The Fall Challenge Diary - How did you go today ?

[Carl Watts]

Decided to start a thread for the Fall Challenge so anyone entered in this can make a daily entry to kept them motivated, discuss issues and just a general chat so they come out the other side with as many meters as they can.

The start for me it has been about picking a distance and pace that is sustainable day in day out rowing with no days off for recovery.

Have decided on 10Km a day which appears to be nearly twice my daily average to date but it will all be done at a very low 70% MHR. The end result should not only improve my rowing overall, reduce some bodyfat it should also end in mid October with a decent total of meters rowed.

The target I have set myself is a 300,000 metres contribution to the RowPro Online team.

[Carl Watts]

Day 2.

10K without breaks at 2:06.5 pace 20 SPM this puts my HR at 70% of the max with a 136 bpm average for the row.

Made me as hungry as anything, got off the rower and headed to the fridge.

[Carl Watts]

Day 3.

10Km at 2:05.9 pace at 20 SPM with a 138 average HR Drag Factor at 128.

Nice steady row at slower than FM pace. A few people in the RowPro online team doing some serious km's and pulling away fast, perhaps I should have settled on 15Km a day ? 5th in the team at the time of the upload.

[Carl Watts]

Day 4.

10Km with no breaks at 2:05.4 pace 20 SPM with 137 bpm average HR.

Nice early morining row so that probably explained the better pace with lower HR. HR back below 100 in under 1min so nice easy row. 6th in the team at the time of the result upload. some of the top RowPro online members putting in some serious meters.

[chgoss]

Hey Carl,
Terrible week for me, only erged Wed (2x5k <2:00) and tonight 60min at 2:07. Project at work is killing me
Should be able to get in a couple 12k's this weekend, and I''m hoping for better next week.

[wjschmidt2]

After working 10 to 11 hrs a day, I get home and row for an about hour. I try to log in at least 15k plus a wu and cd. Last night I was able to get a little over 15k.

Today(Sat), I will row while watching T.V. nice and slow, this will get me a couple of Ks. Later on in the day, I will do a L4 session for 60'. Total goal for the day about 20k.

Bill

[chgoss]

After working 10 to 11 hrs a day, I get home and row for an about hour. I try to log in at least 15k plus a wu and cd. Last night I was able to get a little over 15k.
Today(Sat), I will row while watching T.V. nice and slow, this will get me a couple of Ks. Later on in the day, I will do a L4 session for 60'. Total goal for the day about 20k.
Bill

Awesome !
Do you ever come up for the WIRCs in Feb Bill?

[chgoss]

2k WU, 10k, 2k CD
Did the 10k with an old friend, he gave me a 2min head start. Was hoping to stay under 1:58 and make him pull 1:52 to beat me.. no luck. I had an empty tank, and he caught me at 6k.. BEAST!

[Carl Watts]

Day 5.

Nice to see you online Chad.

Decided to do a total of 15Km today with a mix of the 20min Down Under row a 2K CD and a Fall Challenge "Top up" row of 8218M at 2:00.5 pace which was a bit faster than I wanted to go but hey.

8th on the Team and still slipping ! Getting wasted by a 29yo 50Kg Female in 1st place ! Ouch.Still it's all about the total meters and not the pace.

[wjschmidt2]

Chad,

Awesome !
Do you ever come up for the WIRCs in Feb Bill?

I was up in Boston last year. It was my first WIRC. Managed to get a 6:42, a few seconds off of my PB.

Today's FTC goal is at least 20k.

Bill

[Carl Watts]

Day 6.

Decided to up the Km's to 15 a day.

15K non stop at 2:06.4 at 20 SPM at an average HR of 139.

Started out today with a noticeably higher HR on the monitor, probably due to yesterdays effort. Will try 15Km a day and may even consider upping it to practically a HM everyday. Perhaps 2 x 10Km one morning and one evening may be the way to go. The 2:06 is a very sustainable pace for me and the HR stays pretty flat if I focus on the breathing

[chgoss]

12k at 1:59 flat, negative split down from 2:02 ish... Not a very impressive time, but not bad for me lately.. Went with a couple buddies, they gave me a 3min head start and I managed to hold one of them off..

2k cd

[Carl Watts]

Nice one Chad.

Sub 2:00 takes too much out of me. 30 days straight with no breaks is like picking my FM pace, trying not to crash & burn before the finish. 2:06 is about the same HR as walking up a hill for me and the only sweat comes on near the end of the row, it's going to be interesting to see if I can make it. Not much chance of an injury just fatigue. Mid morning rows are definatley the best for me it would appear.

[Carl Watts]

Day 7.

Another 15Km at 6:06.4 pace 21 spm at 139 HR.

Still hanging in there in the team standings in 5th place. Will try 15Km for a few more days and monitor the HR, if it stabilises and things look sustainable I may push the distance up.

[chgoss]

10k at 2:10, 2k @2:15. Completely whacked from yesterday.