What Training Have You Done Today?

[KeithT]

I had the monitor set for 3K splits tracking and as normal I had a faster start but then had 3 straight 3K intervals with the exact same pace (to the tenth of a second). Typically I will see a steady drop in pace with eyes closed. Now, I did slow down after these but I was amazed at the consistent pace without knowing I was doing it.

Always impressed when I see this, even more so when it's blind. A sign of really being dialled in, you'll soon be rivalling Nick!

Nah, Nick is a machine - never seen the consistency he gets.

[KeithT]

You're going well at the minute Stu, any particular goals/plan lined up?

Thanks Alex. Tbh, I just want to rediscover that burning desire to dig in and keep exceeding my expectations. I'm far too inclined in recent months to wimp out, avoid sessions or make excuses, and then have a brief flicker of motivation to try and beat teammates' performances.

2024 was a write off and was marred by something close to depression, but not enough to let me say it was that, so 2025 is going to be better. Probably not 'PB better', but you never know.

This sounds like me. I like your mindset that 2025 will be better and I will try to follow that attitude. I didn't battle depression in life in general but I had a really hard time with accepting/not accepting changes in my ability and lost a lot of my mental edge.

I find it courageous that you acknowledge struggles.

[Dangerscouse]

I find it courageous that you acknowledge struggles.

Thanks Keith, nobody knows you better than your conscience (and browsing history ) and you'll always lose if you try and pretend it is anything other than what it is; warts and all, as we say in the UK.

I can't change what I didn't do in 2024, but I can change what 2025 will look like, or maybe that should say 'we can'

[Dangerscouse]

That's a fair answer and ultimately, we have to put our mental health first. For me, sometimes exercise (not necessarily "training") does my mind wonders, but at others, it is the last thing I want to do (ala myself last October). Either way, good to see you at it, I can't help but admire the daily consistency.

Thanks Alex. I'd have been a mess if I didn't exercise, as that really did act as a significant pressure release. I think my identity is too wrapped up in rowing to stop me from doing it so regularly, which is a double edged sword. It makes me do it again and again, but it also impacts moods etc when it doesn't go quite right, or I'm injured.

I've definitely found that if I'm consistent, I'm better, and I felt like I smashed through a sort of glass ceiling on Monday as my motivation wobbled, but I still did it and there was a consequent shift in mindset

[nick rockliff]

Another 60r20

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
1:00:00.0 13,974m 2:08.8 164 863 20 125
5:00.0 1,164m 2:08.8 164 862 20 112
10:00.0 1,164m 2:08.8 164 862 20 119
15:00.0 1,164m 2:08.8 164 862 20 121
20:00.0 1,165m 2:08.7 164 864 20 123
25:00.0 1,164m 2:08.8 164 862 20 125
30:00.0 1,164m 2:08.8 164 862 20 126
35:00.0 1,164m 2:08.8 164 862 20 128
40:00.0 1,164m 2:08.8 164 862 20 128
45:00.0 1,164m 2:08.8 164 862 20 130
50:00.0 1,165m 2:08.7 164 864 20 131
55:00.0 1,165m 2:08.7 164 864 20 132
1:00:00.0 1,165m 2:08.7 164 864 20 131

[petererg]

1hr steady row at 2:14. I could feel my legs from yesterday‘s 10k.

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
1:00:00.0 13,429m 2:14.0 145 800 20 131
10:00.0 2,199m 2:16.4 138 774 20 131
20:00.0 2,279m 2:11.6 153 828 21 131
30:00.0 2,247m 2:13.5 147 806 20 131
40:00.0 2,232m 2:14.4 144 796 21 132
50:00.0 2,236m 2:14.1 145 798 20 131
1:00:00.0 2,238m 2:14.0 145 800 21 134

[Kerry1960]

Another 5k today trying to improve for CTC. Just a 4 sec improvement from last week and had to work a bit harder but still not bad in my garage which was 0c today.


Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
20:27.4 5,000m 2:02.7 189 951 26
4:07.6 1,000m 2:03.8 184 934 26
4:06.8 2,000m 2:03.4 186 941 26
4:06.9 3,000m 2:03.4 186 940 26
4:07.7 4,000m 2:03.8 184 934 25
3:58.3 5,000m 1:59.1 207 1012 27

Still a bit more to come...

[PleaseLockIn]

I used to think I could fight for a middle seat, until I tried but failed to close the PB gap between myself (with a not bad fitness background) and an over 6', over 200lb sedentary person who never exercised.

I won't chase PBs every week - it simply is notpossible for me. I have seen beginners who smash their PBs every week - great for them, but I play the long game. I focus on my results. This pace would not have been possible in this time frame with the BPP. I repeat this in my head as sometimes I have these unwanted thoughts telling me to go back to the BPP.

No, I will not go back to the BPP. I have to do something radical if I want to make it as a decent university rower.

On week 7 I could try breaking my 2k PB, and on week 9 I could try getting a new 5k PB.

Week 3 Day 3
Simply as much steady state as possible. Not all of it on the rower, as I had personal issues. But I did my best to supplement what I could for steady state.

I also took it very lightly as keeping this plan while having to do decently in my PE required lessons in university and trying to maintain upper-body strength is very intense. I simply do not understand how people can go very hard on steady state many times a week and maintain it, and I will not attempt to copy that.

Jogging, walking, biking, rowing, whatever it took. I need to do what it takes to avoid burnout.

My tumultuous life had already delayed me from taking many opportunties and made me miss many more. While I cannot turn back the clock, I can act now to limit the damage done to me.

There is a lot to unpack with this but I'll keep it brief and hopefully not come across as too harsh and blunt...

You spend a lot of time comparing yourself to others and what they may or may not be doing. Get that out of your head. Excuse me for being presumptuous, but I attribute it to the toxic social media society that bangs on about how egotistical twerps (not necessarily in rowing circles I'd like to add!) are performing at 110% every week. They are not. We have some very experienced rowers on this forum, they aren't going very hard on steady state sessions.

Beginners will often PB every week, it's a rite of passage and one we should enjoy. A lot of this won't necessarily be due to rapid increases in fitness, it can often be technique related and an inner desire to find that extra gear and dig that little deeper. Seven seconds and a few months separated my most recent 2k PB's. I was nearly physically ill on my second effort, I wasn't seven seconds quicker solely on fitness improvements. You lift in a gym? Follow any proven program that promotes linear progression and you'll PB every week, that's the point.

Tumultuous life? It sounds to me like you've been given quite a privileged opportunity. Rowing in the UK is considered a minority sport due to costs and obviously river/lake availability. There is a reason one of the most famous boat races in the World is contested by universities that a very small percentile of students across the World will even consider applying for...

It is now a minor sport but considering how it has become more and more popular, it may not be soon. I do see your point - the Head of the Charles is a prestigious regetta. So is Henley (and those teams who contest it are top teams - see Brookes who require 6:40 2k for U17 and 6:30 2k for U19 to even enter the uni team)

Speaking of applying to universities, I used to consider applying for the upper RGs when I was 15-16. I attempted to skip years as I felt the educational establishment simply failed me. They wanted me to do other useless "enrichment" or "Extension" stuff, I denied and plowed ahead. I didn't do that well, but eh, it's mostly due to me being a nearly fully self-study student However I made the wrong decision in 2023. I should've stayed home as the course back home was much stronger than even mid RG and many upper RGs.

Besides, some universities are much better at supporting novices (like mine in East Asia, a few UK ones like Edinburgh) than others (e.g. Brookes, top tier US universities). Some are more lenient towards students in my situation and are willing to tolerate more.

My back is a bit sore, but I managed to improve my flexibility. I kept my shins vertical while keeping my back straight and extending forwards to lengthen my stroke. I will go very light on tomorrow's SS session.

Yes, I do spend a lot of time comparing myself to others. A lot of it is pure narcissistic tendencies, some of it is keeping up with the Joneses (ultimately, I am competing against people much heavier and taller and more experienced than myself), and a little bit is social media as you pointed out.

My life is privileged in some ways like this. Somehow I managed to skip a year despite my terrible executive function. At least I can keep a Pomodoro for 15-20 minutes study and 5 minute break. It's not the recommended 25-5 for normal people but at least my Pomodoro works for me.

I did have my various struggles, like... that university... and fighting an absolutely rigid educational establishment. It took me a lot of work to even manage to date a few women here and there when I was younger. I had a lot of social conflicts in my past. Some even turned nearly physical or physical.

But all of this pales to the struggles some people face - think PTSD, losing all four limbs, being in a warzone... so yes I am relatively privileged in a sense.

Week 3 Day 4
4*1800M 4R.

I kept the rests at ~4 mins (though drifted to a bit more).

8:06 r24, 8:03 r24, 8:04.x r23, 8:03.x r24

Pretty consistent overall, though I had some strokes closer to ~2:20 and some closer to ~2:05. Mentally counting down from 10 kept my mental resilience. My max HR this session was ~190. It wasn't that close to my max as I could still speak a few words here and there. However this was to recover better and besides, I need to study anyways.

Not a bad session overall. I even added some supination work for arm wrestling. I just need to manage my time properly.

[Sakly]

HM r18 today, felt good. Blind row.
HRM passed out again, probably needs a new battery.

Code: Select all

Time	Meters	Pace	Watts	Cal/Hr	S/M	❤️
1:25:37	21,097m	2:01.7	194	967	18	35
10:46.8	2,638m	2:02.5	190	953	18	140
10:43.7	5,276m	2:02.0	193	963	18	140
10:48.7	7,914m	2:02.9	188	948	18
10:50.8	10,552m	2:03.3	186	941	18
10:44.6	13,190m	2:02.1	192	960	18
10:39.3	15,828m	2:01.1	197	977	18
10:35.7	18,466m	2:00.4	200	988	18
10:27.7	21,097m	1:59.2	206	1009	18

[reuben]

HRM passed out again, probably needs a new battery.

When your heart rate monitor has a heart attack, you know you're puttin' out some watts.

[Sakly]

HRM passed out again, probably needs a new battery.

When your heart rate monitor has a heart attack, you know you're puttin' out some watts.

Haha

Truth was the exact opposite, I knew nothing, except the remaining meters and HR - until HR disappeared
After that I didn't mind about the session and rowed what felt good

[nick rockliff]

Did a 2 x 6k r22 on 2 min recovery this evening.

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
47:59.0 12,000m 1:59.9 203 997 22 143
23:59.4 6,000m 1:59.9 203 997 22 140
23:59.6 6,000m 1:59.9 203 997 22 146
r35m

[alex9026]

60mins on the Wattbike today, 31km. I'd have covered 15k with a similar perceived effort on the Erg. Nice bit of cross training.