Sub 6:30 by October. Training advice

[hjs]

Also. Was reading someone else here and now figure that I'm using the straps to pull myself back... is that bad? What else are they for then? Either way. Suggests I have a lot more skill work to do. Will try and incorporate into warmups and my 2 x 4k sessions.

If you are straining against the straps Jim then that is wasting the power which should be used on the drive of the legs away from the plates. The straps do help keep your feet on the plates but the feet need to be as "connected" to the plates as possible to maximise the watts on the drive. Including strapless steady state sessions in the plan is a good idea to improve technique and the way your feet engage - they should be stable on the plate transferring the power.

It's only a little at the end of the stroke.

So how does the physics work? How do you move your body towards the wheel if you aren't pulling with your feet? Every force. Equal and opposite reaction and all that.

Strapless is for training only, you can,t rate up, for that straps are needed. A guy you height will get to around 25spm max. Strapless. But its mostly used for long, low rate work, below 25. Given your training volume you won,t get around doing that stuff.

Strapless is possible, due to the angle the rail makes, the seat travels forward itself. Without that it would be impossible, gravity does the work, for higher rates thats not enough and thats why there are straps.

[Allan Olesen]

So how does the physics work? How do you move your body towards the wheel if you aren't pulling with your feet? Every force. Equal and opposite reaction and all that.

Simple: The forward force comes from your arms. When you pull with your arms, you do real work. When you pull with your feet, the work is wasted.

This is one of the reasons that the arm motion is the last motion in the drive sequence.

This works best at low SPM. At higher SPM you will need some help from the feet. But the help from the feet should never be more than necessary, and training strapless at low SPM will help you build a "quality" of your stroke which you can then use at high SPM to ensure that you are not wasting more energy on foot pull than necessary.

[JimS]

Okay. I think I get it.

It's like if you were cleaning a barbell. If your feet leave the floor it means your efforts are moving you instead of moving the bar.

The last part of the movement with your arms transfers the last part of your momentum into the bar and turns the wheel, rather than going through the straps.

Will try some of this in my next slower session.

[Allan Olesen]

The last part of the movement with your arms transfers the last part of your momentum into the bar and turns the wheel, rather than going through the straps.

Exactly.

[JimS]

Tuesday. Circuit.
Wednesday. 4k + 2k at 1:52. r22
Today. Circuit plus 2k at 1.52r22.

Wednesday a bit of a mess. Was running late and then got my pacing wrong while trying to sort out headphones, So I called it a day early (was supposed to be 2x4k.

Today I added an extra 2k to make up for it.

I think 1.52 is probably a little fast for me at r22. More taxing than i intended. Will drop to 1.54 next week and then move back up.

Tomorrow will try 3 x 1500.

Otherwise. Diet has been going well. Lost a couple of kgs over the last week. Feeling this has probably slowed my progress a little bit. Not feeling as much gas in the tank. Also struggling with my press up progressions.

[JimS]

Friday. First go at 3 x 1500.

Took me some time to find the right pace. Didnt want to blow out early.

1. 5.17 @ 1.46
2. 5.14 @ 1.44
3. 5.09 @ 1.42

All with 5 minute rest.

The work ive been doing at 22 strokes has certainly helped. Kept pace to 26 to 28 even while rowing hard. Whereas previously would drift up to 29/30

[JimS]

Sunday. Did an extra run with my girlfriend. Was very very slow and not very far, so doubt it did much.

Monday. 5k max.
Target. 17:46 @ 1:46.6
Actual. 17:45.3 @ 1.46.5

Felt fine. Probably a little gas left, but not much.

Still working back to my 5k PB after deload week. Will try and match or beat it next Monday.

[JimS]

Tuesday. Circuit.

Wednesday. Skipped morning workout. Went to rugby training in the evening. Pretty gentle. Mostly running.

Today. Circuit plus...
.... 2k at 1.52

Taking a big trip back to Manila for a veterans (over 35) rugby tournament next weekend. Been carrying a back injury for weeks, but seems to be recovering.

Next week or so will be focused on getting and keeping my back in shape.

Tomorrow. 3 x1500 day.

[JimS]

Friday. 3 x 1500

First two
5:12 @ 1:44.2

Last.
5.09 @ 1:43.0

Working on the Pete Plan approach of hitting my average of last session on all but the last rep, which is just as hard as possible. Only difference is improving every week not every 3 weeks.

Will equate to a 0.4 improvement in split time next week

Gonna try and convince the missus to go for another slow run tomorrow.

[JimS]

Progress update.

Got through my rugby trip unscathed. Had a week off with travel, a bit of jet lag and work stuff and getting back into it in the last couple of weeks.

Today. 5k test at exactly 18.00.

[JimS]

Been a while. Mainly posting in the training and PB threads.

Been of a plateau. Driven by lower volume and the needs of rugby training. The season is now done though, so its all about prepping for the Australian indoors on Sunday the 27th of october.

Seeking input on my weekly plan. Will carry this through the next 8 weeks, with reduced volume in week 3 (travel) and a reload in week 8.

I try and do this in about an hour every morning during weekdays. Weekends and evenings are tougher. But i could try and put additional volume in there.

Mon: 5k test (should I change this to a 2k or 30 minutes?)
Tue:. Weights Circuit. (Push, press, pull, core)
Wed: 8 x 500 m. 2.20 rest (should I do something closer to 2k pace? 6 x 750? 5 x 1000?)
Thur: Circuit again.
Friday: 30 minutes Steady state.

Will try and test my 2k every 2 weeks. Either on weekends or if i have to shorten a morning session.

Thoughts?

[lindsayh]

Mon: 5k test (should I change this to a 2k or 30 minutes?)
Tue:. Weights Circuit. (Push, press, pull, core)
Wed: 8 x 500 m. 2.20 rest (should I do something closer to 2k pace? 6 x 750? 5 x 1000?)
Thur: Circuit again.
Friday: 30 minutes Steady state.
Will try and test my 2k every 2 weeks. Either on weekends or if i have to shorten a morning session. Thoughts?

Hi Jim - for me only of course
- more volume and less testing at least for the next 6 weeks then a couple of weeks of sharpening.
- I would cut the weights to once a week for now and drop them for the last month and replace with a steady session of say 45'+
- The Monday could be hard and longer - 30 minutes or 10ks or say 4x 2k or the like
- You could do the 8x 500 alternating with say a 4x 1k and 5/6x 750 - they would always be close to 2k pace or maybe under - the longer rest intervals of the pete Plan can help you get sub 2k pace better. try to get up >30 srate as well
- would try to do more than 30' on the steady days - 45' I reckon - you could do that as intervals like 10/2"r x5 and the like
- I wouldn't be worrying about 2k testing so much as for me it is an interruption for the training and doesn't add much to the fitness - personally I pretty much never do them as part of training
- closer to the event I would replace some volume with harder intervals 1'-4'/1-2'R - so less time to recover and more anerobic with stroke rates
similar to your 2k around 32 and paces sub 2k

just my $0.02

[hjs]

Mon: 5k test (should I change this to a 2k or 30 minutes?)
Tue:. Weights Circuit. (Push, press, pull, core)
Wed: 8 x 500 m. 2.20 rest (should I do something closer to 2k pace? 6 x 750? 5 x 1000?)
Thur: Circuit again.
Friday: 30 minutes Steady state.
Will try and test my 2k every 2 weeks. Either on weekends or if i have to shorten a morning session. Thoughts?

Hi Jim - for me only of course
- more volume and less testing at least for the next 6 weeks then a couple of weeks of sharpening.
- I would cut the weights to once a week for now and drop them for the last month and replace with a steady session of say 45'+
- The Monday could be hard and longer - 30 minutes or 10ks or say 4x 2k or the like
- You could do the 8x 500 alternating with say a 4x 1k and 5/6x 750 - they would always be close to 2k pace or maybe under - the longer rest intervals of the pete Plan can help you get sub 2k pace better. try to get up >30 srate as well
- would try to do more than 30' on the steady days - 45' I reckon - you could do that as intervals like 10/2"r x5 and the like
- I wouldn't be worrying about 2k testing so much as for me it is an interruption for the training and doesn't add much to the fitness - personally I pretty much never do them as part of training
- closer to the event I would replace some volume with harder intervals 1'-4'/1-2'R - so less time to recover and more anerobic with stroke rates
similar to your 2k around 32 and paces sub 2k

just my $0.02

Yep, really not enough rowing. You weakness is your fitness. If you short time goal is a rowing race, focus on that. After the race pick up your other stuff.
Also, the short interval stuff is less usefull, longer ones are much better training and boosd your fitness more.

[mitchel674]

It looks like you're only rowing 16km/week. As Henry said, if you have an immediate rowing goal in mind, you should focus on rowing and put in many more meters.

[JimS]

Okay. Version 2.

Monday. 10k TT
Tuesday. Circuit.
Wednesday. 45m SS
Thur. 8x500m
Fri. 4 x 1500 (what rest?)

Saturday: circuit (optional/whenever I can)

Keeping the 8x500 for two reasons.

1. These really helped my 5k time when i introduced them.
2. I have a good idea on pacing so can push myself hard from week 1.

Thoughts?