Sub 7 Indoor Rowing Club (UK)

[Two Pudding Kid]

Been there and cracked sub 8:30 for 2k - wouldnt normally have got excited about that but post hip-op is a little different.
Splits: 2:07.1 (29), 2:07.6 (29), 2:07.9 (29), 2:06.9 (31).

[MPx]

Some great milestones there Susan. Sub 8:30 2k and 13k+ in an hour. Progress is still strong so you must be very pleased post op.

Another fantastic 60mins Rod. A couple more months of improvements like that and you'll have smashed it!

[Two Pudding Kid]

1:39.57.1 for HM which is DF 114, SPM 26 and ave 2:22.1. Was hoping for a minute better than that but the heat at the shopping centre was killing me. 3 secs slower than the one I did in the gym in March.

[MPx]

I've been struggling again recently and not done anything good enough to prompt posting! I seem to be getting worse not better. I have given blood and have had a cold but I'm not sure if the perceived detrimental effect of this is real, psychosomatic, or completely made up. Whatever, I'm fed up of excuses...I just want to get back to normal. In a typical month I tend to have a week where I struggle and do badly, a couple of weeks normal (ie hard work but targets met or nearly met) and a week where it feels easier and I edge forward on a couple of pieces. I've don't feel I've had one of those good weeks for a long time now and its pretty demotivating!

11/5 3x1k r5 for the CTC. Looked to do 2k ish pace. Managed just one at 1:44.5 then 1:49.5 and 1:49.2 and I was dizzy at the end. 10:46.4 Awful!
12/5 3x2k r2 @ 20spm and <140 HR cap. Only the first two at the target 2:02 pace then HR pushing too high so I had to slow to avg of 2:03.9 overall.
13/5 Thought I'd better try to have a go at the HM for the challenge. Started optimistically enough but got wallowing in the treacle within 10 mins and decided I'd bail when I got to the 10k to go point. Even with that shortened goal I struggled to keep going for the extra half hour required! Pace was only around 2:05 for 11100m.
15/5 Dumbbells and 8k @ 20 spm and HR cap <140 in 33:33.3 (spot on! but a late target as I had to slow from my normal pace due to HR creep)
16/5 10x1min r1. Generally prefer the short intervals and sprints so was up for this. Had been targetting 305m per min but scaled back to target just 300. Still only managed 4 with the others in the mid 290s. Awful again!
18/5 5x2k r2. Fed up with rate restricted sessions I just did these free rate (27) and a modest target of 7:55.7 min reps. Hit the target and even pushed slightly harder in the 5th, but was shocked to see my HR get up to 171 - the highest I've seen for a long time and on such a modest paced session too - overall @ 1:58.2 pace.
19/5 Dumbbells and 8k @20 spm but no HR restriction. I only targetted my normal slow and slowing pace for this to record a 32:52.3 time but to do it my HR was in the 150s within 2k and stayed that way until I slowed in the last 500 as a cool down.

So pretty dire. Not sure whether to just stop for a week or so, or keep ticking over with these slow sessions and hope my mojo picks up again soon. We're away for a bit in June so maybe the inevitable break then will provide some sort of recovery and I'll be rejuvenated when I kick off again after our return...

[MPx]

Well done Susan. Completing yet another HM is quite an achievement in itself never mind the time which will no doubt improve further this season.

..and just seen your and Carol's new World Record Rod. Wooohooo! Much as I love 500 intervals...the idea of doing them for nearly 7 hours does not appeal (!) and at 2:03.3, the pace suggests you were both going for it. I'm guessing about 1:55 for you and 2:10 for Carol? Awesome!

[Rod]

Well done Susan. Completing yet another HM is quite an achievement in itself never mind the time which will no doubt improve further this season.

..and just seen your and Carol's new World Record Rod. Wooohooo! Much as I love 500 intervals...the idea of doing them for nearly 7 hours does not appeal (!) and at 2:03.3, the pace suggests you were both going for it. I'm guessing about 1:55 for you and 2:10 for Carol? Awesome!

Thanks Mike, it was about 1:58 for me and 2:08 for Carol, we lost a bit on the changeovers so the pace you held for most of your 'turn' was faster than that to make up for it.

[Two Pudding Kid]

Mike- I hope your June hols give you a chance to restart the gym sessions with more vigour and rest. Hopefully you will hit the good stuff again soon.
Well done on hitting a magic number on the 15 May of 33:33.3.

Rod - glad I met you post world record 100k if you arent posting here anymore.

Me - must have had a stroke of genius so to speak yesterday. 10 x 1k r2 at sub 2:15 pace. Was aiming to have a total less than 45 mins but hit 44:44.4 total time at average 2:14.2, (increasing pace intervals from 2:14.9 to 2:13.8 pace). I couldnt have done that if I had planned it. I intended that to be sub maximal as I have a half-marathon rerun Friday, but after feeling particularly tired later it cannot be far off top speed. Would be far more cool to reach the same time without breaks which is what I intend to do by the end of July.

[Two Pudding Kid]

Not sure if anyone is reading this anymore.

Thurs - 1k postop PB 4:09.5 32spm. 2 secs off my previous best in March. Great news.
Fri - half marathon in 1:39.41.1 at 8pm on last day of the month. Started off too fast and died in the warmth. 2:26 was slowest pace. 15 secs off post op PB.

[MPx]

I'm still around TwoPuds and will be for the foreseeable.

Amazing to see you PB your post op sprinting in the same post as yet another HM. You're welcome to the record for the greatest number of those!

Its always good to interact with others, but even if not I find it helps me to catalogue my sessions on here as I reflect on them when I'm typing them up and it gets me to see if things are really That bad...or even Surprisingly good when viewed in the round. Also shows when I'm on a run and confidence growing - time to try for a PB!

That's certainly not now. I'm having a right old wallow! However, I did also manage to make myself sit down for a HM on the last day of May so at least my participation record is carrying on. In fact it wasn't as bad as I feared, so hopefully I'm slowly coming back out of the trough.

21/5 3x1500 r5. I had hoped to do these sub 1:50, but only managed one then 1:52.4 and 1:54.6 - no fight!
23/5 Dumbbells and 8k@20spm and <140 HR Cap in 33:33.1
24/5 AWL Pyramid - in no mental state to tackle this really so decided to do it at 20spm and keep below 2:00 pace. Was fine to do, but HR went up to 150 so above UT1
26/5 Dumbbells and 8k@20spm. Should have had the HR cap but the belt refused to pair so did it without and went very slightly faster so no doubt some HR creep would have come in. 33:03.2.
27/5 8x500 r3:30. Avg 1:42.1 last time so set off to try sub 1:42. Managed just 4 @ 1:41.x then went 44.0; 46.7; 47.6; 43.9 for 1:43.6 avg - disappointing.

Had a few issues to deal with so missed a couple training slots. The worst of which was watching the tractor on a runaway flight while unmanned - I'd parked it up 30mins earlier while I went in for lunch but then just as we were finishing Fran saw it racing down the hill. It wrapped itself around a substantial tree and mangled the front end and broke most of the cast metal casings. A right PITA...but could have been so much worse as there is a footpath, a road, and my neighbour's log cabin which would all have been extremely vulnerable to 3ton piece of metal travelling at 30 or 40 mph!

31/5 HM for Sub7 and FFMC. Last chance saloon so had to give it a go. Decided to set off at 2:02 and see how long I could hold it. As usual with me it all seems so easy at the start and I found I was going along just under 2:00 pace. I knew that was reckless but decided to hold it for 5k...then revised to 7k as seemed OK. At that point I resolved to do the next 7k @2:01 which started OK but then the early pace started to bite and I went up to 2:02 intending to hold that to at least 14k but only manged it to 13k. Then slowed to 2:04 ish (mostly just below) which I managed to hold on to and even sprinted the last 97m in 1:36! Overall time was 1:25:31.8 which is 2:01.6 pace so well inside my initial goal and expectation! In fact it was only 6 seconds slower than I did last year so easily good enough for something I only do once each year!

[Two Pudding Kid]

Plenty of training going on - would be great if you are now coming into a better patch of performance

Oops - glad that noone was hurt in the tractor incident but worrying moments nevertheless

HM - a very good result although just like mine it would be easy to be self-critical of the way it was done. 21097m is a long slog however you do it.

Me
Sunday wasnt a particularly fulfilling session as I struggled with stepups and arrived too late for the Legs, Tums and Bums class, (although happy with the Benchpress of 4 x 30kg to finish). I am trying to do some non-rowng stuff as I have stiff legs after rowing if I have been pushing the limits. Monday was 20 x 300m r1 after doing glute strengthening exercises. Just getting this C2CTC challenge out of the way as it doesnt fit easily into what I do - 2:09.1 pace 30spm although wouldnt look that good without flying starts.
Rest Tues ready for Wednesday 12 x 1k r2 at my intended 10k pace of 2:15 tonight.

PS I am on the 5th rerun of a marathon training programme - trying to see if I can endure this level of intensity of training for 10 weeks averaging 40k a week rather than my usual 20k. Early days yet as only on week 2. Second weekend of August is the likely date in the gym for 42195m and 13 million lifetime metres and then I can go on hols to chill No actual race at this distance until Feb 2020 but just testing the water so to speak as I need to know that I can pull it off on minimal specific training at the end of the 2k race season. No guarantees in life but hoping to have my 55th birthday and maybe a couple of races in the 55-59 LWT where it exists before I have the 2nd hip replaced. Rather giving into cake temptations too - actually supposed to be trying to loose a kg not gain it

[MPx]

Now giving in to cake temptations - that is something I can identify with! But FM training...you're losing me again there. Having said that my norm is at least 30k and some months 40k per week anyway (assuming you include wu and cd which I do). But I'm not trying to do it with a new hip - so don't push too extreme, I'm sure both animal and mineral joints will have a finite service life and optimum operating window. You are seeing the results coming on though Susan, well done...

I'm not yet really on the way back. I have the odd better night but motivation is low, easy sessions are hard, hard sessions tend to fail and I'm allowing myself to miss more days recently than I have since I restarted in 2016. As mind games are surprisingly influential in erging I'm just letting it go and carrying on as best I can. I suspect it will come right again in a cycle..and if it doesn't I'll do something more radical but not for a while yet.

2/6 Dumbbells and 8k @ 20spm and <140HR Cap in 32:52.5
3/6 20x300 r1 for the CTC. Lindsay suggested 2k-3s was doable so I stupidly set off at 1:42. Only took the one rep to know I couldn't do that for another 19! Next few tried to keep sub 1:44 then sub 1:45. Mostly managed but one at 1:46 and one at 1:49.6 before a faster last which gave me a 1:43.8 avg. In Lindsay's formula that gives me a 1:47ish 2k pace which is probably more realistic in given my current malaise!
6/6 Dumbbells and 8k @ 20spm and <140HR Cap in 33:03.5
8/6 AWL Pyramid started well enough but was struggling by half way and slowed for the first half of the down slope giving a 1:51.0 avg pace - a second or so slower than target.
9/6 Dumbbells and 8k @ 20spm and <140HR Cap in 32:52.2

[Two Pudding Kid]

Mike: It looks like you are gaining pace in the 8k at 20spm. 20 x 300 r1 at well under 2k pace - nice one. It does seem that good performance comes in phases, and like you I find that I cant do a session right one day and a week later it isnt that bad.

Me:
Weds 5 June - 12 x 1km r2 at 2:14.7 pace so hopefully looking good for a sub 45min 10k when I get to it
Thurs 6 June - body balance class followed by 31 mins (160 floors) zipping along on the stairclimber
Sun 9 June - downfall day. I got through Legs bums and tums but couldnt handle the 4 x 5k r3 sub 2:20 and died after 2 intervals
Mon 10 June - working on glutes then total of 7500m at 18, 20,22,24,26 spm in stages. Kept good control on the stroke rate but knew I would struggle with power compared with 2 years ago. Nice feeling to still be able to sit at a certain spm and only vary -1 and +1 most of the time.
Weds 12 June - 4 x 5k r3 sub 2:20. I did it - 2:19.8 and 26spm. Even had to make up 9 secs on the 2nd interval when I accidently restarted late.

Tonight should be body balance class followed by Wattbike. Might do 25k on it.


Suprisingly the surgeon isnt bothered how much I row, only how much I would do of high impact exercise, (at the moment zilch as I couldnt run as my legs dont move equally and I would probably trip very easily). I will have to have the 2nd hip operated on at sometime regardless of exercise so if I can hang on to next year I will be happy.

[lindsayh]

3/6 20x300 r1 for the CTC. Lindsay suggested 2k-3s was doable so I stupidly set off at 1:42. Only took the one rep to know I couldn't do that for another 19! Next few tried to keep sub 1:44 then sub 1:45. Mostly managed but one at 1:46 and one at 1:49.6 before a faster last which gave me a 1:43.8 avg. In Lindsay's formula that gives me a 1:47ish 2k pace which is probably more realistic in given my current malaise!

Mike - hope your head (and the rest of you!) ends up in a better place soon. You are normally pretty strong at these sprinty things.
FWIW - I did a 2k TT @1:44.9 today which is exactly 3" over the CTC pace.

[MPx]

Yeah, I do much prefer the sprinty stuff Lindsay so really should have been more up for it. I'm beginning to have serious doubts about my "new" (this year) training regime where my base session is an 8k at 20 spm and keeping my HR below my UT1 top limit 144 - try for sub 140. What happens is that my heart rate creeps so I'm now used to and expect to slow down. Slowing down keeps my heart rate within bounds but I seem to be training in the expectation of slowing down and my head is keen to do that on any piece now whether restricted or not. Of course the idea was to build base aerobic capacity as I've always been duff at that - much better anaerobically. Its what's preached on here all of the time so I thought I was being a mug to ignore it. After 6 months with higher meterage than I've ever done before my performances are clearly getting much worse and I'm starting to wonder if its just not the best regime for me given the amount of meters I'm prepared to put in overall and the negative effect on my mental state/confidence. But six months isn't that long - I'd intended to give myself a year. If I can stand it I'll carry on for a while ...we'll see

Thanks for the interest and many congrats on the latest competition - indeed all of them this year. A consistent 6:59 2k is something of a dream at the mo so I'm very envious! I'll keep following what you do with interest.

[lindsayh]

Yeah, I do much prefer the sprinty stuff Lindsay so really should have been more up for it. I'm beginning to have serious doubts about my "new" (this year) training regime where my base session is an 8k at 20 spm and keeping my HR below my UT1 top limit 144 - try for sub 140. What happens is that my heart rate creeps so I'm now used to and expect to slow down. Slowing down keeps my heart rate within bounds but I seem to be training in the expectation of slowing down and my head is keen to do that on any piece now whether restricted or not. Of course the idea was to build base aerobic capacity as I've always been duff at that - much better anaerobically. Its what's preached on here all of the time so I thought I was being a mug to ignore it. After 6 months with higher meterage than I've ever done before my performances are clearly getting much worse and I'm starting to wonder if its just not the best regime for me given the amount of meters I'm prepared to put in overall and the negative effect on my mental state/confidence. But six months isn't that long - I'd intended to give myself a year. If I can stand it I'll carry on for a while ...we'll see

Thanks for the interest and many congrats on the latest competition - indeed all of them this year. A consistent 6:59 2k is something of a dream at the mo so I'm very envious! I'll keep following what you do with interest.

Sorry to take over the sub7 thread Mike - thanks for the interest. I've just made a comment about the 6:59 thing on the training thread - it's starting to irritate me a little but I guess at least I haven't slowed down in a year.
I am pretty sure we share similar physiologies and I have tried over the past few years to increase the long steady stuff too but don't worry so much about HR drifting up a little. The VO2 max test I did a couple of years ago at the AIS suggested also that my threshold was a bit higher than the 80% of reserve that I have worked with previously and I wonder if yours is similar. (Unless you have done a VO2 max yourself) What is your MHR? On LSS I tend to cap to rate (or watts) rather than HR and don't stress if the HR gets to 153 rather than the 147 that the maths suggests based on 43/173.
At the other end I reckon it is important to really push the hard stuff - I like to see >166 and 170 is nice on interval session like 15x 3'/1'R @5k ish pace or thereabouts.
Best of luck with it!