First (and Failed) HM Attempt

[TomekK]

Hi! So I think I would share my story of how I didn’t make it, so maybe you guys will learn something from it. I also have some questions.

First of all, a little bit about myself. I’m 44 yo, and in general in good shape - 171 cm, 72kg. Used to practice a lot of different sports in my younger years, then run a lot (also marathons, I think 3:12 my PB).
Due to some nasty back pains I was never able to train rowing really regularly, even if I enjoy it a lot. This year I came back to rowing in April and have done >300km since then. My training wasn’t really structured, it was more for fun, then for any specific goal.

I did few runs that made me think I could try HM (not all of them were my best effort, but close to it):
5k - 20:12 (2:01.2)
30 min - 7,432 (2:01.0)
10k - 40:53.7 (2:02.6)
1h - 14,440 (2:04.6)
15k - 1:03:12.3 (2:06.4)
Especially the long ones - 1h & 15k - made me confident I could try HM. I was able to finish them keeping a pretty steady pace from the start to finish, and also I had some strength to speed up at the very end.

I haven’t really prepared myself for HM, I rather simply tried to “just do it”, believing that if I could do 15k, I could row 6k more without much problem (keeping a slower pace). So I decided I will try to go around 2:07-2:08, which should allow me to finish ~1h 30min.

I planned to do HM on Sat. So on Thu I did 10k in 42:40 (~2:07) to check how I would feel at ½ of HM and I felt very good. I had no training on Fri, but I went karting with my son and oh boy… I had no idea it would be so exhausting to drive 3x8min! Also I went to sleep late on Fri night. I tried to drink some more water on Fri and Sat but not sure if I did enough of it. So all in all, I would say I definitely didn’t do everything I could to be in the best form possible.

So the first 10k were pretty good. I kept a very steady 2:07.4 with 21 SPM. Around 15km (still keeping the same pace & SPM) I felt that I’m getting tired. With every minute it was getting harder and harder to keep the pace, and the voice in my head (“quit, you don’t have to do it, it is not your day” etc.) was getting stronger and stronger. Still I rowed on and kept the pace. Around 17 km, I started to see that I’m having trouble keeping it at 2:07 and I was seeing more of 2:08 and 2:09. Still, I kept the pace somehow and the time prediction was 1h29:20-40 which was as I planned. I also started to observe that my SPM got higher & irregular (21-24). So I felt I was getting weaker with every minute, but at the same time I was getting closer and closer and I thought I will make it.

BTW. Interestingly all this struggle is not visible in the stats. Probably I did some stronger strokes from time to time so the average pace hasn't changed.

And then, around 18k 400m it happened. Suddenly I felt a strong urge to vomit. I grabbed the carton box I prepared exactly for this case and spent some time being shaken by strong stomach contractions. I didn’t vomit, but my thought was “my body told me to stop, and I’m gonna listen to it”. And so I quitted.

So, that’s it. Instead of glorious HM in ~1h30 I quitted after 1h18 and 18k 450m.

All in all, it was a very valuable experience. I know much better what my limits are and I know that I pretty soon I will kick HM's ass

What was good:
- steady pace - I was keeping it nice & steady almost to the end

What was bad:
- preparations - I haven’t really rested before HM
- race time - for some reasons I wasn’t able to row in the morning (as I planned to), so I did it around 5pm, after lunch. Not sure why, but I think it wasn’t optimal.
- pace - I went slightly faster than I intended to (2:07.4 instead of 2:08-2:09)
- wifi - it disconnected after ~40min which interrupted Deadpool 2 that I was watching. Darn it!

And now my questions:
* Is my SPM - 21-22 - a good idea for HM?
* I lost exactly 1.5kg of weight during this HM attempt - is it OK to sweat so much?

[gilles13006]

Hey, on my opinion a HM shouldn’t be so « violent for your body ».

Don’t hesitate to make some breaks to DRINK. Weakness on long distance often comes from the act you didn’t drink enough during your day and so you have to during or before the exercise. Often, when there is « this voice » in my head, sometimes during a 5k or 10k or whatever, that comes for nowhere, i just stop, drink and continue. It’s like magic.
Next time, if you feel the need to stop, just make a big break with water instead of stopping long distances are known to be psychologically difficult, so you must not hesitate to release some pressure on your body and don’t be too pushing with it for compensation.

Here are my last stats (2nd HM of my life), i stopped like 3 times to drink.

Gilles Van Elslande 21097m row
21,097m
METERS
1:30:32.9
TIME
2:08.7
PACE
1309
CALORIES
Average Watts 164
Calories Per Hour 864
Stroke Rate 22
Stroke Count 2064
Drag Factor 134


Edit: I precise, from what i’ve read on many posts, « normally » (means for well trained athletes) it’s commonly said you have to drink during a Full Marathon, but not for a HM. But it depends on people and drinking if you feel the need should always be a priority from all lectures.

[Sakly]

Hi,

I think 20spm is perfect for a HM if you don't want to squeeze out 99%. I did my first (and only so far) HM @20spm
Sweating as hell, but needed no break - important to be hydrated enough before. Don't know how much weight lost during the row, only drunk enough after it

[jamesg]

* Is my SPM - 21-22 - a good idea for HM?
* I lost exactly 1.5kg of weight during this HM attempt - is it OK to sweat so much?

Your 2:07 (170W) is pretty stiff at 21 on 72 kg, so well done anyway. A slightly higher rating would reduce the work per stroke, but not touch the aerobic load, save maybe for breathing frequency.

All my ½Ms were at that rating; I was larger than you (185m, 85kg). Two were under 90', but later that became impossible for me. Last one was years ago, 100 minutes.

1.5kg sweat corresponds to about 800kCal in the form of steam, so not much.

Before doing a ½M I did 3-4x 10k and 2x 15k, stopping mostly because I hit a headwind like yours along the course. Even if fit enough, the practice itself helps.

[JaapvanE]

Tomek,

Sorry to see that it didn't go as planned. Good that you listened to your body. Vomitting movements typically signal something is way outof hand, wise but painful decission to stop. It typically means you are way past your treshold somewhere, which indeed could be fluid intake or sugar levels.

I have the ambition of rowing a HM as well, and also made the jump to 15K relatively easy. This is a good warning for me and others not to underestimate that last 6K regardless of your 15K performance.

One question: you rowed at 5PM. How was the room temperature and humidity? A couple of weeks ago I set out to row 1 hour (routine distance for me) and I nearly collapsed after 6,5K due to breathing issues (probably overheating). Since Europe is suffering from a heatwave, might that be an issue?

[Dangerscouse]

IME, I've never had nausea, so you definitely did the right thing by stopping.

As JaapvanE asks were you in a really summer temperature, also when had you finished your lunch and was it quite a light lunch eg salad, or heavy eg big meat sandwich? Don't underestimate nerves effecting your digestion too, so it would be understandable if that stopped you digesting your food as quickly as normal.

Dehydration could also have been a factor. I never drink in a HM, but I also do drink a lot every day (4-5 litres) so I'm never properly dehydrated when I row. Drinking when required is good advice, especially if it's hot.

I've done many HMs, and I've done them at r18-r30 so the rating isn't an issue, and stroke rate is only ever about finding what is most efficient for you. Some of us thrive on higher or lower spm, and as a general rule, higher rates are easier to maintain if you're fitter, albeit higher rates can be done with a weak stroke, so the details matter.

Losing 1.5kg is normal for a really sweaty session, but still quite a lot. I think I lost 13kg during my 12hr session. The issue is making sure that you replenish it fully, as it can be an incremental decrease in hydration, even though you're convinced you're drinking enough. What's enough after one session, may not be after another.

The difference between 15/16k and a HM is surprisingly marked. It doesn't seem like much, but it can feel like another 15k. You do adapt to the distance, eventually, but it's not easy to get there, and it's a 'use it or lose it' distance. My advice is to get it done at a slower pace, probably 15k pace + 4, then, if you can or have the desire to, maybe do a few more to get used to them, then do a pace that you're hoping for.

Good luck, and I'd suggest to do it in the morning next time as you originally planned. I always row early and only have a banana, strong black coffee and about 350ml of water.

[gvcormac]

I'm not an MD and can't give medical advice regarding your nausea. It was right for you to quit. You probably "hit the wall" which happens when you deplete your body glycogen, and at the same time have built lactic acid that you need to get rid of. That'll account for the lack of energy. As for nausea, it could be dehydration, or hyponatremia, that your body had mure urgent things to do than digesting whatever was in your stomach, or inadequate O2 to the brain. Or something else. I can't speculate which.

[MPx]

You don't say where you're based, but if you're in the UK or Europe then you decided to do a HM on one of the hottest days of the year during a very hot spell making sleep difficult. I suspect the "illness" was no more than a slight heat stroke. Almost any other day of the year you would have finished as you predicted. If I do an HM my kit will be literally saturated and freely dripping at the end and I never need to drink during the piece.

HM isn't that far, Stu does them all the time just as regular training, but they're always very uncomfortable for me. Its not fitness or hydration or fuel its simply repetitive strain, something will rub/blister, and once over an hour the sitz bones just really hurt. You don't mention any of those problems so I'm very confident this was an exception for you, even if it did happen to be your first attempt.

Also agree with Stu on rate. My "natural" rate seems to be about 27 and so that's what I do HMs at - its about what rate feels easiest be that 18 or 30 or anything in between, it really doesn't matter.

However, I do disagree about morning outings! I'm sure its just what we get used to doing, and if morning suits your lifestyle as it does Stu, then stick with it. But I can't row at the same performance level in the morning - everything just seems really hard work. My one or two HMs each year are always late afternoon/early evening - as are 99% of my training sessions.

So wait for the weather to cool down. Pick a sub 20 degree day and have another go - I'm sure you'll crack it easily.

[TomekK]

Whoa, thank you for all your comments and insights! It feels great to get so much support from the community!

1. Temparature. I’m based in Kraków, Poland. This day wasn’t very hot. Also, I train in the basement where it is never too hot.

2. Drinking. How do you guys do it? Simply stop rowing and grab a bottle or maybe you use some camelbak (not sure how this is called - backpacks + water pipe)?

3. What does “15k pace + 4” mean? Does It mean to add 4 seconds to my 500m split on 15k?

Thank you very much for all your words of support. I know I can do it, and I definitely will

[Dangerscouse]

Whoa, thank you for all your comments and insights! It feels great to get so much support from the community!

1. Temparature. I’m based in Kraków, Poland. This day wasn’t very hot. Also, I train in the basement where it is never too hot.

2. Drinking. How do you guys do it? Simply stop rowing and grab a bottle or maybe you use some camelbak (not sure how this is called - backpacks + water pipe)?

3. What does “15k pace + 4” mean? Does It mean to add 4 seconds to my 500m split on 15k?

Thank you very much for all your words of support. I know I can do it, and I definitely will

1. Good. Heat wasn't an issue, so it's probably a slightly full stomach and/or dehydration. I am only guessing but that makes sense to me.

2. I row one handed if I drink, but stopping is an option if you want to, but I find it can be tough to keep going when you lose your rhythm. Maybe a combination of both might be good? Stopping at 6k stages and drinking one handed if you feel you need it? Camelback is also an option, but I'd only recommend that for much longer distances as it's more weight and will heat you up too as you lose most heat from your back.

3. Yeah, that's it exactly. When you get to about 16k you might feel capable of increasing the pace, but you need to build confidence to start with, as another horrible experience will just set you back too much. Hopefully the next time will be totally different, and it's not unusual that you just had an off day.

[Dangerscouse]

However, I do disagree about morning outings! I'm sure its just what we get used to doing, and if morning suits your lifestyle as it does Stu, then stick with it. But I can't row at the same performance level in the morning - everything just seems really hard work. My one or two HMs each year are always late afternoon/early evening - as are 99% of my training sessions.

fair comment. We are all different, and evenings are theoretically better, so it is important to experiment and find what works best

[Carl Watts]

Kind of an extreme reaction to a HM to be honest.

With a decent bit of training and that sort of pace you should be complete it. Maybe do some 60 minute rows for a while first. On the HM I never even needed to take a drink and most people will find about 32km is the limit if they failed to drink. The FM is a totally different beast as there are more factors that cause failure to finish for sure.

Yes the HM is a bit of a struggle these days but at age 40 they could be done day after day no breaks.

[Tsnor]

You could watch TV and do a HM if you did your splits 10 seconds slower.

You would have died way sooner with 10 second faster splits.

Your first HM had too aggressive a pace. Everyone does that on one piece or another, and handle down is not a bad solution.

You are ready for you next HM attempt whenever you want. Next time go slower. Over time work up to faster.... Or discover you like long slow HMs, they are good for you.

[GlennUk]

FIW

re the pace/spm, the question i would ask is how one knows they are capable of rowing that pace/spm for any particular distance?

The obvious answer is that you learn through training, and i would argue that for a 'serious attempt' one needs to train specifically for the event.

Ultimately it will be your physiology that determines what you can row, which is adapted and improved by training for any particular event. If your training regime does not prepare you for such distances and longer, it will be uncomfortable. We make any distance uncomfortable trying for a flat out event, even if we have prepared properly.

if you want to make a 'full on effort' best follow a specific plan for endurance rowing, although i guess some will say that the HM is not a true endurance effort, whatever one calls it, it is sufficiently far/long to warrant a specific training plan to complete at your best, whatever that is.

Following a specific training plan the pace you can maintain for the distance will fall out of that as will spm/HR targets too.

[Dangerscouse]

if you want to make a 'full on effort' best follow a specific plan for endurance rowing, although i guess some will say that the HM is not a true endurance effort, whatever one calls it, it is sufficiently far/long to warrant a specific training plan to complete at your best, whatever that is.

As much as I don't personally consider a HM an endurance effort, I'm under no illusions that it isn't something that should be taken lightly.

Any distance that you can't relatively easily do if you don't do it fairly regularly is my benchmark for that classification. Even last year at 'peak HM' if I didn't do it for 2 or 3 weeks I'd struggle a bit. I have learnt from experience it is a 'use it or lose it' distance, but anything under circa 10k doesn't have the same issue ime.