Rowing Illustrated

I have a couple of observations: --In > 2500 lactate tests in my database, I have never had an athlete report a finger infection with virtually all sticks done on the finger. I like the finger better- easily accessible, easy to wipe, sweat does not run down from the scalp to the finger as it does to...

Yet another study of endurance/aerobic benefits of resistance training. It was in cyclists, but rowers are endurance athletes too, not sprinters (though, let's face it, like all timed events, there is sprinting at the end when the results are close). Here's the article: Scandinavian Journal of Medic...

We finally got on the water, on a date that is the latest we've ever been on the water in close to 20 years. First day on the water, my first eight swung well together....better than I ever remember for the first week on the water. I attribute it to the ease and frequency that we "erg linked&qu...

Track_bites, I looked at your blog posted above where you had to slow down for later 20 min repeat pieces due to a rising lactate. I find it decidedly against the grain of what I see. With our kids, esp the boys (because they are more likely to want to test twice in one day), the second 20 min piece...

I've tested lots of our former rowers who return from college during winter break. Most prescribed workouts produce a high lactate, much higher than 1.4 - 1.7. If the workout was meant to be above steady state pace (as per Peter, they return with a variety of workouts), I don't bother to test the ro...

I think an as-interesting question is what is the highest lactate you or your athletes have recorded while doing what they believed was ostensibly steady-state. 18 comes to mind in someone who really believed they were doing a steady state piece.

One of my kids took a 3rd last year at Crash Bs in Boston in the ltwt division; 4 others took a 5th at Youths in the four and then took a second in the four at club nationals. In general, I'm not happy with the team's progress. We need to recruit more kids and I cannot do it (I work 50 miles away du...

We have 60 Dynamics. Went to almost all Dynamics...got 5-6 model D's for the kids to use before a public erg competition so they don't get spooked by the difference. Gave away the sliders. Three most pleasing advantages- (1) fewer injuries. Virtually no back pain now and the only rib fractures are t...

You get better with practice. It's important to not finish the last few minutes of a 20 min piece with a significant deviation from your average for that piece. That is, don't row at 182 watts for 18 minutes and then for the last 2 minutes, try to boost the average up or push it down to reach anothe...

For what my observations are worth (not much...they're free), your new numbers are helpful. In your orginal 1 hour workout, TargetW...ActualW....Lactate......HR 145..........141..........0.8..........141 155.......... 153..........0.7..........146 165.......... 165..........0.7..........145 175........

From SN: Test - 6x 10mins with 60sec rest, with my dear ol' mum drawing blood from my ear lob, heres what happened. TargetW...ActualW....Lactate......HR 145..........141..........0.8..........141 155.......... 153..........0.7..........146 165.......... 165..........0.7..........145 175..........177...

Great thread. Sorry to arrive late to the party. As most know, I coach high schoolers, not national teamers. Big difference in that high school kids always improve. There is effectively no ceiling because any temporary ceiling will be improved upon with simple maturity, without the gazillion meters....

At workout last evening, I showed the kids the results of the last month on the big projection screen we have up front. I did a query on our database in which each line showed a rower, one-month-ago 2K, latest 2K, and average lactates over the month, and % improvement in 2K. It was ordered by Averag...

As the junior team this past summer, in the first test of this new cardiac testing system, lost to the team a strong potential member due to cardiac testing I heard US Rowing now has a doctor on call that can help out with reading and giving advice. The family and rower went though hell for a few m...

Such blanket statements might not be warranted. My son called me from his primary care provider's office one afternoon with a fearful tone in his voice. "Dad, they just called the squad. They're going to transport me to the hospital. My EKG is abnormal. They think I'm having a heart attack..&qu...