What Training Have You Done Today?

[nick rockliff]

Warm day so just a short session by the way of the TOC which is 6 x 500 r24 with 2min recovery

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
10:33.5 3,000 1:45.5 297 1323 24 147
1:45.9 500 1:45.9 295 1314 24 140
1:45.8 500 1:45.8 296 1317 24 144
1:45.7 500 1:45.7 296 1320 24 147
1:45.6 500 1:45.6 297 1322 24 149
1:45.5 500 1:45.5 298 1325 24 151
1:45.0 500 1:45.0 302 1340 24 152
r112

[p_b82]

Decided I'd put a little more effort into the mindful May challenge, and aim for 20 days - so at least 1k a day for 14 more days. (as of today).

Saturday: Bit of a shock to the system as didn't plan this as I was unstrapped (no HR belt); 'eased' it up to 33spm and 1:47's for the final 30s.
Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
4:29.3 1,200 1:52.2 248 1152 29
1:09.0 300 1:55.0 230 1092 28
1:06.4 600 1:50.6 258 1188 30
1:07.5 900 1:52.5 246 1146 28
1:06.4 1,200 1:50.6 258 1188 30

Sunday: I'd washed the external windows, and been grubbing around clearing the back path. - about 4hrs effort beforehand
No music, no Hr - and just listening to the flywheel I maintained a very consistent spm - was ignoring pace too and it ended up where it did.

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
5:16.5 1,200 2:11.8 153 825 22
1:21.3 300 2:15.5 141 784 22
1:18.9 600 2:11.5 154 829 22
1:18.9 900 2:11.5 154 829 22
1:17.4 1,200 2:09.0 163 861 22

Today - back wasn't great, so shorter session with the aim to just settle in where-ever felt comfortable; things eased up and pace crept up - Hr plateaued nicely.
Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M Hr
20:00.0 4,465 2:14.3 144 796 21 152
4:00.0 882 2:16.0 139 778 21 138
8:00.0 888 2:15.1 142 788 21 148
12:00.0 892 2:14.5 144 794 21 151
16:00.0 902 2:13.0 149 811 22 161
20:00.0 902 2:13.0 149 811 22 163

[Sakly]

Actually wanted to skip the gym today after yesterday's hard work. When I woke up, I didn't feel very recovered
Went to work, got back, ate some good food and had a lay down on the sofa for an hour. After I got up, I felt much better and went to the gym to have a "lighter" training session.
Sometimes I am amazed by my body. After a slower than usual 10min warmup on the skierg, I could easily squat 4x10 reps @90kg and all the other stuff went the same way as usual (except inclined bench ). Definitely didn't expect that!

[Ruin Christmas]

lifted (Sqt, Bench, Snatch-Grip Deadlift)
Then I discovered that my foot settings were on two different heights (and have been for ~200 km).
Fixed it and did 8km UT2 and 6km UT1 and not surprisingly my right hip didn't feel kind of tender like it has after the last several workouts. A minor thing but multiplied by hundreds of strokes if I kept it up I´d probably end up tilted to one side permanently.

[alex9026]

45:24.4 12,000 1:53.5 239 1123 18
11:28.3 3,000 1:54.7 232 1097 18
11:24.0 3,000 1:54.0 236 1113 18
11:23.2 3,000 1:53.8 237 1115 18
11:08.9 3,000 1:51.4 253 1169 18

4x3k/2:00 at r18. Like most, I am finding the heat quite problematic at the moment. On nights shift meaning I am Erg'ing at peak time. So cutting back on the volume and getting some rest periods in, whilst trying to keep some intensity there. Yesterday's Rowbin Hood online comp was fun, may postpone Thursday's marathon for another attempt. I'm off end of May, probably a more convenient time to do it and as I live in one of the wettest parts of the UK, it should be cooler by then!

[jcross485]

5/11 - No training. Cross country travel while losing three hours. I just did not have it in me to do much of anything once I got to where I was heading and it was after 7pm local time as I had an 8am appt the following morning.

5/12 - Easy walk on the hotel fitness center treadmill; 60 mins, 3.0mph, 15% incline. My HR stayed in the low 120's but I felt this more in my hamstrings and glutes than I would have thought or remembered. The plan originally was to train again in the afternoon once I finished with a work project but I was able to find a flight back home so opted to travel back instead.

5/13 - A bit of time on the erg and strength work after. Strength work was on the docket but I hadn't been on the erg for a few days so opted to do a shorter session on the erg first; this served as a warm up and primer to the strength work.

2.5k warm up, 10 x 100m @ ~250m power (2:00 rest), 2.5 k cool down. The idea was to settle into something that was not quite a max effort sprint but something very hard yet controlled if that makes sense. 11 strokes in the first 9 intervals, 12 in the last where I let loose a bit more. This reminded me a lot of what a 400m / 800m runner might do; running a bit faster than goal race pace but with short intervals and generous rest.

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
23:15.1 6,000 1:56.2 223 1066 21 139

5:07.5 1,250 2:03.0 188 947 18 131
5:07.5 1,250 2:03.0 188 947 18 140
r: 1:00 34
0:16.9 100 1:24.5 580 2296 39 146
r: 2:00 37
0:16.9 100 1:24.5 580 2296 39 138
r: 2:00 34
0:16.8 100 1:24.0 591 2332 39 136
r: 2:00 41
0:16.7 100 1:23.5 601 2369 40 140
r: 2:00 33
0:16.5 100 1:22.5 623 2445 40 136
r: 2:00 35
0:16.5 100 1:22.5 623 2445 40 138
r: 2:00 38
0:16.4 100 1:22.0 635 2484 40 139
r: 2:00 35
0:16.4 100 1:22.0 635 2484 40 140
r: 2:00 38
0:16.4 100 1:22.0 635 2484 40 141
r: 2:00 35
0:15.7 100 1:18.5 724 2790 46 148
r: 2:00 39
5:07.5 1,250 2:03.0 188 947 19 142
5:07.4 1,250 2:02.9 188 947 19 144

Strength work after. I didn't feel quite as fast and strong as I would have liked but I do chalk that up to being on the erg before. I am slowly starting to come into a bit stronger position on some of my beliefs with respect to training just through experience, trial and error, etc. The strength session was done in a bit under 30 mins which was nice, however I much prefer keeping my erg sessions focused on the erg and my strength sessions focused around strength at this point. I will combine if I have to or if I want / need to squeeze more in, but that is not my preferred.

Deadlift: 135 x 5, 205 x 5, 245 x 5, 285 x 5, 325 x 5, 365 x 5

Weighted Pull-Up s/s Weighted Dip: BW x 5, + 20lbs x 5 x 5 sets

[bassongirl]

Recovery week. Just a simple UT2 today. But I crossed the 2 million lifetime meters today

3x12‘ 2‘r
Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
36:00.0 6,751 2:39.9 85 594 18 132
12:00.0 2,256 2:39.5 86 596 18 131
12:00.0 2,246 2:40.2 85 592 18 133
12:00.0 2,248 2:40.1 85 593 18 134

[Dangerscouse]

1:22:14.1 21,097 1:56.9 219 1053 24 142
11:49.9 3,000 1:58.3 211 1027 24 130
11:40.6 6,000 1:56.7 220 1056 24 133
11:40.1 9,000 1:56.6 220 1058 24 143
11:38.2 12,000 1:56.3 222 1064 24 145
11:38.3 15,000 1:56.3 222 1064 24 148
11:42.0 18,000 1:57.0 219 1052 24 149
11:42.4 21,000 1:57.0 218 1050 24 152
0:22.7 21,097 1:57.0 218 1051 24 152

I'm wondering if my ability to recover quickly from sessions has deteriorated due to not actually challenging myself regularly to recover quickly. Now that the weather is getting warmer, it's another good layer of stress to add to the load.

I've had enough of not pushing the boundaries to see what happens, and doing too many lower stroke rate / slower paced sessions without adding in the top end often enough.

Admittedly this might go horribly wrong, but we'll see as it might go horribly right.

[p_b82]

I'm wondering if my ability to recover quickly from sessions has deteriorated due to not actually challenging myself regularly to recover quickly. Now that the weather is getting warmer, it's another good layer of stress to add to the load.

I've had enough of not pushing the boundaries to see what happens, and doing too many lower stroke rate / slower paced sessions without adding in the top end often enough.

Admittedly this might go horribly wrong, but we'll see as it might go horribly right.

I guess you'll find out in a couple of months time realistically!

It does amaze me the body's ability to adapt to stimulus - and without some form of overload it will stagnate and then regress. (ignoring external factors like father time, illness etc)

[iain]

1:22:14.1 21,097 1:56.9 219 1053 24 142

I'm wondering if my ability to recover quickly from sessions has deteriorated due to not actually challenging myself regularly to recover quickly. Now that the weather is getting warmer, it's another good layer of stress to add to the load.

I've had enough of not pushing the boundaries to see what happens, and doing too many lower stroke rate / slower paced sessions without adding in the top end often enough.

Admittedly this might go horribly wrong, but we'll see as it might go horribly right.

Interesting thought, but surprised that you bring this up after a long "grey" (UT1?) session. A more normal approach would be to schedule harder sessions and then fill in with what you can manage between (whether "grey", UT2 or true "recovery". What is your wider plan for how you wish to schedule your erg sessions?

The general consensus is that amateurs train too fast to really push the hardest sessions. But with growing evidence that pyramidal training is comparable to polarised training so "grey sessions" are not per se counterproductive although significant SS training is required. I have been pondering on whether my volume of SS is compromising my higher intensity sessions. With a long commute, training 3 days a week is very difficult for me so I need to fit my work into 4 sessions. I am finding that I am not meeting my expectations on more intense sessions when after an "easy" session, even when this was preceded by a training free rest day. Whether this is old age and life stresses catching up with me, slower recovery from tougher sessions or that my SS sessions are too hard is uncertain. I do find that I struggle to keep my HR below 80% max on hour+ SS rows even at 17 Strokes per min. at sub-maximal work per stroke. I have always put this down to my heart using a lower proportion of its stroke volume at lower intensities, but recently I have realised that even at this intensity I cannot manage at 1 breath per min throughout, suggesting that I am above the 1st respiratory threshold. That said fro someone in their 50s 17 breaths per min is at the lower end of normal breathing rates so perhaps it is just that my required rate is still modest (say 20 per min) but that this needs to be rounded up to coordinate with my stroke.

Apologies for the ramble, but consensus is that the amount of recovery required after a training session increases not only with intensity, but also with its length, hence my concern that my typical 80 min session is just too long. I note that you tend to do HMs as the bulk of your training. As you aspire to sub 1:14 HM, the above is some 12S/500M below maximal which is comparable to the pace I use in my SS sessions, so as this is a "grey" session I am probably pushing a little hard.

[Dangerscouse]

I guess you'll find out in a couple of months time realistically!

It does amaze me the body's ability to adapt to stimulus - and without some form of overload it will stagnate and then regress. (ignoring external factors like father time, illness etc)

That's what I'm thinking, and I know from previous experience that there's a period of intransigence that if you push through you start to adapt. A bit like a parent of a new born, I guess, as you just have to find a way to cope

[Dangerscouse]

Apologies for the ramble, but consensus is that the amount of recovery required after a training session increases not only with intensity, but also with its length, hence my concern that my typical 80 min session is just too long. I note that you tend to do HMs as the bulk of your training. As you aspire to sub 1:14 HM, the above is some 12S/500M below maximal which is comparable to the pace I use in my SS sessions, so as this is a "grey" session I am probably pushing a little hard.

My thinking is quite often to challenge the consensus as it's not always right and it's always worthwhile to not just make assumptions.

As an example, and admittedly I was in a different place then, almost exactly four years ago, I set my 60 minutes and FM PBs on consecutive days, and then got to 85k into a 100k attempt a week later, with a couple of HMs in between too.

No-one would never recommend doing this, and I may have squeezed more out with a different strategy, but I doubt it for the PBs; definitely would have been better for the 100k though, but it's a good example of how my recovery used to be, and hopefully could be again if I fight through the inevitable intransigence for my body to be forced to adapt.

It's a bit of a long shot, but I also know I used to up the ante more than I do now, so sometimes fortune favours the brave. Grey sessions, quite often have been helpful for me, partly because my confidence can be a bit more fickle when I do slower stuff too often. I seem to have a bit of a disconnect between knowing that the slower stuff is there to enable me to go harder on the hard days. The slow days just become slow days. It's maybe a flaw in my mindset, but it's definitely an issue for me at least.

BTW, I'm definitely only aspiring to a 1:14 HM, as I know I have no chance of achieving it. A 1:17 HM is probably where I'm aiming now.

[jcross485]

2.5k warm up, 12 x 750m (:45 rest), 2.5k cool down. Intervals were to be around 10k - 60:00 power. Warm up and cool down might have been just a tad quick but I feel like I really nailed the effort on the actual intervals as HR settled in by the 3rd and remained pretty consistent throughout. After each interval HR recovered to right around the same number as well. Summer weather is here which means a real hot garage, a bit more sweat, and a bit higher average HR when training, but it's a 4-5 month block of time that should set me up real nice for the fall / winter provided I stay consistent.

Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
55:09.5 14,000 1:58.1 212 1029 20 154

5:07.4 1,250 2:02.9 188 947 18 136
5:07.0 1,250 2:02.8 189 950 18 142
r: 1:00 34
2:53.8 750 1:55.8 225 1074 22 155
r: 0:45 35
2:53.8 750 1:55.8 225 1074 22 158
r: 0:45 35
2:53.6 750 1:55.7 226 1077 22 160
r: 0:45 34
2:53.5 750 1:55.6 226 1078 22 161
r: 0:45 27
2:53.4 750 1:55.6 227 1079 22 162
r: 0:45 37
2:53.4 750 1:55.6 227 1079 22 162
r: 0:45 42
2:53.4 750 1:55.6 227 1079 22 163
r: 0:45 30
2:53.3 750 1:55.5 227 1081 22 163
r: 0:45 38
2:53.1 750 1:55.4 228 1083 22 163
r: 0:45 37
2:53.1 750 1:55.4 228 1083 22 162
r: 0:45 33
2:53.1 750 1:55.4 228 1083 22 162
r: 0:45 45
2:53.0 750 1:55.3 228 1085 22 162
r: 1:00 38
5:07.3 1,250 2:02.9 188 948 18 148
5:07.3 1,250 2:02.9 188 948 18 150
r465

[nick rockliff]

Thought I'd get an early MHWT 65-69 10k ranking piece in.

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
38:34.8 10,000 1:55.7 226 1076 24 144
3:52.1 1,000 1:56.0 224 1070 24 130
3:51.8 2,000 1:55.9 225 1073 24 138
3:51.8 3,000 1:55.9 225 1073 24 140
3:51.8 4,000 1:55.9 225 1073 24 143
3:51.8 5,000 1:55.9 225 1073 24 146
3:51.8 6,000 1:55.9 225 1073 24 148
3:51.7 7,000 1:55.8 225 1074 25 149
3:51.7 8,000 1:55.8 225 1074 25 151
3:51.6 9,000 1:55.8 225 1075 25 151
3:48.6 10,000 1:54.3 234 1106 25 152

Quite comfortable.

[p_b82]

That's what I'm thinking, and I know from previous experience that there's a period of intransigence that if you push through you start to adapt. A bit like a parent of a new born, I guess, as you just have to find a way to cope

Agreed - There's no way I could currently function at level I did when my insomnia was at it's worst - not saying that I was at 100% then (as I really wasn't) but I could do my job, drive, do chores etc and not be a risk to myself and the world around me. Now I'd be a puddle on the floor and wouldn't risk driving.

Even in the space of a week I noticed a big difference in how my body has reacted to doing short/hard sessions; 1st one was horrible, last night 0.5s slower over 1200m - with a very different pacing profile - and it felt much much easier. (no post row cough either).