New Personal Best! Brag About That New Pb!

[Dutch]

New FM PB at 2:45:41.1

OK, so not a Stu type row but a 2 minute PB so I am content especially as I was feeling bad on the longer rows leading up to this. I have to say it was a pretty miserable experience. I felt fine in the beginning and went out a little faster than planned but by the time I got to halfway I was already fighting the mental battles. I had no worries of finishing but to get a PB started to seem hard - I had built a "cushion" and knew I could go at like 2:01 the rest of the way and still get a PB though but it seemed hard. Decided to keep just under 2:00 for as long as I could the rest of the way and in the end I never had a split at 2:00 or higher and with 2K to go knew I had a chance to be under a 1:58 pace and ended at 1:57.7. My splits went down some later as I looked away from the monitor for 200 strokes at a time. I can't overstate how much of a battle this was....but it's done and no plans to do again until next year.

Time/Meters/Pace/SPM
2:45:41.1/42195/1:57.7/21

19:11.8/5000/1:55.1/21
19:19.9/10000/1:55.9/22
19:35.5/15000/1:57.5/21
19:46.6/20000/1:58.6/20
19:55.0/250001:59.5/21
19:56.9/30000/1:59.6/21
19:36.4/35000/1:57.6/20
19:46.4/40000/1:58.6/20
08:32.5/42195/1:56.7/22

Well done for this, am always in awe of marathon rowers. I feel your pain lol

Thanks the FM is a whole different type of pain/battle when trying to do a decent time.

What is your strategy for breaks, how do you account for the time taken when you stop?

[KeithT]

New FM PB at 2:45:41.1

OK, so not a Stu type row but a 2 minute PB so I am content especially as I was feeling bad on the longer rows leading up to this. I have to say it was a pretty miserable experience. I felt fine in the beginning and went out a little faster than planned but by the time I got to halfway I was already fighting the mental battles. I had no worries of finishing but to get a PB started to seem hard - I had built a "cushion" and knew I could go at like 2:01 the rest of the way and still get a PB though but it seemed hard. Decided to keep just under 2:00 for as long as I could the rest of the way and in the end I never had a split at 2:00 or higher and with 2K to go knew I had a chance to be under a 1:58 pace and ended at 1:57.7. My splits went down some later as I looked away from the monitor for 200 strokes at a time. I can't overstate how much of a battle this was....but it's done and no plans to do again until next year.

Don't belittle your effort when comparing to my result: that's like me trying to compare to your 1k PB. We are naturally predisposed for different challenges.

You've produced an excellent result here, and it was a massive effort too by the sounds of things. You weren't in the best training phase, or mindset, for this type of session. I'm 99% certain that you wouldn't have attempted this if it wasn't due to the C2 challenge, so don't lose sight of what this adds to your performance.

We are all capable of more on a good day, when training is going well, and we are doing what we are naturally inclined to do. You've managed to tackle the challenge of an FM which is a helluva lot more of an issue than it is for me to try and better my 1k result; something I still haven't done properly. You should be very proud

Thanks Stu - I know I am still much stronger at rows 2K and under and I accept that. I definitely did this because of C2 and to do once a year. Next year I may do a 50K though and just look to complete it. This year I spent a lot of time preparing for the 1K Sprint Championship and just wasn't quite where I wanted to be heading into this but it was a good improvement. Interestingly, as miserable as it was I did a HM at SS pace today and felt fine. I really want to get my 2K better now and that is my focus - doesn't mean I wont randomly try some TTs on some other "low hanging" ones but will try to be more focused on 2K.

[KeithT]

New FM PB at 2:45:41.1

OK, so not a Stu type row but a 2 minute PB so I am content especially as I was feeling bad on the longer rows leading up to this. I have to say it was a pretty miserable experience. I felt fine in the beginning and went out a little faster than planned but by the time I got to halfway I was already fighting the mental battles. I had no worries of finishing but to get a PB started to seem hard - I had built a "cushion" and knew I could go at like 2:01 the rest of the way and still get a PB though but it seemed hard. Decided to keep just under 2:00 for as long as I could the rest of the way and in the end I never had a split at 2:00 or higher and with 2K to go knew I had a chance to be under a 1:58 pace and ended at 1:57.7. My splits went down some later as I looked away from the monitor for 200 strokes at a time. I can't overstate how much of a battle this was....but it's done and no plans to do again until next year.

Time/Meters/Pace/SPM
2:45:41.1/42195/1:57.7/21

19:11.8/5000/1:55.1/21
19:19.9/10000/1:55.9/22
19:35.5/15000/1:57.5/21
19:46.6/20000/1:58.6/20
19:55.0/250001:59.5/21
19:56.9/30000/1:59.6/21
19:36.4/35000/1:57.6/20
19:46.4/40000/1:58.6/20
08:32.5/42195/1:56.7/22

I was waiting for your PB post since yesterday and already was a bit concerned something bad happened, great to see it went so good!
That's a great PB, and fighting for so long makes the victory even greater!
Now you have a sprint, middle and long distance PB within a few weeks, easy to say you're in best shape ever, perfect job and well deserved, big congrats

Thanks Martin. Overall happy with this. As you stated I have had goo results on differing distances which is part of why this was so hard as I wasn't quite on form for the longer stuff. It was definitely a battle but its over and now want to get my 2K better.

[KeithT]

Well done for this, am always in awe of marathon rowers. I feel your pain lol

Thanks the FM is a whole different type of pain/battle when trying to do a decent time.

What is your strategy for breaks, how do you account for the time taken when you stop?

I never really stop. I had cups of fluids and chunks of bananas that I would consumer every 5K or 10K - pull hard then quick drink and/or piece of banana in literally a couple seconds and right into the next stroke.

[hjs]

Thanks the FM is a whole different type of pain/battle when trying to do a decent time.

What is your strategy for breaks, how do you account for the time taken when you stop?

I never really stop. I had cups of fluids and chunks of bananas that I would consumer every 5K or 10K - pull hard then quick drink and/or piece of banana in literally a couple seconds and right into the next stroke.

Congrats Keith, just like Stu also are doing great.

Re drinks, you don’t row with one hand? Think that would be more energy conserving? You should be able to pull sub 2.30 pace with one arm.

[KeithT]

What is your strategy for breaks, how do you account for the time taken when you stop?

I never really stop. I had cups of fluids and chunks of bananas that I would consumer every 5K or 10K - pull hard then quick drink and/or piece of banana in literally a couple seconds and right into the next stroke.

Congrats Keith, just like Stu also are doing great.

Re drinks, you don’t row with one hand? Think that would be more energy conserving? You should be able to pull sub 2.30 pace with one arm.

I tried the one arm pull and didn't work well for me, if I do a hard pull and quickly take in my fluids/banana piece my next pull is usually still like 2:20s and then I get back into the pace I was on. I may have to try it again. I actually think I may be doing too many of these. I do HMs every week with no pause, I think I could do the FM with maybe only 2-3.

[Dino]

....

I chased the question mark, and found the exclamation point. This was a bad idea on paper, but it was a PB by 3 mins 22 seconds. The photo won't load properly so I had to post it another way.

The really rough part is quite well hidden, but the last 7k was horrible. I'm now wondering what is possible with proper rest and on a better day.

2h40
This is next level stuff Stu - not just a huge PB but just a jaw dropping time full stop. Well done!

New FM PB at 2:45:41.1

Keith - another mightily impressive time too - 2:57 1k to 2h45 FM... I know I have said it before - but that's some range to be able to pull out times like that a both ends - I just wish you weren't the same age as me! LOL...

[DavidA]

New FM PB at 2:45:41.1

Fantastic times for both you and Stu!!

David

[KeithT]

....

I chased the question mark, and found the exclamation point. This was a bad idea on paper, but it was a PB by 3 mins 22 seconds. The photo won't load properly so I had to post it another way.

The really rough part is quite well hidden, but the last 7k was horrible. I'm now wondering what is possible with proper rest and on a better day.

2h40
This is next level stuff Stu - not just a huge PB but just a jaw dropping time full stop. Well done!

New FM PB at 2:45:41.1

Keith - another mightily impressive time too - 2:57 1k to 2h45 FM... I know I have said it before - but that's some range to be able to pull out times like that a both ends - I just wish you weren't the same age as me! LOL...

Thanks. I think that's what I take most pride in - being able to have solid times from short to long distance. Short stuff still better but not as much drop off as most.

[Dangerscouse]

I do HMs every week with no pause, I think I could do the FM with maybe only 2-3.

It's an easy mistake to make. You start worrying that if you don't drink/eat enough you'll hit the wall and then won't recover.

I think if you have a gel / banana before you start and you're well hydrated throughout the week leading up to it, you can get away with 2 or 3, if you're not sweating loads. I don't stop if it's less than 32k.

[Dangerscouse]

2h40
This is next level stuff Stu - not just a huge PB but just a jaw dropping time full stop. Well done!

Fantastic times for both you and Stu!!

David

Thanks David and Dino. I was half expecting to HD at 35k, but thankfully I'm knee deep in it by then, so you just have to get on with it

[iangallagher]

New FM PB at 2:45:41.1

OK, so not a Stu type row but a 2 minute PB so I am content especially as I was feeling bad on the longer rows leading up to this. I have to say it was a pretty miserable experience. I felt fine in the beginning and went out a little faster than planned but by the time I got to halfway I was already fighting the mental battles. I had no worries of finishing but to get a PB started to seem hard - I had built a "cushion" and knew I could go at like 2:01 the rest of the way and still get a PB though but it seemed hard. Decided to keep just under 2:00 for as long as I could the rest of the way and in the end I never had a split at 2:00 or higher and with 2K to go knew I had a chance to be under a 1:58 pace and ended at 1:57.7. My splits went down some later as I looked away from the monitor for 200 strokes at a time. I can't overstate how much of a battle this was....but it's done and no plans to do again until next year.

Time/Meters/Pace/SPM
2:45:41.1/42195/1:57.7/21

19:11.8/5000/1:55.1/21
19:19.9/10000/1:55.9/22
19:35.5/15000/1:57.5/21
19:46.6/20000/1:58.6/20
19:55.0/250001:59.5/21
19:56.9/30000/1:59.6/21
19:36.4/35000/1:57.6/20
19:46.4/40000/1:58.6/20
08:32.5/42195/1:56.7/22

Thats excellent Keith! Really well done mate. The thought of sitting on the rower for more than 40 minutes makes me shudder so this is just super impressive. You've got quite the range mate!

[Tandstad]

I chased the question mark, and found the exclamation point. This was a bad idea on paper, but it was a PB by 3 mins 22 seconds. The photo won't load properly so I had to post it another way.

The really rough part is quite well hidden, but the last 7k was horrible. I'm now wondering what is possible with proper rest and on a better day.

New FM PB at 2:45:41.1

OK, so not a Stu type row but a 2 minute PB so I am content especially as I was feeling bad on the longer rows leading up to this. I have to say it was a pretty miserable experience. I felt fine in the beginning and went out a little faster than planned but by the time I got to halfway I was already fighting the mental battles. I had no worries of finishing but to get a PB started to seem hard - I had built a "cushion" and knew I could go at like 2:01 the rest of the way and still get a PB though but it seemed hard. Decided to keep just under 2:00 for as long as I could the rest of the way and in the end I never had a split at 2:00 or higher and with 2K to go knew I had a chance to be under a 1:58 pace and ended at 1:57.7. My splits went down some later as I looked away from the monitor for 200 strokes at a time. I can't overstate how much of a battle this was....but it's done and no plans to do again until next year.

Time/Meters/Pace/SPM
2:45:41.1/42195/1:57.7/21

19:11.8/5000/1:55.1/21
19:19.9/10000/1:55.9/22
19:35.5/15000/1:57.5/21
19:46.6/20000/1:58.6/20
19:55.0/250001:59.5/21
19:56.9/30000/1:59.6/21
19:36.4/35000/1:57.6/20
19:46.4/40000/1:58.6/20
08:32.5/42195/1:56.7/22

Sheeesh, big congrats to both of you Stu and Keith, amazing rows and times! Like many others, I cannot imagine sitting this long in one go. Have your behinds woken up again after this?

[KeithT]

I chased the question mark, and found the exclamation point. This was a bad idea on paper, but it was a PB by 3 mins 22 seconds. The photo won't load properly so I had to post it another way.

The really rough part is quite well hidden, but the last 7k was horrible. I'm now wondering what is possible with proper rest and on a better day.

New FM PB at 2:45:41.1

OK, so not a Stu type row but a 2 minute PB so I am content especially as I was feeling bad on the longer rows leading up to this. I have to say it was a pretty miserable experience. I felt fine in the beginning and went out a little faster than planned but by the time I got to halfway I was already fighting the mental battles. I had no worries of finishing but to get a PB started to seem hard - I had built a "cushion" and knew I could go at like 2:01 the rest of the way and still get a PB though but it seemed hard. Decided to keep just under 2:00 for as long as I could the rest of the way and in the end I never had a split at 2:00 or higher and with 2K to go knew I had a chance to be under a 1:58 pace and ended at 1:57.7. My splits went down some later as I looked away from the monitor for 200 strokes at a time. I can't overstate how much of a battle this was....but it's done and no plans to do again until next year.

Time/Meters/Pace/SPM
2:45:41.1/42195/1:57.7/21

19:11.8/5000/1:55.1/21
19:19.9/10000/1:55.9/22
19:35.5/15000/1:57.5/21
19:46.6/20000/1:58.6/20
19:55.0/250001:59.5/21
19:56.9/30000/1:59.6/21
19:36.4/35000/1:57.6/20
19:46.4/40000/1:58.6/20
08:32.5/42195/1:56.7/22

Sheeesh, big congrats to both of you Stu and Keith, amazing rows and times! Like many others, I cannot imagine sitting this long in one go. Have your behinds woken up again after this?

LOL, my sitz bones are still sore but overall I recovered much quicker this time.

[KeithT]

New FM PB at 2:45:41.1

OK, so not a Stu type row but a 2 minute PB so I am content especially as I was feeling bad on the longer rows leading up to this. I have to say it was a pretty miserable experience. I felt fine in the beginning and went out a little faster than planned but by the time I got to halfway I was already fighting the mental battles. I had no worries of finishing but to get a PB started to seem hard - I had built a "cushion" and knew I could go at like 2:01 the rest of the way and still get a PB though but it seemed hard. Decided to keep just under 2:00 for as long as I could the rest of the way and in the end I never had a split at 2:00 or higher and with 2K to go knew I had a chance to be under a 1:58 pace and ended at 1:57.7. My splits went down some later as I looked away from the monitor for 200 strokes at a time. I can't overstate how much of a battle this was....but it's done and no plans to do again until next year.

Time/Meters/Pace/SPM
2:45:41.1/42195/1:57.7/21

19:11.8/5000/1:55.1/21
19:19.9/10000/1:55.9/22
19:35.5/15000/1:57.5/21
19:46.6/20000/1:58.6/20
19:55.0/250001:59.5/21
19:56.9/30000/1:59.6/21
19:36.4/35000/1:57.6/20
19:46.4/40000/1:58.6/20
08:32.5/42195/1:56.7/22

Thats excellent Keith! Really well done mate. The thought of sitting on the rower for more than 40 minutes makes me shudder so this is just super impressive. You've got quite the range mate!

Thanks Ian, I guess more than anything I take pride that I have decent times from short to long. Shorter rows are still better but longer rows are pretty good - now I need to turn that into faster "mid" distance, my 2K should be better, will be a focus.