The Road to Boston 2007

Anne · Post by **Anne** » January 5th, 2007, 8:33 am

Bob - your daily meters are an inspiration

I managed the 4x3' TR workout-- goal 2:03--30sr
2955m (2:01.8) 29sr
732m (2:02.9) 29sr
747m (2:00.4) 30sr
740m (2:01.8) 29sr
735m (2:02.4) 28sr

W/up - 1879m minimal c/d
The gym was crowded so I didn't get the erg that has the HR apparatus on it...so I couldn't get quantitative HR data....qualitatively, it felt pretty bad by the end....made me truly wonder ....why subject myself to a 2K. In fact, the very young collegiate rower on the other erg asked me the same question....

I think she couldn't imagine why anyone (who wasn't using this sport as a ticket to college, would endure the indoor workouts.

Yankeerunner · Post by **Yankeerunner** » January 5th, 2007, 9:37 am

3 X 12' UT1 (3'r)

2150m w/u in 10'

12' 2992m 2:00.3 22spm 139hr (recovered to 74hr during rest)
12' 3008m 1:59.7 22spm 147hr (rec. to 93hr)
12' 3022m 1:59.1 22spm 149hr (rec. to 89hr)

1035m c/d in 5'

119df, 58degrees, forgot to measure resting heart rate.
Generally good. Concentrated on keeping the arms straight longer on the drive and getting the hands away quicker on the recovery. I'm not particulary fluid when doing that, but maybe it will come in time.

Anne, I don't know a lot, but I know the answer to this:

made me truly wonder ....why subject myself to a 2K. In fact, the very young collegiate rower on the other erg asked me the same question

We do it because we are badasses. Because we are not ready to sit back in a comfy chair watching TV while waiting to die. When the Grim Reaper shows up we will spit in his empty eye socket, and even if the Sumbitch gets us it won't be without a fight. That's why we do it.

Rick

Bob S. · Post by **Bob S.** » January 5th, 2007, 7:52 pm

Another 15k, with WUs and CD, somewhat short of 22k for the day. The Pete Plan calls for two 15ks a week, so the total mounts up. I opted to take it easy on this one and just make sure that I met the 2:19.3 pace goal. No PB this time, it was a lot slower than Tuesday’s piece, but it was still a half second faster than any I had ever done before this week.

WU: 10’ pace pyramid. 2085m (2:23.8). 112bpm ave.
5’ break.
15k: 1:08:53.1 (2:17.7). Constant 20spm. 140bpm ave. (HR stayed in the 120s for 4k, then jumped to the 140s and stayed there.
<30” break
CD: 15’ taper down. 2856m (2:37.5). 121bpm ave.

For the first 4k, the pace went from 2:20.0 down to 2:19.5, averaging 2:19.8. After that it dropped to 2:18.2 and continued to decrease for the most part on down to 2:14.3 on the last 1k. No problem meeting the 2:19.3 goal. I couldn't resist the urge to push on the last 3k to stay well under the 1:09:00 mark.

Bob S.

TomR · Post by **TomR** » January 5th, 2007, 8:33 pm

2x9 AT

1.58.7/152hr/25spm
1.59.7/157hr/24-25spm

In my youthful 50s, I'd have done a third interval. One of the benefits of maturity is knowing to stop after 2.

Anne · Post by **Anne** » January 5th, 2007, 9:43 pm

Hey Tom....so far, that is the best inspiration for reaching the next decade that I have heard....even beats getting social security.

I did 2 AT 12' pieces today and the CTC challenge....it was tough. And, I can't even find my data about my scores....probably it is in the bottom of my gym bag, but I will post tomorrow. All I remember is that I hung on---- my the skin of my teeth...and that was for just two.

I guess I'd rather have the grim reaper unstrap me from the erg than pull me out of a recliner!

whaskell · Post by **whaskell** » January 6th, 2007, 9:00 am

Friday Off

Saturday Morning
10 min WU 2224m
AT 2x9min/max 1:50/26-28spm
Target 2x9min/avg 1:52/27spm/3min rest
9min/1:51.8/27/2414m
9min/1:51.9/27/2412m
total 6081m
10min CD 2204m

I turned 40 this year, and I did not feel like doing another interval... Actually, I felt good today and this week - nice to have an easier week.

Yankeerunner · Post by **Yankeerunner** » January 6th, 2007, 11:34 am

Substitution Day, for the CTC, 3 X 1000m @ 24spm (4'r/ar) for 6 X 2' TR

2644m w/u in 12'

1000m 3:44.2 (1:52.1) 24spm 145hr (recovered to 86hr during rest)
1000m 3:43.2 (1:51.6) 24spm 153hr (rec. to 85hr)
1000m 3:42.3 (1:51.1) 24spm 155hr (rec. to 86)

1440m c/d in 7'

116df, 63degrees, 49rhr. Tough going. Don't know that I can do any better at 24spm. The drag seemed fine. I resisted the temptation to raise it, fearing for my back and my right knee (which got injured last January on the 30'@ 20spm). The chain didn't flap around, so I think I was OK. For recoveries I put the handle down for the first minute, paddled the next two, and put it down for the last minute to let the flywheel slow.

Feeling good in that I've completed two straight weeks of hitting every target in the IP.

Yes, this was one of the easier weeks, but but I'll take it.

Rick

Bob S. · Post by **Bob S.** » January 7th, 2007, 1:45 am

Today the Pete Plan called for going for a 10k PB — or at least a 2k+10, which would be a 2:14.3 pace for me. Well, it was a seasonal PB, which isn’t saying much, since my first one this year was crap and the only other one (much better!) was interpolated from the first part of a 60’ piece. Last season I had a couple that were better, one of them by almost 40 seconds. However, I checked out ranking records and my time today was less than 4 seconds off the M HWT 80+ WR. Not too bad far a piece capped at 24. Results:

WU: 15’ rate pyramid. 3171(2:21.9). 113bpm ave.
7’r
15k piece, interrupted by telephone call at about 2’. Another 7’ before getting a new start.
Regular 15k piece: 44:32.0(2:13.6). 145bpm ave.
About 1 1/2’r.
CD: 15’ rate taper down. 3017 (2:29.1). 131bpm ave., ending at 113.

Not a true PB, but the pace was 0.6 seconds under the goal.

Bob S.

TomR · Post by **TomR** » January 7th, 2007, 10:29 pm

AN 10x45 (1 min recovery)--my first AN of the year

split/spm/hr:
1.48.1 /33/140
1.47.6/33/144
1.47.1/32/148
1.46.633/150
1.46.1/32/152
1.46.1/32/153
1.45.1/32/155
1.44.6/33/155
1.42.7/33/157
1.40.0/35/162

Avg 1.45.0 (5 secs faster than 2k test)

The splits come from the memory and are slower by a couple of blips than the pace showing on the monitory when I finished the interval. HR continued to climb for about 15 secs after finishing each interval.

These weren't that challenging. Now that I've got a sense of what I can do, I should launch AN intervals at a faster pace.

Anne · Post by **Anne** » January 8th, 2007, 5:47 pm

My required workout was similar to Tom's but was 8x45 seconds...I ended up with an average of 1:52.4 33spm and a HR of 182. I was pleased that I managed negative splits, but that was because I spent about an hour on the forum last night reading all the race strategy pitfalls of starting too fast. So I really focussed on starting conservatively(1:55.9) and ending up at 1:49.2 I guess there is merit in doing this piece, but I can endure anything for 45 seconds....it is the middle of an 8 minute race that scares me.

The splits come from the memory and are slower by a couple of blips than the pace showing on the monitory when I finished the interval. HR continued to climb for about 15 secs after finishing each interval.

The same thing happened to me...I was thrilled that I had a few splits under 1:50, but then memory showed only the last one!I have to spend about 8 hours in the car tomorrow, but am hoping to do the prescribed UT1 workout as a means of regaining feeling in my hind quarters...when I get home.

whaskell · Post by **whaskell** » January 8th, 2007, 8:10 pm

Tom, excellent AN - I am impressed with your short rest inbetween each rep. I did the same workout this morning and took a much longer rest (3min). I actually think this was too long and should reduce it to a 1:2 or 1:3 ratio

Monday Morning
10min WU 2145m
AN 10x45sec/max faster than 1:41/36-46spm
45s/1:41.8/36/221
45s/1:40.4/36/224
45s/1:39.6/36/226
45s/1:38.7/36/228
45s/1:39.1/35/227
45s/1:39.1/35/227
45s/1:38.7/36/228
45s/1:38.7/35/228
45s/1:38.3/35/229
45s/1:37.8/35/230
Total: 8714m

Pleased with the generally negative splits - too bad I can't hold those paces for much longer than 45 seconds!

TomR · Post by **TomR** » January 8th, 2007, 8:33 pm

UT1/2x17

Should be an easy workout, but I didn't have a lot of pop in my legs, a residue of yesterday's AN, I expect.

2.05.7/135/21-22
2.05.5/142/21-22

HR stayed stubbornly low, which seems common the day after a hard session.

Will, normally I'd do such sessions at a work to recovery ratio of 1:2, but Eddie Fletcher had me reduce the recovery percentage, and this year, I'm trying to do as I'm told.

I hope that some time spent at higher rates and faster paces is going to make race pace feel more comfortable (he said, whistling past the graveyard).

seat5 · Post by **seat5** » January 9th, 2007, 8:09 pm

Sounds like training is going pretty well for everyone!
I've really lost my way a bit, feeling like I've lost a lot of fitness and just plain yucky and flabby. Got on the erg tonight, first time on since 1/1, with the idea of doing 2 x 15 UT1, but in the warm up just felt like I didn't have it in me to go that long. So I figured I'd just do a 1K for the CTC to see how bad things were and maybe get more interested in this whole thing again, and it worked because now I don't feel so down. Tomorrow I'll pick up where I should be in the IP (having missed 15 workouts).

1K 3:45.7 1:52.8/24
very wheezy the last 300m but happier than I've been in days so I think it's time to get back on the band wagon.

Bob S. · Post by **Bob S.** » January 9th, 2007, 9:46 pm

A little behind here. This 6 days a week keeps me hopping. Yesterday (Monday) it was 4x1k5’r, with a 21’ pyramid WU and 15’ constant 12spm CD included in the variable interval program (i.e. active 5’ 4th rest + easy 1' 5th interval + active 9’ 5th rest). There was only one screwup. I forgot to strap in for the first interval, so I was inhibited about going to high rates. I had plenty of time to get strapped in during the 1st rest, so it didn’t interfere with the other three intervals. The first three rests were passive, and as I noted above the 4th rest was active as a part of the CD. Pace goal: 2k+3/1, i.e. 2:05.3-2:07.3.

WU: 4466m(2:21.0). 3’ea@15/18/20/22/20/18/15spm. 108-147-126bpm.
1) 4:12.3(2:06.1). 28spm. 151bpm.
2) 4:08.3(2:04.1). 29spm. 148bpm.
3) 4:10.0(2:05.0). 29spm. 147bpm.
4) 4:10.8(2:05.4). 28spm. 148bpm.
CD: 2782m(2:41.8). Constant 12spm. 112bpm

Total for the day, including the early wakeup and about 50 ‘coasting meters’, comes to just over 13.5k.

Perhaps the first interval was the slowest because I was concerned about not being strapped in, but my average rate wasn’t all that much higher in the other intervals. I have found in the past that, in a set of intervals, my second is often better than my first. In this case the second interval pace was 2k-0.2 instead of 2k+1 or more. This suggests that the warm up was inadequate. Probably it should be done as a “crescendo” instead of a pyramid or else I should incorporate some 10 stroke sprint bursts like several training programs recommend for warm ups.

There is also usually a gap between the warm up and the actual workout, but this happens regularly at races, so I don’t worry about it.

Bob S.

Anne · Post by **Anne** » January 9th, 2007, 10:28 pm

Bummer of a day for Ohioans...with the Buckeyes' defeat last night. Then I drove about 8 hours to drop a kid off for college. Then I got on the erg for a 4x13'UT1 piece. I managed to hit the right numbers, so the data would suggest a happy camper. But, through the whole workout I second-guessed whether the training has helped, how I will do in the race, whether I even use my legs properly---just too many crummy thoughts were dancing in my head. The HR guage wasn't working (I assume....since it said I was at 240!) Tomorrow will be better and then I leave for California. I expect to hit 3 million meters this weekend.

4x13' 11,515m (2:15.5)
2883 (2:15.2) 25spm
2900 (2:14.4) 26spm
2857 (2:16.5) 25spm
2872 (2:15.7) 25spm