Recovery time between PB attempts

[rhyszoe]

I am a 63 year old who has recently resumed rowing after a forty year break, although I have been a regular at the gym for the last ten years, but doing my cardio work on the bike. A month ago I started on the erg to prepare me for Masters rowing and after a few 30 minute efforts, I decided that I should test myself out and go for 60 minutes. I have completed two to date and have surprised myself with how well I performed. To put it bluntly, I am beginning to develop an addiction to thrashing myself to a standstill on the erg! Now that I have seen what you other guys of my age can do, it has inspired me to improve. I find it hard to get on the erg and just swing along; I seem to want to really go for it and better my previous score each time. The problem with this approach is that it knocks me about and leaves me sore for a couple of days. I imagine that as my fitness improves, this will tend to become less pronounced. However there must be a more productive way to train than just flogging myself senseless each time I jump on the erg!
How often should I make an attempt on my personal best? Assuming 3 or 4 trips a week to the gym, should I attempt it once a week, or less or more often than that? What sort of recovery time should I give myself in between going all out over 60 minutes?

[johnlvs2run]

Whichever way suits you the best.

At the beginning it is easier to get PB's quite often.