New Personal Best! Brag About That New Pb!

[winniewinser]

Mad minute on the Skierg ....PB+2m....even saw a 1:30 pull which I don't think I have before. Just a bit of fun before weights.

1:00.0 320m 1:33.7 66
0:15.0 79m 1:34.9 68
0:30.0 82m 1:31.4 64
0:45.0 81m 1:32.5 68
1:00.0 78m 1:36.1 64

Hopeful of breaking 1:40 for 500m soon

This is strong mate. When I used to use the skierg in a circuits gym class, just before lockdown, I'd struggle to maintain low 1:30s, so I know what this feels like.

I swear I took off briefly I was flapping that hard

[Dangerscouse]

Mad minute on the Skierg ....PB+2m....even saw a 1:30 pull which I don't think I have before. Just a bit of fun before weights.

1:00.0 320m 1:33.7 66
0:15.0 79m 1:34.9 68
0:30.0 82m 1:31.4 64
0:45.0 81m 1:32.5 68
1:00.0 78m 1:36.1 64

Hopeful of breaking 1:40 for 500m soon

This is strong mate. When I used to use the skierg in a circuits gym class, just before lockdown, I'd struggle to maintain low 1:30s, so I know what this feels like.

I swear I took off briefly I was flapping that hard

Hahaha, it does a bit frenetic at r68.

I remember there being a lad next to the skierg doing planks, and he looked like he was in a Bonnie Tyler video his hair was flapping around that much.

[p_b82]

Nicely done, and I imagine you had a lot of HD thoughts with 2k to go?

Surprisingly not a single one - head was in the right place and I was more annoyed that I'd allowed that drop in pace in the middle split. The head said back it off a bit because your CV system can't maintain this - and I told my head to shut up

It was the fastest & most consistent I've rowed for any sustained time and I wanted/needed to prove to myself that I can sustain that effort if I put my mind to it - and I now know that I can sustain 180+bpm Hr for 4.5mins at the least, which means I can push myself during a TT attempt harder than I have been so far.

[MPx]

I now know that I can sustain 180+bpm Hr for 4.5mins at the least, which means I can push myself during a TT attempt harder than I have been so far.

Great progress on the PB. Have you ever done a Max HR test to know what it is for you? In my 40s my observed max was over 200 (now just 171 is the biggest number I've seen in recent years!). This gave me a 192 limit before going anaerobic. We're all different so, if you haven't already, its worth doing a test to find your personal numbers to give you more confidence in which zones you're pushing.

[p_b82]

Great progress on the PB. Have you ever done a Max HR test to know what it is for you? In my 40s my observed max was over 200 (now just 171 is the biggest number I've seen in recent years!). This gave me a 192 limit before going anaerobic. We're all different so, if you haven't already, its worth doing a test to find your personal numbers to give you more confidence in which zones you're pushing.

I've not done a test, but I've seen 189 probably 5 times at the end or a row when sprinting flat out for approx 2mins (normally at the end of a longer row). So I think it's probably not that far from it - yesterday I was a panting sweaty mess at the end and HR had been reading 185 for a long while into the last k, I opened my sprint in the last 1:30 and it peaked at 189 just at the end - was doing 2:06@30 for the final minute - there was nothing else left to give.

[Dangerscouse]

Nicely done, and I imagine you had a lot of HD thoughts with 2k to go?

Surprisingly not a single one - head was in the right place and I was more annoyed that I'd allowed that drop in pace in the middle split. The head said back it off a bit because your CV system can't maintain this - and I told my head to shut up

It was the fastest & most consistent I've rowed for any sustained time and I wanted/needed to prove to myself that I can sustain that effort if I put my mind to it - and I now know that I can sustain 180+bpm Hr for 4.5mins at the least, which means I can push myself during a TT attempt harder than I have been so far.

There's quite a few notable points in this. A PB; a solid mindset; rowing very close to max for significant amount of time. All great markers of progress in a holistic way, rather than just the numbers on the screen.

[MPx]

I've not done a test, but I've seen 189 probably 5 times at the end or a row when sprinting flat out for approx 2mins (normally at the end of a longer row). So I think it's probably not that far from it

Yes, sounds like you're there - I'd guess 190 would be a useful max to work off. What's your resting HR?

[p_b82]

There's quite a few notable points in this. A PB; a solid mindset; rowing very close to max for significant amount of time. All great markers of progress in a holistic way, rather than just the numbers on the screen.

I've always responded better to more holistic approaches to things, my aim with rowing was to change my shape - I'd turned 40, stopped swimming during the pandemic (and moved house away from a handy pool) my waistline was going up and I was starting to sleep badly again.
The benchmark times are just nice ways for me to visibly see the progress that the erg is having - by being able to row harder I'll develop more muscle, by rowing longer I'll burn more calories - both achieve my aim ultimately.

For context the 5k I just completed, matched my flat-out pace for 4mins back at the end of June on my first erg session. I did 5mins warm up & then 5mins flat out, but I was done after 4 and pace started to drop. My sprint at the end of the 5k, while not my fastest, was 10s/500 faster and rating 3 strokes higher.

I've made huge progress in my inefficient - just row what I feel like when I feel like approach - and luckily, I'm really enjoying it without any pressure of achieving XYZ target.

I'd never have thought within 5 months I'd have been able to complete a Half Marathon, and even funnier I'm disappointed in the time I set as I know I could have done better, but I played it safe.

Yes, sounds like you're there - I'd guess 190 would be a useful max to work off. What's your resting HR?

Pretty high - lowest I've managed to (manually) check it at is 70 - so it's probably a little lower while asleep - but starting an erg session it'll typically be 72-80.
I often just sit on the erg once strapped in and breathe deeply and steadily for a bit before I start, as I can normally tell by my hr whether it's a "good" day or bad one and plan accordingly.

[MPx]

Yes, sounds like you're there - I'd guess 190 would be a useful max to work off. What's your resting HR?

Pretty high - lowest I've managed to (manually) check it at is 70 - so it's probably a little lower while asleep - but starting an erg session it'll typically be 72-80.

Yeah that's pretty high, but will be another gratifying thing for you to monitor as your fitness improves - it will come down. You should find lowest RHR can be measured first thing in the morning after you wake up before you start doing anything. If we say RHR is currently 65 while asleep then the formulae have your zone caps at: UT2 128-152; UT1 164; AT 170; and OT 183; Anaerobic after that. Its just a formulaic estimate so might not be exactly right for you. When doing steady state stuff probably best to not push the UT caps - stay more mid-zone, but at the other end, on a TT you can have confidence to push when you see some quite high numbers as you did on your 5k PB.

[p_b82]

Yeah that's pretty high, but will be another gratifying thing for you to monitor as your fitness improves - it will come down. You should find lowest RHR can be measured first thing in the morning after you wake up before you start doing anything. If we say RHR is currently 65 while asleep then the formulae have your zone caps at: UT2 128-152; UT1 164; AT 170; and OT 183; Anaerobic after that. Its just a formulaic estimate so might not be exactly right for you. When doing steady state stuff probably best to not push the UT caps - stay more mid-zone, but at the other end, on a TT you can have confidence to push when you see some quite high numbers as you did on your 5k PB.

I'm not expecting it to drop much being honest - it's been around this all my life even when superfit at school - but if it does come down then great...

Thanks for the zones; it ties in with what I've discovered based on RPE/physiological responses:
~135-145 for UT2 (I can't get my hr lower than 135 and still maintain form in the stroke)
~150-160 for UT1
~170 being max sustainable effort for long periods (~hr).

The 5k opened my eyes to the TR/OT and AN thresholds, which I'd previously though were lower.

[edited] mistyped UT zones

[nick rockliff]

Yeah that's pretty high, but will be another gratifying thing for you to monitor as your fitness improves - it will come down. You should find lowest RHR can be measured first thing in the morning after you wake up before you start doing anything. If we say RHR is currently 65 while asleep then the formulae have your zone caps at: UT2 128-152; UT1 164; AT 170; and OT 183; Anaerobic after that. Its just a formulaic estimate so might not be exactly right for you. When doing steady state stuff probably best to not push the UT caps - stay more mid-zone, but at the other end, on a TT you can have confidence to push when you see some quite high numbers as you did on your 5k PB.

I'm not expecting it to drop much being honest - it's been around this all my life even when superfit at school - but if it does come down then great...

Thanks for the zones; it ties in with what I've discovered based on RPE/physiological responses:
~135-145 for UT1 (I can't get my hr lower than 135 and still maintain form in the stroke)
~150-160 for UT2
~170 being max sustainable effort for long periods (~hr).

The 5k opened my eyes to the TR/OT and AN thresholds, which I'd previously though were lower.

You have the UT1 and UT2 the wrong way round.

[Dangerscouse]

There's quite a few notable points in this. A PB; a solid mindset; rowing very close to max for significant amount of time. All great markers of progress in a holistic way, rather than just the numbers on the screen.

I've always responded better to more holistic approaches to things, my aim with rowing was to change my shape - I'd turned 40, stopped swimming during the pandemic (and moved house away from a handy pool) my waistline was going up and I was starting to sleep badly again.
The benchmark times are just nice ways for me to visibly see the progress that the erg is having - by being able to row harder I'll develop more muscle, by rowing longer I'll burn more calories - both achieve my aim ultimately.

For context the 5k I just completed, matched my flat-out pace for 4mins back at the end of June on my first erg session. I did 5mins warm up & then 5mins flat out, but I was done after 4 and pace started to drop. My sprint at the end of the 5k, while not my fastest, was 10s/500 faster and rating 3 strokes higher.

I've made huge progress in my inefficient - just row what I feel like when I feel like approach - and luckily, I'm really enjoying it without any pressure of achieving XYZ target.

I'd never have thought within 5 months I'd have been able to complete a Half Marathon, and even funnier I'm disappointed in the time I set as I know I could have done better, but I played it safe.

Good to hear this. Too many people get caught up chasing results and not focusing on the process, so it all too often gets derailed.

A HM is definitely a distance that you need to chip away at, and you'll keep building confidence of what is possible. I'm not surprised you're disappointed, and that's a great sign. Restless satisfaction is something I suffer from, and I'm sure others do too. Completing a HM is something that many of us will never do, so you should be proud.

[aegis]

First 5km done to mark my first MM since starting in may, happy to be slightly above avg in my weight and age class. Didn't really know how to pace it and may have been a tad conservative. Next target 20min!

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
20:47.1 5,000m 2:04.7 180 921 28 180
2:04.3 500m 2:04.3 182 927 27 166
2:06.3 500m 2:06.3 174 897 27 174
2:06.2 500m 2:06.2 174 899 28 177
2:06.1 500m 2:06.1 175 900 28 179
2:06.1 500m 2:06.1 175 900 28 181
2:05.6 500m 2:05.6 177 907 28 184
2:04.7 500m 2:04.7 180 921 29 186
2:04.6 500m 2:04.6 181 922 28 185
2:03.9 500m 2:03.9 184 933 29 185
1:59.3 500m 1:59.3 206 1009 31 187

[p_b82]

First 5km done to mark my first MM since starting in may, happy to be slightly above avg in my weight and age class. Didn't really know how to pace it and may have been a tad conservative. Next target 20min!

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
20:47.1 5,000m 2:04.7 180 921 28 180
2:04.3 500m 2:04.3 182 927 27 166
2:06.3 500m 2:06.3 174 897 27 174
2:06.2 500m 2:06.2 174 899 28 177
2:06.1 500m 2:06.1 175 900 28 179
2:06.1 500m 2:06.1 175 900 28 181
2:05.6 500m 2:05.6 177 907 28 184
2:04.7 500m 2:04.7 180 921 29 186
2:04.6 500m 2:04.6 181 922 28 185
2:03.9 500m 2:03.9 184 933 29 185
1:59.3 500m 1:59.3 206 1009 31 187

Congrats!

[p_b82]

I'm not doing this on purpose, honest.... but just smashed another one.

Had been aiming at ~12600 (120W) but I felt good and allowed a little more effort as the HR was staying low - until the 40mins point. Fatigue rally kicked in and it was a mental battle to dig in. Legs were like lead at the end.

Previous distance was 12295 last month

Code: Select all

Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M	hr
1:00:00	12,737m	2:21.3	124	726	26	169
10:00.0	2,112m	2:22.0	122	720	26	158
20:00.0	2,129m	2:20.9	125	730	26	168
30:00.0	2,120m	2:21.5	124	725	26	169
40:00.0	2,102m	2:22.7	120	714	26	167
50:00.0	2,098m	2:22.9	120	711	26	172
1:00:00	2,178m	2:17.7	134	760	27	184