First (and Failed) HM Attempt

[matthew92]

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

Everyone here sees the effort you put in and I'm sure you'll get it eventually! Get back to us with updates should you make another attempt, and good luck!

[jackarabit]

TomekK writes:

I know I can do it, and I definitely will

Your numbers average power per stroke and average power per kilo body weight are very good; 2.3 watts/stroke and 7.9 watts/kilo. Training a higher stroke rate at lower power per stroke (22-24 spm and <2W/stroke) should get you to the tape no bonk, no nausea, no cramp. Or you can draw the 2:07-8 line in the sand and, given you have the sand on the appointed day, very probably arrive sub-90”. After you’ve finished five HMs in as many days, you’ll have a pretty good idea what to tweak and how much.

[jackarabit]

As the scouse sez, you could set initial target pace at 2:11-12/500m, stick the tank at 14k and adjust. Front loaded efforts make for dicey outcomes as you have discovered. Under target but slowing is psychologically devastating. Over target but gaining gives the inner chimp a reason to carry on.

[mitchel674]

File this one away to experience and set you sites next time on a more reasonable pace that has you finishing the piece. Something like 2:20 at 22spm is a respectable first HM just to get it done (I did 2:25 for my first).

I'm with Stu. Make sure you are well hydrated and rested the day before. A banana and some coffee in the morning should suffice at a reasonable pace for your first HM.

[ukaserex]

Well, as far as sweating goes, I promise you, I sweat more!
Sweat is just the body's way of cooling you down, and given the temperature lately, if you didn't sweat several pounds/kilos, I'd be even more concerned.

Others have mentioned, so no harm in one more voice.

First time doing a HM, the only reason you didn't finish was probably the combination of poor sleep, heat, and if I read it properly, rowing too soon after lunch.

Anecdotally, the only time I'm ever tempted to vomit during a row is in the last 300 meters of a time trial, as I'm going as fast as I possibly can. And, because I always row fasted, (other than coffee in the previous hour) I ignore it and figure if I do, it would just be a dry heave and not really make a mess.

I suspect if you got better sleep and rowed at a slightly cooler temperature, you'd have no issue completing the 1/2M.

[Erik A]

ive never done a HM row but i have done a few HM walks including one just 2 weeks ago. i also did very little preparation and paid the price. i literally got up had a glass of water, showered and got dressed then went and did a 22km walk. no hydration or food along the way. and it hurt big time. i did weigh myself prior to going and again when i got back and lost 2.5kg i would say that was all water weight as i sweat like a beast. it was a average day but got windy and cooler the longer i went. i did notice when i got home that my sweat dried real quick and i wasnt sweating within a few minutes of stopping and have put that down to dehydration. normally it takes me about 10-15 mins to stop sweating after only 30 mins on the erg. i am doing a FM in 4 weeks again walking but think i will do a bit better with my prep. and i also want to do a HM and FM on the erg. maybe in about 3 or 4 months. i started under target pace and ended up at over target pace by the last 7kms. the average was still under my target pace. i was pretty keen to keep my headset on and my health program tells me every km how im doing with pace/HR/time etc but now not so sure as having that validation of your failure each km is pretty hard to take. but having that validation each km is also very good to know to plan out the walk and achieve targets etc.
anyway now you know what its like and with all the good info and advice from these good people im sure you will get there real soon.

[jackarabit]

Mr. Tomek, I got the power ratios reversed in previous post. The numbers are roughly correct: -2-1/2W per kilo and an 8W stroke, not far off the gold standard of 10W av. although there are very tall rowers who routinely produce a 13W stroke over HM distance. For your hgt. and weight promising numbers.

[Tugger*#]

To ALL you guys and gals posting on here about how badly you think you have done and beating yourselves up over your times etc.
Do not be so harsh on yourselves - really, your times are things of fantasy to me and spur me on to achieve better but you beat yourselves up.
You all make me laugh in a good way, I cannot fathom just what times you think you expect.
I have been rowing since my triple heart by-pass just over 2 yrs ago, and more seriously & diligently over the last 15mnths or so. I moved from a Life fitness water rower to a C2E Jan 22 and have been adjusting and learning 'how to' properly ever since. I have taken part & completed all the Concept challenges from April to Aug.
My weekly routine at this point is 3 x 10k rows every week, consisting of a 10k straight full row and a couple on intervals of 3 or 4 splits with on occasion 3k of drills. My aim to date is to achieve a consistent split of 2:30/500 paying close attention to form and the force curve for effort so you can see my 10k times are generally around 50mins + and I am soaked. I have done one HM on my 60th birthday back in May and it was 1:59:?? which I was over the moon with. I do 2hr sessions in the gym most days inc row / free weights/ resistance machines / Pilates / cross trainer not all on the same day I have to say.
My times and effort are a work in progress and ever improving but I do not think I will ever achieve the same times as you guys & gals.
Be kinder to yourselves people and do what makes you happy.

[jackarabit]

Tooth:hurty steady state is a line in the sands of time for more than a few CAD-challenged old farts such as we. You’re grabbing the life buoy, working toward a realistic goal, seeing progress in aerobic condition and functional strength, thinking about tomorrow. Don’t stop.

[winniewinser]

To ALL you guys and gals posting on here about how badly you think you have done and beating yourselves up over your times etc.
Do not be so harsh on yourselves - really, your times are things of fantasy to me and spur me on to achieve better but you beat yourselves up.
You all make me laugh in a good way, I cannot fathom just what times you think you expect.
I have been rowing since my triple heart by-pass just over 2 yrs ago, and more seriously & diligently over the last 15mnths or so. I moved from a Life fitness water rower to a C2E Jan 22 and have been adjusting and learning 'how to' properly ever since. I have taken part & completed all the Concept challenges from April to Aug.
My weekly routine at this point is 3 x 10k rows every week, consisting of a 10k straight full row and a couple on intervals of 3 or 4 splits with on occasion 3k of drills. My aim to date is to achieve a consistent split of 2:30/500 paying close attention to form and the force curve for effort so you can see my 10k times are generally around 50mins + and I am soaked. I have done one HM on my 60th birthday back in May and it was 1:59:?? which I was over the moon with. I do 2hr sessions in the gym most days inc row / free weights/ resistance machines / Pilates / cross trainer not all on the same day I have to say.
My times and effort are a work in progress and ever improving but I do not think I will ever achieve the same times as you guys & gals.
Be kinder to yourselves people and do what makes you happy.

That's a great reminder that we are all generally hard on ourselves......different journeys, different goals and all relative to the individual of course.

Kudos to you for getting into rowing for healthy fitness post surgery. A HM is a great achievement to complete so well done and keep it up.

[TomekK]

Hi All! 2 weeks later I did it! My first HM! Yes!

I’m very proud of the style - I kept a steady pace of 2:09 for the first half, then I went slightly faster for the next 8km to speed up the last 3km (last 500m below 2:00).

What I also liked is that I haven’t tried to beat 1h30m (even if it looked possible) but I did what I felt was possible today ending at 1:30:16.7 Yu-hu!

Thank you all for your words of encouragement and various tips!

I changed few things during this attempts:
1. I went slightly slower with avg 2:08.3 (first half ~2:09). Last time I tried to keep around 2:07.4
2. I changed my SPM from 21 to 23-25. I think helped me a lot (but this is only a gut feeling). Looks like I hit my personal balance between the frequency and the power of strokes.

Ah, and no drinking during the race. There was no need.

And few words about my trainings. During the last 2 weeks I did some intervals and short distances mixed with long runs. I did 16km (2:09.4) and 17km (2:09.1 with nice finish) which made me confident I have some power left to add few more kilometers.

Happy rowing!

[Dangerscouse]

Hi All! 2 weeks later I did it! My first HM! Yes!

I’m very proud of the style - I kept a steady pace of 2:09 for the first half, then I went slightly faster for the next 8km to speed up the last 3km (last 500m below 2:00).

What I also liked is that I haven’t tried to beat 1h30m (even if it looked possible) but I did what I felt was possible today ending at 1:30:16.7 Yu-hu!

Thank you all for your words of encouragement and various tips!

I changed few things during this attempts:
1. I went slightly slower with avg 2:08.3 (first half ~2:09). Last time I tried to keep around 2:07.4
2. I changed my SPM from 21 to 23-25. I think helped me a lot (but this is only a gut feeling). Looks like I hit my personal balance between the frequency and the power of strokes.

Ah, and no drinking during the race. There was no need.

And few words about my trainings. During the last 2 weeks I did some intervals and short distances mixed with long runs. I did 16km (2:09.4) and 17km (2:09.1 with nice finish) which made me confident I have some power left to add few more kilometers.

Happy rowing!

Great news. Slightly slowing down was a great idea, as sometimes one second can tip you into unsustainable levels. Now you've done it, and you know you can do it, you can keep building on it. Confidence is a big part of the HM, as there's a lot of time for you to convince yourself you can't do it.

A slightly higher stroke rate will have helped if you felt like it did. There is no magic formula, it's just whatever works for you, and I find r28 is ideal for me for a hard HM, which is unthinkable for a lot of people.

As long as you're generally well hydrated, I don't think that there's is any need to drink, but you do need to make sure that drinking a lot every day is the norm.

[jackarabit]

Hi All! 2 weeks later I did it! My first HM! Yes!

I’m very proud of the style - I kept a steady pace of 2:09 for the first half, then I went slightly faster for the next 8km to speed up the last 3km (last 500m below 2:00).

What I also liked is that I haven’t tried to beat 1h30m (even if it looked possible) but I did what I felt was possible today ending at 1:30:16.7 Yu-hu!

Thank you all for your words of encouragement and various tips!

I changed few things during this attempts:
1. I went slightly slower with avg 2:08.3 (first half ~2:09). Last time I tried to keep around 2:07.4
2. I changed my SPM from 21 to 23-25. I think helped me a lot (but this is only a gut feeling). Looks like I hit my personal balance between the frequency and the power of strokes.

Ah, and no drinking during the race. There was no need.

And few words about my trainings. During the last 2 weeks I did some intervals and short distances mixed with long runs. I did 16km (2:09.4) and 17km (2:09.1 with nice finish) which made me confident I have some power left to add few more kilometers.

Happy rowing!

Yes, rate 22-25 sounds about right as you don’t mention an aerobic deficit as a result. Rate is the multiplier. Start @ target pace+1” also appears to have been ticketypoo. Chapeau!

[Elizabeth]

Fantastic work! Congratulations.

[LANCASHIRE VIKING]

Hey have you done a second attempt yet?? Hopefully you have got there...

So I'm new to rowing started in march/April this year. Corrected the usual newbie faults and then like you had an urge to do the HM. I'd done a good few 10ks but just thought I'd try it and learn from the experience and so I did my first in June and surprisingly didn't feel too bad on a 1.29 however I learned a few things...
I need to drink at about an hr in - on a HM to stop for 5 seconds for 200ml of water isn't really altering times and I find it better than one handed.
I need 3 or 4 sweets on hand for the shakes at about 1.10 through to 1.20. Not sure if this is a placebo but it works for me and almost becomes a enjoyable milestone at the pain end of the HM
I need to wear seamless shorts! I learnt the hard way but comfort on endurance is majorly important. If something isn't right causing you pain that will need long recovery and you are not competing quitting and experimenting is the clever way to succeed IMO
I was much better prepared for my 2nd attempt and got the pace steady at 18SPM and managed a 1.25. I drank twice and had my sweets and survived the pain on the rear!
3rd attempt I thought i could go better so went out harder on upping the same and lowering the split - was looking at a 1.23 but 40 mins in I hit the wall and ended doing a 1.32 after 2 longish stops - my point is this - go too hard and you will fail so I would go easy on your next attempt if not already and just get it complete - make changes the next time and keep aiming for your goal. Good luck!