This Holiday Challenge is Grueling

[patrickschmidt]

I'm going to put it out there and see if anyone wants to sympathize: this Holiday Challenge is so hard!

I'm 48 y.o., have rowed for 20 years, and recently have upped my erging--doing about 1m meters per year for the past couple years. I aim for 25k per week usually, and average around 100k to 120k per month.

I've completed the Challenge once before at the 200k level, five years ago, but I was on sabbatical then (I'm an academic). Even then it was tough. To make matters worse, Thanksgiving was so much later this year, so we've lost some days in the Challenge period.

Now I'm going for the 200k level again, and in addition to finding the time each day, I feel so much fatigue some days but just have to keep going to keep pace. Recovering from the day before, getting back on and rowing another 7 to 10 k.... not easy. It isn't just muscle fatigue but overall a feeling of training too much. I will have to let my pace slide as the month continues, but I'm not sure how much.

Hats off to those who put in those incredible meter totals and have already met their goal. I'm in the camp where 200k is a do-able but a genuine stretch. Anybody else in the same (indoor) boat?

[max_ratcliffe]

I'm going to put it out there and see if anyone wants to sympathize: this Holiday Challenge is so hard!

I'm 48 y.o., have rowed for 20 years, and recently have upped my erging--doing about 1m meters per year for the past couple years. I aim for 25k per week usually, and average around 100k to 120k per month.

I've completed the Challenge once before at the 200k level, five years ago, but I was on sabbatical then (I'm an academic). Even then it was tough. To make matters worse, Thanksgiving was so much later this year, so we've lost some days in the Challenge period.

Now I'm going for the 200k level again, and in addition to finding the time each day, I feel so much fatigue some days but just have to keep going to keep pace. Recovering from the day before, getting back on and rowing another 7 to 10 k.... not easy. It isn't just muscle fatigue but overall a feeling of training too much. I will have to let my pace slide as the month continues, but I'm not sure how much.

Hats off to those who put in those incredible meter totals and have already met their goal. I'm in the camp where 200k is a do-able but a genuine stretch. Anybody else in the same (indoor) boat?

I did the 10k version of the mad march challenge. 250k in 25 lots of 10k in the month and I was only three months into my erging journey. I was tired a lot, and my pulse was racing in the mornings. However, I think that was a lot to do with doing the pieces too quickly and definitely from lack of sleep (I was getting to the gym at 10pm half the time and not going to bed until midnight) rather than any genuine over training.

The relentlessness got to me a bit too. I was away for a couple of days near the start of the month, so I had little option but to crank out the 10k night after night, with hardly any scope for a day off.

It did feel great though once I'd completed it, and that was before I discovered this forum. The support and encouragement would have been a big additional help. Post your workouts, and people will cheer you on .

[Cyclist2]

It's tough. That's why they call it a "challenge"

This is my 19th year of doing it, and I tried (past tense already) to finish it in 10 days this year because we're leaving in a week or so for Europe. I'll make it in about 12-13 days at my current pace. Turns out my old body needs a little more rest than it used to. And my mind is not as strong, either.

Just keep plugging away, it's all about persistence, one meter at a time if necessary.

Speaking of which....

[Carl Watts]

The best I managed was 535Km in a month from memory.

It really gets tough a couple of weeks in then flatlines. Your very tired and grumpy to the finish. Its all a bit pace dependent and obviously slower is easier and if your smart you split the rows morning and evening. Yes it was pretty grueling but then I was trying to hit 2:03-2:06 pace for a HM for like 21 days straight when I realized 10km a day was not cutting it on the team scoreboard.

[Dino]

It is!
9 days down... my knees are feeling decidedly like going on strike.
Last year was my first Holiday Challenge and had only just started erging.
I am making life more difficult for myself by trying to beat last years total in 6 less days

It's tough. That's why they call it a "challenge"

This is my 19th year of doing it, and I tried (past tense already) to finish it in 10 days this year because we're leaving in a week or so for Europe. I'll make it in about 12-13 days at my current pace. Turns out my old body needs a little more rest than it used to. And my mind is not as strong, either.

Just keep plugging away, it's all about persistence, one meter at a time if necessary.

Speaking of which....

Cyclist2 - good going to get the 200k up in 12-13 days! I can see on the honor boards you are well on target

[mitchel674]

It's tough. That's why they call it a "challenge"

I like this quote! OP already typically does over 100k each month so the 100k option would not have been much of a "challenge".

I find 200k takes some serious planning. Days off can put a serious deficit into your meters. I'm off for 8 days in a few weeks for hiking in Utah. I may have access to a rower, but I'm not sure how many meters I can count on in my spare hours.

[jagman]

And here i thought that rowing was supposed to be fun!!!!

I had no idea we were supposed to suffer this much....I'll try harder.

Cheers everyone!!!

D