Sub 7 Indoor Rowing Club (UK)

[Amazing Amazon]

Everyone seems pretty busy - and doing good times post-BRIC: Impressive to see Rod going almost directly from 2k to HM .

Enjoyed seeing most of you racing or spectating at BRIC. Unfortunate that its not a great venue to chat and that they schedule most of our races ('the oldies') so close to each others, so I didn't see some you race as I was involved in mine, or the marshalling and warm-up before and the medalling afterwards.

Very unhappy about the lack of warm-up this year. Previous BRICs at the Velodrome have never offered more than about 10 minutes warm-up, half what I like to do, but this year it was no more than 6, and in my 2k race barely half that as I got two duff ergos - one with no display at all and the second only after I started rowing - it then asked for a date - so clearly the batteries were flat or absent. For the 2k they might have had an excuse because of the delay to an earlier race (Andy Osborn told me he was stuck on his erg for 15 minutes before his race) but by the time of the 500s there wasn't any excuse I'm aware of.

Anyway did an unopposed 8:03.5 (2k) and 1:49.5 (500m) in my category (65-69 HW), still good enough in the 2k for a silver if had still been in 60-64 and a bronze if I'd been in 55-59. These times were both marginal improvements over Cardiff (where I did 8:04.4 and 1:50.5) but I was really looking to go sub 8 minutes for 2k.

Have been somewhat distracted by other pre-Christmas activities since then (Ceilidh on Saurday night, Ice Hockey (as spectator) on Sunday, Folk Dancing parties on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday night. i also did a 1800m swim Thursday, which I did in 60 minutes, where I've been taking 65 recently.

Today, finally, back on the erg. Am continuing my December longer-distace ramp up where I do progressivly longer distances: 5k, 6k, 30 minute, 10k, 60 minute culminating in a HM, tjough that may well be after Xmas. Have done a 5k (for the IRL) so today it would be a 6k. Began with my regular 20 minute, Eddie Fletcher warm-up, which was a bit faster than recent ones. I had worked out, based on my 2k and 5k times that I could expect to take 25:20ish or 2:06.7 pace. Feeling strong from the warm-up started out at about 2:07 pace jntending to try anf flat-pace it but mostly negative split from there: oace for 1k splits were: 2:07.1 (25), 2:06.9 (26), 2:06.5 (27), 2:06.8 (27), 2;05.8 (27), 2:02.7 (29) for an overall 25:11.8 or 2:05.9 pace. Very happy with that.

Hope to be rowing OTW tomorow then a 30 minute ergo on Sunday that will get me past 100k for the Holiday challenge

[Two Pudding Kid]

Just a quick message from Dusseldorf - catch up properly later.

Out here for the the 6k ergo Christmas cup, (I dont do the sprinty stuff).

Only 2 in my race which is a ltittle disappointing as I was hoping to race Dena, (would have pushed me a lot harderand been a proper scrap). Still pulled a 25:55,9 which is pretty good for me and maybe an SB, although knew I had won it 10 mins in. A gold and a german rowing calendar. Struggling to get myself on the podium, (short legged old git me).

Should be up for 5k on Tuesday and a half maration on Saturday. Will be starting on marathon ergo training Xmas on, (having grabbed a place at Hamburg got to get my **** in gear so to speak.)

PS Might not be LWT at the moment, got to try a few local delacies, but get more serious soon.

[Amazing Amazon]

Susan, congratulations on your win in Dusseldorf. You are certainly a globe-trotter.

Had a quick (about 6k) row in a double yesterday - up to the top of the estuary and into the river and back: we were somewhat limited by the low water levels and imminent sunset.

Today did a 30 minute row as I had promised. My projected time (based on my recent 2k and 6k) was 7,099m. Managed 7,095m (2:06.8 pace) so not unhappy with that. Have now also passed 100k for the Holiday Challenge. Next session with be a 10k.

30 minute splits at pace: 2:07.8 (25), 2:07.8 (27), 2:07.5 (26), 2:07.7 (26),2:07.3 (27), 2:02.7 (28).

[Rod]

60 minutes at 20spm

Metres...........14,655
Average pace...2:02.8

This is a lot less than the 35spm I would use at free rate!

It's a new PB by 0.6 on pace 75 metres in distance.

Can I get this one under 2 mins pace? I'm working on it!

Susan............congrats on the Gold, great row!

[le grand fromage]

Nice pb Rod and Congrats TPK, it only takes two to make a race

Golf on Friday for me, woke up Saturday with a sore throat and feeling iffy so gave training a miss, ditto for Sunday although felt a tadge better. Felt I needed to do something Monday so just did my competition warm up for 20’. Plenty of power following a few day rest and HR seemed nearly normal for the session.
Tuesday a bit pushed for time as the new motor for the cooker hood fan had turned up and needed to be fitted so just did a 20’ level 4. A bit of trouble with the rate but good enough

18/12/17 - 20’ Comp WU – 1:54.2 – 20 – 5253 – 235 – HR 127/137/139

19/12/17 – 20’ Level 4 – 1:52.9 – 18 – 5310 – 243 – MHR 139

[Amazing Amazon]

Yes, a very nice 60 minute PB Rod. You're certainly cooking on gas at the moment.

LGF, hope to see you fully recovered and back to impressive times again soon.

I seem to be gradually pulling stronger as I up the distance. Today it was the 10k. Predicted time, based on my recent 2k and 30 minute rows was 42:50, which is 2:08.5 pace. Started with 2:9s and 2:10s, felt very comfortable as I gradually squeezed the pace faster mostly holding 2:09s and then 2:08s. With 2k to go only need to hold those 2:08s to dip under 43 minutes but continued to up the pace and then put my back into it to sprint right at the end. Not sure of the spm (it must have been high) but ended on a 1:47 for an overall 22:43.3 time (2:08.1 pace). Still 21 seconds slower than last year, but I am improving.

Paces for the 2k splits 2:09.4 (24), 2:9.0 (25), 2:08.9 (26), 2:08.3 (27), 2:05.0 (28).

[Rod]

5k Time Trial

Time..................18:24.3
Average pace........1:50.4
DF......................113

5k for the Sub 7 team in the Indoor Rowers League.

It's a Lightweight PB (so my best for 4 years), puts me 3rd in the world rankings for 60-69 year old Lwts and gets the same points as a heavyweight bloke under 30 with a time of 15:52.5

....but guess what? Yep...as per usual I'm not all that happy with it as I'm sure I can go faster...so will have to try again soon!

[le grand fromage]

Was going to kill 2 birds with one row to-day, well I would have if I hadn’t have had a snipers HD.

Decided to do a 6k for my Jensen Power Profile but set the splits for 5k to pick off something for the IRL. Looked at a the 50-59s and 60-69s BR and WR just in case , settled on a target of 330w for 5k and 321w for the 6k. Both are the WR for the 60-69s but figured I might as well give myself a stretch target as I’d been close to the 5k last May.

Pace plan was 340w for the 1st 1k then settle around 325w, this gave me the option of dropping to 310w for the last 1k and still be near the target. Didn’t start well and dropped off the 340w pace well before the 1k marker, watched the average drift down but then held firm on 320w av. After about 2k I started to get into the piece and the average started to move up until at 3k I was on 322w av. Then shortly after halfway I just HD’d.

Could’nt believe what I’d done, yes it was hard, yes I don’t think I could have held the pace all the way but even so, never saw the HD coming.

Still got both to do and still feel it was a fair plan so will give it another go soon

3k – 1:42.8 – 29 – 322 – 10:16.8

[le grand fromage]

Mugged myself this morning to get a 5k done. Set up the monitor for 6k with a 5k split and just told myself to do it as a Fletcher warm up. At 3k, binned the ‘warm up’ routine and just went pretty much full bore for 2k, holding around 350w to bring a 5k time in just under 18 minutes. Paddled the last 1k as a warm down. At least I’ve something to enter into the IRL now if I don’t get a proper one done this month. Still need to get a 6k done for the Jensen Power profile but I think I can see where that is heading now anyway

5k – 1:47.6 – 24 – 281 – MHR 156 – 17:56.2

[Rod]

Half Marathon (21097)

Time...................1:22:41.3
Average pace.........1:57.5
SPM....................34
Drag Factor...........112

2nd go at the Half Marathon for the Lightweight group challenge..1:20 (2:00 on pace) faster than last weeks first go but still 20 seconds slower than I did in October....so another one next week....gotta keep chipping away if I want to break the British 60-69 Lightweight record.

[MPx]

Wow, loads of erging getting done and all at record and/or winning pace. Rather humbling for those of us that just saw away for fitness and strength!

Rod congrats on the 30@20; 60@20; and 5K lightweight PBs. Also a 2s pace improvement is an enormous improvement in the HM given the original was already sub2. Stonking stuff. You've only got 116 months left to amass all of the 60-69 lightweight records - I'm guessing it wont take that long....

Huge power shown in your Jenson profile Richard pulling 700+ watts - awesome! Sounds like you've been wrestling with health gremlins and mind games. Hopefully you'll settle back into your regular training routine post Christmas and continue to dazzle us with the numbers.

You looked strong and steady at BRIC Marjorie despite the lack of competition. The equally strong results for the more recent longer pieces show there was good reason for that.

And many congrats on your 6k win in Dusseldorf Susan - must be very heartening and in a solid time too despite not being pushed.

Hows the mountain climbing going Toby? Distance pieces not really my thing but its good to hear about a novel way to encourage erg time. We all need to find the right motivations and that one sounds as bizarre as any so probably will work for you!

[MPx]

I've continued my program as best I can with just a few days of "absence on other duties" - inevitable from time to time. Still managed quite a few sessions so well over the 100k for the challenge:

13/12 Dumbbells and 5k @20 in 19:49.2 (tried for .1!) @ 1:58.9
14/12 4x1k r3:30. I've been a bit inconsistent with these improving on every other outing, slipping back a bit in between. Previous best was a 1:47.8/7/6 and a faster last for a 1:47.2 avg. This time 1:47.3/2/1 with a faster last for a 1:46.8 avg, so pleased with that.
16/12 AWL Pyramid - I have managed to dip under a 1:50 avg pace on this, but not quite this time finishing with an avg pace of 1:50.2
17/12 10k cruise in 39:49.2 (tried for .3!)
19/12 Dumbbells and 30min vari pace for 7575m @ 1:58.8 avg.
20/12 6x500 r2. Last time was 5x 1:41.lots and a faster last for a 1:41.2 avg. This time 5x very close to 1:41 and a faster last for a 1:40.6 avg. Getting back to sub 1:40 for this session is starting to look possible although that was properly hard!
22/12 Dumbbells and 5k @20 in 19:49.0 (still cant hit the .1!) @1:58.9

That may be it for me until after Christmas, but there is the siren call of the Sub7 ITC HM still in earshot. Its not something I really want to do so may not bother, but if it does happen it will probably be on Christmas eve...

Have a great time everyone and enjoy your Christmas and New Year celebrations.

[le grand fromage]

Cheers Mike, yeah just dabbling with a few things through December, as usual. Back on a more structured routine come January.

Friday, just got on the erg plugged in 30 mins and figured to row around 250w at whatever spm came along, ended up doing a 30R20 . Decided on the hoof to HR cap at 143, probably would’nt have gone much further even if I hadn’t.

Saturday, climbed aboard for another 30 mins. Figure to run through a Fletcher warm up at my competition warm up paces to see what my HR does at 30 mins against the 20 mins routine. Current thinking is I need to be rowing longer pieces at UT1 and UT2 than I have been.

Friday – 30R20 HR capped 143
1:51.8 – 20 – 8049 – 250 – MHR 142 = UT1

Saturday – 30 min Fletcher 203w Start
1:54.4 – 20 – 7863 – 233 – HR 135/145/149 = majority in UT1 range

[Two Pudding Kid]

Merry Christmas everyone. Hope you are having a great time.

Marjorie - brilliant 10k at 2:08.1 pace. Well done on completing over 100k in the Concept2 holiday challenge. Great 30 mins result of 7095m. Even finding time to go OTW too.

Rod - congratulations on your 5k LWT PB of 18:24.3 and 3rd in world rankings this season. 60mins PB at 20spm - would be brilliant to go sub 2:00 mins for this. Excellent half ergomarathon result and improvement on previous one.

Richard - always frustrating to HD but you are hopefully feeling much better and ready to go again at your usual high standard after Xmas.

Mike - so close to getting 19:49.1 for 5kr20, (not sure why this particular time is significant to you). Superb 4 x 1k r3:30 amongst many other sessions. Well done on getting past 100k on the holiday Concept2 challenge.

Me - I can confirm that Dusseldorf was a SB by 0.7 secs, (knew I had run it close). Since then 21:31.5 on the 5k which isnt very impressive and 8 secs slower than Exeter, and 1:39.38.1 (2:21.7 ave) for Christmas Eve half marathon which is dire, (HD'd on Friday 22nd on HM after 12k in when I had a headache and was hitting some 2:40 pace at times). I am sure that is my worst HM in the 13 years I have been doing them so might have to have another go very soon. 85k in holiday challenge which is about my usual. Will be trying to get 3 sessions in before end of year but still deciding what. Need to get my LWT head on too as gained about 3 pounds since BRIC.

[Amazing Amazon]

Susan, trust you and all on the forum had a good Christmas in addition to all your work on the erg.

Me:
Thursday was a beautiful say, with light winds, some sun and flat calm. Did about 6k in a single down the estuary to Shaldon bridge and back.

Friday busy helping installing our new cooker, our old one had been malfunctioning, so needed it so we had some way of cooking for Christmas.

Saturday, another outing on the estuary. This time in a double with a novice sculler, so not much rowing, just keeping my oars flat to the water keep the boat stable. We did about 3.5k.

Christmas Eve moved up from Tuesday's 10k to attempting a 60 minutes ergo row. My pace predictor was saying I should be able to do 13,878m (2;09.7 pace), my Nonathlon target was 13,663m for 1000 points. My 20 minute warm-up went fine. As it was a long row for the 60 min piece I added a foam rowing seat over the existing (thin, fixed) seat cushion. Big mistake: started off at 2:12-2:13 pace with wgaf I recignise as a low spm but after about 12 minutes the seat edge started to cut into my thigh and became distinctly uncomfortable. Slowed by the pain and then had to stop to discard the seat pad. Lost about 100m. Tried to pull it back over the next 10 minutes but it seemed unlikely I would hit 1000 Nonathlon points so abandoned when I reached 30 minutes. 6,754m done. 10 minute splits at 2:12.8 (23)-, 2:18.2 (23), 2:11.9 (24) pace. With watm-up and warm downs did 134,635m done for the Holiday challenge.

I had a quiet day (pigging myself ) with my family Christmas day, and a day away from rowing.Gained abot 3 lbs weight .

Boxing day, another attempt at the 60 minutes. This time finished but not without mishap. Stated faster thsn on Chistmas Eve by dint of a higher stroke rate with 2:10-2:11s at 26 spm. Hard but was holding/improving this OK with an expected finish around about 13,900m. After about 35 minutes my right foot was starting to come out of my trainer. Didn't realise this was happening. Just before 50 minutes in did notice my straps were getting loose. Had to stop to tighten them, on restarting my right foot came right out of my trainer. Had to stop again, loosen the laces, get my foot back in and re-tie the laces and restart. Had probably lost 150m. Pushed harder over the remaining time, 13,800m looked achievable. Sprinted at the end to nudge this up to 13,827m (2:10.1 pace). Without the shoe issue I might have got close to 14k. Still a respectable time and top of the WH 60+ rankings. Lost about 3 lbs weight. .

10min splits at 2:09.8 (26), 2:09.7 (26). 2:09.5 (27), 2:09.3 (27), 2:12.6 (26), 2:10.0 (27) pace (spm).

Should be out on the water again tomorrow. Still have a HM to do by Sunday.