Challenge 10K week 43 - 2K week 51

Gerhard · Post by **Gerhard** » September 7th, 2007, 3:41 am

DUThomas wrote:It looks like you're getting some good rows in!

As I look at your rows (and the rows of many others), I wonder whether I should have more discipline in maintaining stroke rates and doing structured intervals. I'm trying to, at least, but it really runs contrary to my nature! For what it's worth, your challenges are pretty helpful in this regard!

I've just exceeded 900K for the year and am closing in on my first million meters.

In the past week, I've focused on longer rows (about 16K per day, broken up into 4K-6K chunks at about 2:02 to 2:09, with the rests between the different pieces ranging from short water breaks to long work days ). I'm trying to lower the stroke rate (to around 22-24 spm) for portions of my rowing, and to row strapless for some period of time. (I don't quite have the hang of rowing strapless and I'm not yet sold on the benefits, but given the frequency with which it's recommended by far more experienced rowers, I'm giving it a shot.)

I'd like to say I'm doing longer rows to improve my aerobic base. While I'm sure it has that effect, I'm mostly doing it because my wife is out of town (in your neck of the woods -- Amsterdam) and I have more time to row.

Cheers!

Don't let me decieve you. I'm not disciplined in stroke rates, I'm just desperately trying to find a stroke rate that suits my lack of endurance. High stroke rates kill me. It turns out that low rates kill me as well. Only slower.

I have no idea how i am going to survive 10K @ 2:01.5....so I came up with the excuse to work on 30 minutes - low rate high power. Takes my mind off of the real target.

30 minutes (+a bit of warmup/cooldown) is also about the maximum time available on weekdays.

07.00, leaving home for work
18.00, back from work
20.00, diner finished and kids in bed
20.30, prepare for rowing
21.30, quality time with wife
22.30, prepare for bed
23.00, lights out
06.00, alarm clock

But I'm off from work for the next two weeks, so maybe I'm able to throw in a few longer pieces as well.

I'm at 900K for the year as well, so I might actually get to my first million over the next two weeks! Are you planning any 'special' row to break the million (like an all-out 2K, or a marathon, or any other memorable piece?)

DUThomas · Post by **DUThomas** » September 8th, 2007, 10:58 am

I had intended let the million meter mark quietly pass by, but now that you've planted the idea, I might do something different. We'll see -- now it's time to row!

DUThomas · Post by **DUThomas** » September 9th, 2007, 1:38 pm

Gerhard wrote:Are you planning any 'special' row to break the million (like an all-out 2K, or a marathon, or any other memorable piece?)

Well, yesterday I rowed a total of 21K, which left me 21K short of a million meters.

Needless to say, there was only one thing I could do today

-- I put a fresh piece of bubble wrap on my seat and rowed a half marathon for the first time, thus breaking a million meters!

Thanks, Gerhard, for your insidious idea! When I'm able to walk again, I'm going to hunt you down!

Actually, it wasn't that bad. For the most part, I kept the stroke rate at about 23-24, and kept a pretty steady pace just under 2:08. In the final 1K, I was closer to 27-28 spm and a 1:55 pace. I guess I'll know for next time (if there is one!) that I could be more aggressive about the pace. I finished in 1:29:35.

tomhz · Post by **tomhz** » September 9th, 2007, 4:33 pm

Did an unofficial 23:12 6K tonight at Rowpro. It was a handicap race and I started 1min17 after the race start.
Happy with the result. I am on schedule for a 39:00 10K. I can afford to go 1sec/500m slower but I need to hold on another 4k. I don't think I can do that now but I will before the end of october.
I will try for a fast 10K sub 39:30 on 30 sept.

Tom

Gerhard · Post by **Gerhard** » September 17th, 2007, 4:32 am

tomhz wrote: I will try for a fast 10K sub 39:30 on 30 sept.

Tom

Maybe we can schedule a rowpro session around 30 september(handicapped?), for you to go sub 39.30 and for me to attempt sub 41..

Gerhard · Post by **Gerhard** » September 17th, 2007, 4:45 am

Thursday 6-9
10K @ 2.11 easy row

Saturday 8-9
4x2000, all intervals under pace 2.00 for the first time!

Sunday 9-9
Rowpro 6K race (great fun!). PB 24.17, beating my previous with 30 seconds. Finished the last 2K in 7.48, which is pretty exceptional for me!

Pace of 2.01.5, exacly the "challenge" pace for the week 43 10K...only 4000 meters to go.

Monday 10-9
60 minutes @ 2.18. Easy row.

Tueday 11-9
30 minutes @ 2.14.9 (after a night of heavy drinking...)

Thursday 13-9
60 minutes @ 2.12. Good row.

Friday 14-9
3x2000, all under 2.00 (wanted to do a fourth but felt weak)

Saturday 15-9
Wanted to do a 10K, but I didn't feel like it. maybe a little sick / lack of sleep due to children with a cold.

Did a 500 meter instead, 1.36.0, beat my previous PB with 1.1 seconds.

Sunday 16-9
Rowpro 6K race, could not finish a strong as last week but happy enough with the 24.27 result.

Gerhard · Post by **Gerhard** » September 17th, 2007, 4:55 am

I seem to be unable to follow a plan. My workouts are determined by 'what I feel like' and that's probably not the most efficient way. It's fun though

However, I need to settle in to some workouts towards 10K @ 2:01.5, without going to deep each and every time. I've noticed that too many hard workouts result in mental weakness . It makes me want to quit workouts. Whimp that I am!

Only 5 weeks to go until week 43....

tomhz · Post by **tomhz** » September 17th, 2007, 6:44 am

Gerhard wrote:
tomhz wrote: I will try for a fast 10K sub 39:30 on 30 sept.

Tom
Maybe we can schedule a rowpro session around 30 september(handicapped?), for you to go sub 39.30 and for me to attempt sub 41..

OK, I have set up a Rowpro handicapped 10K for 30 sep 08:00 GMT

Tom

tomhz · Post by **tomhz** » September 17th, 2007, 7:06 am

Gerhard wrote:I seem to be unable to follow a plan. My workouts are determined by 'what I feel like' and that's probably not the most efficient way. It's fun though

However, I need to settle in to some workouts towards 10K @ 2:01.5, without going to deep each and every time. I've noticed that too many hard workouts result in mental weakness . It makes me want to quit workouts. Whimp that I am!

Only 5 weeks to go until week 43....

You might profit from some more consistency during your workouts. I watched your pace during last sunday's handicap: I think it was more consistent than during your PB at 9 sep but still a big difference in each 500m interval. I think you shouldn't vary the pace more than 3-4 sec during a serious PB attempt (apart from the end shot). How about a 10K trying to do all strokes between 2:03.0 and 2:06.0? It will give you a nice PB of about 41:30 and more confidence for a 40:30 attempt in october.
We can do it together.

Tom

Gerhard · Post by **Gerhard** » September 17th, 2007, 10:43 am

I've seen the 10K on 30 september. I'll try to break 41, starting at 2.06 and hopefully able to get the splits down to 2.00 along the way.

By the way, impressive races, pacing 1:56 for 6K should boost your confidence for your 10K !

DUThomas · Post by **DUThomas** » September 17th, 2007, 2:02 pm

5 weeks to go! Yikes!

I don't think I'll be joining the RowPro race. I still haven't tried RowPro, and 8:00 GMT is a wee bit early on this side on the pond. But, in the spirit of the challenge, I'll try a 10K on or before the 30th to see how it goes, and I'll aim for sub-40 (30 seconds off the real target).

Maybe I'm a little Pollyannaish, but it seems that we're all on target for the week 43 challenge. (But I'm still feeling queasy about the week 51 challenge.) Of course, after the 30th, I'll have a better idea if I'm really on target!

I've been continuing with generally longer rows (5K-8K) at generally lower paces (20-22spm), with some shorter distances at higher rates thrown in. Like Gerhard, I have trouble following a plan, although I'm getting somewhat better in that regard. In particular, I have trouble doing long, slow pieces without deciding to pick up the pace at some point during the row.

Gerhard · Post by **Gerhard** » September 19th, 2007, 11:45 am

Finally some confidence-boosting workouts:

Tuesday 18-9

5K continuous interval, 1K hard / 1K easy. I held the three hard intervals all at 1:54.5. The two easy intervals where 2:27 or so. Why is this a confidence booster?

when I trained for 5K, I started with this workout. the 'hard' parts where at race pace (2.00 at the time). I could not hold it until the end and faded 500 meters before the finish. That means I'm better now than I was then (which i knew, but it's nice to actaully see it)

Wednesday 19-9

The logcard says 985000 meters. Time for a HM to break a million. Finished in 1:32.45, including two one-minute breaks at 7K and 14K. Race pace was around 2:10 (25 SPM), finish a bit faster. Last HM was four months ago, nearly 11 minutes slower! According to the concept2 training manual the end time would predict a 10K around 2.03.

DUThomas · Post by **DUThomas** » September 19th, 2007, 12:21 pm

Congratulations on the HM -- Shaving 11 minutes off your time in four months shows a considerable increase in endurance!

I have my doubts about the 10K prediction. Having done exactly one HM and therefore having no experience with pacing, I think that I can better gauge a manageable 10K pace than the pace for an HM. If I were more experienced with HM (which would require doing more of them -- yikes!), I might have a different view.

Well, my wife comes home today, so my days of long rows are done. In the first 19 days of September (and only 17 of actual rowing), I've rowed 275K (and done other random cardio exercise, as well as some weights). After I've rested up for a few days, I'll be able to assess whether all that exercise made a difference. I suspect it did.

Gerhard · Post by **Gerhard** » September 21st, 2007, 9:14 am

DUThomas wrote: it seems that we're all on target for the week 43 challenge. (But I'm still feeling queasy about the week 51 challenge.)

http://www.concept2.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5902

I'm the other way around. I don't feel 'on track' for the 10K, but I think the 2K is going to be a succes. Some time ago there was a thread on the UK forum stating something about 2K pace being the average of 500m pace and 10K pace. It incorporates both sprint and endurance capabillities and it seemed to fit pretty well, for almost everybody.

Based on that predictor my 2K pace should be around (1:36.0 + 2:01.5) /2, resulting in 1:48.75 pace = 7:15.00 = my target for week 51. In other words, if I succeed my 10K than I'm right on target for 2K.

So Tom and David, what are your 500 meter PB's?

DUThomas · Post by **DUThomas** » September 21st, 2007, 9:50 am

I think I'm geared more for endurance than sprints. I haven't attempted a 500m PB yet, but I'd be surprised if I could maintain a sub-1:40 pace (which is why I'm uncertain that I could maintain a sub-1:45 pace for 2K). I'll try a 500m this weekend and report back.

Based on the predictor you found, my respective target 10K and 2K paces of 1:58.5 and 1:45 would suggest a 1:31.5 pace for 500M. I'm very dubious that I can do that at this time.