New Personal Best! Brag About That New Pb!

[DavidA]

This was meant to be a routine training run, 5k r24 at about 2:05 - 2;06. But felt good today and realised after 3k that I wasn"t far off PB pace if I could increase the pace a bit. In the end 5 secs PB. Previous best 20:27 17th October. The last 1k really hurt but at least I know it's now possible.

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
20:22.0 5,000m 2:02.2 192 960 25
4:09.9 1,000m 2:04.9 179 917 25
4:07.6 2,000m 2:03.8 184 934 24
4:06.3 3,000m 2:03.1 187 944 24
4:05.0 4,000m 2:02.5 190 955 24
3:53.1 5,000m 1:56.5 221 1060 29

Congratulations!
20:20 is next?

David

[DavidA]

Hey there,
After a little more than three months of (running) marathon training I finally injured my right heel, once again (enthesopathy).
I decided to take advantage of my fitness level to let off some steam on the machine

My last 2k TT was black in february 2019 (!) @7:20.5
Since that I've always been scared by this distance, or something like that.

So I did a short warm-up and ended with a PB @7:13.1
100% aerobic fitness, non specific training.

Now I'm going to forget my marathon and launch a winter rowing cycle to get to 7:10.0


7:13.1 2,000m 1:48.2 276 1248 32 168

1:48.3 500m 1:48.3 276 1248 31 161
1:49.1 1,000m 1:49.1 270 1227 31 165
1:48.5 1,500m 1:48.5 274 1243 32 173
1:47.3 2,000m 1:47.3 283 1275 35 173

Sorry, about the injury, but it made for a great PB!
Good luck with the 7:10.

David

[robhely]

Hey there,
After a little more than three months of (running) marathon training I finally injured my right heel, once again (enthesopathy).
I decided to take advantage of my fitness level to let off some steam on the machine

My last 2k TT was black in february 2019 (!) @7:20.5
Since that I've always been scared by this distance, or something like that.

So I did a short warm-up and ended with a PB @7:13.1
100% aerobic fitness, non specific training.

Now I'm going to forget my marathon and launch a winter rowing cycle to get to 7:10.0


7:13.1 2,000m 1:48.2 276 1248 32 168

1:48.3 500m 1:48.3 276 1248 31 161
1:49.1 1,000m 1:49.1 270 1227 31 165
1:48.5 1,500m 1:48.5 274 1243 32 173
1:47.3 2,000m 1:47.3 283 1275 35 173

Great effort, especially as you didn't specifically train for it on the erg. I think with some targeted training you'd be looking at a 7min 2k before too long.

I know what you mean about being scared of the 2k, it is brutal!

[p_b82]

Hey there,
After a little more than three months of (running) marathon training I finally injured my right heel, once again (enthesopathy).
I decided to take advantage of my fitness level to let off some steam on the machine

My last 2k TT was black in february 2019 (!) @7:20.5
Since that I've always been scared by this distance, or something like that.

So I did a short warm-up and ended with a PB @7:13.1
100% aerobic fitness, non specific training.

Good gains there from doing un-related training - good luck with your next target and hope the heel recovers.

[p_b82]

Ducked out of work early, and I felt flat but fresh - not been sleeping well and work has been frustrating + a little niggle in my back and elbows (I blame the sprints I've been doing) made me come up with the bright idea of having a better go at my 6k @r20.

I did the previous one about 3 weeks after my last covid +ve test, so lung function was pretty poor still. 26:45.6 (Hr 181@ 3k and 184@4k)

Today's was much better - target was 2:07.5 for a 25:30 time - and I bettered it throughout - tank was very empty at the end; but this just dropped me into 37th percentile, "best" ranked row compared to peers so far.

Code: Select all

Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M	
25:23.5	6,000m	2:06.9	171	888	20	173
4:14.5	1,000m	2:07.2	170	884	20	154
4:14.6	2,000m	2:07.3	170	883	20	167
4:15.6	3,000m	2:07.8	168	877	20	176
4:13.9	4,000m	2:06.9	171	888	21	178
4:13.6	5,000m	2:06.8	172	890	20	181
4:11.5	6,000m	2:05.7	176	905	20	183

[robhely]

Ducked out of work early, and I felt flat but fresh - not been sleeping well and work has been frustrating + a little niggle in my back and elbows (I blame the sprints I've been doing) made me come up with the bright idea of having a better go at my 6k @r20.

I did the previous one about 3 weeks after my last covid +ve test, so lung function was pretty poor still. 26:45.6 (Hr 181@ 3k and 184@4k)

Today's was much better - target was 2:07.5 for a 25:30 time - and I bettered it throughout - tank was very empty at the end; but this just dropped me into 37th percentile, "best" ranked row compared to peers so far.

Code: Select all

Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M	
25:23.5	6,000m	2:06.9	171	888	20	173
4:14.5	1,000m	2:07.2	170	884	20	154
4:14.6	2,000m	2:07.3	170	883	20	167
4:15.6	3,000m	2:07.8	168	877	20	176
4:13.9	4,000m	2:06.9	171	888	21	178
4:13.6	5,000m	2:06.8	172	890	20	181
4:11.5	6,000m	2:05.7	176	905	20	183

Impressive gain there, well done. Nice steady pacing with a solid push towards the end.

[robhely]

A very modest PB today after a frustrating week of limited training due to a cold:

1:38.7 500m (previous PB 1:39.1)

I wasn't really expecting much, I was actually fooling around seeing if a significantly higher DF would improve my technique on sprints. I was able to get my stroke down from the super ugly 44 last time to 36, which helped with form immensely. My usual DF is 124 - 129, I tried this on 163. Heart rate was lower than last time as well.

I still think I lose so much in the start as I just haven't really mastered the short stroke gradually transitioning into a longer stroke. Or the timing of the start.

Maybe it comes with years of practice, but I just can't rate above ~35 without my technique absolutely falling apart. The only option for me seems to be a much higher DF and just muscling it out. Even at 36, I have problems stopping my backside from bouncing slightly on the seat and moving backwards, sometimes requiring an awkward shuffle to get forwards again. I never have these problems on distances above 500m.

[p_b82]

A very modest PB today after a frustrating week of limited training due to a cold:

1:38.7 500m (previous PB 1:39.1)

Maybe it comes with years of practice, but I just can't rate above ~35 without my technique absolutely falling apart. The only option for me seems to be a much higher DF and just muscling it out. Even at 36, I have problems stopping my backside from bouncing slightly on the seat and moving backwards, sometimes requiring an awkward shuffle to get forwards again. I never have these problems on distances above 500m.

Any gain in performance is a good gain in my book!

Do you use a seat pad at all - or any sort of covering over the seat?
Also - what shorts/trousers do you wear?
Do you do any strapless rowing?

I've found since using a seatpad not only did it help with my nerve issues, it also helped my bum from moving around - perhaps something thin and rubbery (yoga mat or the like) might help there?

For the third question, I found that if I let my feet stop my final part of the drive rather than my core, I would be a little more unstable at the finish - trying to avoid totally relying on the foot straps at the higher rates helped me a bit there & I managed to get up to 40spm with decent (for me) power outputs maintained compared to lower ratings

[HornetMaX]

For the third question, I found that if I let my feet stop my final part of the drive rather than my core, I would be a little more unstable at the finish - trying to avoid totally relying on the foot straps at the higher rates helped me a bit there & I managed to get up to 40spm with decent (for me) power outputs maintained compared to lower ratings

FWIW, I do most my sessions strapless and I agree it can help rowing better.
Exceptions: the the ones where pace is 5K (~2:00/500m for me) or faster: I don't like the prospect of something mechanical going wrong during the drive with my feet not in the straps.

[KeithT]

A very modest PB today after a frustrating week of limited training due to a cold:

1:38.7 500m (previous PB 1:39.1)

I wasn't really expecting much, I was actually fooling around seeing if a significantly higher DF would improve my technique on sprints. I was able to get my stroke down from the super ugly 44 last time to 36, which helped with form immensely. My usual DF is 124 - 129, I tried this on 163. Heart rate was lower than last time as well.

I still think I lose so much in the start as I just haven't really mastered the short stroke gradually transitioning into a longer stroke. Or the timing of the start.

Maybe it comes with years of practice, but I just can't rate above ~35 without my technique absolutely falling apart. The only option for me seems to be a much higher DF and just muscling it out. Even at 36, I have problems stopping my backside from bouncing slightly on the seat and moving backwards, sometimes requiring an awkward shuffle to get forwards again. I never have these problems on distances above 500m.

Its a PB - so good! Rate 36 isn't really that high especially for a 500m. My best 1Ks are usually close to 40 SPM but I still have control. Hard to say why you lose form going that high but some just aren't comfortable with it - I rate lower than most on longer rows done for time but for sprints I typically crank it up.

[p_b82]

FWIW, I do most my sessions strapless and I agree it can help rowing better.
Exceptions: the the ones where pace is 5K (~2:00/500m for me) or faster: I don't like the prospect of something mechanical going wrong during the drive with my feet not in the straps.

Yeah agreed - the higher efforts I prefer to be strapped in, but at least being aware of what my core "should" be doing has helped me just using the straps to haul me up short; I'm sure I'm still putting quite a bit of force through them, but it's def a lot less than it was before I did some strapless rowing!

[Dangerscouse]

This was meant to be a routine training run, 5k r24 at about 2:05 - 2;06. But felt good today and realised after 3k that I wasn"t far off PB pace if I could increase the pace a bit. In the end 5 secs PB. Previous best 20:27 17th October. The last 1k really hurt but at least I know it's now possible.

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
20:22.0 5,000m 2:02.2 192 960 25
4:09.9 1,000m 2:04.9 179 917 25
4:07.6 2,000m 2:03.8 184 934 24
4:06.3 3,000m 2:03.1 187 944 24
4:05.0 4,000m 2:02.5 190 955 24
3:53.1 5,000m 1:56.5 221 1060 29

Well done again Kerry

[Dangerscouse]

Hey there,
After a little more than three months of (running) marathon training I finally injured my right heel, once again (enthesopathy).
I decided to take advantage of my fitness level to let off some steam on the machine

My last 2k TT was black in february 2019 (!) @7:20.5
Since that I've always been scared by this distance, or something like that.

So I did a short warm-up and ended with a PB @7:13.1
100% aerobic fitness, non specific training.

Now I'm going to forget my marathon and launch a winter rowing cycle to get to 7:10.0


7:13.1 2,000m 1:48.2 276 1248 32 168

1:48.3 500m 1:48.3 276 1248 31 161
1:49.1 1,000m 1:49.1 270 1227 31 165
1:48.5 1,500m 1:48.5 274 1243 32 173
1:47.3 2,000m 1:47.3 283 1275 35 173

Well done. That's a big improvement and sub 7:10 is within reach

[Dangerscouse]

A very modest PB today after a frustrating week of limited training due to a cold:

1:38.7 500m (previous PB 1:39.1)

I wasn't really expecting much, I was actually fooling around seeing if a significantly higher DF would improve my technique on sprints. I was able to get my stroke down from the super ugly 44 last time to 36, which helped with form immensely. My usual DF is 124 - 129, I tried this on 163. Heart rate was lower than last time as well.

I still think I lose so much in the start as I just haven't really mastered the short stroke gradually transitioning into a longer stroke. Or the timing of the start.

Maybe it comes with years of practice, but I just can't rate above ~35 without my technique absolutely falling apart. The only option for me seems to be a much higher DF and just muscling it out. Even at 36, I have problems stopping my backside from bouncing slightly on the seat and moving backwards, sometimes requiring an awkward shuffle to get forwards again. I never have these problems on distances above 500m.

Don't downplay this as a modest PB. Another way to look at it is that you're already doing so well, you're really squeezing out every tenth.

I can't quite get used to r36+ strokes either

[robhely]

Do you use a seat pad at all - or any sort of covering over the seat?
Also - what shorts/trousers do you wear?
Do you do any strapless rowing?

I've found since using a seatpad not only did it help with my nerve issues, it also helped my bum from moving around - perhaps something thin and rubbery (yoga mat or the like) might help there?

For the third question, I found that if I let my feet stop my final part of the drive rather than my core, I would be a little more unstable at the finish - trying to avoid totally relying on the foot straps at the higher rates helped me a bit there & I managed to get up to 40spm with decent (for me) power outputs maintained compared to lower ratings

I don't use a seat pad at all, perhaps that's something to try.

I wear regular gym shorts, mostly the Under Armour weigh lifting ones.

I do a bit of strapless rowing, often for my cool-downs. I find it quite easy to maintain good form not strapped in, but this is at a relatively low rate and not going super hard. I might try this at higher rates as you make an excellent point that it's a good way to train for more stability at higher rates.

I think the higher rate thing takes a lot of practice, I do a lot of intervals in my training, but never at 500m race pace, so not going over about r34. If I did my intervals at r40, I wouldn't get through the sets!