Challenge 10K week 43 - 2K week 51

Gerhard · Post by **Gerhard** » August 28th, 2007, 4:13 am

Time for a new challenge after the succesfull 5K challenge. The first 8 weeks will be focussed on improving endurance tresholds, which should result in a 10K PB in week 43.

The improved endurance should form a proper base for a record chasing 2K in week 51, just before the holiday season.

This tread will contain regular progress reports.

Feel free to join, even if your personal targets are different. Just set yourself a target for week 43 (and/or week 51), even if your target distance is different. It's not about beating us, it's about beating yourself.

Gerhard · Post by **Gerhard** » August 28th, 2007, 4:20 am

My personal targets:

10K week 43: break 40:30
2K week 51 : break 7:15

It will be hard, but that's the point. I'm lazy by nature so I have to push myself. In this case, Tom and David pushed me

.

Training plan for the first week:

Steady 10K / 60 minute rows @ 2:10 / 2:15, maybe one fast interval (4x2K) to prevent me from losing speed.

Gerhard · Post by **Gerhard** » August 28th, 2007, 4:30 am

First workout: monday 27-8

Steady 60 minute row, 13420 meters, pace 2:14 @ 22SPM. Heart rate up to 170, average 162.

Rowing can actually be very nice and relaxing, up to the point where your bottom start to hurt (after 11K or so). I used to have some comfortable fat in this area, but for some reason that's gone...

DUThomas · Post by **DUThomas** » August 28th, 2007, 10:24 am

Gerhard wrote:I'm lazy by nature so I have to push myself. In this case, Tom and David pushed me .

Who, me?!

My targets:

10K week 43: break 39:30 (It was going to be 40:00, but as penance for pushing Gerhard....)

2K week 51: break 7:00

Other goal: exceed 1.6 million meters for the calendar year -- after a slow start to the year, now over 800K and averaging about 150K/month

Liquid · Post by **Liquid** » August 28th, 2007, 2:14 pm

I thought the 5K ended on August 31st? Oh well, guess I missed it.

tomhz · Post by **tomhz** » August 28th, 2007, 2:21 pm

OK, I'll join.

My personal targets:

10K week 43: break 39:00.
Tough! My first and only sub 39:00 was almost two years ago. Did 39:10 october last year.

2K week 51 : sub 7:15.
Current PB is 7:16.6, done 2 1/2 years ago. I should be doing my best 2K's in week 46 (BIRC) and week 49 (NK open). If I succeed I will change my target to 7:13 or faster for week 51.

Training plan. I am on a tight schedule for the 2K race at the BIRC. I am not going to change that. My targets schould come naturally.

BTW, what happened to Bryan Castro?

Gerhard · Post by **Gerhard** » August 28th, 2007, 2:36 pm

Liquid wrote:I thought the 5K ended on August 31st? Oh well, guess I missed it.

You are absolutely right. We have bend the rules a little and we may have gotten a bit carried away because we succeeded on the first attempt, but the 5K does actually end on august 31. Will you still give it a try? What's your actual and what's your target?

Good luck (or does luck have nothinh to do with it?)!

Bob S. · Post by **Bob S.** » August 28th, 2007, 5:53 pm

Gerhard wrote: Good luck (or does luck have nothinh to do with it?)!

Luck includes staying healthy and not having any accidents, so it has a great deal to do with it. One little stupid mistake around a horse and my training program is now a shambles.

Bob S.

Gerhard · Post by **Gerhard** » August 29th, 2007, 2:22 am

Bob S. wrote:
Gerhard wrote: Good luck (or does luck have nothinh to do with it?)!
Luck includes staying healthy and not having any accidents, so it has a great deal to do with it. One little stupid mistake around a horse and my training program is now a shambles.

Bob S.

True. I read about you accident. How is the recovery going? Are you back on the erg yet, or when do you expect to? There are still a few world records to be broken!

DUThomas · Post by **DUThomas** » August 29th, 2007, 8:55 am

Sorry to read about your accident -- hope your recovery is quick

Bob S. · Post by **Bob S.** » August 29th, 2007, 10:50 am

Thanks, guys, for the encouraging messages.

I went to the chiro on Monday. I had been to him just one week before for a slight pain in the same place. The treatment worked fine at that time and I did my 1k TT the next day with no problem. It was a couple of days later, Thursday, that I tangled with Smoky Joe (my wife's horse). In horse years, he is probably about as old as I am, but he has a few pounds on me and I came out second best. On Friday we had to make a long trip by car, which is not all that great for the back, and then we got into the weekend, so there was no chance to make a regular appointment with the chiro, thus the Monday visit. The treatment seemed to work at the time. I walked out of the office feeling pretty good, but the pain returned later and is definitely worse than the minor pain that I had had over a week ago.

The only erging I have done is my little, easy ten minute morning wake-up piece each day. For the most part these have gone O.K., but every so often I get pain spasms reminding me to take it easy. Since the chiro treament was not effective this second time, I figure that I have to have a regular doc check it out. I called the clinic yesterday and got an appointment for early this afternoon. Then we shall see what we shall see.

Bob S.

Gerhard · Post by **Gerhard** » August 30th, 2007, 5:34 am

tomhz wrote:BTW, what happened to Bryan Castro?

I got a mail (about 6 weeks ago) that he was very busy with setting up a new business and that he found it hard to find the time to exercise, especially with a baby around the house. But he would pick it up as soon as possible and het would still compete in the 5K challenge.

He did not. I have access to his training log and he has actually recorded one workout in August. so either he has quit rowing, or he's still really busy.

Gerhard · Post by **Gerhard** » September 6th, 2007, 1:33 am

Tuesday 28-8

30 minutes @ 2:07.3. Steady row @ 25 SPM

Wednesday 29-8

30 minutes @ 2:13.9. 15 minutes @ 2:02.5; HR up to 179; 1.5 minute rest and easy finish @ 2:15

Thursday 30-8

30 minutes @ 2:10.4 1K hard (2:00@20SPM) / 1K easy (2:25@18SPM)

Saturday 1-9

10K @ 2:12.2. First 30 minutes steady around 2:07, easy finish.

Monday 3-9

30 minutes @ 2:08.4. 3 minutes hard (2:00@21SPM) / 3 minutes easy (2:18@19SPM)

Tuesday 4-9

30 minutes @ 2:05.4. 3 minutes hard (2:00@26SPM) / 3 minutes easy (2:11@20SPM)

Gerhard · Post by **Gerhard** » September 6th, 2007, 1:43 am

For the next four weeks I will focus on 30 minutes at low rate. I'm currently able to do 3 minutes@2:00 / 3 minutes@2:20 on and off at rate 20. I hope to lengthen the fast pieces and make the slow pieces faster. That should result in 7 minutes fast @ 2:00 / 3 minutes slow @ 2:10, both at 20SPM.

DUThomas · Post by **DUThomas** » September 6th, 2007, 12:22 pm

It looks like you're getting some good rows in!

As I look at your rows (and the rows of many others), I wonder whether I should have more discipline in maintaining stroke rates and doing structured intervals. I'm trying to, at least, but it really runs contrary to my nature! For what it's worth, your challenges are pretty helpful in this regard!

I've just exceeded 900K for the year and am closing in on my first million meters.

In the past week, I've focused on longer rows (about 16K per day, broken up into 4K-6K chunks at about 2:02 to 2:09, with the rests between the different pieces ranging from short water breaks to long work days

). I'm trying to lower the stroke rate (to around 22-24 spm) for portions of my rowing, and to row strapless for some period of time. (I don't quite have the hang of rowing strapless and I'm not yet sold on the benefits, but given the frequency with which it's recommended by far more experienced rowers, I'm giving it a shot.)

I'd like to say I'm doing longer rows to improve my aerobic base. While I'm sure it has that effect, I'm mostly doing it because my wife is out of town (in your neck of the woods -- Amsterdam) and I have more time to row.

Cheers!