Getting Back From A Bad Day

[old] rabblerower · Post by **[old] rabblerower** » November 22nd, 2004, 4:10 pm

I did BIRC this year, and had an absolute nightmare - 10 seconds off my personal best, and I ended up doing a slower time then I had the previous year by half a second. Now I've lost a stone in weight since then, but I don't quite think that should make that much difference to my time, particularly as I posted a PB only three months ago. Anyhow, my question is, how do you lovely people out there get back on your feet after a really bad run of results? For the last three weeks now I feel i've been pulling well below my weight, not improving at the rate of everyone else in my crew - born out by the fact that I've gone from second fastest in the squad down to fifth fastest. I think it's a mental thing as much as anything - I don't seem to have the same drive to put a push in when it really hurts as I did a while back. I felt the same at BIRC - when I should have been pushing my split down, it was just creeping back up, my head didn't seem in the right place, I almost didnt seem to care. Strangely enough I feel like i'm rowing the best I ever have been on water - I won my first head last week. Anyhow, if anyone has any tips - a new psychological approach, or some different training things to try that would be very much appreciated. I'll leave what training I'm doing at the moment below this message. Thanks very much people! My Training: Monday: Rest Tuesday: 2x20 minutes @80% Wednesday: 4.5 mile run followed by 1km swim. Thursday: 5000m Rating 24 for first 1k, 26 for next 2k, 28 for next 1.5k, 30 for last 500m. Friday: Rest Saturday: 12-15km on water - coxed fours and pairs Sunday: 10km on water - eights.

[old] tow rope · Post by **[old] tow rope** » November 22nd, 2004, 9:38 pm

Spend 10 /15 min’s a day visualizing your performance. Imagine yourself arriving at the most difficult portions of the race and overcoming fatigue. Personalize fatigue! When you feel it make it your friend tell it to come with you. Bert

[old] King0Gus · Post by **[old] King0Gus** » November 22nd, 2004, 10:33 pm

I'm going through the exactly same thing right now, I'm usally the fastest but lately I've just lost my edge and I stopped improving and like you said it seems as though I don't care. I can't stand it anymore.

[old] jus gray · Post by **[old] jus gray** » November 23rd, 2004, 7:05 am

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'>QUOTE (tow rope @ Nov 22 2004, 08:38 PM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quote'> Spend 10 /15 min’s a day visualizing your performance. Imagine yourself arriving at the most difficult portions of the race and overcoming fatigue. Personalize fatigue! When you feel it make it your friend tell it to come with you. Bert  </td></tr></table> Awesome advice there Bert, we do this with fear, invite it in and make it your friend, that way when things go wrong it wont control your actions.

[old] rabblerower · Post by **[old] rabblerower** » November 23rd, 2004, 6:08 pm

Cheers for the help, guys. Did some hill running today, and the tactic of personalising the fatigue really helped. I shall keep it up! King0Gus - What's your diet been like lately? I've been trying to lose weight since the start of winter training, hoping to get the fat converted into muscle. Anyway, I did the BMR calculator on the Concept2 site and found that for the training I do I've been short changing myself by about 2000 calories! I don't know if that'll have any bearing on your situation. I do know that training does go in peaks and troughs, still it seems like what we've both been going through is a little more than that. That feeling where you know you're being left behind, yet you almost can't be bothered to deal with it? I guess there's always the coach to talk to, though mine mostly tells me just not to worry and to get on with it. Anyhow, best of luck getting over the problem, there'se always sports psychologists, though I haven't got the first idea of how to get hold of one!

[old] Coach Gus · Post by **[old] Coach Gus** » November 23rd, 2004, 6:42 pm

Just some suggestions: Take some time off. Don't erg for a week. Change your routine, i.e. get rid of the intervals and concentrate on strong steady rows for a while, do more erging, erg before you go out on the water. Add in weight training. Erg in front of a mirror. Set a goal on a longer distance than the 2K, i.e. beat your 5K PB, row a HM and time frame to do it. Get a partner and set up some sort of challenge between the two of you. Pick your dream race and fantasize about racing it and winning it. Start logging your meters and times online. Focus on positives. Get RowPro and do some online racing/training. Get a personal coach. Get more sleep. Make sure you are getting enough to eat and make it healthy food.

[old] rabblerower · Post by **[old] rabblerower** » November 23rd, 2004, 7:10 pm

Oops, looks like I double posted, just skip on to the one below!

[old] rabblerower · Post by **[old] rabblerower** » November 23rd, 2004, 7:13 pm

Cheers for the help. I completely forgot to add in the weights I do - on Tuesdays after the Ergo I do a "heavy" weights session - 3x10 reps exercising all the major muscle groups - the usual stuff such as Leg Press, Bench Press, Bicep Curls, Bench Pull, Butterfly Press, Overhead press etc and 3x15 reps deep squats. On thursday we do 4x1 minute speedweight sessions - same weight types, but at an intensity we should be able to hold for a minute (not easily, though ) with 45 secs rest between each exercise. Ideal race to fantasize? That'll be the National Schools final! Think i'm gonna dedicate some time each day to thinking about winning that, It's making me feel better already! Cheers for all the other ideas, I've just overhauled my diet (gone onto 5 smaller meals a day instead of 3 large ones, with nothing inbetween). Plenty of carbs, protein and unsaturated fats (i've been reading a lot off the Concept2 site itself). I'd never thought about the sleep thing - I may well have to start getting to bed a bit earlier as I tend to only get around 6 1/2 to 7 hours a day. Thanks for the input, it's all very much appreciated.

[old] TomR/the elder · Post by **[old] TomR/the elder** » November 23rd, 2004, 8:51 pm

Rabble-- At age 17, you want to be extremely careful restricting your diet while training hard. You're still growing, and you've got to feed the beast. It sounds like you're heading in the right direction: Get rest, eat well, and stay healthy. If you've got a bit of fat, it will come off gradually as a result a good training routine. The muscle will also take care of itself w/ good training. Along w/ your big goal, set some realistic short-term goals. Success will help you stay motivated. Tom Rawls

[old] JosephNovak · Post by **[old] JosephNovak** » November 24th, 2004, 1:41 am

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td class='genmed'>QUOTE </td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>At age 17, you want to be extremely careful restricting your diet while training hard. You're still growing, and you've got to feed the beast. </td></tr></table> I like Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Mmmmh, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.... Or Cherry Garcia. Feed the beast. Coach gus gave a lot of points, but the most important has got to be CHANGE THE ROUTINE. It's the same for anything routine. Unless your a compulsive or Asperger like me, it'll kill your rowing career. Ask Xeno for some help on sprucing it up. The formula I've gone on for weight loss is this -- 500 Calories a day == 1lb a week. Never exceed -1000 calories a week. And Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough == +5 lb / day no matter your calorie intake -- but it's worth it. Joe

[old] Xeno · Post by **[old] Xeno** » November 24th, 2004, 2:22 am

Hi Rabblerower It is possible that you were not quite healthy. If you are only one percent off your optimum health, that is enough between gold and silver. Before you wonder about your head and your mental toughness monitor your fitness with a step test. Five years ago owning a lactate measuring device was thousands of dollars now it is about 350 dollars. You can easily spot overtraining. Xeno Come take a holiday here in Southern California when the weather is less than lovely in the UK and hire me for an hour and I will give you the details on how to monitor your fitness.

[old] rabblerower · Post by **[old] rabblerower** » November 24th, 2004, 4:22 pm

Cheers for all the help, guys. I really didn't expect such a friendly bunch of responses after a few of the other online communities I've tried to get into. Anyhow, i'm starting to feel pretty instant effects from the better eating, I haven't done much ergo yet, but I chopped 35 secs off my PB for the 4 mile run - I'm almost doing 7 minute miles now. I'll try to keep all your points in mind, I'm setting myself little goals at the moment rather than big ones. I'm hoping to get the 5k below 18 minutes by January time. Thanks again for all the advice, it's been really helpful. Oh, and Xeno - I would like a holiday when it's less than lovely in the UK, problem is I'd probably spend more time out there than I do here the way it's going at the moment!