What Was Your Work Out Today?

I feel you on that rain-out thing, @Djproulx: We showed up to row on Friday AM, looked like a storm was rolling in (radar) so we bailed on the row and went out for coffee, but the weather cleared. Today, Saturday, it was supposed to clear up, so we went out to row but got rained on (light rain, felt good, actually). Coach was concerned about the weather patterns so we stayed semi-close to the boathouses, but it never thunderstormed, and it did clear up at the end.

So: No workout yesterday, coached row today.

This time, 3 doubles rowing: The two collegiate guys who're prepping for Canadian Henley; two young women from our club who are good intermediate rowers; and me with a guy who's also 60+ but a bit younger than I am, both intermediates also. The other rowers were all about half our age, or less.

I'm pleased to say we kept up: Not in speed, because we were slower (much slower than the collegiate guys, a little slower than the 2 women). I'm OK with that. But we kept up endurance-wise through the timed pieces, drills, race start practice, and one distance piece. It was a challenge, not gonna lie. We got in only about 8500m, a little less than the previous coached rows, but the majority of it was at speed.

We rowed my double, to which I'd made a repair. It improved things, but unfortunately it still isn't quite right once we got going (too much friction between wheels and track, especially in stroke seat), which didn't help our performance any. I felt bad that my partner was in stroke, so the worst affected by the problem. Back to diagnosis, probably need more boat parts. (Yes, rowing shells have wheels. ).

Tonight, barge party moonlight row. This involves rowing a rectangular craft for 16 sweep rowers and a rudder person, with a walkway down the center. It's probably about 8' or so by 50' or so. It has all the on-water performance characteristics of your living room. First we bailed out 2-3" of rainwater. Then we put glow sticks all over ourselves, the barge, and our oars, and rowed from sunset into darkness. The barge went just under 4k, but I rowed maybe 2/3 of that, was rudder woman for the rest.

I had a short workout. My gym is across the street from work so I took 30 mins and did some dumbbell curls, push-ups and dips. Short but good.

Whitewater. About 11 or 12 miles.

I posted a club trip for Class 2 paddlers looking to start to run some Class 3. A club member asked if someone would post just such a trip. I posted it with a limit of 11 other boats (12 total including me) because that's as big of a group I thought would be safe. The trip filled up in three hours. There was a wait list for a while, but a few people cancelled, and we ended up with ten boats. We had inflatable kayaks, decked kayaks, and two open canoes. One was me, and the other was a guy who bought a canoe I sold a while back. Four swims; none from the open boats.

I'm thinking of driving over the Coast Range today to go fish a nice reservoir from my Voyager.

Rowing again, of course: Bow of the quad, usual distance. We did some timed pieces with rating (strokes per minute) targets, one power piece, a little eyes-closed rowing (except for me, since I have to watch/steer - we all row, the others synchronizing movements by boat feel), some one and two part pause drills, and some "cut the cake" by pairs then all 4. Lots of variety!

ETA, for your amusement - here's a photo of the barge I mentioned we rowed Saturday night - it's just a giant rectangle. I'm the person in yellow on the right (port) side furthest from the camera. Yes, port is right, because we face away from the direction of travel (except for the rudder woman).

I went climbing. It was fun. I was in form. 2.5 hour session; Fitbit thought it was 150 active minutes.

I got one graded 7a (around V6). It's clearly mis-graded; it was more like an easy V2.

Yesterday I did:

• Muscular activation and prehab for lower body, rotator cuff prehab
• 5 sets of 6 front squats
• 5 sets of 5 bench press
• 6 sets of 3 super-strict chin-ups (from dead hang/shoulders fully extended to bar-to-chest)
• 3 sets of 6 barbell split squats
• 4 sets of 3 back squats
• 'Bird Dogs'

Today, 30 minute incline treadmill walk.

Rowed the double this morning with one of the folks who just finished our learn to row class, so a shorter row (little over 5k) and I didn't row all of it (sometimes she rowed alone). We stopped more than usual; did some drills; I taught her how to river turn; etc. It went well, but less of a workout than usual for me (which is fine: I like working with new rowers).

Tonight, went on a group bike ride for women labeled as "Fun - Not Fast", sponsored by a local bike shop. Twelve miles, easy pace, paved trails. First time I've been on my bike since before learn-to-row classes started, I think.