Sub 7 Indoor Rowing Club (UK)

[Two Pudding Kid]

Mike - what a 2k TT. Fantastic result of 7:09.1. Even more impressive as you have done a lot of physical DIY recently.

Rod - excellent news that you ran 10 miles 2 mns quicker than previous time. Good thinking on the 2 x 30 mins rather than 60 mins straight up. Sounds like a brilliant 500m Wattbike time - never done that myself but bet I wouldnt break 45 secs.

Me - a bit of a whoops on the half marathon ergo. Firstly weighed in at 61.7kg so had to burn that extra 0.2kg off. Started very strongly but lost ground after half-way, (should give up trying to stay on 2:15 and be realistic at 2:17). Lowest pace was 2:24 but really need to stay 2:20 or faster throughout. Final result 1:36.38.2 (2:17.4 pace) which is worst this season out of 5 attempts, (best is 1:35.30.4 or 2:15.8 pace). Yesterdays 1k went downhill too - first 500m 2:01.6 2nd 500m 2:04.3. Got carried away with 1:58s and 1:59s for the first 300m and paid for that in the last 300m. Hopefully will get another chance later in April. Personal training tomorrow and then chill until Saturdays half marathon ergo. A spot of good news - 8278 nonathalon points this year which is my best ever, (has to be as a heavyweight as some of the times are).

[MPx]

Well my 6:02.8 for 2k last night was certainly a lot faster than the one I did last week. The only caveat was that it included 22.30 rest!!! Having already done the scheduled 2k TT, I subbed in the maddest of the sprint sessions that I occasionally do. Its a 4x 100/100/300 on rests of 90/90/3:30. No real problem to keep the 100s below 1:30 pace, but the 300s are a killer. Only managed the first at sub 1:30 and rowed myself to a virtual standstill on the other 3. Properly painful - and the legs certainly know they've done some work! Good fun though, seeing the times on the PM that the gods do for their TTs!

Always tough to decide on pace Susan - as much for the sprints as the longer stuff that you know so well. Fly and die is actually one of the faster strategies for 500 and particularly below, but not 1k...its just too far! So knowing and setting off at what you should be able to maintain is critical to the time achieved. I'm sure it'll work better next time now that you know!

Running as well as erging seems a huge commitment to me Rod....but you've always done it so know exactly how to dovetail. Great that both are still improving - long may it stay so.

[bisqeet]

6 days no training unless you count eating 48 cadbury's creme eggs as sport...
put on a few lbs - ate and drank too much (visited the inlaws)
first day back.
hour of power (well not really)
R18 strapless @ 1:59 - HR hit 160.
a few cobwebs blown off, but really need to get back onto the program...

quite embarressing compared to y'alls training

[Rod]

Tonight session was 30'R20spm

Average pace 2:04.5 which is 6 seconds slower than my recent best but it felt like very hard work!

Old age is catching up with me fast so I'm having to ease back a bit on the erg training as the track season is about to start and whilst my running is going very well it's taking me longer and longer to recover from the hard sessions I'm doing to prepare for racing at 800, 1500 and 5000 metres plus road races of up to HM.

I'll just have to ''tick over'' with the rowing for now (still 4 sessions per week but only one hard one with the rest at a ''steadier'' pace) and then will pick it up again in August when I'll stop running and get stuck into preparing for some hopefully decent 2k's at Bric, Eirc and for the first time Boston. This session was harder work than I would have liked for that pace but will have to do!

[Rod]

60 minutes at 20 spm

Average pace....2:05.4

14, 351 metres

Drag Factor 115.

This is a very low rate for me (at free rate I'd be about 33/34 or thereabouts).

This is a PB as it was 0.3 faster on pace and 36 metres further than my previous best at this which was a month ago so well pleased.

Surprised I had the energy as I did a hard paced 11 mile run yesterday.

[bisqeet]

wasn't sure what to do today - UT2, 30R20..
decisions, decisions...
settled on a R20 HM aiming for 1:58, but didnt want to push the bpm too much.
backed off the last 3 splits as a cool down.



I was watching soon footage from the FM/Hm in Finland.
Can't wait for Susans report. Great Hm, looked a bei competitive field looking at the results...

Also noticed that the 70+ men Hm was won in a sub 90 time... Wow!

[MPx]

Looks like you'll loose the effects of those chocolate eggs pretty quickly if you pop out easy HMs at that pace Dean! I'm happy to say I'm still eating mine.....

A couple of very strong @20 sessions Rod. Not an easy rate for me and my free rate is typically only 27 so it must be really tough for you from around 34. Still knocking out PBs when switching to a running focus is also mighty impressive.

I've done three sessions since my Tuesdays sprints.
Wed was Dumbbells and 30 mins easy-ish
Fri was an AWL Pyramid. Managed to pace from 1:47 up to 1:55 and back down to 1:47 again for the first time for a best yet total time of 30:20.4. Will now try to start at 1:46 next time, but unlikely to make it right through on that schedule for a few weeks yet.
Today (Sun) was my missed Thursday session of 4x1k r3:30. Last time out did 3x1:51.x and a fast last for a 1:50.2 avg. This time I wanted to do all reps under 1:50 so set off and did the first 3 at 1:49.x and a slightly faster last for a 1:48.9 overall. Pleased with that.....but it did hurt!

[lindsayh]

Also noticed that the 70+ men Hm was won in a sub 90 time... Wow!

Sub 90 is pretty good of course but remember there are a number of 70+ guys sub 85' this season with Jim Grattan just over 83'

[bisqeet]

Also noticed that the 70+ men Hm was won in a sub 90 time... Wow!

Sub 90 is pretty good of course but remember there are a number of 70+ guys sub 85' this season with Jim Grattan just over 83'

That impedes me far more than any sub7 2k...

[bisqeet]

@mike
certainly hope so. 1kg left or there abouts.
looks like i'm free of the lurgy - training is beginning to be fun again.

low rate, strapless, UT2 HM.
hope to squeeze a weights sess in alter at the gym.

[Rod]

Today (Sun) was my missed Thursday session of 4x1k r3:30. Last time out did 3x1:51.x and a fast last for a 1:50.2 avg. This time I wanted to do all reps under 1:50 so set off and did the first 3 at 1:49.x and a slightly faster last for a 1:48.9 overall. Pleased with that.....but it did hurt!

Nice improvement Mike well done, the comeback continues apace!

That's a Pete Plan session that I often do (Masochist that I am,it's a real killer and hurts a lot as you rightly pointed out!) but the plan prescribes 5 minute recoveries not the 3':30'' that you took so no need to be so hard on yourself!

The longer rests allow you to go faster too so make the session more applicable to 2k training.

[Two Pudding Kid]

Indoor Rowing Outdoors – Don’t put your winter warmers away just yet

If you aren’t fond of racing in the warmth and dry air of a sportshall or other indoor venue then this could be 25 euros well spent, assuming that you are up for Half Marathon (women) or Full Marathon (men) – I think it is possible to swop the distance round but not if you wish to race. Entry itself is easy enough online and pay on the day for us foreigners – use of Google translate for the some of the details is essential although the organiser does speak perfect English, (like most Finns).

Plane(s) is the only option to get to Helsinki – via Frankfurt from Birmingham is around 1400 miles. It can easily be done in a day if you start early and take two flights. The airport is about 30 minutes by train to the city centre.

It is under 2 miles to the port and where the race is, (not the shed down the woods this time but in a tent on the terrace of a café/sauna facing the sea). Not sure exactly what the connection between a different venue is with celebrating 100 years of Independence for Finland from Russia (anniversary date is 6 Dec 2017), but the good news it is easy to find, the bad news is that it is very cold – sunny to start with but very breezy and about 5 centigrade and included a couple of hail storms later. With a 12:15 start for ladies it was quite a lazy affair, but there by 10:30 for the lightweight weigh-in, (made it by 0.5kg in long sleeved shirt and running tights but there would have been a bit of leniency shown to save anyone having to dare to get down to the minimum clothes as it was outside and in view of the café)! Having skipped liquid refreshment on race day to make sure that I would be under 61.5kg time to check out a coffee indoors, followed by another litre of energy drink and raspberry squash, (couldn’t find any brand I recognised so had to take a chance), lolling around on the chairs on the decking – aka sunbathing with a thick coat on.

Race setup is on a PM5 monitor but the ergos are not linked together so you are racing blind, (I can set up in any language simply by knowing the buttons to press). No commentary or music playing this time – makes no difference to me as my knowledge of Finnish is probably about 10 words, which means start rowing 21097m when everyone else does! I set off at an easy 2:16 to 2:17 pace intending to stick to that throughout, and hopefully start to ramp it up as the race progresses. 1 hour passes and still feeling good and confident that I can keep to that, (stroke rate has gone from around 24 to 27). Although I don’t know everyones pace I am aware that the lady on my right is attempting the same negative split method and is currently behind but moving closer – I had got myself a 70m gap but this is slowly being eaten away. 90 mins through and trying to lift the pace to show a few 2:15s or better and still looking to keep my nose in front by 20 or 30m. The spectators that have braved the cold as starting to cheer people home in some insane noisy Finnish chanting and have clearly spotted the potential for a close run thing. 500m to go and still have the edge but then when it comes to a sprint duel unfortunately there is only one outcome for me and I lose out on 4th place by 1.4 secs which is a little frustrating having had the edge from the start. 1 hour 36 minutes and 1 second and 2:16.5 average which is my 3rd best of 6 half marathons this season and 34 seconds better than when I took on the same race as 50+ Heavyweight in 2015. It would have been nice to have been in the first 3 and looking at the results in any other year that would have been the case, (also if I had chosen to go heavyweight and not had to forgo a certain amount of treats between Friday lunchtime and 10:30am Saturday I could have had a silver). Ok I like rabbit food but I did get round to cake post-race and Sunday to make up. Kind of thankful that the first hail storm started soon after our race was complete as I wouldn’t have been surprised if some of the competitors near the tent flap didn’t get some of it dripping down. I was on my way back to the hotel hoping to have picked the right moment for the 30 minute stroll, but no – another hailstorm, (just looked too much of a wreck to go into any café on the way so had to get changed and dash out for some dinner not too far away.)

I didn’t just go to Helsinki to pull the chain 2500 times – it is also an interesting place to visit, (although as the weather can turn nasty this time of year without much warning it is best to have an indoor option on the itinerary just in case.) Its not that snow is going to stop public transport which allegedly runs ok in anything above minus 30c and deep white stuff but the wind chill makes it decidedly unpleasant, but at least in April it melts quickly. Doesn’t stop crazy Finns still doing their watersport – sailing and sea rowing, and well as running out of the sauna and jumping in the blue stuff!

Friday was mainly meant to be a rest although probably walked 5 miles and more along the coast to the town centre the long way round from the race venue, taking my time and noting places to eat (if you like salmon salad and soup even better), and visit. I wandered through the main squares and city centre streets on the way back. Saturday post-race wasn’t that energetic – just general meandering around town. The tourist season doesn’t start until 1 May with a big festival in the park – like Glastonbury but chillier, so many attractions are not operating yet or on short hours. Sunday did have big plans to get the 9am ferry to Soumenlinna but chickened out when I saw the snow coming down, (lovely place on a nice day but far less attractive to be out on beaches or a country walk in the cold). Did an easy session at the hotel gym, went to the Finnish Theatre Museum and then had a late Sunday lunch in a café I had spied earlier. Then time to collect my suitcase from the hotel and get home, taking off 3 layers when I reached the airport.

I’d be happy to go back for another go, but this one isn’t going to be an annual pilgrimage.

[Two Pudding Kid]

Dean - you get plenty of practise at long distance rowing in the cold in your garage. This could be the event for you and foreigners are welcome. All the fresh air you want. Direct flights from Munich and Frankfurt.

The results are up at https://www.ergomaraton.fi/ and the standard is high. Glad to have beaten the 80 year old man and 70 year old woman at the half marathon.

[bisqeet]

Dean - you get plenty of practise at long distance rowing in the cold in your garage. This could be the event for you and foreigners are welcome. All the fresh air you want. Direct flights from Munich and Frankfurt.

The results are up at https://www.ergomaraton.fi/ and the standard is high. Glad to have beaten the 80 year old man and 70 year old woman at the half marathon.

great review!
looked a very tight field - your race especially. you did very well.

it does look very interesting indeed. based on last FM time would have put me 3-4th on the mens 40+ (I'm 49) and 2nd in the mens open.
a little higher on the 50+ group tho - which I guess will be the catagory I would be racing in.


I should be going to Nünchritz later in the year (its basically on the doorstep of my in-laws).
They are going to organise one, but the date isn't set yet - should be about September time.

might be having to rethink my training strategy as i'm guessing time is going to be a factor.

I have been on a sabatical for the last 12 months (well actually a paid holiday/relocation as part of my severence deal from work). just meant I had very little work to do, but plenty of time.
2 options open to me at the moment are:
start work again - have a few options, 1 looks very good, good money, is local (1km), but is managment and comes with the stress/time commitments that are related to that.
back to uni - have been accepted for a masters in business starting end of May. believe it or not this will be paid for by the german job center...took a lot of convincing/friends etc.
so - no more - just popping out to the garage, when you felt like it -
at the moment it looks like option work/money. not sure how beneficial going back to college would be at this stage in life.

I have been working hard on my aerobic side and think i'm at a stage, where fine tuning or speed work could be beneficial or at least "easier" (relatively speaking being aerobic fit).
probably a customised casey plan - with just 2 longer aerobic based rows and 3 speed/strength sessions...

[MPx]

The longer rests allow you to go faster too so make the session more applicable to 2k training.

Thanks for the thought Rod. I must admit longer rests are always tempting for me (!) but I'm afraid I'm not nearly as focussed as you and am not specifically targeting the 2k. Always interested to hear the theory behind the pieces, what they most help with, and what they indicate for likely performance on the TTs. I've always been slightly stronger than the avg at my level on short intervals, and significantly weaker than avg on the longer pieces. Obviously my aerobic training is seriously flawed - but I don't enjoy it so I simply don't do enough of it. Intervals I find fun despite the pain! I'm guessing therefore that the typical interval prediction of TTs will more often than not turn out overly optimistic in my case!

Yesterday I did my Dumbbell session and 30 min easyish.
Today was the turn of 6x500 r2. Last tackled 14 March in an avg 1:44.9 having set off in the 1:46s. I really feel that I should be well under 1:45 for this session by now, but haven't the confidence to go for it right from the start just yet. So set off doing 1:45.x and neg split the reps. Finished with a 1:43.8 avg overall and the usual screaming with pain!

Great write up Susan and many congrats on putting in such a fine competitive performance - particularly given such limited info on the rest of the field. Sounds like a fun trip!

Glad you're back from the lurgy days Dean. But going to work sounds like a bad (if necessary) choice. I retired by the time I was your age and thoroughly recommend it as a lifestyle choice