Interesting conditions this morning.  60F, raining, and a 10-15 mph wind from the North, gusting to over 20.  I cartopped down to the lower Charles to row the HCR course again.  I’m starting to get the hand of it, but I was still off the ideal line a number of times.

Here’s how the wind overlayed the course.

So, you can see that for much of the row, it was a stiff cross wind, but at times it was a tail or head wind.  The toughest stretch was rowing upriver through the Powerhouse Stretch.

The Plan

1. Steady state r18 to r20
2. go downstream about 8km, turn at the start of the HOCR course.  Row the course upstream to the finish (about 5km), then cool down from there to the ramp (about 3km)
3. HR cap at 157
4. Work out navigation, technique and aerobic fitness

Start_|_Dist_|_Split_|_Pace_|_Strks__|_Rate_|_DPS_|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00020_|_0980_|_05:00_|_2:32.9_|_089___|_17.8_|_11.0_|_133___|_warmup
01000_|_7000_|_34:53_|_2:29.5_|_672___|_19.3_|_10.4_|_158___|_downriver
08000_|_0200_|_01:30_|_3:44.8_|_023___|_15.4_|_08.7_|_139___|_wide turn
08200_|_5320_|_27:17_|_2:33.8_|_552___|_20.2_|_09.6_|_161___|_up river
13520_|_2960_|_16:10_|_2:43.8_|_318___|_19.7_|_09.3_|_148___|_cool down

Dist__|_Time__|_Pace___|_Strks_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00980_|_05:00_|_2:32.9_|_089___|_17.8_|_11.0_|_133___|_warmup
12320_|_02:10_|_2:31.4_|_1224___|_19.7_|_10.1_|_159___|_Main set
00200_|_01:30_|_3:44.8_|_023___|_15.4_|_08.7_|_139___|_rest meters
02960_|_16:10_|_2:43.8_|_318___|_19.7_|_09.3_|_148___|_cool down
16460_|_24:49_|_2:34.6_|_1654___|_19.5_|_10.0_|_155___|_Total

The trip down river was largely uneventful.  There was tons of traffic on the river, but most of it was on the other side heading upstream.  And the stuff heading down river with me was roughly sticking around my pace.  I would have hoped to see a bit better pace with the tail wind sections, but oh well.  The two pace spikes were basically me misaligning to bridges and needing to make some sharper turns.

The water got quite choppy toward the end of the powerhouse stretch and continued to deteriorate as I made the turn to go under the BU bridge into the basin.  This seemed to be the time with the stiffest breeze, mostly a cross wind here, but it was trying to toss around my oars a bit.

I continued about 700m past the BU bridge to get to an even 8km, then did a wide turn to go back upriver in a roaring gale.  As I approached the cambridge side of the river, I got a bit of a wind shadow and the water was also much flatter, so it was easier going.  The wind was a bit more on my bow, so the splits suffered a bit.  I was hoping to tone down the exertion level a bit because I was above my 157 cap, but as I was lining up to go upriver, I saw that there was a sculler about 50m behind me and he was gaining on me.

They say that as soon as you have two boats, you have a race.  I don’t know if that is true, but I certainly didn’t feel like being passed, so I increased the pressure and tried to maintain the distance.  It was hard.  He was fast. And young.  And fit.

He also stopped at the riverside boat club, about 1500m from the start of the HOCR course.  I was a bit relieved, and surprisingly, a bit disappointed too.  But soon, I had another challenge.  There was an eight right ahead of me and they were sitting dead in the water, so I swung out toward the middle of the river to pass in front of the RBC docks.  When I was a couple of boat lengths astern of them, they started rowing.  I’m a man who knows his limitations, and I know I can’t out row an eight, but they looked like they were drilling, and the stern pair was setting the boat, so I pressed on.  The cox apparently saw some motivational value and called for more pressure.  Complicating matters was a bridge about 100m ahead of us.  I decided that I should get the hell out of dodge and cranked the rate and pressure to get clear of them and the bridge.  That’s the little band of purple.

After that, it was a long slow slog into the wind through the rest of the powerhouse stretch, and then under the bridge by the Weld boathouse.  As I passed the Harvard boathouse, they were boating 3 eights.  I think they were the heavies, but I’m not sure.  I was hoping they’d head down river, but they turned in behind me and started churning upstream.  Great.  See the little band of green?  That’s when I passed under the bridge, and was getting a bit of tail wind and just relaxing.  Then I kept pushing the pace more and more to try to stay ahead of these monsters.  I managed to make it to the end of the HOCR course.  By then, the lead boat was nearly on my tail.  The river is pretty narrow up here, so I pulled off to the side and had a drink of water.  The first 2 boats passed me and I started rowing more gently upstream.  I pulled off again for the 3rd boat a little later.  Then it was a bit of a slog into the wind for the finish.

It was a good outing, even with the wind.  The river is very rowable with a north wind, and learning all the steering points is definitely taking some time.  I hope I can do this every Friday.

Tomorrow:  Hard 5.5k on quinsig

Scouting the HOCR course again.  Beautiful weather.  High 70s, wind 8-10mph from the SE, which was a cross head wind heading down river and a cross tail wind heading up river.  I launched about 1pm and there was an astounding amount of traffic.  Kayak, SUPs, Sailboats, Motorboats.  The only people not on the river were rowers.  The whole 2 hours I was out, I saw 3 scullers, one of whom nearly ran me down.

The plan for today:

1. Steady state r18 to r22
2. Concentrate of technique since I’ve been out of the boat for 8 days
3. No pace target
4. Try to keep HR in the high UT1 zone

Start_|_Dist_|_Split_|_Pace_|_Strks__|_Rate_|_DPS_|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00020_|_7980_|_40:00_|_2:30.4_|_798___|_20.0_|_10.0_|_154___|_headwind
08000_|_0100_|_00:39_|_3:15.5_|_010___|_15.3_|_10.0_|_137___|_water break
08100_|_2580_|_13:49_|_2:40.6_|_272___|_19.7_|_09.5_|_150___|_headwind choppy
10680_|_3920_|_21:50_|_2:47.2_|_428___|_19.6_|_09.2_|_134___|_very choppy
14600_|_4940_|_24:11_|_2:26.8_|_553___|_22.9_|_08.9_|_153___|_HOCR course
19540_|_2960_|_15:59_|_2:42.0_|_330___|_20.6_|_09.0_|_144___|_sbr sru

Dist__|_Time__|_Pace___|_Strks_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_AvgHR_|_Remarks

19420_|_39:50_|_2:34.2_|_2051___|_20.5_|_09.5_|_149___|_Main set
00100_|_00:39_|_3:15.5_|_010___|_15.3_|_10.0_|_137___|_rest meters
02960_|_15:59_|_2:42.0_|_330___|_20.6_|_09.0_|_144___|_cool down
22480_|_56:28_|_2:35.4_|_2391___|_20.5_|_09.4_|_148___|_Total

The conditions were lovely on the upper 8K of the river and deplorable on the last 3K.  Almost unrowable.  There was a lot of chop from the wind, plus wakes from power boats and especially the “duck boats”, which are amphibious craft that are used for tours of Boston.  You go riding through the historic streets, and then plunge into the Charles and churn up the river to continue the tour.

I launched from the public ramp by CRI, and headed downriver, into a bit of a head wind.  I just plodded along covering the full HOCR course, and then stopped for a water break.  Then I continued downriver through the basin to the Museum of Science.  This was a big mistake.  The basin was close to unrowable with a confused chop and lots of sailboat and powerboat traffic.  At one point I just gave up and waited for the water to simmer down a little bit.  The water improved considerably when I was about 500m downstream from the start of the HOCR course.  From there to the end the only thing I had to worry about was traffic.  Kayaks seemed to have a death wish.  I would look and it would seem like I was going to avoid them, then look again and they had turned into my course.  One of the only single I saw today I saw when he came around a corner on a collision course with me on my side of the river.  Mind you, this was a point on the river that was nearly 400m wide.  We clashed blades and exchanged pleasantries.

I tried to row nice and light and let the rate drift up as I continued up the HOCR course, trying to cement in my head how far apart all the landmarks are.  Once I reached the finish of the course, I had a bit more water, and then did the last 3K up river alternating between 500m of square blades and 500m of slow roll ups.  I was trying and not succeeding to keep my blades off the water.

Note to self.  Next time row the HOCR course twice instead of going into the basin!

Weather:  Overcast, warm, humid.  Light wind from the east that was generally a head wind down river.  Around 3K from the end, it started raining, then it started raining hard, then it rained yet harder.  As I was pulling into the ramp to pull my boat, I saw flash of lighting and heard a first rumble of thunder.  Perfect timing!  I was soaked and happy.

Plan:

1.  Steady State
2. r18 to r20
3. pace: ~ 2:30
4. HR limit: 157

I launched from the public ramp adjacent to Community Rowing in Brighton.  I felt much more comfortable with the ramp launch this time.  The main challenge is putting socks on damp feet without flipping over!  It took a little patience but I’m getting used to the process.

I started with a little bit of arms only rowing, then arms and body, then half slide.  This all was over the first 1000m or so.  Then I carefully made my way around the shallows that trapped me last time.  I was rowing in the same direction as a 4+ and they were doing pieces.  So, they would pass me, and then paddle, and I would pass them, then they would pass me.  This continued through the first broad turn to the Northeastern boathouse.  I was scolded to not hugging the boston shore closely enough and pushing them out toward to middle of the river.  I guess this was a useful steering lesson, but made me feel like a noob.

Eventually they turned into the the CBC docks and I continued.  There was tons of traffic on the river, most of it was going up river.  But is very nice to row with company, and it certainly keeps you alert.  It also encourages rowing with good form.  It seems like there is always someone rowing with beautiful technique nearby.

I rowed around the big turn that starts before the eliot bridge at the Newell Boathouse and goes all the way to the Anderson Bridge.  This turn requires that you row with good form, but slightly higher pressure on port to keep slowly turning and maintain consistent distance from the Boston shore.  The river bends the other direction through the Anderson bridge and then hooks back to go through the Weeks Footbridge.

Beyond that is the powerhouse stretch, which is basically straight for 1500m.  Then finally a broad turn to the BU bridge.  Today I rowed about 800m past the bridge and then turned for home.

I turned for home and merged into single traffic heading up river.  There were two boats ahead of me, and one boat about 50m behind.  I felt compelled to stay at least that far ahead of him as we rowed up stream.  So, that pushed my HR a bit higher than I would have liked.  Not a lot higher, and I felt happy and not over taxed, so I wasn’t very worried about it.

As I rowed upstream, I started to count strokes between landmarks.  It really struck me how far it is from the Eliot Bridge to the finish.  When I have watched the race, it seems like the Eliot bridge is close to the finish, but there is about 4 minutes of hard rowing around a big turn.  I imagine that this is going to hurt.

As I finished the course, the rain started and got quite heavy.  It was good to see other singles sculling in the rain.  I toned things down by doing 500m on the square, and then about 1000m with slow roll ups focusing on form and trying to keep my blades off the water.  I was not all that successful.  Then when I was in front of the CRI docks, I increased the pressure and continued to do slow roll ups with perfect form to try to look impressive as I passed.  I suspect that I didn’t succeed, but it was worth the effort.

Start_|_Dist_|_Split_|_Pace_|_Strks__|_Rate_|_DPS_|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00020_|_0480_|_02:30_|_2:35.8_|_048___|_19.3_|_10.0_|_137___|_warmup
00500_|_7520_|_37:17_|_2:28.8_|_725___|_19.4_|_10.4_|_156___|_down river
08020_|_0200_|_01:15_|_3:06.5_|_025___|_20.1_|_08.0_|_141___|_crossing over
08220_|_6440_|_32:15_|_2:30.2_|_669___|_20.7_|_09.6_|_159___|_up river
14660_|_1680_|_09:11_|_2:43.9_|_191___|_20.8_|_08.8_|_151___|_sbr, sru

Dist__|_Time__|_Pace___|_Strks_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00480_|_02:30_|_2:35.8_|_048___|_19.3_|_10.0_|_137___|_warmup
13960_|_09:33_|_2:29.4_|_1394___|_20.0_|_10.0_|_157___|_Main set
00200_|_01:15_|_3:06.5_|_025___|_20.1_|_08.0_|_141___|_rest meters
01680_|_09:11_|_2:43.9_|_191___|_20.8_|_08.8_|_151___|_cool down
16320_|_22:27_|_2:31.6_|_1658___|_20.1_|_09.8_|_156___|_Total

I like rowing this course on Fridays.  It is a really nice way to finish the week.

Tomorrow:  Hard 5.5km on Lake Quinsigamond