsula Point. Normally in a flood tide, local rowers will veer more toward the middle of the bay to catch the incoming water. Today, Tom is headed directly for Peninsula point and I follow.<br />
<br />
Every once in awhile I look down at my GPS and notice I am slightly south of the optimum course. I look in my rear-view mirror and Tom is steering the same course. This happens not once but half a dozen times. I am baffled. Ellen Braithwaite, a race organizer, participant and one of the Open Water legends here, informs me later that Tom is using me and my GPS to steer his course. I'm rowing a bit like a drunk and Tom is following me. Sorry Tom!<br />
<br />
Oddly, this is the first time my GPS has worked the entirety of the race, so I have already notched up a victory of sorts. Now, if I would just look at the display more often...<br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Racing Attention Deficit Disorder</b><br />
It's easy to get distracted during this race. Once, you get past the survival mode, it's hard not to ponder what it would take to escape from Alcatraz in a make-shift boat or what life was like on Angel Island. It's hard (for me, anyway) not to try to calculate how long the wave from a passing container ship will take to arrive (I always think more time than it really takes). <br />
<br />
And, hey, look at that harbor seal right next to my boat. Is he/she following me? Is that a cannon going off on Angel Island? Is that a swimmer out there? Oh, it's a sea kayaker. SHARK FIN! Oh, never mind, <i>just</i> a porpoise.<br />
<br />
Now, where were we in this race business? <br />
<br />
<b>The end is nigh</b><br />
In a 14k race, it's the entire body that ultimately fails, at least for me. There is no muscle in particular that is going; it's everything. My forearms hurt like I've been rock climbing. My wrists complain a bit. Later, driving 6 hours back to Oregon, I will cramp in places I don't associate with rowing: my arches, for instance.<br />
<br />
Tom and I pass one of the doubles and now Tom rounds the Peninsula Point buoy and is headed into the last 3 kilometers. It's just a 30-second gap between us, but it seems insurmountable. I want to keep an even pace, but I feel like my only chance is to mount a big surge and somehow challenge him psychologically. Maybe he'll just toss in the towel when he sees me gaining on him. As little as I know Tom, I know this is highly unlikely. He's made of tough stuff.<br />
<br />
This is a deja-vu moment. In the 2009 event, Tom led and I followed with about the same time separation at this stage in the race. Feeling strong that year, I put the hammer down and started to pull back some time. But, then, all of a sudden, I found myself upside down looking at the sky through the lens of the ocean green. A refreshing swim mid-race is cooling and all, but not part of this year's plan. Today, I stay upright and we duke it out. Tom maintains his lead. I look for the next person behind me. Doh! This is tantamount to conceding first place and just protecting second. I chastise myself briefly for this lapse of competitive spirit and then push hard to finish as strong as I can.<br />
<br />
Tom wins convincingly. I finish second, about 40 seconds back. Oddly, with age handicap, I beat Tom. This is just silly as I am only 3 years older. I think the age handicaps are way too generous, particularly since a 60-year old rower 3+ minutes back, beats me! Most of the rowers here ignore the age handicap; it's definitely a lesser consideration. However, the race organizers always give out medals for both "real" and handicapped order. <br />
<br />
<b>As George Carlin says: Don't pet the sweaty stuff.</b><br />
The adversity inherent in this event is dwarfed in some ways by the challenges many of the participants have had to overcome just to be here. I think about my friend, Paul, rowing in his first Open Ocean Regatta with a year-old knee replacement. Other folks have recently battled cancer and the subsequent radiation treatments. A blind rower has competed here. Various people partake with missing or additional parts. These are all stud(dettes) of the highest order.<br />
<br />
During the post-race banquet, race organizer Gordie Nash holds forth with stories about the race today, blending in the past. He relates how in one epic battle, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Gladstone">Steve Gladstone</a> was beaten by a much older, but savvier rower who observed the eddies and currents. A consummate story teller, Gordie is also very emotional about this event and the stories take some time while he gathers his composure. Watch <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBC8qX1M6hc">this video</a> and you get a sense of what this event means to him and the rest of us by extension. (By the way, I appear in this video just when Gordie says "Don't try this at home, kids!" Hmm. Do I look that bad?). Gordie's tales, the banquet, the general atmosphere, and the participants help you feel less like competitors than a group of like-minded adventurers who have shared a special experience. Kudos to Gordie, Morgan, Dana, Ellen and the rest for an unlikely race experience.<br />
<br />T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-319869934052302322011-03-14T22:09:00.000-07:002011-03-15T08:08:29.708-07:00Slug Rowing Needs (Your) Help<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container"><tbody>
<tr></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MwPQ-9OdJ-sJNZ3iI-sYOsRpIMOOv9wJCYBMmJjYwXZdensc-XESvUvLRcojlWIs0Vr6a5MFHuqfDhBXJGqCAhtayhznzOqV6CZOLbCx3T9IH0efBN-Yj3MxBNFMiIhVvcB4LHpa7-E/s1600/slugrowing.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MwPQ-9OdJ-sJNZ3iI-sYOsRpIMOOv9wJCYBMmJjYwXZdensc-XESvUvLRcojlWIs0Vr6a5MFHuqfDhBXJGqCAhtayhznzOqV6CZOLbCx3T9IH0efBN-Yj3MxBNFMiIhVvcB4LHpa7-E/s1600/slugrowing.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slime on!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Many of you have heard about the tsunami wreaking havoc in the Santa Cruz harbor. In fact, it was one of only a handful of places along the US west coast that really sustained much damage. The UCSC rowing club was the particularly hard hit. Some footage below if you can bear to watch.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="255" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9grMk_RtZZI?rel=0" title="YouTube video player" width="400"></iframe>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">What goes up (stream), must come down.</span></div>
<br />
<b>Why do I care?</b><br />
To some extent, many (most?) of us tend to care if something bad happens, wherever it happens. We care about Japan, we care about New Zealand, we cared about Chile. We sometimes care more if it is in our walk of life. <br />
<br />
In this particular instance, I care a bit more because I am a UCSC alum, a rower, and a big fan of club sports, which the UCSC rowing program is. A club sport at a UC school means that that you receive few or zero funds, you self-organize, and make your way as best you can. For example, when the cross country team competed at the All-Cals (against the other University of California schools) at UC Santa Barbara one year, we slept in a park (and were rousted by police in the middle of the night). We had no money. And so, you can imagine that the UCSC rowing team probably operates with minimal funding in a sport that is relatively expensive.<br />
<br />
I enjoyed my first rowing experience while a student at UC Santa Cruz. Someone had donated some ocean dories and I was given the lock combination down at the harbor and allowed to take these boats out whenever I wanted. I would row over to Steamer's Lane to watch the surfers, seals, porpoises and the <a href="http://www.beachboardwalk.com/">Santa Cruz beach boardwalk</a> with its Ferris wheel, roller-coaster and other amusements, all with Loma Prieta (of the eponymous earthquake) and the Santa Cruz mountains in the background. Rowing here provides a vantage point like no other from which to view the goings-on. <br />
<br />
<b>Why you might care</b><br />
<ol>
<li>Santa Cruz is a place where everyone should have the opportunity to row (see above paragraph),
but since that won't happen, at least you can help <i>someone</i> take advantage of their location.</li>
<li>Surprise a kid with a random act of kindness. Imagine what that does to a young person's outlook: someone whom they don't know cares enough to help their rowing program.</li>
<li>If you help, maybe people will begin to know the difference between a kayak and a rowing shell (see the above video). </li>
<li>Helping has been known to elicit a warm, fuzzy feeling. </li>
<li>The UCSC Rowing Club has an awesome logo. You don't want to see this logo disappear, do you? (Yes, the mascot of this University of California school is the banana slug.)</li>
</ol>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MwPQ-9OdJ-sJNZ3iI-sYOsRpIMOOv9wJCYBMmJjYwXZdensc-XESvUvLRcojlWIs0Vr6a5MFHuqfDhBXJGqCAhtayhznzOqV6CZOLbCx3T9IH0efBN-Yj3MxBNFMiIhVvcB4LHpa7-E/s1600/slugrowing.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MwPQ-9OdJ-sJNZ3iI-sYOsRpIMOOv9wJCYBMmJjYwXZdensc-XESvUvLRcojlWIs0Vr6a5MFHuqfDhBXJGqCAhtayhznzOqV6CZOLbCx3T9IH0efBN-Yj3MxBNFMiIhVvcB4LHpa7-E/s1600/slugrowing.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slime on!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
This logo is surpassed only by the Santa Cruz Rowing Club logo, IMHO.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRFi1rqmmr5FgLdNqTT0q27YgpLeLEb46qR6g8aYVNJHJetRFE4a5JCtdZOvTIPikc5coUV2UhuZuOLSb47GJUE-8jvGVL-xNNbdQPrmsYQ6thNgDx1-IHjofpvatPUrfD4MkVDtovfs/s1600/rowsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRFi1rqmmr5FgLdNqTT0q27YgpLeLEb46qR6g8aYVNJHJetRFE4a5JCtdZOvTIPikc5coUV2UhuZuOLSb47GJUE-8jvGVL-xNNbdQPrmsYQ6thNgDx1-IHjofpvatPUrfD4MkVDtovfs/s1600/rowsc.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who cares that there aren't lobsters here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>How you can help</b><br />
You can make a donation with a credit card by following these instructions:<br />
<ol>
<li>Go the following <a href="https://secure.imodules.com/s/1069/index-2-column.aspx?sid=1069&gid=1&pgid=761&cid=1722">link</a>: This will get you onto the UCSC Online Giving page. Enter the amount you want to contribute</li>
<li>Click on the button "Click Here to Select a Gift Designation." This will open a box entitled "Select the program you wish to support." Click on the checkbox titled "Other Designation," then hit the "Continue" button under the white box to get back to the donation page. "Other Designation" should now be selected on the donation page.</li>
<li>Type "UCSC Rowing Club" into the box that asks you to enter a description of the program you want to support (Other Designation/Program)</li>
<li>Follow the rest of the onscreen directions to finalize your donation (it takes a few steps ...)</li>
</ol>
I know this works, because I did it.<br />
<br />
If you want to send a check to support the program, make it payable to the UCSC Foundation with "UCSC Rowing Club donation" in the memo line and send it to:<br />
<br />
Kevin "Skippy" Givens<br />
c/o OPERS, UCSC<br />
1156 High Street<br />
Santa Cruz, CA 95064<br />
attn: Rowing Club donation<br />
<br />
PS Two of the hardest hit places on the west coast were the two places I have spent considerable time surfing: Santa Cruz and Crescent City. Hmm.T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-20019938870974879382011-03-08T12:43:00.000-08:002011-03-08T12:43:05.262-08:00DYNO Leg Press<b>Injured Reserve</b><br />
A friend and erstwhile rowing companion recently launched himself down a ski slope a la Superman into some rock--kryptonite, I think. The contact substantially weakened his left shoulder and the subsequent metallic replacements should have him entertaining <a href="http://www.tsa.gov/">TSA</a> folks for the rest of his life (no junk jokes, sorry). In the short term he can't row, or do much else for that matter. Lex Luthor, himself, could not have devised more heinous chingadera for my anonymous friend <strike>Robert, aka, Biff</strike>. This post is dedicated to his sanity.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguth11ZFdSh5FeXjmweNdx1-dQLqgzP1jc2vRMNgZFnzb-rcfHP8EHaA711cPe6TLuZNIuxHbxPsqeKoGn0SDjb6YR4TLBownPS5bSEQtu9fTs-EOivc7x48A1kd0a1oOYijK40QSyKRI/s1600/robtgreenwall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguth11ZFdSh5FeXjmweNdx1-dQLqgzP1jc2vRMNgZFnzb-rcfHP8EHaA711cPe6TLuZNIuxHbxPsqeKoGn0SDjb6YR4TLBownPS5bSEQtu9fTs-EOivc7x48A1kd0a1oOYijK40QSyKRI/s400/robtgreenwall.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Anonymous" in better days: the only time we both occupied the bow together.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Hypocrite?</b><br />
After recently posting on strength training; I was espied on a "strength training" device called a DYNO. One of my training buddies jestingly accused me of surreptitious strength training. What gives?<br />
<br />
First, lest I give the wrong impression, I am not <i>against</i> strength training; I just haven't found any compelling reason to do it for rowing. I expect some day someone will emerge with some studies that suggest strength training actually improves rowing performance; until then I'll save my time and energy.<br />
<br />
Secondly, I don't consider <i>my use</i> of the DYNO to be strength training; I generally perform a steady-state "leg press" workout for 45 to 75 minutes and use roughly the same stroke rate and force as I would in rowing. The leg press option on this machine feels very similar
to the leg component in sculling. For that matter, it seems as close to actual rowing as you can get <i>without using your arms</i> (and shoulders!). If this is strength training, then so is rowing on the ergometer or rowing itself. Me thinks I doth protest too much.<br />
<br />
<b>What is the DYNO?</b><br />
<strike>Devised by the Marquis de Sade, this torture instrument has elicited confessions for all kinds of uncommitted sins.</strike> Produced for just a handful of years and sold by Concept II until 2007, the DYNO is a unique combination of variable resistance leg press, seated bench press, and seated bench pull. Short for dynamometer--a device that measures force--the DYNO is a push-me, pull-you looking device with two seats, various handles, and a monitor that flips to face either direction.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi05ooznkW_ByZQO3OeVNged0bNSt-Vi_yHwQuU8LdSu0XRTj3mr0M-gBDcN6sMfsTP1ZX-L8pIM75T3-LiwUCvWHKioRv4WmfsB_1iKyUrNyAbcyoQk2OCO9q8EN2zQbaFIwLMDbFM2z0/s1600/dyno.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi05ooznkW_ByZQO3OeVNged0bNSt-Vi_yHwQuU8LdSu0XRTj3mr0M-gBDcN6sMfsTP1ZX-L8pIM75T3-LiwUCvWHKioRv4WmfsB_1iKyUrNyAbcyoQk2OCO9q8EN2zQbaFIwLMDbFM2z0/s320/dyno.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
When you push or pull on the DYNO, the force you apply pulls a chain which accelerates a fan. Your force accelerates the mass of the fan and opposes the air drag of the spinning fan. The more force you
apply, the more you accelerate the fan and the faster the fan
spins. Simple, eh?<br />
<br />
<b>Not like free weights or traditional strength training equipment</b><br />
While the DYNO exercises (bench press, leg press and bench pull) sound very much like the weight-lifting namesakes, there are some notable differences. On the DYNO, you can push or pull as forcefully as you want, as slowly as you want and as often as you want. Unlike traditional weight lifting, it is extremely difficult to "lift to failure"; you can apply minimal force and still perform a DYNO leg press, for example. Unlike most traditional free-weight lifting, there is virtually no resistance on the recovery (there is friction similar to that on a rowing ergometer). Unlike many weight machines, there is no "deadspot" where the resistance gets easier or more difficult; the resistance is a function of the force you apply. If you have a <a href="http://newslite.tv/2011/01/24/sharapova-finds-dead-spot-on-t.html">deadspot</a>, so be it.<br />
<br />
<b>DYNO is similar to rowing in several regards</b><br />
As in rowing, the resistance is directly proportional to the force you apply.<br />
As in rowing, there is very little resistance during the "recovery." <br />
As in rowing, you can change the "default load" by opening/closing the dampers, roughly analogous to changing the outboard on your oars (or inboard or ratio, etc)<br />
<br />
<b>DYNO Gearing</b><br />
Like the rowing ergometer, the DYNO features dampers that control the air drag
coefficient and what I call the "default load." For the same speed of movement, the more the dampers are open, the more difficult an effort will feel. Think of this as being analogous to a longer outboard (all else being equal). Similarly, if you close the dampers, for the same speed of movement, the easier an effort will feel. Think of this as being analogous to shortening the outboard on your oars. Clearly, the load is a function of the force the user applies, but just
as the outboard on an oar affects the load in a boat so do the dampers
affect the load on the DYNO.<br />
<br />
When I use the DYNO, I close the dampers all the way; I want to be able to use this device for an extended period of time to simulate actual rowing.<br />
<br />
<b>DYNO Leg Press</b><br />
I purchased a DYNO for our rowing club several years ago, specifically for people with shoulder, arm, and wrist injuries. You can see below that the leg press requires only the smallest effort by the hands and arms.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbdwWadYMVuZ1P94q3DyFcYNFzOtKjtv-_quoGdxeVhmv-zoV0XmdpHhVlOMKLS5Rv4h85ZrVWykDjeed8OxBz6MMbqrpK-_iw0-SwBoIJ9nCQsxqulL0Dp7dEwq3XZRvv0nt8a9IUemI/s1600/DYNOlegpress.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbdwWadYMVuZ1P94q3DyFcYNFzOtKjtv-_quoGdxeVhmv-zoV0XmdpHhVlOMKLS5Rv4h85ZrVWykDjeed8OxBz6MMbqrpK-_iw0-SwBoIJ9nCQsxqulL0Dp7dEwq3XZRvv0nt8a9IUemI/s1600/DYNOlegpress.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She has been sentenced to do this forever...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>DYNO Research</b><br />
"OK," your skeptic self says, "show me the research." Dr. Fritz Hagerman, Professor of Biomedical Science at Ohio University, conducted <a href="http://www.concept2.com/update/S2002/dynoresearch.htm">a couple of 10-week studies</a> comparing the DYNO with some traditional strength training and the rowing ergometer.<br />
<br />
In the first study, college-aged men and women were divided into three groups:<br />
<ol>
<li>DYNO-trained group
</li>
<li>Free-weight, sitting leg press group
</li>
<li>Non-training or control group </li>
</ol>
The results showed that the DYNO group increased power-endurance more significantly than the free-weight and control groups. Additionally, the DYNO group showed a significantly
higher increase in conversion of IIB(X) to IIA muscle fibers than the other
two groups, suggesting "greater aerobic power."<br />
<br />
In the second study, Ohio University Men's Rowing Club members all performed the same rowing ergometer workouts, but additionally:<br />
<ol>
<li>One-third of the participants performed DYNO Leg Press and Bench Pull training.
</li>
<li>Another third of the participants performed free-weight sitting Leg Press and free-weight prone Bench Pulls.
</li>
<li>The final third of the participants performed no additional training.
</li>
</ol>
<br />
The results showed, most notably, that (quoting from the Concept2 site):<br />
<ul>
<li>The rowing plus DYNO group improved power-endurance (aerobic muscular power based on repeated reps using free weights and DYNO).
</li>
<li>The rowing plus DYNO group was the only group to significantly
improve rowing efficiency and also the only group to show a significant
correlation between isolated muscle testing results (DYNO and
free-weight leg extension and arm pulls) and maximal and average
ergometer score.
</li>
<li>The rowing plus DYNO group was the only group to show
significant improvement in anaerobic threshold. This is very important
because the rowing plus DYNO subjects were able to perform an
ever-increasing amount of work on the ergometer using the more efficient
aerobic
energy system to fuel muscle and thus reduce lactate production and the
possibility of local muscle fatigue.
</li>
</ul>
These studies were apparently not published in a peer-reviewed journal and many details are missing (I have asked) and the only place apparently one can find these results is on the Concept2 site. <br />
<br />
<b>Conclusions</b><br />
The Hagerman studies suggest that the DYNO has some merit. Since we don't know the details of the studies, however, it is hard to know what <a href="http://usscouts.org/mb/mb098.asp">merit badge</a> to attach to this device. Did Hagerman have his rowers use short intense efforts or long sustained efforts. If I had to guess, I would say short efforts, thus contradicting my own DYNO use. Oh well.<br />
<br />
Still, if you are slightly shoulder-impaired, and desperate for some rowing analog workout, you could do a lot worse than look to the DYNO leg press.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZtWy1v0ZDMzBtHnJNpEN5KFBET4d_80gH15GTWmo6JYRYQtTTGaumhYgro2umYTkkStbwGrOV2fQWjJW94HLpXssB-WylIkzsyruW9wz4WprTOKt68KYJohuwaNXNnAplQNXoUYXNt4/s1600/dynolegpress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZtWy1v0ZDMzBtHnJNpEN5KFBET4d_80gH15GTWmo6JYRYQtTTGaumhYgro2umYTkkStbwGrOV2fQWjJW94HLpXssB-WylIkzsyruW9wz4WprTOKt68KYJohuwaNXNnAplQNXoUYXNt4/s1600/dynolegpress.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">All DYNO photos used by permission of Concept 2.</span>T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-42083830171687286642011-02-28T21:43:00.000-08:002011-03-01T07:14:33.504-08:00As Seen in Real Life #4: CPR Locks<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZGT6088IrFEkO7eRek8c1p7659jCfp8WjfEwz40wr4sBmtDjbtXAqohHQ-hDSQnUdJ_jcA7f4BP73Z9ZJaCFIDAO9lr9qDLxkZJr6BAmMgClOjJynEKj3YDxDpjUI_TbUOAco8tGwCU/s1600/cprclusterfug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZGT6088IrFEkO7eRek8c1p7659jCfp8WjfEwz40wr4sBmtDjbtXAqohHQ-hDSQnUdJ_jcA7f4BP73Z9ZJaCFIDAO9lr9qDLxkZJr6BAmMgClOjJynEKj3YDxDpjUI_TbUOAco8tGwCU/s1600/cprclusterfug.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Charlie Foxtrot</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This shot was taken in 2007 during the second day of the 115-mile <a href="http://www.newworldrowing.org/cpr/index.htm">Corvallis to Portland Row</a> (CPR) at the Willamette Falls locks. The next year, the locks were closed. Last year, there was too much water in the Willamette, so CPR was canceled. <br />
<br />
This is actually a small fraction of the number of
boats in this particular chamber of the locks at that moment. To fit,
boats had to arrange themselves creatively. Most of these folks had
rowed roughly 105 miles so for some the break at the locks was a welcome respite, while for others it simply delayed the finish (and getting off their seats). As is possibly evident in the photo, patience and camaraderie were in abundance.<br />
<br />
It turns out that the Willamette Falls Locks are "the oldest continually operating
multi-chambered canal and navigation lock system in the United States." This is according to a <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://www.willamettefalls.org/HisLocks">historical web site</a> that is urging people to participate in a Lock Fest on June 18th of this year (2011). You can be part of a flotilla to descend through the locks. Funding for the operation of the locks is a perennial challenge, so this opportunity may not exist much longer.T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-57273330043528727712011-02-24T11:08:00.000-08:002011-02-24T11:08:44.878-08:00Research: Sport Performance and Carbs Part 1<b>Writing about Carbs: Careful Now...</b><br />
Writing about carbohydrates these days may be a risky enterprise, or, as Tina Fey writes (in <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/02/14/110214fa_fact_fey">a recent New Yorker column</a>), a "tap-dance recital in a minefield." OK, Ms. Fey wasn't writing about carbs, just careers vs kids. That's, um, child's play compared to the aggressive food-fight going on right now between the pro-carbohydrate conservative traditionalists vs the Paleo/Primal low-carbohydrate rebels.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0CwEIEfjwotY-zVp73KBmbzqBI-hwaUlA0VGR6paMcD3OFUNmDwgkRqaTAiSIqk0ajYjVf9CGGEAGGEkVcQLNYz549-EIHht8wAlhPoTtVwqEIdQXPt5U353bcEZKJqwUsHSibzCaOc/s1600/carbcontroversy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0CwEIEfjwotY-zVp73KBmbzqBI-hwaUlA0VGR6paMcD3OFUNmDwgkRqaTAiSIqk0ajYjVf9CGGEAGGEkVcQLNYz549-EIHht8wAlhPoTtVwqEIdQXPt5U353bcEZKJqwUsHSibzCaOc/s1600/carbcontroversy.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't know, actually.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This is a brouhaha which I will assiduously avoid here. But damn, I've already stepped into it by characterizing the factions the way I did. Anyway, they're focused on serious issues like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. This post will focus instead on carbohydrate consumption as it relates to the petty issue of athletic performance, and primarily on <i>post-exercise carbohydrate consumption for recovery,</i> with accompanying largely irrelevant graphics from public domain sources, i.e., the government. <br />
<br />
<b>Glycogen</b><br />
One of the oft-cited limitations of training volume, intensity and frequency is the availability of muscle and liver glycogen. Glycogen--stored carbohydrate--is the body's preferred fuel source because it rapidly produces energy. Glycogen provides most of the energy when we start to exercise. At low exercise intensities, fat is the preferred fuel, but as exercise intensity increases, so too does the percentage of glycogen used (<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=XOyjZX0Wxw4C&lpg=PA17&ots=MsBoQ5du1g&dq=%22glycogen%20stored%20in%20active%20muscles%22&pg=PA17#v=onepage&q=glycogen%20stored%20in%20active%20muscles%20supplies&f=false">source</a>). During high intensity exercise, glycogen provides most of the energy and an athlete can deplete their muscle glycogen in just 30-60 minutes (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7900696">source</a>). Even aerobic exercise, if sufficiently intense, can deplete glycogen; in just two hours, virtually all of the liver and exercised muscle glycogen may be used up (<a href="http://www.cristina.prof.ufsc.br/.../mcardle_carbohydrates_lipids_proteins_chp1_connection.pdf">source</a>). Exercise physiologists often point to inadequate glycogen replacement in concert with intensive training as a cause of <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=XOyjZX0Wxw4C&lpg=PA84&ots=MsBoSakt5j&dq=%22gradually%20depleting%20carbohydrate%20reserves%20with%20repeated%22&pg=PA84#v=onepage&q=%22gradually%20depleting%20carbohydrate%20reserves%20with%20repeated%22&f=false">overtraining and chronic fatigue</a>.<br />
<br />
It is generally assumed, then, that restoring glycogen through carbohydrate consumption is of importance to training and athletic performance (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1844399">source</a>), particularly higher intensity exercise (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10678682">source</a>) and recovery. However, the particulars of carbohydrate consumption--when, how much, what kind, how frequently, etc-- is far from etched in stone.<br />
<br />
Below is some of the salient research as I think it relates to the needs of rowers. <br />
<br />
<b>Twice-a-Day Rowers Perform Better on a High Carb Diet</b><br />
In <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2055827">Dietary carbohydrate, muscle glycogen, and power output during rowing training.</a>, researchers randomly assigned twelve male and 10 female collegiate rowers to study whether "a high-carbohydrate (HI) diet (10 g.kg body mass-1.day-1) would promote
greater muscle glycogen content and greater mean power output during
training than a moderate-carbohydrate (MOD) diet (5 g.kg body
mass-1.day-1) over 4 wk of intense twice-daily rowing training." It should be pointed out that the researchers also had the rowers consuming a fair amount of protein 2 grams per kilogram of body mass, and "fat intake was adjusted to maintain body mass" (which begs for some clarification). Anyway, muscle glycogen content increased 65% in the HI group compared to no change in the MOD group and mean power output in time trials (2500 meters) increased 10.7% (while only 1.6% in the MOD group). This led the researchers to write:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
We conclude that
a diet with 10 g carbohydrate.kg body mass-1.day-1 promotes greater
muscle glycogen content and greater power output during training than a
diet containing 5 g carbohydrate.kg body mass-1.day-1 over 4 wk of
intense twice-daily rowing training. </blockquote>
Masters rowers take note: these collegiate rowers were training twice a day and with lots of intensity. You could argue that they were always in a state of recovery, something that is not necessarily true for many masters athletes.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZm1Nnkwsu_j5BroR2UfFsHE7A9YeLNoHTTMaJFercIPEAxra7GA5HViqEg7swJLSxulrKsUNX9i15G6tks0VL0wYNk5J5Vxhym12XuU09f5Os7bKZuSLuyGmQfh6rszDhtFr2nuQ6p8/s1600/cowperformance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkZm1Nnkwsu_j5BroR2UfFsHE7A9YeLNoHTTMaJFercIPEAxra7GA5HViqEg7swJLSxulrKsUNX9i15G6tks0VL0wYNk5J5Vxhym12XuU09f5Os7bKZuSLuyGmQfh6rszDhtFr2nuQ6p8/s1600/cowperformance.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cows Perform Better Too</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Eat Carbs Soon After Exercising</b><br />
Various research seems to show a period of time when glycogen restoration is much faster. In <b><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3132449">Muscle glycogen synthesis after exercise: effect of time of carbohydrate ingestion.</a>, </b>researchers showed that cyclists consuming a carbohydrate solution immediately after exercise showed much higher rate of muscle glycogen storage versus waiting for 2 hours (45% slower rate). Their conclusion: "The results suggest that delaying the ingestion of a
carbohydrate supplement post-exercise will result in a reduced rate of
muscle glycogen storage." <br />
<br />
<b>Does The Kind of Carbs Make a Difference?</b><br />
There may be nuances to the above research. Subsequent research shows that the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycemic_index">glycemic index</a> of the carbohydrates may have some effect on the glycogen restoration rate. Glycemic index refers to a measurement of the effect that carbohydrates have on blood sugar levels. A higher glycemic index food generally has faster absorption of carbohydrates.<br />
<br />
In <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9044226">Muscle glycogen storage following prolonged exercise: effect of timing of ingestion of high glycemic index food.</a>, researchers found that timing didn't matter so much as the glycemic index of the food and the quantity of carbohydrates. Their conclusion: "These data indicate that delayed feeding of a HGI meal by 2 h has no
effect on the rate of muscle glycogen resynthesis at 8 and 24 h
post-exercise, providing that sufficient carbohydrate is ingested during
the recovery period." In other words, the magical 2-hour window in the first piece of research was shattered, if you will, by the nature of the carbohydrates.<br />
<br />
It is noteworthy that this study only compared high-glycemic index consuming groups; in other words, the only variable was timing of the feedings. There was no low-glycemic index group with which to compare. However, the next piece of research did focus on that vary issue.<br />
<br />
<b>High Glycemic Index Carbs May Restore Glycogen More Thoroughly/Faster</b><br />
In <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8226443">Muscle glycogen storage after prolonged exercise: effect of the glycemic index of carbohydrate feedings.</a>, researchers found that high-glycemic index meals at various intervals significantly exceeded low-glycemic index meals (by almost 50%) in restoring muscle glycogen. Their conclusion: "The results suggest that the most rapid increase in muscle glycogen
content during the first 24 h of recovery is achieved by consuming foods
with a high GI."<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd6fuwgDd_08ERrTX7Iml7p_khJLe8-Jt2fKz8CeYkBR1cPrrfV1ybmBh1lVMypIvrqB4X6hlHUxm9F286mR0YynXZUW2AYnm1cwMWC7XiS7hpbDL7KEIxwv6EFE3tqNoXhGRSGWMP2KE/s1600/religiousmatter.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd6fuwgDd_08ERrTX7Iml7p_khJLe8-Jt2fKz8CeYkBR1cPrrfV1ybmBh1lVMypIvrqB4X6hlHUxm9F286mR0YynXZUW2AYnm1cwMWC7XiS7hpbDL7KEIxwv6EFE3tqNoXhGRSGWMP2KE/s1600/religiousmatter.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catholic Carbs? Oops, nevermind. That would be <i>Confirmation</i>...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Eating a Big Carb Meal vs Small Carb Snacks, Doesn't Seem to Matter</b><br />
Another variable in the carbohydrate conundrum is how the amounts of carbohydrates are consumed: large meals or nibbling snacks. In <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8669406"><b>Muscle glycogen storage after prolonged exercise: effect of the frequency of carbohydrate feedings.</b></a>, researchers found that "there is no difference in postexercise glycogen storage over 24 h when a
high-carbohydrate diet is fed as small frequent snacks or as large
meals...". <br />
<br />
<b>Your Muscles Will Only Absorb So Much</b> <br />
One might imagine that if you only read the above research, you might consume lots of high-glycemic index carbs "early and often" to restore your muscle glycogen. Just how many carbs would you consume? This next piece of research tried to find some limits to carb ingestion. In <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3145274"><b>Muscle glycogen storage after different amounts of carbohydrate ingestion.</b></a>, researchers had cyclists consume either a low amount of glucose or a high amount immediately and at 2 hours following glycogen-depleting exercise. The researchers' conclusion: "The rates of muscle glycogen storage...were not different..."<br />
<br />
So, maybe I shouldn't eat the double stack of pancakes?<br />
<br />
<b>Does Protein with Carbs Help?</b><br />
Several studies have found that protein taken with carbohydrate seems to enhance muscle glycogen storage. In <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1601794">Carbohydrate-protein complex increases the rate of muscle glycogen storage after exercise.</a>, researchers found that the rate of muscle glycogen storage was significantly higher with a protein-carbohydrate (112.0 g carbohydrate and 40.7 g protein mix) than with just carbohydrates (112.0 g carbohydrate) or just protein (40.7 g protein).<br />
<br />
However, one criticism of a study like this one is that it is not an apples-to-apples comparison because the groups are not calorically equivalent (eucaloric). In other words, maybe it's not the protein that is enhancing the glycogen storage, but the fact that the protein provides additional calories. In <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10846008">Effects of postexercise carbohydrate-protein feedings on muscle glycogen restoration.</a>, researchers addressed this issue and produced results that suggested that "muscle glycogen restoration <i>does not appear to be enhanced with the
addition of proteins</i> or amino acids [compared] to an eucaloric CHO feeding after
exhaustive cycle exercise." So, maybe protein doesn't help?<br />
<br />
But then there's the study that "tested the hypothesis that a carbohydrate-protein (CHO-Pro) supplement
would be more effective in the replenishment of muscle glycogen after
exercise compared with a carbohydrate supplement of equal carbohydrate
content (LCHO) or caloric equivalency (HCHO)." You can read the details, but the conclusion is the title: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12235033">Early postexercise muscle glycogen recovery is enhanced with a carbohydrate-protein supplement.</a> So, maybe protein does help...<br />
<br />
Confused yet? I was, so I looked at several carb-protein review articles. They seem to come down on the side of protein with carbs post-exercise. In <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20942510">Short-term recovery from prolonged exercise: exploring the potential for protein ingestion to accentuate the benefits of carbohydrate supplements.</a>, the authors write:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
Some studies have reported improved physical performance with ingestion
of carbohydrate-protein mixtures, both during exercise and during
recovery prior to a subsequent exercise test. While not all of the
evidence supports these ergogenic benefits, there is clearly the
potential for improved performance under certain conditions, e.g. if the
additional protein increases the energy content of a supplement and/or
the carbohydrate fraction is ingested at below the recommended rate. </blockquote>
Well, that is a luke-warm endorsement of protein with carbs, but there it is.<br />
<br />
<b>Caffeine Helps Restore Muscle Glycogen</b><br />
Like to have coffee with your oatmeal, french toast or pancakes following a good stint of rowing? Well, skip the decaf and maybe order the quadruple espresso because researchers have found that "in trained subjects coingestion of large amounts of Caff (8 mg/kg BM)
with CHO has an additive effect on rates of postexercise muscle glycogen
accumulation compared with consumption of CHO alone."<br />
<br />
Translated into vernacular, that is 8 milligrams per 1 kilogram of body mass, which, in turn, means 584mg of caffeine for a
~161-pound/73 kilogram person. That is equivalent to 28 ounces of Starbucks
coffee (about one and three-quarters of a Grande). See the <a href="http://scullduggery.blogspot.com/2009/12/caffeine-does-it-help-rowing.html">Caffeine Post</a>. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7T-6tvBizeX9Nz76EcIhbWJ4Q0to4X-QZGEhgCIIJb6zXeW28NPQfR3D_7pIlvpJDeBjsNXCl4lD2PWkByxsFdsQunMycRvj4bV8_xiyTkDt0hPJBaKTjVHdC_ECHLZMCcMMHP-UPvEI/s1600/caffeine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7T-6tvBizeX9Nz76EcIhbWJ4Q0to4X-QZGEhgCIIJb6zXeW28NPQfR3D_7pIlvpJDeBjsNXCl4lD2PWkByxsFdsQunMycRvj4bV8_xiyTkDt0hPJBaKTjVHdC_ECHLZMCcMMHP-UPvEI/s1600/caffeine.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd Prefer a Flat White with a New Zealand Fern Leaf Cappuccino Art </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Back to the research, in <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18467543">High rates of muscle glycogen resynthesis after exhaustive exercise when carbohydrate is coingested with caffeine.</a>, researchers asked trained cyclists to ride to "volitional" fatigue. Then they immediately had some high-carb meal, but some subjects additionally had some hidden caffeine with that meal (not in the form of coffee, in other words). The researchers didn't notice much of a difference in muscle glycogen resynthesis after an hour, but after 4 hours, the caffeine group experienced a 66% higher rate. I'll drink to that (as opposed to taking No-Doze or something).<br />
<br />
About now you might be wondering: what combines high glycemic carbs, a bit of protein and caffeine... <br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Chocolate Milk: The Perfect Post-Exercise Beverage</b>?<br />
Various studies have shown chocolate milk to be at least as good as some carbohydrate replacement drinks in restoring muscle glycogen. For instance, in <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19234590">Improved endurance capacity following chocolate milk consumption compared with 2 commercially available sport drinks.</a>, 9 trained cyclists engaged first in a glycogen depleting trial and then immediately after and again at 2-hours after, drank either chocolate milk, a carbohydrate replacement drink or a fluid replacement drink. Then they enjoyed the distinct pleasure at 4 hours to cycle to exhaustion at 70% power at maximal oxygen uptake. The chocolate milk cyclists (picture them with brown milk mustaches), lasted 51% longer than the carbo drink cyclists and 43% longer than the fluid replacement drink cyclists. Researchers concluded that: "[Chocolate Milk] is an effective recovery aid after prolonged endurance exercise for subsequent exercise at low-moderate intensities."<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWrPNXIuLteT0SSjXsxS3Kj07zN3JSIjcxXDIHZX6jUeDOljvEmiPOCdQt0ox7n3QDO4jA25g9R-qY8-c-B3g2e0onSpFQRUTMs2Vf4F0XX7JuZnL48NTo4f0JO-vD0NpvgnQFeYLfFlE/s1600/cmilk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWrPNXIuLteT0SSjXsxS3Kj07zN3JSIjcxXDIHZX6jUeDOljvEmiPOCdQt0ox7n3QDO4jA25g9R-qY8-c-B3g2e0onSpFQRUTMs2Vf4F0XX7JuZnL48NTo4f0JO-vD0NpvgnQFeYLfFlE/s320/cmilk.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My post-exercise drink of choice: doesn't require refridgeration</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Moderate or Low-Glycemic Meals Before Racing/Workouts</b><br />
Several studies suggest that eating a high-glycemic index meal leads to poorer subsequent performance. As discussed before, carbohydrates
come in different forms. Some are high-glycemic and raise blood sugar
and insulin quickly, while others are slow absorbing and raise blood sugar
more slowly (low-glycemic). For instance, an apple and a banana have roughly equivalent amounts of
carbohydrates, but an apple is significantly lower on the glycemic index scale than the banana. (<a href="http://www.glycemicindex.com/">source</a>)<br />
<br />
In <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9927025">one study of equivalent breakfasts of different glycemic quality</a>, researchers found that cyclists consuming a low-glycemic index meal produced a higher sustained plasma glucose level and
59% longer "time to exhaustion" in a 100% of VO2Max effort compared
with cyclists who ate a higher glycemic index meal (but same number of carbohydrates). The researchers conclusion:<br />
<blockquote>
These results suggest a pre-exercise LGI [meal] may positively affect
maximal performance following sustained exercise. The LGI maintained
higher plasma glucose levels at the end of 2 h of strenuous exercise
than the HGI, which may have better supported subsequent maximal effort. </blockquote>
This information might be useful for rowing events of longer duration, e.g., marathon rows, but it is not clear how applicable this would be for shorter events. <br />
<br />
Another <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17240783">study with runners</a>, found that "ingestion of a LGI meal 3 h before exercise resulted in a greater endurance capacity than after the ingestion of a HGI meal." This study had runners running to exhaustion and the LGI eaters ran significantly longer and burned more fat as well.<br />
<br />
This last finding echoes several studies that suggest that higher glycemic pre-workout/pre-race meals inhibit fat burning during subsequent exercise. In <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14641964">The influence of high-carbohydrate meals with different glycaemic indices on substrate utilisation during subsequent exercise.</a>, researchers compared two "isoenergetic" meals, with substantially different glycemic indices (low and high), with another study condition, fasting (i.e., glycemic index of 0). The researchers found that the fasters used (oxidized) the most fat in subsequent exercise, the low-glycemic index eaters used the next most and the high glycemic index consumers used the least amount of fat.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15831796">Another study</a> (with a really cumbersome title) reached the conclusion that "[a]lthough the LGI meal contributed less CHO to muscle glycogen synthesis
in the 3-h postprandial period compared with the HGI meal, a sparing of
muscle glycogen utilization during subsequent exercise was observed in
the LGI trial, most likely as a result of better maintained fat
oxidation." This suggests that, for longer events where you want to burn more fat and preserve glycogen as long as possible, you may be better off with a low GI pre-race meal. For shorter efforts, e.g., 1k or 2k rowing events, you probably don't care if you're burning fat or glycogen, or rather, you'd much rather be burning glycogen; otherwise, you're really rowing too slowly! On the other hand, at head races, if you have to row 5K to get to the start of a 5K, then you may want to heed this research.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMX-ctMNnQGD3t7Wwr5EsXalURSEwDv3tR0Pt3c9gdl7zGAoP-fJafkjMVJm6d4A7woCQIfErmDkE_mabvhvMZF72xjFnBhvYm23FdNJUdO51uRsGqujAs9B2P6pok3M3lxxCU-oz3UE0/s1600/lowcarbrowing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMX-ctMNnQGD3t7Wwr5EsXalURSEwDv3tR0Pt3c9gdl7zGAoP-fJafkjMVJm6d4A7woCQIfErmDkE_mabvhvMZF72xjFnBhvYm23FdNJUdO51uRsGqujAs9B2P6pok3M3lxxCU-oz3UE0/s320/lowcarbrowing.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Low-GI Carb rowers burn more fat and don't need seats!<br />Notice the Low-GI Carb rower floating near the ceiling. Take that, Red Bull!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>It Looks Good For Low-Glycemic Index Meals and Subsequent Endurance Performance, But...</b><br />
Two recent reviews of glycemic index foods and endurance performance (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20479489">source</a> and <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20234033">source</a>) suggest that the state of knowledge at this point is inadequate to draw too many conclusions, with one review concluding: "the results have been inconsistent, with evidence of improved exercise performance in some studies, but not in many others." Sigh.<br />
<br />
<b>Accelerated Carbo-Loading </b><br />
Participants in longer events sometimes engage in carbo-loading--consuming large quantities of carbohydrates for 2 to 6 days before some endurance event. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12048325">One study</a> of cyclists shows that you can get much of the same effect by training very briefly, but at sufficiently high intensity, and consuming sufficient carbs--all just 24 hours before an event. When this study means brief, they really mean brief: 150 seconds of 130% of VO2max pace followed by 30 seconds of all-out cycling, in other words, just 3 minutes of some really hard cycling. By the way, if 130% of VO2max sounds impossible, it is the pace not the oxygen consumption that they're talking about. If you know the pace required to elicit VO2max, then go 30% faster. For instance, on the ergometer, if my pace on the ergometer that elicits VO2max is 318 watts, then 130% of that would be 413 watts (or a split of 1:34.6) See, for example the <a href="http://scullduggery.blogspot.com/2009/12/vo2max-percentage-training-calculator.html">VO2Max Calculator post</a>. <br />
<br />
After training, the above researchers had the cyclists consume high-glycemic index carbohydrates equivalent to 10.3 grams per kilogram of body mass. For a 161-lb person, that works out to be 751 grams or 1.65 lbs of potatoes, bread or overripe bananas. At 24 hours, these cyclists had the same amount of muscle glycogen as measured in carbo-loading regimens lasting 2-6 days.<br />
<br />
<b>Is Carbo-Loading Relevant to Rowers? </b><br />
A review of available research on the topic shows "there is little or no effect of elevating
pre-exercise muscle glycogen contents above normal resting values on a
single exhaustive bout of high-intensity exercise lasting less than 5
minutes. Nor is there any benefit of increasing starting muscle glycogen content
on moderate-intensity running or cycling lasting 60 to 90 minutes." Given that most rowing events are somewhere in the 4-25 minute range, carbo-loading may not be worth it. However, if you are rowing a marathon distance event, it may be.<br />
<br />
<b>Conclusions</b>:<br />
If you have waded through all the above, you deserve some take-home messages. Despite some of the inconsistent findings: I think there are some useful pointers for athletes who train sufficiently hard: <br />
<ol>
<li>Insufficient carbohydrate consumption detracts from performance</li>
<li>Consume carbs immediately after "significant" exercise efforts. Despite the inconclusive nature of post-exercise timing, there seems to be little harm in eating soon after training efforts and there may be considerable gain if the glycogen absorption window exists. </li>
<li>High glycemic carbs pack a bigger punch. </li>
<li>Protein with carbs may be good, particularly if you can't get enough calories with carbohydrates alone.</li>
<li>Chocolate milk. Why not? </li>
<li>Caffeine may help, but I'd wouldn't drink coffee for this reason alone. Only one study so far.</li>
<li>Pre-race: low-glycemic meal seems better than high-glycemic, but somewhat inconclusive.</li>
</ol>
Again, I hasten to point out, I am only addressing exercise performance issues in this post, not health issues.<br />
<br />
<b>Part 2?</b><br />
Researchers are addressing a variety of variables in carbohydrate consumption and athletic performance. Some <a href="http://www.deakin.edu.au/dro/view/DU:30025029">folks</a> are looking at <a href="http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/running-on-empty">low-glycogen training</a> as a potential way to enhance mitochondrial generation (as intriguing as this is, it strikes me as playing with fire). Other researchers (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6865776">example</a> and <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12651914">example</a>) are addressing the role of fat in diet in relation to carbohyrates (may work in slower, longer events). Many researchers are refining the time recommendations of carb consumption, before and after exercise. This might answer questions like: should I take that Gu right before the race. A few rowing races are long enough to require feedings during the race; that is something for a future post.<br />
<br />
----------------<br />
<i><span class="body">Man lives for science as well as bread.</span></i>
<br />
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
William James</div>
<br />
<br />T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-82613810540977853942011-02-14T20:04:00.000-08:002011-02-14T20:06:54.229-08:00Research: Strength TrainingThis morning's inbox item: <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21311351">Strength and Conditioning Practices in Rowing.</a> Researchers presented coaches in Great Britain with a questionnaire to help characterize and quantify the type of strength and conditioning used by their charges. Some of the more notable findings include:<br />
<ul>
<li>Almost all coaches (94%) reported their rowers performed strength training, with 81% using Olympic lifting</li>
<li>The clean (63%) and squat (27%) were rated the most important prescribed exercises.</li>
<li>Ninety-four percent indicated they conducted physical testing on their
rowers, typically assessing cardiovascular endurance (80%), muscular
power (70%), muscular strength (70%), and anaerobic capacity (57%). </li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>It's What Everyone Does </b><br />
Clearly strength training is important to high-level British rowing coaches. This seems consistent with many national team publications (e.g., <a href="http://www.rowingaustralia.com.au/hp_sports-science_strength-and-conditioning.shtm">Australia</a>) and the governing body of international rowing (<a href="http://www.worldrowing.com/medias/docs/media_350422.pdf">source</a>) as well as articles in various rowing books (<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=-wmLeDL0MbAC&lpg=PA87&ots=xHFwQRNUfV&dq=rowing%20national%20team%20%22strength%20training%22&pg=PA87#v=onepage&q=rowing%20national%20team%20%22strength%20training%22&f=false">example</a>) and magazines (<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=gEsEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA43&dq=winter%20strength%20training&pg=PA43#v=onepage&q=winter%20strength%20training&f=false">example</a>).<br />
<br />
<b>But why is strength training important? </b><br />
The above study did not appear to ask <i>why</i> the coaches employed strength training, but maybe that question should be asked. A logical answer might be that strength training confers performance benefits as demonstrated in various studies. In fact, researchers have attempted to ascertain the benefits of
strength training in rowing and these studies have generally shown few, if any,
performance benefits. In one study (#4 below), strength training seemed to set back members of the US National Team.<br />
<br />
What?! Blasphemy! This can't be right. Show me.<br />
<br />
<b>No Performance Benefits: Study 1</b><br />
In <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2621758">The effect of velocity-specific strength training on peak torque and anaerobic rowing power.</a> , Bell, G. J., Petersen, S. R., Quinney, A. H., & Wenger, H. A. divided 18 varsity oarsmen from the University of Victoria into three training groups, two of which performed circuit training (three circuits of 12 stations) four times a week for 5 weeks. One group performed the strength training at high velocity, while the other group performed them at slower velocity. A third group was a no-training control. <br />
<br />
The results of this study are a bit surprising. Both training groups significantly increased their peak torque in knee extension--a primary rowing motion, with the high velocity group excelling at higher velocity and the lower velocity group excelling at lower velocity motions. Furthermore, researchers found high positive correlations between peak torque and anaerobic power outputs. So far, it sounds good for the effectiveness of this training regimen. However, the improved peak torque did not translate into any performance benefits as tested on the rowing ergometer, leading the researchers to conclude:<br />
<blockquote>
These results indicate that velocity-specific strength training does not
necessarily improve anaerobic power output in a different exercise mode
despite the high positive correlation between isokinetic strength and
anaerobic power output.</blockquote>
<br />
If your eyes started to glaze over with the terminology above, read <a href="http://coachsci.sdsu.edu/csa/vol12/bell.htm">this brief synopsis</a> of the above study, a quote from which below (bold highlights are mine): <br />
<blockquote>
This finding was surprising because the strength
program was specifically designed to enhance the strength of the muscle
groups involved in rowing. Since power is dependent on both force and
velocity, the observed improvements in torque with resistance training
should, theoretically, have contributed to an increase in rowing power.
That theoretical position was not supported by the results of this
study in these high-caliber athletes. <b>The lack of improvement
contradicts the recommendations of many coaches and the content emphases
of many rowing training programs.</b></blockquote>
<br />
<a href="http://www.sportsci.org/news/traingain/resistance.html">Another reviewer</a> concluded:<br />
<blockquote>
training effects were
specific to the resistance training mode and did not transfer to the
more complex action of rowing. <b>Resistance training programs may
actually restrict the volume of beneficial, sports specific training
that can be achieved because of increased levels of fatigue.</b></blockquote>
Many reviewers have focused on this study because it is one of the few that existed up until recently. <br />
<br />
<b>No Performance Benefits: Study 2</b><br />
More recently, in <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20386119">The effects of concurrent endurance and resistance training on 2,000-m rowing ergometer times in collegiate male rowers.</a>, Gallagher D, DiPietro L, Visek AJ, Bancheri JM, Miller TA "evaluated if high rep, low rep, or no weight training at all would be
best suited for decreasing 2,000-m rowing ergometer times in male
varsity rowers." 18 rowers were randomly assigned to the corresponding groups of control (CON), high-load low repetitions (HLLR), and low-load high repetitions (LLHR). Each group performed their regular varsity workouts and the two study groups performed their additional workouts. All groups were tested on the rowing ergometer before and after and all groups (including the control) improved their times. However, there was no statistical difference between the three groups. Oddly, the researchers concluded:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
Overall, the current study demonstrates that although weight training
does not create a statistically significant short-term training effect
on rowing performance, the profound decreases in 2,000-m times seen in
this study may be of practical significance for the oarsman.</blockquote>
<br />
Huh!? This seems like a rather odd conclusion given the data and statistical analysis. It would be comparable to saying that even though a pill did not exceed random chance in curing some disease, you should take it anyway. <br />
<br />
One wonders if there had been a fourth group, one that performed the equivalent amount of work of the two study groups, but only rowing, what might have been the outcome.<br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Some Performance Benefits: Study 3</b><br />
The research below is intriguing because it is the first study in my
experience to show strength training may have some actual benefit to
rowing performance. Unfortunately, the data don't seem to match the
conclusions.<br />
<br />
In <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19997025">Concurrent endurance and strength training not to failure optimizes performance gains.</a>, Izquierdo-Gabarren et al, took 43-trained male
rowers and divided them into 4 groups, all of which continued with their
normal endurance training, but one group performed four exercises to
repetition failure(4RF), one group performed four exercises not to
failure(4NRF), one group performed two exercises not to failure (2NRF)
and one control group performed no additional training.<br />
<br />
Various strength and rowing
performance measurements were taken before and after 8 weeks of training, including: "20-min all-out row test (W20min),
average row power output eliciting
a blood lactate concentration of 4 mmol.L (W4mmol.l), and power output
in 10 maximal strokes (W10strokes)."<br />
<br />
When the group participants hopped on the rowing ergometer, the researchers found no significant difference between all
groups (including the control group) regarding performance at power eliciting a blood lactate
concentration of 4 mmol.L. (this is a metric associated with anaerobic threshold or AT). This is somewhat surprising given that this is a fairly high intensity effort; one might have thought that the strength training groups might outperform the control group by some significant amount.<br />
<br />
Interestingly, both
the not-to-failure groups improved performance in the W20min test and
the W10strokes tests, However, the group that only performed two exercises
improved more than the group that performed four. "4NRF and 2NRF groups
experienced larger gains in W10strokes (3.6% and 5%), and in W20min
(7.6% and 9%)" compared with those found after 4RF (5.2% and 5.1 %)." <br />
<br />
Notice the group that trained to failure (4RF) actually improved more
than the other groups in power output
in 10 maximal strokes. <br />
<br />
One might reasonably
conclude based on this limited information that the optimum training is
two exercises not to failure (2NRF) because:<br />
<ul>
<li>this group improved 20-min
all-out row test by 9% (more than any other group), and </li>
<li>this group was better than
the 4NRF group in power output
in 10 maximal strokes. </li>
</ul>
<br />
However, the researchers arrived mysteriously at a
different conclusion:<br />
<blockquote>
"An 8-wk linear periodized concurrent strength and endurance training
program using a moderate number of repetitions not to failure (4NRF
group) provides a favourable environment for achieving greater
enhancements in strength, muscle power and rowing performance when
compared with higher training volumes of repetitions to failure in
experienced highly- trained rowers."</blockquote>
This
is a baffling conclusion based on the data. <br />
<br />
Finally, one might again have wanted an additional control group that performs the equivalent amount of work of the other non-control groups. It is possible, after all, that any performance differences (such as they are) were actually due to more training, not the particular type of training.<br />
<br />
By the way, the <a href="http://www.ceimd.org/PublicacionesRecientes/2010_MSSE_Concurrent.pdf">full paper</a> is available for your perusal.<br />
<br />
<b>No Performance Benefits: Study 4</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In <a href="http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Citation/1994/05001/426_A_Comparison_of_Traditional_and.427.aspx">A Comparison of Traditional and Non-Traditional Off-Season Training Programs of Elite Rowers.</a> Murray, T.; Grant, S.; Hagerman, F. FACSM; Staron, R.; Verdun, M.; Weinik, M.</span>,</span> divided 30 elite (US Team members) rowers (men and women) into two groups, one that performed traditional off-season weight training (the lifting group) and one that did not (the no lifting group). Unlike the studies above, this study had the no-lifting group replace weight training with rowing ergometer work, tank or actual water rowing. The approximate duration of the different study conditions was 16 weeks.<br />
<br />
The initial physiological evaluation was performed in December and repeated in April. Tests included a variety of heinous invasive measurements, including capillary lactate measurements and muscle biopsies. Other indignities included maximal squat and bench pulls, periodic 2500 meter and 10,000 meter ergometer tests. These athletes were poked, prodded and pricked. <br />
<br />
Actual rowing performances were observed multiple times, culminating with the summer competitive rowing season. This was a real test on real rowers, with--as it turns out--real consequences. <br />
<br />
The results are surprising even if you read some of the above studies. There was no significant differences between the two groups for such measurements as:<br />
<ul>
<li>max power output</li>
<li>heart rate</li>
<li>squat and bench pull strength</li>
<li>stroke rating</li>
<li>mechanical efficiency</li>
</ul>
<br />
However, in the rowing ergometer performance, the no-lift group "achieved significantly faster competitive performance times than their L[ifting] counterparts at 2500 and 10000m"<br />
<br />
Moreover, the no-lift group also statistically improved their absolute and relative VO2 during the 2000m test, while the lifting group did not.<br />
<br />
The research summary is a sober indictment of traditional off-season strength training:<br />
<blockquote>
In summary, the results of this study appear to confirm data reported by our group in 1983, when it was evident that rowers who performed off-season weight training significantly reduced their aerobic capacities and as a result it was necessary for these athletes to work extremely hard to increase oxygen consumption to competitive levels.<br />
<br />
Our data show that not only does supplemental weight training fail to improve physiological and competitive performance, but more importantly it appears that off-season weight training at 20-40% of total training time may actually detract from these performances...</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Our data support our original hypothesis that elite rowers would probably benefit more from performing some type of rowing (either ergometer, tank or actual rowing) during the off-season than sharing training time with resistance training... subsequent competitive performances significantly favored the non-lifting groups. </blockquote>
<br />
<b>That's It?</b><br />
Strength training is a multi-billion dollar industry. Strength training is clearly widely advocated <i>for</i> and widely employed <i>by</i> rowers. You would think there would be more published studies regarding strength training and rowing performance. You'd think there'd be some studies that clearly show a performance benefit. It's possible that I've missed these studies, and if so, I'd be glad to summarize the findings on this site.<br />
<br />
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</style>T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-91488851765091357652011-02-13T19:00:00.000-08:002011-02-13T19:10:16.070-08:00Viewing and Printing Large Featureful Google MapsThis post addresses the issue of displaying and printing a large (e.g., 48" x 64") personal use Google map that contains many (>1000) "pieces" of information. Specifically, this post addresses the Google maps "paging" problem and tells how to prepare a large format file suitable for printing by a large format printer (e.g., at Kinko's or some other print facility).<br />
<br />
Let's say you want to create a large Google Maps poster of the Charles River in Boston/Cambridge, the Tideway on the Thames, or the San Francisco Bay <i>and</i> display the many different rowing routes and relevant information (distances, docks, bridges, boat houses, buoys, obstacles, pubs, etc). These instructions might help you.<br />
<br />
<b>Caveats:</b> Google may change their applications/limitations at any time to render these instructions moot, useless or something else completely. These instructions may also depend on a particular web browser version. This is a kludge and subject to all the problems of that kind of solution.<br />
<br />
<b>Google is Great...</b><br />
<a href="http://maps.google.com/">Google Maps</a> and some of the subsequent mashups like <a href="http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/">Gmaps Pedometer</a> and <a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/">MapMyRide</a> are extremely useful in creating and sharing map information. You can do some amazing things with these map tools. Throw in Google Earth and you have incredible resources at your disposal.<br />
<br />
<b>The Problem</b><br />
The more complex your Google map gets, the more likely you are to run into some of Google Maps <a href="http://code.google.com/apis/kml/documentation/mapsSupport.html">limitations </a>for display and printing. You may create a map with many routes and other information on it, or one long route comprised of many points and other information, but not all of it is displayed on one screen. A typical manifestation of this problem, especially if you import information (e.g., KML files), is the "paging problem." <br />
<br />
<b>Map is Split into Several Pages</b><br />
Last year, I compiled GPS data from a variety of sources into a comprehensive map of the trails in the Ashland (Oregon) watershed. The number of pieces of information exceeded some Google maps limit (apparently the 1000 "features" limit, but possibly another). The result was a map that displayed over several pages. Any one page displayed some information (trails, in this case) of the map, but not all. You had to page through (see bottom of graphic below) to get a sense of the whole map. It's as if the map had several layers, but you could never display all of them at once. And, any screen print would display only what was on the screen at that moment. This kind of behavior is unacceptable if the goal is to create a printable map displaying all the relevant information.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgjvz45_ldEqtrB6lhBMB9iz8GloWeN3RED3vsB7xagxPEz7xoqNuX9WwLH3bl7VDYeJ5-BDi-TWCl9DKfvUUtH8UAMT9NNbYQ-_vuO2awPqVDuqeEED8cRwTcjlxfPRlzyZLMFRK7tc/s1600/areamaps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgjvz45_ldEqtrB6lhBMB9iz8GloWeN3RED3vsB7xagxPEz7xoqNuX9WwLH3bl7VDYeJ5-BDi-TWCl9DKfvUUtH8UAMT9NNbYQ-_vuO2awPqVDuqeEED8cRwTcjlxfPRlzyZLMFRK7tc/s1600/areamaps.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paging Problem </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>The Solution</b><br />
<br />
Before you get started... <br />
<ul>
<li>These instructions assume you have already created and/or imported your routes, trails, etc into a Google Map. This post doesn't address how to create Google maps themselves, but Google provides simple instructions for creating one <a href="http://maps.google.com/help/maps/mymaps/create.html">here</a>. Alternatively, you can use Google Earth to create routes and export them as KML files. Or you can use your GPS and export KML files and then import these into Google Maps. There are many ways...</li>
<li>If you intend to print your results using these instructions, you will first need to <a href="http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/">download Firefox</a><style>
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Times; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }ol { margin-bottom: 0in; }ul { margin-bottom: 0in; }
</style> (that's a US link) if you don't have it already <i>and</i> install the add-on <a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/screengrab/">ScreenGrab</a> (look for at addons.mozilla.com). </li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>1. </b>Open your Google map. All trails/routes and other information
must be in a single map. This may cause paging (e.g.,
different trails/routes appear on different pages of this map and therefore can’t all be viewed
at the same time). The first few steps will address a way around the paging problem. If you don't have the paging problem, you can jump to step 4 to learn how to create a large format map file suitable for printing.<br />
<br />
<b>2.</b> View
the last page of the map file by advancing to the last page. <i>It doesn’t matter
that all the trails are not depicted in this view.</i> Then right-click on
the "View in Google Earth Link" and select "Copy Link Address". NOTE: you're not actually going to do anything with Google Earth here.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzTJCXzcHOYJ7pI5Ciauh78Ni9AJShZbrzqTwstkMGqIKOubi_STgU-8g-4c2Oa5_sy_HLn8Yw2O-yyf-nnQwHYw98GdAJbklz2ttbXIuzoJRFH_OfLRTcZRQuQQUJHSfmbioqVOwusQ/s1600/copylinkaddress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzTJCXzcHOYJ7pI5Ciauh78Ni9AJShZbrzqTwstkMGqIKOubi_STgU-8g-4c2Oa5_sy_HLn8Yw2O-yyf-nnQwHYw98GdAJbklz2ttbXIuzoJRFH_OfLRTcZRQuQQUJHSfmbioqVOwusQ/s320/copylinkaddress.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>3.</b> Paste the copied link into the <b>Search Maps</b> field in FireFox and click <b>Search Maps.</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JXLMRvXTYmylbb4cJ4jLbtl5xMlRoqxfAjAaprtG_aJF4stCS7DmbqMqr7W3NpT8YPZc6xOVx9alBLmLbhewG-Z8YgkyqeciFI4Dr6u7VuYxZnSVF2f8UFNfsh9BCtaIChinUFCieqQ/s1600/pasteinsearch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JXLMRvXTYmylbb4cJ4jLbtl5xMlRoqxfAjAaprtG_aJF4stCS7DmbqMqr7W3NpT8YPZc6xOVx9alBLmLbhewG-Z8YgkyqeciFI4Dr6u7VuYxZnSVF2f8UFNfsh9BCtaIChinUFCieqQ/s400/pasteinsearch.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
This may result in
some ugly data showing up in the attribute fields (ignore!), but not in the map
itself. You should notice that all of your map data is now displayed in one page. It may not look particularly pretty, but you've gotten rid of the paging problem! Now, on to preparing your map for printing.<br />
<br />
<b>4. </b>Now,
choose the view: generally Satellite or Terrain are best. Terrain has some
advantages (shows contour lines), but will only allow just so much zoom (which is relevant to the next step).<br />
<br />
<b>5.</b> View
the map with all the trails in the most zoomed in Terrain view OR whatever
zoom level you want for the Satellite map.<br />
<br />
<b>6.</b> Click on the <b>Link</b> link and in the resulting window,
select the <b>Customize and preview embedded map</b>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqrNm8KLHRnVMs0-mWe1xq0rBA8DalfRr6j4X6O6JPNlMBZFH-9LqjY7KJd_ieJYLW6UMxjq9hdeyQSGqlrrAI8ev_AvjTegYVtneK4eCJPOr4Z2ZvRNYPDqfC_e4Or9yxIdJXzofjFiI/s1600/linkpaste.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqrNm8KLHRnVMs0-mWe1xq0rBA8DalfRr6j4X6O6JPNlMBZFH-9LqjY7KJd_ieJYLW6UMxjq9hdeyQSGqlrrAI8ev_AvjTegYVtneK4eCJPOr4Z2ZvRNYPDqfC_e4Or9yxIdJXzofjFiI/s320/linkpaste.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>7.</b> In the
resulting window, select <b>Custom</b> and then enter the size of your desired image
(see below). In my case, I entered 3400 by 4200 (presumably pixels). This can take a long while to load (depending on the size of your map and your internet connection). You will
need to adjust the visible map for your output needs. Here are some tips:<br />
<ul>
<li> Use the plus and minus buttons to zoom in and out, respectively. I recommend zooming in to the maximum, particularly if you are using Terrain View. The results will be 72 dpi
whatever you do (this will be a screen snap shot, so that is the resolution you get). </li>
<li>The information you display appears to be the
upper-left corner of your eventual map, so you may have to experiment to see if you are capturing what you want. In reality, this probably means completing steps 8 and 9 and then iterating from step 6 on.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3fPL-HuKcvva8QBrtGgFvMR6XegoRu2FYIpCasHRTlYTwecb1BlFnZHXNCS4WE7QuImcbBS8K6SmPZf4VjM0NOagLOV2LB4lQcayeSXlSp13JmBJA9dDjSKbV4W9JhrofqHRIINUK20/s1600/customsize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3fPL-HuKcvva8QBrtGgFvMR6XegoRu2FYIpCasHRTlYTwecb1BlFnZHXNCS4WE7QuImcbBS8K6SmPZf4VjM0NOagLOV2LB4lQcayeSXlSp13JmBJA9dDjSKbV4W9JhrofqHRIINUK20/s1600/customsize.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>8.</b> Click
on the <b>ScreenGrab</b> icon in the lower-right section of your FireFox browser
screen. (If you don’t see the icon, make sure you have “View->Status
Bar” on.) Then select <b>Save->Complete Page/Frame</b>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgptP6t_gW33kPtzM8j5DjwmChOm8MwdsfN9gxi3BcJiQr1bGHlBwvrIGHvR3qbgU9Z4kvIBijM2xhwkusPVM7iRXyp5doQMt7LHj-Uo4n8Fz0XcFR0lTihr8EIoGeBMk6IGl4CP8rwNGw/s1600/savecompleteframe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgptP6t_gW33kPtzM8j5DjwmChOm8MwdsfN9gxi3BcJiQr1bGHlBwvrIGHvR3qbgU9Z4kvIBijM2xhwkusPVM7iRXyp5doQMt7LHj-Uo4n8Fz0XcFR0lTihr8EIoGeBMk6IGl4CP8rwNGw/s1600/savecompleteframe.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
This simple step captures all your map data (assuming you entered the dimensions correctly in step 7). It's as if your screen extended to the dimensions you gave in step 7 and then ScreenGrab took a snapshot of that. Pretty nifty!<br />
<br />
<b>9.</b> Save
the resulting file (as map.jpg or similar) and open in Photoshop or equivalent. Make sure you captured
what you wanted or repeat steps 6 through 9 until you do.<br />
<br />
<b>10. </b>Transfer (e.g., with a thumb drive) or email the file to a printer with the requisite sized printer. I have had good luck with Kinko's, but I am sure there are many printers who can print your file.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The spirit of these instructions is to enable you to create a personal use map, not a commercial product; Google has some specific use restrictions if this is your intention.<br />
<br />
NOTE: The Ashland trails map information I gathered and entered laboriously, tediously, ad seemingly freakin' infinitum, I subsequently sent to a GIS specialist. She took my data, enhanced it, used LIDAR to reroute some proposed trails and produced--in significantly less time--a superior map now available for the <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/ashlandwoodstmp/maps">Ashland Trails Master Plan</a>. In other words, if you have professional needs, you may want to seek out a professional!<br />
<br />T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-15437955243097457032011-02-10T15:13:00.000-08:002011-02-11T13:18:41.340-08:00eReptile Dysfunction<b>Craqueleur is fine for old painting</b>s<br />
I don't know about you, but in the winter, when I have to move our rowing dock and I get my hands wet, cold and muddy, well, it really chaps my hide. Figuratively and literally. So, what do I do? I turn to tried and tested, <i>T's Bees Lizard Lube</i>. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuXjL6xGIiqXqwqNUPCYOZSVCWG0fH0ta4kPFmzqLeb-hSh29M4Iostvu7qhCGthL9-208EyMEYkFOIhsj_Vj12qLcPMHhlNd2aXuKkhtGo3LQ6LPl-gXJeCLF4oCYoxDMzo6m3MurLuw/s1600/tsbeesrowersspecial2opanim2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuXjL6xGIiqXqwqNUPCYOZSVCWG0fH0ta4kPFmzqLeb-hSh29M4Iostvu7qhCGthL9-208EyMEYkFOIhsj_Vj12qLcPMHhlNd2aXuKkhtGo3LQ6LPl-gXJeCLF4oCYoxDMzo6m3MurLuw/s1600/tsbeesrowersspecial2opanim2.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
And, I'm not the only one. Just read these endorsements:<br />
<br />
<b>Wow! I feel like a new person. I might just change my name!</b><br />
- Hans Ahurtin<br />
<br />
<b>Those cold, early rows really crack my paws. Lizard Lube for me!</b><br />
- Earl Eberd<br />
<br />
<b>
This really ameliorated my condition. </b><br />
- Amelia Rayshen
<br />
<br />
<b>It came as great relief to find out no reptiles or other animals were
used in the
testing of this product.
</b><br />
- Liz Arde<br />
<br />
<b>The pain went away.</b><br />
- Anna Thesia<br />
<br />
<b>
I could go on and on about this product. </b><br />
- Chad Durbocks<br />
<br />
<b>
What's with all the natural ingredients?
</b><br />
- Artie Fishel
<br />
<br />
<b>This stuff tastes good. Better than Le Page's paste.</b><br />
- Gus Tatory
<br />
<br />
<b>I've been to Hell and back with my cracked hands. Thank you!
</b><br />
- Helen Bach
<br />
<br />
<b>Any more of these quotes and I'll show you some <i>pun</i>ishment.
</b><br />
- Gil O'Tean
<br />
<br />T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-29401894167430658842011-02-07T08:26:00.000-08:002012-01-23T14:02:37.283-08:00Conconi Test: Threshold Measuring or Tea Leaf Reading?Back in 2005, a rowing colleague approached me about using the Conconi test to ascertain our anaerobic thresholds. He knew that I had paid for lactate threshold and VO2max testing with finger-pricking blood-letting and claustrophobic face mask with tubes and cables, and thought that the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conconi_test">Conconi test</a> represented a less invasive, less expensive, and generally more pleasant alternative for the rest of our rowing club <br />
<br />
I agreed to conduct the testing, but expressed my skepticism about this test (more on that later).<br />
<br />
<b>Quick History</b><br />
Francesco Conconi suggested that in endurance sports, heart rate increases fairly linearly with work or velocity (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7085420">J Appl Physiol.</a><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7085420"> 1982 Apr;52(4):869-73.</a>). If you graph work or velocity on one axis and heart rate on another, the result should be a line--more or less--up to a deflection point at which point the line flattens out. That point (heart rate deflection point), according to Conconi, very closely approximates the anaerobic threshold and the work or speed associated with anaerobic threshold. Below is what that might look like for heart rate plotted against watts on a Concept II rowing ergometer:<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvr1EH54_NRvvdf6G0JCXENswU2cNHT68S0kYyum1a5j91adDL5paC2jtGKXl8okOC52AQU1JLRb3Q_k1qfHE0BH9ucl8UK0wyp9H0Ho-542SXIrLv1ilS85U7bimdLsZHjyCqprZZVM/s1600/Conconitorsten2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvr1EH54_NRvvdf6G0JCXENswU2cNHT68S0kYyum1a5j91adDL5paC2jtGKXl8okOC52AQU1JLRb3Q_k1qfHE0BH9ucl8UK0wyp9H0Ho-542SXIrLv1ilS85U7bimdLsZHjyCqprZZVM/s1600/Conconitorsten2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
<br />
The plotted red dots represent the coordinates of watts and heart rate. You can see that the line connecting the dots very closely matches the thicker trend line (in Excel) until heart rate reaches 180. Then, while watts are increasing linearly from 220 to 240, the heart rate flattens (remains essentially the same for three measurements). Thus, by Conconi's theory, 180 beats per minute represents anaerobic threshold (AT) intensity for this person.<br />
<br />
The person tested above happens to be me. Interestingly, my Conconi-derived AT closely resembled my heart rate at threshold intensity (178) as ascertained in <a href="http://hhp.cocc.edu/Facilities/exercise_lab/default.aspx">lab tests by Dr. Julie Downing</a>. This apparent corroboration piqued my interest. My initial skepticism remained, however, as we performed the test on others.<br />
<br />
<b>The Protocol</b><br />
We had people warm up on the ergometer fairly easily for 5 minutes or so (and practice holding a steady 90 watts or less just to have the experience of maintaining a certain power). Each rower on the ergometer had a spotter. Each rower wore a heart rate monitor, and each spotter had a corresponding heart rate watch, notepad and pencil.<br />
<br />
We separated rowers by at least 5 feet away so the monitors wouldn't pick up others' heart rate signals. The spotters asked the rowers to row for a minute at a very easy power level (110 or so watts) to start and told the rowers to keep the pace consistent for a minute.<br />
<br />
Every minute, the spotters asked the rowers to increase the power by 10 watts. The spotter noted the heart rate at the end of each minute and the difference (delta) between the current heart rate and the previously noted heart rate (see example below). For most, the test lasted less than 20 minutes. <br />
<br />
This is what a test result might look like:<br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mins Watts HR Delta</span></b></div>
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1 100 90 </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">2 110 95 5</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">3 120 107 12</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">4 130 113 6</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">5 140 118 5</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">6 150 125 7</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">7 160 132 7</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">8 170 138 6</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">9 180 143 6</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">10 190 146 3</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">11 200 149 3</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">12 210 151 2</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">test over because the delta is flattening out.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Interpreting the Results:</b><br />
Using the above data, we can guess without plotting the data, that the Conconi point is around 190 watts at a heart rate of 146. We can guess this because the delta between heart rates is starting to conspicuously diminish. Plotting the data may make the results more tangible.<br />
<br />
Within the group of eight men we tested, we found that any two of us might interpret the data differently. We found that some of us also projected onto the data what we thought was our anaerobic threshold, i.e., we were introducing experimenter/subject bias. The graphs varied between relatively easy-to-read and not so. <br />
<br />
Some graphs seemed somewhat clear (e.g., this person with a deflection point and Conconi AT at heart rate of 158):<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYhRaWkshWu-xgzkR3TcREo1MMVjGTbDikyRd4bFH3HxGYh787TdbPcHomHlDYFMxmuqGHNjHg4j_X9JUCrXXjz1LTdJ6jOPDutYMzkaSJEgttOpLzLdoO1yknEyGGVsjIG-cMXSC5xo/s1600-h/ronconconi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYhRaWkshWu-xgzkR3TcREo1MMVjGTbDikyRd4bFH3HxGYh787TdbPcHomHlDYFMxmuqGHNjHg4j_X9JUCrXXjz1LTdJ6jOPDutYMzkaSJEgttOpLzLdoO1yknEyGGVsjIG-cMXSC5xo/s400/ronconconi.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Some seemed to have multiple potential deflection points (HR of 110, 130, 145 or 160?):<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOxNG4zoZiOGAKd7H8cvg_RsFddrKMoAVQfWwYWTI2S31Y689viTg9yPkYKZJrtMzhN1Xhk6gMKy1EeUg2V31c0ZWC_ieWKVtKNEhvTP9Ho2ySP5EDlQ5jMj3YvWHm-FzfYBb1zp9Q3o/s1600-h/robertconconi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOxNG4zoZiOGAKd7H8cvg_RsFddrKMoAVQfWwYWTI2S31Y689viTg9yPkYKZJrtMzhN1Xhk6gMKy1EeUg2V31c0ZWC_ieWKVtKNEhvTP9Ho2ySP5EDlQ5jMj3YvWHm-FzfYBb1zp9Q3o/s400/robertconconi.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Several of the graphs looked something like this with very little deflection (Conconi deflection point of HR 140 or 150?):<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpf0ywwZdAZampeZqrhHMv8eY_UDercmPrjOq13uJy_6tTjLRx6lCbmijr37YjAGm4oqvHDiOJWs1F1KU3N5sBrh1u1SL6RnIS0TyFla1d8iC-hOTXFteg0PG-wy1COFv_g63Y08r_-0/s1600-h/jimconconi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpf0ywwZdAZampeZqrhHMv8eY_UDercmPrjOq13uJy_6tTjLRx6lCbmijr37YjAGm4oqvHDiOJWs1F1KU3N5sBrh1u1SL6RnIS0TyFla1d8iC-hOTXFteg0PG-wy1COFv_g63Y08r_-0/s400/jimconconi.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
In the end, we did agree on some heart rate and power (watts) and Conconi-AT for each of the eight people who participated. In hindsight, I am not sure how we arrived at these values because they are not all obvious. It is hard to say if this was due to the phenomenon of "group think" or something else. At any rate, we then tried to corroborate our findings. One of us had read an Ed McNeely artcile somewhere (I think in this <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=QksEAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA48&ots=UFbnsbH5Op&dq=mcneely%20rowing%20news%20%22anaerobic%20threshold%22&pg=PA72#v=onepage&q=mcneely%20rowing%20news%20%22anaerobic%20threshold%22&f=false">Rowing News article</a>) that the average pace in an 20-minute all out effort closely resembled anaerobic threshold pace. So, we took our most recent 20-minute pace and compared it to the pace corresponding to the watts at the Conconi-derived anaerobic threshold. The result was a rather remarkable .92 correlation between the two. <br />
<br />
<b>Source of Skepticism</b><br />
I'd like to be able to say that we proved the Conconi test to be a reliable indicator of anaerobic threshold, but we don't really have the data to support that. While we achieved a fairly remarkable correlation between 20-minute test pace and Conconi-calculated anaerobic threshold, it's not clear what that actually means, if anything. Below are some of the sources of skepticism about the Conconi test and our execution of it:<br />
<ol>
<li>Looking for deflection points reminds me of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_analysis">stock market technical analysis</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea-leaf_reading">tea-leaf prognostication</a>, where you may start to see things
that aren't there. </li>
<li>In <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7470293" title="Bollettino della Società italiana di biologia sperimentale.">Boll Soc Ital Biol Sper.</a><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7470293"> 1980 Dec 15;56(23):2504-10.</a>, Conconi et al studied 320 runners and found that the "deflection velocity and anaerobic threshold
(established through blood lactate determination) were coincident in 10
runners". One is tempted to add "just" as in "coincident in just 10
runners." That 3% rate is a rather flimsy basis for any physiological
phenomenon. In fact, it sounds like the exception rather than the rule. And yet, this early research seems to be the springboard for the Conconi AT test.</li>
<li>Various studies of runners have found the Conconi test unreliable. For instance, in <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8776209">Int J Sports Med.</a><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8776209"> 1995 Nov;16(8):541-4.</a>, authors Jones AM, Doust JH concluded that "the Conconi test [is] unsuitable for reliable evaluation of AT." In <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9877147">Int J Sports Med.</a><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9877147"> 1998 Nov;19(8):553-9.</a>, Bourgois
J, Vrijens J. found that Conconi's heart rate threshold (ATHR) "does
not reflect the anaerobic threshold and is therefore not relevant for
monitoring continuous endurance training in rowing." This was a study
of younger rowers.</li>
<li>Using heart rate as a source of information seems potentially
flawed. If some of us had our morning coffee, would our heart rates be more
elevated? If we were nervous about how we performed relative to our peers, would our heart rates more elevated? Were we dressed
too warmly? It seems that many factors influence heart rate and could
have altered our results.<br />
</li>
<li>The granularity of our data may have caused us to miss the physiological
changes. We measured heart rate every minute, but might we have gotten better data if we had more continuous heart rate data (e.g. have the heart rate monitor record every 5 seconds) and, if possible, have more continuous watt data as well.</li>
<li>The whole notion of anaerobic threshold is open to definitional discussion and taking Conconi's protocol definition (more or less) and then corroborating with possibly a different definition from McNeely is not rigorous science. If we had agreed on, say, 4mmol of lactate as a definition of anaerobic threshold and had been blood-lactate tested as well, we might have had a more firm basis for some conclusions.</li>
</ol>
That mostly summarizes the sources of my skepticism. I am clearly not sold on the Conconi test. However, I am aware that others seem to have success (as do, apparently, some technical analysts and tea leaf readers). For example, in <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16287355">J Strength Cond Res.</a><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16287355"> 2005 Nov;19(4):871-7</a>.,
Celik O, Koşar SN, et al, found that "the modified CT [Conconi Test] is
a reliable and valid method for determining the AT of elite men rowers." More recently, in <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1268631204" title="The Journal of international medical research.">J Int Med Res.</a><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20819426"> 2010 May-Jun;38(3):901-15.</a> researchers Erdogan A, Cetin C, Karatosun H, Baydar ML. first measured rowers on an ergometer and took blood lactate samples and ascertained the classic anaerobic threshold effort level of 4 millimoles, then compared 3 methods of analysis of respiratory gases and the non-invasive Conconi heart rate deflection method and offered:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
In conclusion, the non-invasive indices were comparable with the
invasive index and could, therefore, be used in the assessment of AT
during rowing ergometer use. In this population of elite rowers, Conconi
threshold (Con-AT), based on the measurement of HRDP tended to be the
most adequate way of estimating AT for training regulation purposes. </blockquote>
I'm not sure what "most adequate" means here--maybe cheapest and easiest(?)--but I think you get the drift. The appeal of a non-invasive test means
you can still get a Conconi test at places like the <a href="http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/sportsmedicine/programs/physiological_tests.html">UC Davis Sports Medicine facility</a>. In any event, this test is very easy to perform. Why a lab would charge $100 for this test seems curious, but then they may have a better protocol or value-added services.<br />
<br />T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-44707048319536366942011-01-31T12:30:00.000-08:002011-01-31T12:30:00.240-08:00Research: Heart Rate Deflection PointBelow is an article I wrote over a year ago (which makes the pre-publication reference seem a bit odd). However, this is a useful departure point for some future articles on Conconi testing and others.<br />
<br />
<b>Alternative to Bloodletting, Facemasks and Hoses</b><br />
Many training prescriptions are based on specific measurements like VO2Max or lactate threshold. To obtain these measurements often requires costly lab-tests with masks and tubes and frequent blood-letting. Researchers, coaches and athletes would presumably all prefer less-invasive, simple and
affordable alternatives to VO2Max and blood lactate type
testing.<br />
<br />
One alternative is the heart rate deflection point (HRDP). The notion behind HDRP is that heart rate allegedly increases linearly with intensity until a certain point, the HRDP. To ascertain HRDP, all a rower needs is a heart rate monitor, an ergometer and an assistant to write down their pulse at a certain power (watts). Plotting the results on a graph is easy enough and may reveal the HRDP, which apparently is a significant "flattening"of the heart rate relative to the otherwise upward sloping line. Here is an example, where the red dots represent the coordinates of pulse and watts. The black line is an Excel-generated "trend line" which makes it easier to see a deflection point.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsxZZxtO43c4bRtkNGOOGXMi5mqyBF1rebOZlCGh4mLRJUKYSGEaTBGuTe8kvC0f8VdZVFWpaGtH1EgNjxR66gGSj-Ya5NVDVWKGunkHTzVPC1RICb6cRqRx1gx7aIertthyphenhyphen3CmBGnaY/s1600-h/Heartratedeflectionpt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsxZZxtO43c4bRtkNGOOGXMi5mqyBF1rebOZlCGh4mLRJUKYSGEaTBGuTe8kvC0f8VdZVFWpaGtH1EgNjxR66gGSj-Ya5NVDVWKGunkHTzVPC1RICb6cRqRx1gx7aIertthyphenhyphen3CmBGnaY/s640/Heartratedeflectionpt.jpg" /></a></div>
Recently, I received a pre-publication abstract of research (<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20040892">J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Dec 24</a>.)
suggesting a "strong relationship between heart rate deflection point
(HRDP) and ventilatory threshold (VT) in trained rowers."<br />
<br />
Ventilatory
threshold (VT) is a term that applies to breathing rate. As exercise
intensity increases, the breathing rate tends to increase in a
predictable linear fashion, up to a certain point--ventilatory threshold--after which it accelerates. Below is a depiction of VT from a <a href="http://www.vacumed.com/zcom/product/Product.do?compid=27&prodid=8235">company</a> that makes a ventilatory threshold detector. The blue line represents breathing rate (ventilation), the grey line represents the linearity of the increase in breathing rate with an increase in power (watts). The red line is heart rate and VT represents the ventilatory threshold, the point where the respiration rate rapidly increases.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUYArZxcxKQLXXj_o_eCvm_juDiYt9EhshrBQvmyD4v0KBfDqtk4OFgp_LwAF4Mk3RfYAArLw69kDmM4R67h12p_iHcJUjmTESJxRMKA_IQpDxsX4yZamyTmUhM0itBv7EIXBwu4zJzQ/s1600-h/VT-LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUYArZxcxKQLXXj_o_eCvm_juDiYt9EhshrBQvmyD4v0KBfDqtk4OFgp_LwAF4Mk3RfYAArLw69kDmM4R67h12p_iHcJUjmTESJxRMKA_IQpDxsX4yZamyTmUhM0itBv7EIXBwu4zJzQ/s320/VT-LR.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Ventilatory Threshold is Roughly Equivalent to Lactate Threshold </b><br />
Ventilatory threshold is
associated with a rise in blood and muscle acidosis; many physiologists
(<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18213538">example</a>)
believe ventilatory threshold and lactate threshold
are closely related or parts of the same cascade of physiological
changes that occur at this exercise intensity. The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Exercise-Physiology-Energy-Nutrition-Performance/dp/0781749905/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257896234&sr=1-1">McArdle, Katch and Katch</a> physiology text book states: "lactate threshold...occurs at the point...of ventilatory threshold." [Those two ellipses suggest I took some liberties with this quote, but I really didn't.]<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20040892">J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Dec 24</a> study of 89 rowers is interesting
because the researchers analyzed breathing rates and heart rates
and found the deflection point and ventilatory thresholds occurred in a predictable and
useful fashion, so that one could use HDRP as a reasonable proxy for ventilatory threshold. The researchers conclude that: "trained rowers may be able to periodically assess their aerobic
endurance and evaluate the effects of training programs using the HRDP
method."<br />
<br />
This suggests, by transitive property of equality, that HRDP is roughly equivalent to Lactate Threshold (if HRDP ≈ VT and VT ≈ LT, then HRDP ≈ LT)<br />
<br />
There seems to be some cross-sport corroboration of this phenomenon (HDRP being roughly equivalent to ventilatory threshold). <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18978612">This study of cross country skiers</a> and <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12423188">this study of cyclists</a> found similar results: heart rate deflection point and ventilatory threshold are highly related.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, <a href="http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/87/1/452">this study of runners</a> found (oddly) that they could identify the heart rate deflection point of
runners on a treadmill, but not on the track.
Additionally, they concluded that "HR deflection point was not an accurate<sup> </sup>predictor of lactate threshold."<br />
<br />
Heart rate is variable based on many environmental, physiological and psychological factors. In <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20040892">J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Dec 24</a>., three experts eye-balled the
data to arrive at HRDP. They also used computer regression analysis, but some of this reading is very subjective.<br />
<br />
In conclusion, Heart Rate Deflection Point will likely continue to be a frequently studied topic as it represents a non-invasive, inexpensive way to potentially serve as a proxy for ventilatory threshold and lactate threshold, which are deemed to be important physiological metrics.T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-75507117188708773602011-01-29T17:05:00.000-08:002011-02-07T16:28:09.639-08:00We're the Fagawi: Trinity Lake Day 2After a long day of rowing (see <a href="http://scullduggery.blogspot.com/2011/01/gold-in-them-thar-hills-trinity-lake.html">previous post</a>), we read a bit, struggled to stay awake and I searched in vain for the Australian Open tennis semi-final or finals on TV. We watched a bit of the classic first Bond movie, Dr No. This movie, which has more stars than a Trinity Lake night sky with no moon, isn't really relevant to this rowing post except insofar as it affected Robert's whistling. Whistling is one of Robert's myriad skills; he is able to whistle almost any tune on pitch after hearing it just once. He doesn't know what he's whistling, but before you can say "Parrot This", he was reproducing "Under the Mango Tree" from Dr No in flawless fashion. I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to row near him if he whistled that all day long.<br />
<br />
The next morning we awoke to dense fog. Would we be able to row? Beth and I savored our coffee. Plenty of time for some slow-cooked steel-cut oatmeal. Maybe the Australian Open would be on now? Nope. After prolonging the coffee ritual and perusing the maps for future rowing adventures (maybe Lake Oroville or another part of Shasta Lake), we made our way down to the lake. Only we couldn't see much of it. Below is a photo of my wife, Beth, on the water's edge. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHBLqocAUZrtsQBclwFKeE06miTWHwMplCdcnA9sZcpBF6KMM825WthdtVCJTdykRKJ2j_IFVENUYgrOgDNhWia8qWi8uA5SWWmfgftgqRHmpuHAruZNHR-Nb6UnZo6IxWdrlet9-M68/s1600/bethfogsm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHBLqocAUZrtsQBclwFKeE06miTWHwMplCdcnA9sZcpBF6KMM825WthdtVCJTdykRKJ2j_IFVENUYgrOgDNhWia8qWi8uA5SWWmfgftgqRHmpuHAruZNHR-Nb6UnZo6IxWdrlet9-M68/s1600/bethfogsm.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is a lake there, really.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
After some debate, we decided to launch and take it easy. Easy is not actually a word in Robert's vocabulary, but he was the guy with the GPS in his boat, so we felt compelled to keep up with him--as long as he didn't whistle that freakin' "Under the Mango Tree". Below is Robert, with his GPS mounted in front of his left knee.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFiioHBwZxHHtxxsCRYHf_adAmUTzdhySppPc0hv5zN5qPupW6ga3Qsxc8PLTxdQ7mjmBvWYRISxSMeSsNPTNNUaUplZfH4xnYiG3nt-ZJnxm-4NfPraY1Q1w8_3quXLZP7yF2Tnb3vY/s1600/roberttrinityfog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFiioHBwZxHHtxxsCRYHf_adAmUTzdhySppPc0hv5zN5qPupW6ga3Qsxc8PLTxdQ7mjmBvWYRISxSMeSsNPTNNUaUplZfH4xnYiG3nt-ZJnxm-4NfPraY1Q1w8_3quXLZP7yF2Tnb3vY/s400/roberttrinityfog.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're the Fagawi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Trinity Lake was not quite full, so there were several islands not represented on maps or GPS. We had to pay close attention! We headed up the Covington Mill Arm, and suddenly we started to break through the fog. A bit of a breeze accompanied this. It made for some magical moments.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Ed-Q41VdwCOk0DOB3w21iuopEVHr9ytREFqtqwebBPIO12iuCLb_rY3uGiJdDkkt-e_HeD3sXjpkV7qbEDTUMIZfPlgf7hvbis09A1RSbQy2JUlVo3ejiZ3VBh63jNWW_yxThxf6RVQ/s1600/emergingfromfog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Ed-Q41VdwCOk0DOB3w21iuopEVHr9ytREFqtqwebBPIO12iuCLb_rY3uGiJdDkkt-e_HeD3sXjpkV7qbEDTUMIZfPlgf7hvbis09A1RSbQy2JUlVo3ejiZ3VBh63jNWW_yxThxf6RVQ/s400/emergingfromfog.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fog lifts...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And, then we started to look around and see more breath-taking Trinity Alps views. I really wanted a large zoom camera right about then. But, it's hard enough to take photos while twisting in the breeze as your boat and oars pivot, let alone worry about losing an expensive camera in the water.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFGe0hE_NCfaZHIYN0doh_dsu7V58CP-gf6HXvsGBd8u4l5nK-n6zwwYdGHBiBV-NOEz0jBySrpE43uLWcTu9rrItAnma4BVh0xE2J7RqXzcnpxxtYLs-hTjpaSKdK9JlA2Z4TaIS_p8/s1600/emerging2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFGe0hE_NCfaZHIYN0doh_dsu7V58CP-gf6HXvsGBd8u4l5nK-n6zwwYdGHBiBV-NOEz0jBySrpE43uLWcTu9rrItAnma4BVh0xE2J7RqXzcnpxxtYLs-hTjpaSKdK9JlA2Z4TaIS_p8/s1600/emerging2a.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh my...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As the fog cleared, the lake became glassy once again and mountain views abounded.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynJqqoHv3YtFsjmMpZWpT1J7vJaduXzHivlgn_XgFYv8b1DeqmWhKrPT6-QO6geuW9dPCPXKjpajqezEyXUtKR6Q_lT4VCH31qkpuyEfF6rVyK2L2oFMg4RRKDBtIvIgtbKg4EvibumI/s1600/bethtrinityreturn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynJqqoHv3YtFsjmMpZWpT1J7vJaduXzHivlgn_XgFYv8b1DeqmWhKrPT6-QO6geuW9dPCPXKjpajqezEyXUtKR6Q_lT4VCH31qkpuyEfF6rVyK2L2oFMg4RRKDBtIvIgtbKg4EvibumI/s1600/bethtrinityreturn.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Does it get much better than this?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We returned the way we had come and then extended our row up another short arm. Here's our Day 2 <a href="http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4261259">route</a>. My Stroke Coach read a little over 27k for the day and almost 68k for the two days. <br />
<br />
I am told that we enjoyed exceptional conditions these past two days--warm temps and almost no wind. The boats and jet skis stored near the boat ramp tell a story of what it might be like in the summer months.<br />
<br />
<b>Home Again, Perchance to Dream of New Adventures</b><br />
After loading up, we decided to drive a different route home via Gazelle-Callahan road. Most scenic. We discussed how many others in our club would join us on these adventures and what we might do to make this happen. Certainly, we have made some announcements, but trips like these require considerable schedule flexibility and spontaneity (sometimes you have to seize the moment because of weather and other conditions), willingness to row in a fatter boat maybe (not always), row in a different venue, and not always have perfect accommodations. We'll keep trying. In the mean time, I am grateful to my wife and Robert for being eager co-conspirators.T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-2778844482197388402011-01-29T12:09:00.000-08:002011-01-29T12:21:53.371-08:00Gold in Them Thar Hills: Trinity Lake Day 1<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1dlzHYylLjK8P_o8sg85rqArF1X-WELicBkCB_Qw-896g84-vR1q9f3zimRNs788kfho0k67g6X0R02JBHvRlrm66g1RULgguboCbU1lpz9l7wfid-QZrpHJ0pKh9V2fCPZiMUqz-HG8/s1600/trinitylakeglass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1dlzHYylLjK8P_o8sg85rqArF1X-WELicBkCB_Qw-896g84-vR1q9f3zimRNs788kfho0k67g6X0R02JBHvRlrm66g1RULgguboCbU1lpz9l7wfid-QZrpHJ0pKh9V2fCPZiMUqz-HG8/s400/trinitylakeglass.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beth rowing on Trinity Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>To Trinity and Beyond...</b><br />
Continuing our quest to explore new bodies of water in rowing shells, we found ourselves back in Northern California. After our great experience <a href="http://scullduggery.blogspot.com/2011/01/lemurian-rowing-club.html">rowing on Shasta Lake</a>, and with a blob of high pressure pushing the jet stream north, we knew we had a window of auspicious rowing weather. We looked at the map, and said: "wow, look at that lake right next to the Trinity Alps." I found a place that rented <a href="http://trinitylakeresort.com/services/cabins/">cabins right on the lake</a>, checked the lake water level (this is a man-made reservoir), took care of loose ends at home, and decided this was another golden opportunity. <br />
<br />
Trinity Lake is located directly east of Shasta Lake and almost directly south from Ashland as the crow flies. If you were, in fact, a crow, the only major road you would fly over is Hwy 96, a part of which is officially called the Bigfoot Highway. Way to milk that one. We chose to drive south on I5 and then the most direct route from Yreka, which turns out to be a scenic byway in its entirety. Hwy 3 travels along both the Scott and Trinity rivers, both in prime gold mining country, and one of the things you notice along both rivers is the acres and acres of massive cobble furrow; it looks like some tilling machine plowed these melon-sized rocks up and redistributed them in a semi-orderly fashion. These are apparently hydraulic mining tailings created by the massive "monitor" water hoses. Between 1850 and 1950, miners apparently pulled out 1,750,000 ounces of gold from the gravel along the Trinity river. <br />
<br />
Part of our route overlapped the Oregon-California trail. It's hard to imagine the horse-drawn wagons climbing this rather steep 5400' pass. This road is apparently either seasonally open (i.e., not in winter) or "not plowed evening, weekends or holidays," depending on what source you read. We were glad to find it open. The Pacific Crest Trail (from Canada to Mexico) crosses here too (you can spy the sign over my right arm).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxoVQKSiLdoZT-wZ1vHt5i3sSYjSYuvy7Si2wq_H1dg15XuhOuC472vmxibsnjuSqvwvEiBCRibs_OtvtSsP7JagEZ6ouwfbVtcJwLNI2q0aDRyjwoNgTA4u6d5gnzeqSDegv8katNMg/s1600/5400pass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxoVQKSiLdoZT-wZ1vHt5i3sSYjSYuvy7Si2wq_H1dg15XuhOuC472vmxibsnjuSqvwvEiBCRibs_OtvtSsP7JagEZ6ouwfbVtcJwLNI2q0aDRyjwoNgTA4u6d5gnzeqSDegv8katNMg/s1600/5400pass.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scott Mt Summit on the way to Trinity Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I had backpacked in the Trinity Alps around 2000, but hadn't been back
since. A friend and I had rafted on the Trinity river, but I had never
been to Trinity Lake. So many adventures, so little time. It's amazing to me that this is almost in our backyard and we've spent so little time here.<br />
<br />
We arrived in just 2.5 hours and were surprised to see snow along the road to the lake. And yet, the ambient temperature was well into the 50s and clearly getting warmer. We rigged up and dressed down. All of us started in shorts. I rowed in a tank top. I think we were all stunned by the beauty of both the lake and the nearby Trinity Alps, and by our good fortune. It's a hard knock life for us... <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8utfPfuqlFg33xjd3onXGMDQRoRQGTHvJKbR4H-Q7zzmmLOo4NOsCQWChLr7qs7o_6FJbwUN3B7WQbof_jInlq_W4aBr84Hki_7NltBgVBpCjwuS9BfQfRMknFObQc4C8IZubhD2WNo/s1600/bethtrinityglass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8utfPfuqlFg33xjd3onXGMDQRoRQGTHvJKbR4H-Q7zzmmLOo4NOsCQWChLr7qs7o_6FJbwUN3B7WQbof_jInlq_W4aBr84Hki_7NltBgVBpCjwuS9BfQfRMknFObQc4C8IZubhD2WNo/s400/bethtrinityglass.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warm rowing on glassy Trinity Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Maas Miles</b><br />
I had mapped out a route of what I thought would be about 33 kilometers along the longest arm of the lake. This arm is about 19 miles long. We rowed and rowed and rowed and hadn't arrived at our turn-around point (Trinity Center), when it occurred to me that maybe I hadn't converted the map miles into kilometers. Oops. (We did have a GPS and Stroke Coaches, so we knew how far we had come.) Our <a href="http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4260895%20">route</a> ended up being a little over 40 kilometers, which in a Maas is quite a ways, especially in January. <br />
<br />
Quite tired, we left our boats in slings near the boat ramp and drove the few hundred yards to our lodging. The manager, Sharon, told us that we were the only ones staying in the cabins and she had upgraded the three of us to an 8-person cabin. Cool! Unfortunately, the water heater hadn't been turned on, so the showers were...Cold!<br />
<br />
<b>Weaverville</b><br />
After a beer and the requisite time to allow the minor inebriation to wear off (good God, from one beer?!), we drove the 15-miles to the nearby town of Weaverville. I mention this because the town is worth the trip and so is La Grange, the restaurant that Sharon had suggested. The La Grange is located in an historic 1850s brick building, with a bar from Montana (which made an appearance in some movie). The atmosphere is excellent and the food was delectable, though I suspect wet cardboard and sawdust might have tasted good after that many burned calories.<br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Year of the Rabbit Soon</b><br />
After dinner, the three of us walked around town to see some of the gold rush artifacts like a huge monitor nozzle (about 20 feet long). When gold mining began here in the 1850s, many of the early miners were Chinese and there is still a Chinese presence here.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6EYu9jyqrGjxoxsX-oQUFGrk1xO2jQbWWPA1bQaF_EBd4Tw-VoN_dHbAXCLBzGnecvCUMvP1FBkVELhvKc1IwFo9ptPuw8vDHmkdbtMa0TzS54kC4M9WawVJXiH-k0ngrkUVk4A9PbA/s1600/chinesegoldminers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6EYu9jyqrGjxoxsX-oQUFGrk1xO2jQbWWPA1bQaF_EBd4Tw-VoN_dHbAXCLBzGnecvCUMvP1FBkVELhvKc1IwFo9ptPuw8vDHmkdbtMa0TzS54kC4M9WawVJXiH-k0ngrkUVk4A9PbA/s1600/chinesegoldminers.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Heathen Chinese Prospecting" (California State Parks photo)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The Weaverville Joss House is apparently the oldest continuously used Taoist temple in California. It was closed for the evening, but we could see it from the outside.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kOmqPqjo5g4RQgUTvKQKkA2oY45RhoGptIZjga2WAF4zOfRzHGcP9fCK1BuzQdKD93KIQUHk3pcmiUMY7Lmp6lBbjW_gH-MQsXAOothYbCaERI2lQYjeNr2Y-Mj67Uj2TXYNjQ5IduE/s1600/JossHouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kOmqPqjo5g4RQgUTvKQKkA2oY45RhoGptIZjga2WAF4zOfRzHGcP9fCK1BuzQdKD93KIQUHk3pcmiUMY7Lmp6lBbjW_gH-MQsXAOothYbCaERI2lQYjeNr2Y-Mj67Uj2TXYNjQ5IduE/s1600/JossHouse.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weaverville Joss House (California State Parks photo)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
As we walked around, we noticed that there were displays of fireworks in some of the store windows and then we read that it is almost Chinese New Year (next week on Feb 5th?). Gung Hi Fat Choi!T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-44055262337490965292011-01-24T21:56:00.000-08:002011-01-24T22:15:27.134-08:00The Lemurian Rowing Club<b>Sweaty Palms</b> <br />
"You know you're a rower when you drive by bodies of water and your palms begin to sweat." That's Rich Lavoy at a recent ARC men's racing team soiree. He continues: "You want to grab an oar (or two) and test those waters...except you don't have a boat." Over the last 5 years, I've increasingly experienced the Lavoy <i>lust</i> about interesting bodies of water. But increasingly I do something about it (bring a boat and oars) so I can, er, consummate the relationship with those bodies. And, I get some friends to join me...OK, that's not coming out the way I intended.<br />
<br />
<b>Shasta </b><b>Lake</b><br />
Shasta Lake is one of those bodies with rowing allure. It's an immense man-made reservoir just south of Mt Shasta and only about a 2-hour drive away from Ashland. With 30,310 acres (12,270 ha) of area and 365 miles of shoreline, you could row here for a very long time. The dam that creates this lake is the second largest in the US and features the world's largest man-made waterfall(!?) Another feature is that most of the lake is easily accessible. This is a mixed blessing, as the lake becomes "party central" in the summer months for water skiers, jet boats, wakeboarders and all manner of aquatic mayhem, not to mention house boat revelers. But, in January, Shasta Lake is a wonderful, pleasant place to be. And row.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCy_xIFK_LhqfnX1dU-39nVxSKBCgIwTeZpxOd5UVLtUmpL3OR-HiF90po-xJYLoalJChYwsoNrqDpWaV3qUiqlt0n7mE8xW7nQtBrUBw32pEV5aqVs334FwM-ywom03OTeoW01JMgoOE/s1600/shastalake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCy_xIFK_LhqfnX1dU-39nVxSKBCgIwTeZpxOd5UVLtUmpL3OR-HiF90po-xJYLoalJChYwsoNrqDpWaV3qUiqlt0n7mE8xW7nQtBrUBw32pEV5aqVs334FwM-ywom03OTeoW01JMgoOE/s320/shastalake.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some rowers may get sweaty palms looking at this.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Ashland rowers drive by this lake many, many times a year on the way to and back from regattas in the San Francisco Bay area, Sacramento, Oakland, Long Beach, San Diego, etc. The I5 freeway crosses the lake twice and comes really close two other times, so the Rich Lavoys among us, experience many painful, aching and sweaty moments as we gaze longingly. This past week I had the means, motive and opportunity to row at Shasta Lake. <br />
<br />
One of my friends who is similarly afflicted is Robert "<a href="http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1282031219713">Flip</a>" Lombardi. He and I have shared many skiing, rafting, biking and rowing adventures, and Robert didn't want to miss this one. My adventuresome wife wanted to be in on this too, and finally so did Captain Paul Noyes, he of so many injured parts and bountiful spirit. We all brought <a href="http://www.maasboats.com/maas24.htm">Maas-24 open water rowing shells</a>. Some of us remembered life vests. Some of us even remembered to bring them with us in our shells.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1658928086" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LDAm3DHQBOJDd2K9jO_HC0DKDKz62JqbkVUiW37Nduzuv2nwMkscwj8OBFGknhVwV6h20unFnLnOD9_RFxMT2EDAzXtQFbatldSgSGvHRYDbsFjfOrdyszg7cMVnxxSglNOXGuVkkQM/s1600/shastalakeabovesmall.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=shasta+lake,+ca&aq=&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=58.816238,91.230469&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Shasta+Lake,+Shasta,+California&ll=40.807573,-122.344093&spn=0.221404,0.479622&t=h&z=12">365 miles (587 kilometers) of rowing potential</a></td></tr>
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<br />
<b>White Caps and Black Socks</b><br />
Our first proposed launching site (Antlers) proved to be too windy (white caps) even with all the appropriate clothing (e.g. my two layers of black neoprene socks), so we drove to another spot, Bailey Cove. This is near, by the way, to where the boats depart to Shasta Caverns (which is a potential segue to the Lemurians, but I'm not ready yet). The wind at Bailey was a bit challenging too (begging for a post on how to surf waves in a single rowing shell) so my wife and I elected to mostly row a bunch of 4k loops in a sheltered cove. We got about 14k in and decided to move on to another venue. I had Paul's lunch, so I put it on his front passenger side wheel and my wife wrote a note where we were headed and what I'd done with his meal. <br />
<br />
<b>It Hirz So Good</b><br />
We looked at the map and decided that Hirz Bay, further up the McCloud arm, would be a good launching site candidate for less wind. And it was. In fact, the water became glass. It was January 21, but the temperature must have been in the high 60s. I shed clothes faster than an adolescent teen on a nooner. A bald eagle watched.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RFXfd-MZVSgPI6xFnGq1eutW-8UYmOjLi_hKaoH_Ub4njbSnefxdKWw3bWn0BtoN7mYcYaNOorJ0tN9pfl-_wVmiZ4V8msQ9On7Ob3DZt0QAgm-3rq3IuxD4GWHO9Ecxnb5tYHFg1r4/s1600/shastarowing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RFXfd-MZVSgPI6xFnGq1eutW-8UYmOjLi_hKaoH_Ub4njbSnefxdKWw3bWn0BtoN7mYcYaNOorJ0tN9pfl-_wVmiZ4V8msQ9On7Ob3DZt0QAgm-3rq3IuxD4GWHO9Ecxnb5tYHFg1r4/s400/shastarowing.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The water on the McCloud arm has a bit of the azure glacier run-off look, but is startling clear. This might be a nice spot for camping and rowing before the lake levels recede in the summer. FWIW, our route that afternoon is <a href="http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4247497">here</a>. About 17k. Very pleasant and the antidote to the white knuckle ride from the morning. About 31k for the day.<br />
<br />
Coincidentally, our buddies Paul and Robert, continued up from Bailey Cove to Hirz. Good row, gents! My hat is off to you (and I bet yours were too) after that wind. After they returned, Paul started to drive his car to the boat ramp <i>while</i> reading the note we had left him. Reading while driving!? Sheesh, Paul!! You are one oar shy of a full rigging. Anyway, Paul got to the part in the note about my leaving his lunch on the wheel and he abruptly stopped the car. Too late. Apparently, his squished sandwich was still tasty, even with SUV aggressive tread imprints. <br />
<br />
After a curious conversation with the locals at a Lakehead pizza joint, we convened at our quaint 40s style motel, the Lakehead Lodge. I can't imagine what it's like in the summer, but in January it was just about right. Jim, the Gentle Giant, is an entertaining proprietor who may have spent too much time nibbling lead-based paint chips. Personally, I like him. <br />
<br />
<b>Someone Else Had The Same Idea?</b><br />
During a sumptuous breakfast at the Camp Shasta Coffee Company the next morning, we learned from the proprietor that we were the first rowers he had ever seen on the lake, BUT the University of Oregon was bringing their entire team down in March. I hope they have as good conditions as we did.<br />
<br />
<b>Antlers</b><br />
We decided to do a point-to-point row, launching at a place called Antlers and making our way to the O'Brien boat ramp. We did a quick car shuttle and discovered that the O'Brien ramp was unavailable. Still, we'd be able to land next to the houseboat parking there. Again, the temperatures were hovering near 70 and we rowed in shorts and tanks or less. The water temp was apparently 51, so swimming wouldn't have been that big a deal.<br />
<br />
Robert and I decided to add a bit extra and rowed up the Salt Creek inlet, a worthy scenic excursion. Below is our route for the day:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEg1RL6oIqEALo37gazFFRnloKKIk4OHVWKAXO16gdYTKvsxpyQgsrlQ1mlV4poQH4ySn27uNs2GtcbarMl-_5ZvAybN4xPAlw9R4QW1HDWvs_iR9clWjfef0ObtSCFHvK0uhb7ilGNoA/s1600/day2row.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEg1RL6oIqEALo37gazFFRnloKKIk4OHVWKAXO16gdYTKvsxpyQgsrlQ1mlV4poQH4ySn27uNs2GtcbarMl-_5ZvAybN4xPAlw9R4QW1HDWvs_iR9clWjfef0ObtSCFHvK0uhb7ilGNoA/s1600/day2row.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4247431">Another fine route on Shasta Lake</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Big Foot vs the Lemurians</b><br />
Ok, this post mentioned Lemurians, but it doesn't mean I have to write about them, does it? OK, well, Shasta is the edge of the stomping grounds for that alleged creature known as Bigfoot. The town of Shasta doesn't make a big deal out of him and neither does the town of Lake Shasta, certainly not like the town of Happy Camp which features a towering statue of the big guy (he looks like he has Marfan's Syndrome).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV51wZ1hNoI_T7y8-AnOYoZi7RdTUaSX7Z1WeE0uL4rfcWLmIo5MNNhjRnSVeg7C4FCpDe_of4W6AVxafC1Ch2juvSCl5faS_2SWs14lF4T5MST8IOoNBDZJEd7FSopz6ZWygTjIpNG74/s1600/mysmallbigfoots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV51wZ1hNoI_T7y8-AnOYoZi7RdTUaSX7Z1WeE0uL4rfcWLmIo5MNNhjRnSVeg7C4FCpDe_of4W6AVxafC1Ch2juvSCl5faS_2SWs14lF4T5MST8IOoNBDZJEd7FSopz6ZWygTjIpNG74/s1600/mysmallbigfoots.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bigfoot agrees to pose with me and my family a few years ago</td></tr>
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Certainly people read about Shasta area sightings (e.g. <a href="http://www.siskiyous.edu/shasta/fol/big/index.htm">here</a>). I particularly enjoyed reading <a href="http://www.lemurianconnection.com/en/about-mount-shasta.htm">this authoritative account </a>of Bigfoots (Bigfeet?):<br />
<blockquote>
The Bigfoot
people are now very few in numbers around the world and around Mount
Shasta. They are of average intelligence and possess a peaceful
heart. They have also obtained the dispensation to be able to make
themselves invisible at will to be able to avoid confrontation with
us and thus, like the little people, avoid being harmed, mutilated
and used as a slave race.</blockquote>
<br />
Now I would have thought the "little people" are the Lemurians, who live inside of Mt Shasta. But, it turns out I am dead wrong on this. The same source goes on to say: "The Lemurians living underground,
beneath the mountain, are commonly described as graceful and tall
- seven feet and up - with long, flowing hair." Seven feet tall! Damn, they might make good oarsmen and women. The lost tribe of the Lemurian Rowing Club.<br />
<br />
Another <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/24290785/Different-Theories-About-Lemuria-The-Lost-Land-of-MU">source</a> suggests an interesting history of the Lemurians involving lemurs, Madagascar and a German naturalist, named Ernst Heinrich Haeckel (famous for, among other things, his pithy but false dictum: "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny"). Ernst apparently said that some ancient land bridge spanning the Indian Ocean explained the presence of lemurs in various unrelated places (e.g., Madagascar, India, etc), but more importantly for our discussion, he claimed that <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=fhybkzONQPgC&lpg=PA204&ots=l6QOGRycy4&dq=Ernst%20Haeckel%20lemur&pg=PA205#v=onepage&q=lemur&f=false">lemurs might have been our ancestors</a>. Just want you to know that I went to the original source for that one; I thought the other sources might be pulling my leg.<br />
<br />
Anyway, this land mass bridge theory predates our knowledge of plate tectonics and continental drift, and the apparently popular theory of the time was that some landmasses (like the land bridge) simply submerged. Somehow, an English Zoologist, named Philip Sclater, coined the term Lemuria and this word apparently appeared in 1864 in ‘The Mammals of Madagascar’ in The Quarterly Journal of Science (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemuria_%28continent%29">source</a>).<br />
<br />
This, in turn, seems to have been appropriated and greatly embellished by different people to infer several lost races of pre-humans (Atlanteans, Lemurians, John Birch Society, etc). Ok, I made that last part up about the John Birch Society, but the rest is true!<br />
<br />
How the Lemurians traveled to the Shasta area from a submerged land bridge in the Indian Ocean is beyond me (as is so, so much else). However, one of my <a href="http://www.lemurianconnection.com/en/about-mount-shasta.htm">sources</a> gives me a pretty good idea of what might have happened: "Mount Shasta is not only a home for the Lemurians,
but it is also an inter-planetary and inter-galactic multi-dimensional
portal. " Aha! It would be trivial, then, to travel from just about anywhere to the Shasta area if you have the Lemurian mass transit portal system.<br />
<br />
We only spent two days rowing on Shasta Lake, but there's a lot more than meets the eye. Well, there's a lot that meets the eye too (like massive amounts of rowable water!), but there's a lot that's hidden, like the various caves, e.g., <a href="http://lakeshastacaverns.com/">Lake Shasta Caverns</a>, near the lake. Next time, I will bring along some appropriate historical reading material and try to tap into the latent Lemurian wisdom and power. I wonder what the dues are for the Lemurian Rowing Club.<br />
<br />T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-29813302248739827242011-01-19T12:21:00.000-08:002011-01-19T12:23:40.436-08:00No Zone Training: Part 3In my <a href="http://scullduggery.blogspot.com/2010/12/no-zone-training-part-1.html">first post</a> on this subject, I first tried to measure the "No Zone" for myself using lab and race heart rate data. This resulted in too wide a swath of intensity to avoid; in effect the information was useless. In the <a href="http://scullduggery.blogspot.com/2010/12/no-zone-training-part-2.html">second post</a>, I addressed some of the support of the <i>Polarized Training Mode</i>l. In this post, I'm going to resume with a summary of the argument in favor of this model and contrast that with some arguments in favor of threshold training.<br />
<br />
<b>A Brief Summary of the Case For The Polarized Training Mode</b>l<br />
Stephen Seiler et al make the following points in a variety of different articles:<br />
<ol>
<li>Elite endurance athletes in a variety of sports independently converge on a polarized training intensity distribution, with ~80% at relatively low intensity with remaining ~20% at either threshold or between 90-100% of VO2max </li>
<li>Research shows the benefits of high intensity training (~90-100% of VO2max )<br />But the benefits of high intensity training are limited in frequency; increasing number has no extra benefit.</li>
<li>Research shows the benefits of low intensity training (below 2mmoles of lactate)</li>
<li>Research shows benefits from training at or near lactate threshold, however that research used untrained and/or elderly subjects</li>
<li>Some research shows the benefits of polarized training over threshold type training</li>
<li>And finally, time-constrained athletes tend to converge on threshold intensity too much of the time. </li>
</ol>
All in all, it seems like a well-researched, cogent and logical series of arguments (and I'm not doing them justice with this summary).<br />
<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>What's Good for the Goose is Good for the Gander? </b><br />
If you're paying attention, you'll notice the seeming contradiction in points 1 and 6. To paraphrase Seiler et al:<br />
<ol>
<li>elite endurance athletes through experiment and innovation naturally converge on a polarized training mix. </li>
<li>Time-constrained athletes naturally converge on a "training error" of too much--lactate threshold. He writes: "We can call it falling into a training intensity “black hole. It is hard to keep recreational people training 45-60 min a day 3-5 days a week from accumulating a lot of training time at their lactate threshold."</li>
</ol>
It seems odd that one group would naturally converge on productive polarized training to optimize their training effect, while the other group would naturally converge on an unproductive single mode of too much threshold training. Seiler writes that, for elite athletes: <br />
<blockquote>
any consistent pattern of training intensity distribution emerging across sport disciplines is likely to be a result of a successful self-organization (evolution) towards a “population optimum.” </blockquote>
<br />
If true, why wouldn't the same be hold for time-constrained athletes: couldn't they too be demonstrating self-organization toward some optimum strategy? <br />
<br />
This really begs the question: assuming all of Seiler's (and his fellow authors') points to be true, does it necessarily follow that training at threshold is a bad thing? Moreover, if you have plenty of time for recovery, e.g., several days each week like many recreational (and even competitive) masters athletes, then maybe, in fact, threshold training is the optimum training strategy for time-constrained people. Given a finite amount of time, would you want to go for the most bang for the buck. Unfortunately, as Seiler points out, it's hard to find threshold training research that isn't about the untrained. <br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>The Evidence <i>Against</i> Training at Threshold for Time-Constrained Athletes</b><br />
In <a href="http://www.sportsci.org/2009/ss.htm">Intervals, Thresholds, and Long Slow Distance: the Role of Intensity and Duration in Endurance Training</a> cites a personal communication from researcher Esteve-Lanao about a study of recreational athletes
showing that the polarized model worked better than more training at
threshold intensity. I've searched for this study and have not found
it published anywhere (Pubmed's list of <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=%22Esteve-Lanao%20J%22[Author]">Esteve-Lanao's research</a>).<br />
<br />
<b>The Evidence Against Training at Threshold for Sub-Elite Athletes</b><br />
Removing the training time consideration and moving along the recreation-elite spectrum, <span style="font-size: small;">Seiler and Lanao, et al, compared two training programs in sub-elite runners.</span> In <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17685689">Impact of training intensity distribution on performance in endurance athletes</a>, they had one group train using a
polarized program and one with more threshold intensity. The polarized group performed significantly better than the
threshold training group, "</span>supporting the value of a relatively large percentage of low-intensity
training over a long period ( approximately 5 months), provided that the
contribution of high-intensity training remains sufficient."<br />
<br />
<b>More Evidence Against Threshold (or for Polarized Training)</b><br />
Seiler continues to seek empirical data that the polarized model works while too much threshold seems to hinder. In <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20861522">Lactate profile changes in relation to training characteristics in junior elite cyclists</a> published in Sept 2010, he and A. Guelich studied the training of 51 German junior cyclists and found that "training at <2 mM blood lactate appears to play an important
role in improving the power output to blood lactate relationship.
Excessive training near threshold intensity (3-6 mM blood lactate) may
negatively impact lactate threshold development."<br />
<br />
<b>The Case for Threshold Training</b><br />
<b>1. Researchers </b><br />
On the other sides of the aisle, one researcher and athlete who seems unabashedly in favor of threshold training is Andrew Coggan. He depicts a variety of benefits accruing from training at or near threshold (level 4 in his schema) in <a href="http://velodynamics2.webs.com/OSFtraininglevels.pdf">this pdf</a> (see Table 2). Not surprisingly, one of the benefits cited is increased lactate threshold. In other words, train at threshold, benefit your threshold. While this seems intuitive, this publication and the subsequent "<span id="btAsinTitle">Training and Racing with a Power Meter" don't cite specific research in favor of this concept. Coggan and fellow author, Hunter Allen, do cite a study of fiber recruitment: around threshold is when fast-twitch muscle fibers start being recruited. While that is interesting and may be important, it doesn't really constitute the research we would like to have in support of threshold training. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Another researcher (and author with Seiler) who has been a proponent of threshold training is Jack Daniels. In <a href="http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=7479">Threshold Training: Finding your T-pace</a>, he writes: "Threshold or Tpace <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">running is one of the most productive types of training that distance runners can do." </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Daniels describes this intensity as </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">equal to a pace they could race at for 50 to 60 minutes.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">" </span><br />
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</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<b>2. Research Findings</b><br />
According to one <a href="http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/lactate-threshold-training.html">training website</a> "There is a substantial body of research that shows training at or close
to the lactate threshold increases the intensity at which it occurs." This statement is accompanied by a list of published research (see below). However, if you read these studies (check out the abstracts) you will see the participants consist mostly of untrained, elderly. This presumably makes them less relevant to trained athletes, masters or otherwise. The studies that use trained athletes seem to support high intensity training, not training at the lactate threshold.<br />
<br />
<b>3. Anecdotal</b><br />
Many athletes including cyclists, runners, rowers and cross-country skiers have been doing considerable threshold training and reporting excellent results. Many cyclists are performing 2 x 20-minute intervals at threshold pace; this has been one of the more popular workouts of many of those who have adopted cycling power meter training.<br />
<br />
In fact, Stephen Seiler, himself used to row 3 x 20 minute intervals at friendly club race pace as part of his training. One can only assume this was harder than low intensity, but too easy to be high intensity training. Maybe he wouldn't do that any longer, however.<br />
<br />
<b>Definitions or What is Threshold Intensity?</b><br />
In the first post, I began with the calculation of threshold intensity based on the definitions, as offered in the Outside Magazine article "<a href="http://outsideonline.com/fitness/travel-ta-201012-bodywork-endurance-training-recovery-athletes-sidwcmdev_153019.html">Beware the Black Hole</a>". Below is the a re-formatted table with those calculations. <br />
<br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" style="width: 531px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><b>Method and associated heart rate</b></td>
<td><b>Calculated<br />
"No Zone" </b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>75-80% of maximum heart rate. Max = 200</td>
<td> 150-160</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Talking becomes difficult guesstimate = 165</td>
<td> 165-175</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>HR at Measured Lactate Threshold = 178</td>
<td> 178-189</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>HR during last 20-minutes of all-out 30-minute effort = 185</td>
<td> 185-196</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
If my experience is representative, then identifying, let alone avoiding, threshold will be challenging. <br />
<br />
Seiler, in many of his articles, uses a definition of 2millimoles of lactate for low intensity exercise and 4 millimoles as roughly threshold intensity exercise. So, to employ the polarized model, an athlete would aim to stay below 2mmol for 80% of training. For the remainder, the training would be at 4 mmol or considerably higher. Avoiding training in the 2 to 4mmol area is the implication. Can you figure this out?<br />
<br />
I can say for myself that that zone is easily avoided. As I mentioned in the previous post, in lab testing my blood lactate only reached 2mmol at a heart rate of 176, an intensity which I would consider a challenging effort, not low intensity, and definitely not something I would naturally settle into. I have to actively make myself exert up to this level. The exercise physiologist there described that as my lactate threshold.<br />
<br />
Seiler, Coggan, Daniels and others seem to agree that threshold is
roughly the intensity you could sustain for about an hour in a race.
This is certainly hard. However, if you perform that intensity for
20-minutes or less at a time, it may be considerably more manageable,
thus the idea of 2 x 20 minute intervals at threshold pace.<br />
<br />
<b>Conclusions</b><br />
<ol>
<li>Seiler makes a strong case for the polarized model of training</li>
<li>The evidence <i>against</i> threshold training is not particularly strong, however</li>
<li>The case against threshold training for time-constrained athletes, based on private communication, seems weak</li>
<li>Ascertaining threshold efforts based on suggestions in Outside Magazine article seem flawed, at least based on my lab data</li>
<li>The evidence <i>for</i> threshold training is not particularly strong either.</li>
</ol>
<br />
This is most unsatisfying. The argument in favor of avoiding threshold doesn't seem strong. Based on nothing other than the principle of specificity, one would think that to improve lactate threshold, one could train at or near that intensity. However, the evidence in favor seems minimal.<br />
<br />
-------------------------------------------------------------<br />
Research cited by the "Sport-Fitness" website in favor of training at lactate threshold to improve lactate threshold (their footnote numbers) and accompanied by my bold notes in parenthesis.<br />
<br />
<br />
7) Yoshida T, Suda Y, Takeuchi N. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2038780077">Endurance training regimen based upon arterial blood lactate</a><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6889499">: effects on anaerobic threshold.</a> <i> Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. </i>1982;49(2):223-30 (college students, not specifically athletes)<br />
8) Davis JA, Frank MH, Whipp BJ, Wasserman K. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/468620">Anaerobic threshold alterations caused by endurance training in middle-aged men</a>. <i> J Appl Physiol. </i>1979 Jun;46(6):1039-46 (sedentary middle-aged males)<br />
9) Belman, MJ, Gaesser, GA <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2072834">Exercise training below and above the lactate threshold in the elderly.</a> <i>Med Sci Sports Exerc.</i> 1991;23,562-568 (elderly, not likely athletes)<br />
10) Evertsen F, Medbo JI, Bonen A.<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11683677"> Effect of training intensity on muscle lactate transporters and lactate threshold of cross-country skiers. </a><i> Acta Physiol Scand.</i> 2001 Oct;173(2):195-205 (athletes, but not clearly in favor of training at lactate threshold, may be case for higher intensity)<br />
11) Weltman A, Seip RL, Snead D, Weltman JY, Haskvitz EM, Evans WS,
Veldhuis JD, Rogol AD. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1601562">Exercise training at and above the lactate threshold in previously untrained women.</a> <i> Int J Sports Med. </i>1992 Apr;13(3):257-63 (untrained women)<br />
12) Acevedo EO, Goldfarb AH.<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2607946"> Increased training intensity effects on plasma lactate, ventilatory threshold, and endurance.</a> <i> Med Sci Sports Exerc. </i>1989 Oct;21(5):563-8 (athletes, but a case for higher intensity, not training at or near lactate threshold)<br />
13) Henritze J, Weltman A, Schurrer RL, Barlow K. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4018061">Effects of training at and above the lactate threshold on the lactate threshold and maximal oxygen uptake</a>. <i> Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol.</i> 1985;54(1):84-8 (college students, not specifically athletes)<br />
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<br />T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-616013937654250670.post-55528270041006497882011-01-18T10:52:00.000-08:002011-01-18T10:52:16.507-08:00Radio Brain: Got a Mental Laxative?There should be a word for the phenomenon of having your mind go blank when you're interviewed on the radio. This is what happened to me today when Rob Cain and I were being interviewed for the <a href="http://ijpr.org/">Jefferson Exchange</a> by Lisa Polito regarding our <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/ashlandwoodstmp/home">Ashland Watershed Trails Master Plan</a> efforts. <br />
<br />
<blockquote>
Lisa: "What's your name?"<br />
Me: "er, uh, um...52...I'm sorry, what was the question?"</blockquote>
<br />
OK, it wasn't quite that bad, but it's scary when you realize that people, places and things you want to recall simply slip from your consciousness. It's like trying to remember your dreams when you wake up and you can feel the details vanishing like savings in your 401k. Where'd it all go?<br />
<br />
Some call this "brain fart" but it's more like brain constipation. "Hold on, the thought is coming. Real soon now. Um, do you have any prune juice, maybe a mental laxative?" Physiologically, I wonder if it is akin to all your synapses firing--overload--or no synapses firing at all--Zen mind. Yeah, that's the ticket: I've lost my marbles and now I have "achieved" zen mind. Who knew it was that easy?<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Lisa was incredibly relaxed. Before the meeting, she carried on an off-air conversation with us while every so often making some announcement--Garrison Keilor this, the future that, etc--all seamlessly. That would be like rowing and adjusting your riggers at the same time.<br />
<br />
Lisa had asked Rob the day before if we could appear (how you do you appear on radio?) and Rob asked me last night. Show at 8:30AM. Today. I decided the best thing was not review too much data and not to rehearse answers, otherwise I might sound stilted. Ha! Stilted might have been an improvement.<br />
<br />
Rob didn't seem similarly afflicted, damn him. It seemed like a casual conversation between Rob and Lisa, with some random bozo (me) blurting non sequiturs: "photographers shoot mountain bikers and dog walkers... we use Spotted Owl GPS." WTF<br />
<br />
Radio and live TV operate in such narrow time frames. You can see how and why soundbites have become the norm. Credit to the Jefferson Exchange, in general, and Lisa Polito in particular, for allowing longer, more meaningful answers. Still, within a half-hour show, you're really talking for about 20 minutes and there's too much to cover. <br />
<br />
I see why sometimes politicians don't answer the questions they're asked, but speak to the points that are important to them. Then, at least they know they covered what <i>they</i> want.<br />
<br />
I also see how some politicians misspeak. My otherwise small mouth grew to gaping maw proportions and my feet were three sizes smaller and my legs contorted in some Yoga position allowing for easy foot-in-mouth. Just give me a chance to speak; I'll cram Clarks back into my uvula. Clearly a misunderestimated issue. <br />
<br />
Nuanced answers don't play well on radio or television. The internet, and internet-enabled phones, pads, laptops, etc exacerbate this: information is so easily obtained and, often in pithy form. Do we really have the tolerance for an in-depth answer? For anything?<br />
<br />
Sports performance (feeble attempt to segue back to blog theme) requires in-depth answers. Training, physiology, psychology are all complex. Reducing these subjects to bullets is not just difficult, it necessarily tosses information. And, yet, the nature of the blog is much like radio: often informal, conversational even, with bullets and graphics to make points quickly. Hmm. <br />
<br />
I'm just glad it was radio today and not TV. Bad hair day. Pretty much every day actually.T's Beeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08662694541096462809noreply@blogger.com0