Third Start Was The Charm

Third-start-worked
The first of two false start screens this morning.

Today’s main rowing session was an online 10K.  There were two false starts before the third and successful start.  A false start happens if there is a technical glitch or if one of the rowers starts rowing before the announcement “ROW” which appears simultaneously on screen and over the computer speakers. In that case, RowPro 5 for the Mac (or any other version of RowPro) will announce a False Start.

One of the rowers, Wolfram Huhn, is an Olympic rower and so it was not surprising that he finished in first place by a substantial margin.  What was surprising was the pace at which he rowed today’s 10K, during several thousand meters of which his pace was in the 1:40s and even in the 1:30s.  Impressive effort on his part.  The other rowers were impressive also and the whole group inspired me to row with a bit more effort than during yesterday’s 10K.

I did yesterday’s at a pace of 2:11.7/500m and today’s at 2:08.4.  They were both done at what I subjectively classified as “medium” effort.  Most of my rowing, especially if it is offline, is usually done at “easy” effort level. All the other rowers were capable of doing a 10K a lot quicker than I think I could do it now, so I didn’t see any rational reason to race, row “hard” or even to row “medium hard”.

The session was uploaded to YouTube as a screen recording and is available at the following link: “Online Rowing 10K race plus warmup and warmdown 04082018” The video’s title includes the words “plus warmup and warmdown” because the recording started before I did a 4 minute warmup and therefore included that warmup, the chatroom activity before the 10K and everything until after the 10 minute online warmdown session that followed the 10K.

ACc-Apr-8th-2018-10K-online-finish
Finish screen for today’s online 10K.
ACc-Apr-8th-2018-10K-online-rpt
Report for today’s online 10K.
ACc-Apr-8th-2018-10K-online-rp-gph
RowPro graphs for today’s online 10K.
ACc-Apr-8th-2018-10K-online-C2-chart
Concept 2 online logbook chart for today’s online 10K.

Happy rowing to you.

Rowing With An Olympian In The Group

AC-Apr-7th-2018-10K-online-finish
Finish screen for today’s online 10K. Note in the chat room comments that the Olympian rower, Wolfram, waited around and invited everyone, even the slowest one (me) to join a warm down session with him.

Today’s indoor rowing was done online.  It was done online because there was a 10K scheduled, with several rowers already signed up and the description for the 10K included the words “Every pace is accepted”.  So my slow pace wouldn’t be any bother.

AC-Apr-7th-2018-10K-online-group
Wolfram made sure to plainly state that everyone was welcome to join by saying “Every pace is accepted”.

Not that anybody rowing slowly should be a bother – I like to row online with other people, no matter how slow or fast they row.  Company is good.

The Olympian in the group was Wolfram Huhn.  There’s a Wikipedia article about him.  That article is classified as a “stub” waiting for expansion, but it has links relating directly to him.

There was a nice race between Wolfram Huhn and Tomek Kobryzyniecki during this session.  Tomek started out to take the lead, getting a few meters ahead of Wolfram.  Wolfram picked up his pace and caught up to Tomek after about 1300 meters. Then, for a few hundred meters, Wolfram seemed to be pacing Tomek to stay even with him.  After a few hundred meters of pacing him, Wolfram pulled ahead by a meter, then gradually, meter by meter, continued to pull ahead of Tomek until he had more than 20 meters lead.   During the last 1,000 meters they both rowed harder as Tomek tried to catch up to Wolfram.  Their paces had been in the low 1:50s until then but during the last 500 meters they worked their hardest and each showed paces in the high 1:30s near the very end.

The winner was Wolfram, who reached the finish line about 10 -15 meters and about 3 seconds ahead of Tomek.

The entire session plus the warm down afterwards was uploaded to YouTube as a screen recording and may be viewed at the following link: “Online Rowing 10K then warmdown 71 years old 04072018

AC-Apr-7th-2018-10K-online-rpt
Report for today’s online 10K.
AC-Apr-7th-2018-10K-online-rp-gph
RowPro graphs for today’s online 10K.
AC-Apr-7th-2018-10K-online-C2-chart
Concept2 online logbook chart for today’s online 10K.
AC-Apr-7th-2018-warmdown-online-finish
Finish screen for the 10 minute warm down.
AC-Apr-7th-2018-WD-online-rpt
Report for the 10 minute warm down.
AC-Apr-7th-2018-WD-online-rp-gph
RowPro graphs for the 10 minute warm down.

Happy rowing to you.

Fasting Instead of Blood Thinner

ABb-Apr-6th-2018-5K-finish
Finish screen for today’s 5K.

A cardiologist with whom I consulted recently regarding occasional heart rate irregularity recommended that I take blood thinner.  I declined his recommendation because I know that not only are some of the prescription blood thinners literally the same chemical as used in rat poison, but also because taking a blood thinner tends to be a one-way street.  With no exit.  It is dangerous if not fatal to stop taking blood thinners, once a person starts.

I tried to talk with the doctor about any thoughts he had on helpful, healthy changes in lifestyle or diet, but he didn’t want to talk about those and stuck to recommending taking blood thinner.

So I’m trying modifications in diet, eating times and also adding some limited fasting.  By fasting, I mean that it is very limited so far and usually not much more than around 14 hours from the evening meal until breaking fast the next day.

To supplement, accelerate and amplify the beneficial effect of that limited fasting, I’m trying to do my rowing in the mornings, before eating anything.

So far, it’s been working.  Far fewer episodes of atrial fibrillation.  In fact, virtually none at all… as long as I don’t eat a late meal after 7 or 8 pm and as long as the evening meal is not a large one that makes me feel full.  And… as long as I also do my rowing before eating the next day.

Blood thinners, begone!

Today’s rowing was divided into 4 sessions.  The first two  were done in “just row”mode with the PM3 only (without using RowPro 5 for the Mac software) because the computer was busy updating its operating system.

just-row-one-of-2
First of two “just row” sessions.
just-row-2-of-2
Second of two “just row” sessions.
ABb-Apr-6th-2018-days-portion-in-log
Summary of today’s rowing sessions.

By the time the computer system update was finished, I’d already rowed more than 5K so I set up a RowPro session for 5K.  That session was also recorded and uploaded to YouTube at the following link:  “Indoor Rowing 71 years old 5K variable pace 04062018“.

AB-Apr-5th-2018-10K--rpt
RowPro graphs for today’s 5K.
ABb-Apr-6th-2018-5K-rp-gph
RowPro graphs for today’s 5K.
ABb-April-6th-2018-5K-C2-chart
Concept 2 online logbook chart for today’s 5K.

Happy rowing to you.

Clearing Fog With Light Rowing

clearing-the-fog

This morning was a normal morning.  I would have said I felt fine, but compared to how I felt after completing this morning’s rowing session, I would have to correct that and say that in comparison to how I felt after this morning’s 10K, I felt somewhat foggy minded before rowing.

That relative comparison was normal also.  A bit of sustained rowing at the right level of effort clears the mind and boosts the mood.

Confirmed:  Yesterday’s messy heart-rate graphs were caused by a weak (less than 40% when tested) battery in the heart strap transmitter.  Today’s session had 100% graphing of heart rate, with a 100% fresh battery.

Today’s session was uploaded to YouTube as a screen recording to be found at the following link: “Indoor Rowing 71 years old – A Daily 10K 04052018“.  (As this is being written, it is still uploading and probably won’t be available until sometime between 20:00 and 21:00 GMT.)

AB-Apr-5th-2018-10K-finish
Finish screen for today’s 10K.
AB-Apr-5th-2018-10K--rpt
Report for today’s 10K.
AB-Apr-5th-2018-10K--rp-gphs
RowPro graphs for today’s 10K.
AB-Apr-5th-2018-10K--C2-chart
Concept 2 online logbook chart for today’s 10K.

Happy rowing to you.

Do You Count?

AQ-Mar-30th-2018--10K-finish
Finish screen for today’s 10K.

I count.  Sometimes.  Today’s session was one of them. By the end of the session, my count had reached 1,204.  RowPro (see image below) had counted 1,304 strokes, so I missed incrementing the 100s place one time.

off-by-100
RowPro’s final stroke count for today’s 10K is in the bottom left cell.

The session was uploaded to YouTube and is available at the following link: “Indoor Rowing 71 years old 10K counting 04032018“.

AQ-Mar-30th-2018--10K-rpt
Session report for today’s 10K.
AQ-Mar-30th-2018--10K-rp-gphs
RowPro graphs for today’s 10K.
AQ-Mar-30th-2018--10K-C2-chart
Concept 2 chart for today’s 10K.

Happy rowing to you.

10K With A Little Push Near The End

AQ-Mar-30th-2018--10K-finish
Finish screen for today’s 10K.

Today’s session was 10K.  The last 1,000 meters served as a warm down.

The session was uploaded to YouTube and is available at: “Indoor Rowing 71 years old 145 Watts 594 Calories 03302018

AQ-Mar-30th-2018--10K-rpt
Report for today’s 10K.
AQ-Mar-30th-2018--10K-rp-gphs
RowPro graphs for today’s 10K.
AQ-Mar-30th-2018--10K-C2-chart
Concept 2 chart for today’s 10K.

Happy rowing to you.

10K In The Morning Before Coffee Or Breakfast

AP-Mar-29th-2018--10K-finish
Finish screen for today’s 10K.

Not that it is unusual to row before coffee or breakfast. That’s what I’ve been doing for a while now, and it seems to have a very positive effect on how the heart behaves.  No irregular rhythm, if I put off breaking fast for more than 12 hours each day and also do some rowing before eating.

Today’s was another 10K.  With eyes open.

It was uploaded to YouTube as a screen recording and is available at the following link: “Indoor Rowing 71 years old 10K Eyes Open 03292018

AP-Mar-29th-2018--10K-rpt
Report for today’s 10K.
AP-Mar-29th-2018--10K-rp-gphs
RowPro graphs for today’s 10K.
AP-Mar-29th-2018--10K-C2-chart
Concept 2 chart for today’s 10K.

Happy rowing to you.

After Sunrise But Early Enough

AO-Mar-28th-2018--10K-finish
Finish screen for today’s 10K.

Today’s rowing session was another 10K.  Smooth sailing all the way.

It was uploaded to YouTube as screen recording at this link: “Indoor Rowing 71 years old and another 10K 03282018

 

AO-Mar-28th-2018--10K-rpt
Report for today’s 10K.
AO-Mar-28th-2018--10K-rp-gphs
RowPro graphs for today’s 10K.
AO-Mar-28th-2018--10K-C2-chart
Concept 2 chart for today’s 10K.

Happy rowing to you.

10K Before Dawn

ANn-Mar-27th-2018--10K+-finish
Finish screen of today’s 10K.

It was necessary to either row before dawn or not row at all today.  Today’s session was 10K.

The session was uploaded to YouTube as a screen recording and is at the following link: “Indoor Rowing 71 years old 10K+ 03272018

ANn-Mar-27th-2018--10K-rpt
Report of today’s 10K.
ANn-Mar-27th-2018--10K-rp-gphs
Graphs of today’s 10K.
ANn-Mar-27th-2018--10K-C2-chart
Concept 2 chart of today’s 10K.

Happy rowing to you.

Don’t Do This When Running

AN-Mar-26th-2018--10300m-finish
Finish screen for today’s rowing session.

Don’t do what when running?  Don’t keep your eyes closed, or you might crash into a tree or a cactus, etc.

But its okay to keep your eyes closed when using a rowing machine.

Which is what I did again today.  At the beginning, I set a timer for 40 minutes and opened my eyes when it beeped.  Then, I set the timer for another 7 minutes which took me almost to the finish with eyes closed.

The session was uploaded to YouTube as a screen recording at this link: “Indoor Rowing 71 years old Easier Than Yesterday 03262018

AN-Mar-26th-2018--10300m-rpt
Report for today’s rowing session.
AN-Mar-26th-2018--10300m-rp-gph
RowPro graphs for today’s rowing session.
AN-Mar-26th-2018--10300m-C2-chart
Concept 2 online logbook chart for today’s rowing session.

Happy rowing to you, whether your eyes are open or closed.