[In]decent Intervals

[NavigationHazard]

If 'this year' means the current erg year, there are basically no erg races left in the US after the end of March. I might consider going up to Massachusetts for a small event on 3/25, but hopefully OTW practices will be up and running by then.

I do hope to defend my BRIC title next December, or whenever it's scheduled. At the moment, there's nothing concrete AFAIK.

[NavigationHazard]

Second go at the March Team Oarsome Challenge just now:

6 x 500m on 2' rest

01] 1:38.8 363w r20
02] 1:36.7 387w r24
03] 1:34.6 413w r28
04] 1:32.2 447w r33
05] 1:30.7 469w r35
06] 1:31.0 464w r36

Around about the 300m mark of #6, Amazon delivered a package of lactate. I tried to refuse delivery, but....

3000m total work distance in 9:24.0 net elapsed work time, 1:34.0 pace, 421w r29 [PM3].

The plan was to do #1 in 1:39 r20 and then drop the pace 2 seconds every rep while increasing rating by 4 spm. That would have had me average 1:34.0 r30. I was a little ahead of the targets early, a bit behind late (the wheels came off on #6 and I couldn't keep the rating up). But I finished spot on target for the average pace and was actually a tad under the proposed average rating. To quote Clint Eastwood, 'A man's got ta know his limitations....'

[NavigationHazard]

60' on the stationary cycle early this morning, nominal 389 watts, cadence 52, average HR 132 bpm. This was a new PB for the session at maximum (braked) resistance. I'm getting closer to the 400w barrier, which has no physiological significance but holds quite a bit of psychological terror for me

I will try to erg later.

[NavigationHazard]

8 x 500m r30ish on 2' rest just now:

01] 1:39.5 355w r31
02] 1:39.7 353w r31
03] 1:39.5 355w r30
04] 1:39.3 357w r30
05] 1:39.6 354w r30
06] 1:39.3 357w r30
07] 1:38.6 365w r30
08] 1:27.7 579w r38

4000m total work distance in 13:03.2, 1:37.9 pace, 373w r31 [PM3]. Trademark fast last rep, which right now would rank 3d in the 60-69 rankings if entered as a stand-alone 500...

I will do something more later....

[NavigationHazard]

Second workout (PM):

13 x 1' r32 on 30" rest, done around 4:30-5:00 pm:

01] 308m 1:37.4 pace 379w r31
02] 309m 1:37.0 pace 382w r32
03] 310m 1:36.7 pace 386w r32
04] 310m 1:36.7 pace 386w r32
05] 310m 1:36.7 pace 386w r32
06] 310m 1:36.7 pace 386w r32
07] 310m 1:36.7 pace 386w r32
08] 310m 1:36.7 pace 386w r32
09] 313m 1:35.8 pace 398w r32
10] 314m 1:35.5 pace 401w r32
11] 317m 1:34.6 pace 413w r32
12] 318m 1:34.3 pace 417w r32
13] 339m 1:28.4 pace 505w r32

4080m total work distance, 1:35.6 pace 401w r32 [PM3]. Trademark fast last rep.

Not horrible for 30" rest, all things considered.

[Remo]

That is impressive. A friend of mine coaches indoor rowing and is fairly tight with several of the top US on the water coaches. And he has posited that your average pace for a 20x1:00/0:30r is a good harbinger for your 2k pace. While 13 isn't 20 and a 2w:1r ratio is brutal, it is still some really good work you have done.

[NavigationHazard]

IMO 20 x 1' on 30" is going to be significantly slower than 2k pace, especially if rated like you would a 2k. If you average 1:40 pace you'll end up with 6000m total work distance and a 2:1 work/rest ratio. For a 6:00 national-squad type that's a heroic 6,667m on the same work/rest ratio. But mileage may vary....

My allergies are killing me right now.
20 x 500m r30 on 1:40 rest:

01] 1:41.3 337w r30
02] 1:41.2 338w r30
03] 1:41.1 339w r30
04] 1:40.9 341w r30
05] 1:40.6 344w r30
06] 1:40.4 346w r30
07] 1:40.3 347w r30
08] 1:40.0 350w r30
09] 1:40.1 349w r30
10] 1:40.0 350w r30
11] 1:39.9 351w r30
12] 1:39.6 354w r30
13] 1:39.4 356w r30
14] 1:39.3 357w r30
15] 1:39.0 361w r30
16] 1:38.7 364w r30
17] 1:38.2 370w r49
18] 1:37.8 374w r30
19] 1:36.8 386w r30
20] 1:30.5 472w r35

10000m total work distance in 33:05.3 net elapsed work time, 1:39.2 pace, 358w r30 [PM3].
The last eight were at an average 1:37.5 pace. Trademark last rep....

[NavigationHazard]

CTC just now, done as 2 x (15 x 1' on r24/1' active rest r20). Alternatively, think of it as 2 x 15' on 3' rest, alternating r24 and r20 every minute.

01] 296m 1:41.3 pace 336w r24
02] 257m 1:56.7 pace 220w r19
03] 289m 1:43.8 pace 313w r24
04] 252m 1:59.0 pace 207w r20
05] 286m 1:44.8 pace 303w r24
06] 253m 1:58.5 pace 210m r20
07] 287m 1:44.5 pace 306w r24
08] 254m 1:58.1 pace 212w r20
09] 286m 1:44.8 pace 303w r24
10] 254m 1:58.1 pace 212w r20
11] 286m 1:44.8 pace 303w r24
12] 254m 1:58.1 pace 212w r20
13] 286m 1:44.8 pace 303w r24
14] 254m 1:58.1 pace 212w r20
15] 286m 1:44.8 pace 303w r24

4068m total work distance in 15:00.0 net elapsed work time, 1:50.6 pace, 259w r22 [PM3].

01] 297m 1:41.0 pace 340w r24
02] 261m 1:54.9 pace 230w r20
03] 287m 1:44.5 pace 306w r24
04] 254m 1:58.1 pace 212w r20
05] 287m 1:44.5 pace 306w r24
06] 254m 1:58.1 pace 212w r20
07] 287m 1:44.5 pace 306w r24
08] 254m 1:58.1 pace 212w r20
09] 287m 1:44.5 pace 306w r24
10] 255m 1:57.6 pace 215w r20
11] 287m 1:44.5 pace 306w r24
12] 254m 1:58.1 pace 212w r20
13] 287m 1:44.5 pace 306w r24
14] 254m 1:58.1 pace 212w r20
15] 303m 1:39.0 pace 361w r24

4101m total work distance, 1:49.7 pace, 265w r22 [PM3].

Meh. It took me a few intervals in each of them to settle into a groove. I was reasonably consistent from about rep 4 on in both....

[NavigationHazard]

Team Oarsome challenge again. 6 x 500m on 2' rest. I again tried to do them r20/24/28/32/36/40. I'm getting somewhat better at the faster ratings the more I do at them....

01] 1:38.2 370w r21
02] 1:35.8 398w r24
03] 1:34.3 417w r29
04] 1:33.0 435w r32
05] 1:30.6 471w r36
06] 1:27.5 521w r38

3000m total work distance in 9:19.4, 1:33.2 pace, 432w r30 [PM3]. All maximum drag, I actually warmed up for this -- I coaxed my old ErgMonitor program back to life and dinked around a bit looking at post-operation/post-diabetes diagnosis force curves as compared to how I was rowing 10-12 years ago. The short story is that I'm nowhere near as smooth in my application of force as I used to be back in the day.

The good news is that the first OTW practice of our season starts in 12 hours 3 minutes. Weather permitting.....

[NavigationHazard]

I've been bad about posting here, a considerable chunk of that due to weather-related disruptions in my planned workout schedule. New York has been bombed with late season snow (7" on Monday) and unseasonably cold temperatures (it was 34F air temp dockside for our first OTW competitive team meeting of the year on Saturday) and either pea-soup fog (this morning) or else strong winds (gale warnings are up for tonight) when not awful in some other way. The upshot has been that OTW rowing should have started but hasn't. This has ruined my plan to shift my main workouts to early morning.....

I've gotten in the odd bit of training anyway. The other day I did a throwaway 500m piece in 1:24.4, which is the fastest age-group time in the rankings this erging year and something like the third or fourth fastest to have been ranked in over a decade.

CTC just now: 12:03.9

2000m 6:59.7 303w r21
1' rest
0500m 1:44.2 309w r20
2' rest
0500m 1:41.5 335w r20
3' rest
0500m 1:38.4 367w r21

3500m total work distance in 12:03.9 net elapsed work time, 1:43.4 pave, 316w r20 [PM3]. Couldn't >quite< catch Team Oarsome teammate David Chmilowskyj at 20 spm.... TBH I thought my target to beat was 1:43.6 average, not the 1:42.6 that Dave actually did. Schoolboy error.... I will have to make myself go again....

[NavigationHazard]

Hanging in there, waiting for it to thaw out enough that we can get out OTW. It's been way too cold and/or windy for safe sculling.

Yesterday was typical of my last week: 30' stationary cycle at a nominal 399w, cadence 50, average HR 136 bpm, plus 12 x 250' r24 on 30" rest:

01] 49.5 1:39.0 pace 361w r24
02] 48.8 1:37.6 pace 376w r25
03] 49.6 1:39.2 pace 359w r23
04[ 49.5 1:39.0 pace 361w r23
05] 49.2 1:38.4 pace 367w r23
06] 49.1 1:38.2 pace 370w r23
07] 49.6 1:39.2 pace 359w r23
08] 49.2 1:38.4 pace 367w r23
09] 49.1 1:38.2 pace 370w r23
10] 49.0 1:38.0 pace 372w r23
11] 49.1 1:38.2 pace 370w r23
12] 47.7 1:35.4 pace 403w r23

3000m total work distance in 8:49.4, 1:38.2 pace, 369w r23 [PM3]. The first two reps were 20 strokes, the last 10 all 19 strokes. For whatever it's worth, the session is more or less the functional equivalent of 6 x 500m on 1' rest (you get an extra 30" rest this way).

[Dangerscouse]

I've gotten in the odd bit of training anyway. The other day I did a throwaway 500m piece in 1:24.4, which is the fastest age-group time in the rankings this erging year and something like the third or fourth fastest to have been ranked in over a decade.

Wow. 1:24.4?!?!

[NavigationHazard]

Knackered after a long day on campus, including teaching....

16 x 250m r24 on 45" rest:

01] 49.4 1:38.8 pace 363w r23
02] 49.1 1:38.2 pace 370w r22
03] 48.8 1:37.6 pace 376w r22
04] 48.7 1:37.4 pace 379w r22
05] 48.4 1:36.8 pace 386w r22

06] 48.9 1:37.8 pace 374w r22
07] 48.8 1:37.6 pace 376w r22
08] 48.6 1:37.2 pace 381w r22
09] 48.2 1:36.4 pace 391w r22
10] 48.5 1:37.0 pace 383w r22

11] 48.1 1:36.2 pace 393w r22
12] 48.1 1:36.2 pace 393w r22
13] 48.1 1:36.2 pace 393w r22
14] 48.1 1:36.2 pace 393w r22
15] 49.1 1:38.2 pace 370w r22

16] 46.9 1:33.8 pace 424w r23

4000m total work distance in 12:55.6, 1:36.9 pace, 384w r22 [PM3]. The first rep was 20 strokes, all the rest 19.

Trademark fast last rep. Oh, and in dinking around with racing starts I got a new low-pull PB: a single stroke at 1:03.8 pace (1348w). It's worth roughly nothing in the grand scheme of things....

[NavigationHazard]

On-line grading, then spring cleaning. While doing this, I found a dvd I'd made of me setting what at the time was the 50+ 500m WR. It was a classic fly-and-die, with me limping home at something like 1:27 splits. Anyhow, this psyched me up for the evening's

12 x 250m r30 on 30" rest

01] 48.9 1:37.6 pace 374w r30
02] 47.8 1:35.6 pace 401w r30
03] 47.6 1:35.2 pace 406w r30
04] 47.3 1:34.6 pace 413w r30
05] 47.4 1:34.8 pace 411w r30
06] 47.5 1:35.0 pace 409w r30
07] 47.1 1:34.2 pace 419w r31
08] 47.1 1:34.2 pace 419w r31
09] 46.4 1:32.8 pace 438w r30
10] 46.7 1:33.4 pace 430w r28
11] 45.8 1:31.6 pace 465w r30
12] 42.2 1:24.4 pace 582w r38

6000m total work distance in 9:21.8 net elapsed work time, 1:33.6 pace, 426w r30 [PM3].

I was damned if I was going to fly and die on the last rep....

If I get inspired, I'll reformat the video and upload it onto Youtube so I can post it here. It's not very exciting, but then it's only about 1:20ish long.....

[Edward4492]

John, we've been in the same boat down here in South Jersey with the weather. Been out in the 2x and today 2x and quad. Even after a heavy erg schedule I really feel it through the upper back and shoulders when I start back OTW. Do you ever get down to the Schuylkill for any events? (impressive interval work as always).