Erg blogging — Saturday 5K and small improvements

Today is the sixth row since getting back on the erg following 120 days of recovery from a trashed sacroilliac performed while sculling in early November. Easy-does-it is the rule for the first week — with the usual sore shoulder and back muscles as my body gets back into the unique cycle of rowing.

Yesterday was a rest day — NYC and travel — so coming off the rest I was a lot faster and set my personal best for the week, 20 minutes, 20 seconds for the 5,000 meter segment, averaging 2:01 minutes per 500 meter split. Not bad for week one, and a four second split improvement from my 2:05 on day one. Keep in mind that in full shape I am generally cruising in the 1:45-1:55 range (think of splits as the basis “mile per hour” measure in indoor rowing.
I do a 500 meter warm up at a very easy pace, loosening up for the most part. The 5,000 is when I turn on the iPod and crank at a loping 24 stroke per minute pace, focusing on length, a long recovery (the return part of the stroke) and a solid drive, taking great pains to focus on posture and back alignment. I program the RowPro to keep me in a 25 spm band, and a 150 heart beat per minute band, that generally sees me peak around 170-180 bpm during the final sprint.
Feels good to be back on the wheel of pain.

Author: David Churbuck

Cape Codder with an itch to write

0 thoughts on “Erg blogging — Saturday 5K and small improvements”

  1. Dave,
    You may remember I sat in front of you, Spring of ’75. Thanks for unknowingly pointing me in the direction of the C2. I was sure I would hate it after experience with ergs of old. After pulling the dock at IRC (www.independencerowing.com) for the winter, I checked out the C2s at the health club. It’s been friggin’ awsome ever since.
    One thought regarding the lower back: have you considered slides supplied by C2? It may help take some of the jerk out of the catch.
    Good Luck!

    Tom Friel

  2. Yes, all praise to DTS. Actually though, it was Doug Peterson who brought us up to 2nd boat. THAT was a moment.

    I met up with Bickford in NYC about a year ago. He might have steered me in the direction of your blog. Her was actually coaching crew at NYU and Fordham a couple of years ago.

    By way of answering your last question, I put this together:

    http://web.mac.com/tpfriel/iWeb/GMPics
    you’ll want to click ‘Rowing in Nashua’ (before all the golf course photos load, unless you like grass and hills)

    GM Website Keepers
    User Name: GMBoard
    Password: ElvisP

    BTW: I just got Xeno’s DVD (complete, I think). It’s definately worth checking out.

    Anyhoo, cheers! Good luck with recovering. Perhaps we’ll meet up here of there.

  3. I don’t think I rowed it then, but beautiful, beautiful boat. I didn’t learn how to scull until … 1988 at the Union Boat Club. I’m a one-oar guy.

    Now I row an Empacher trainer — about $4000 in the late 90s.

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