New Personal Best! Brag About That New Pb!

[G-dub]

Thank you Gary and Ed. I know the time is not glamorous but it was hard fought - like everyone else that signed up for a race and saw it through. Applause to everyone that does that.

[jackarabit]

Glenn, solid race result and PR. I agree that Pete '17 kicked in too early for a number of people. Seemed to work better for the Brits with an earlier racing calendar. Think you could have started in October with LIndsayH without forcing your peak.

[hjs]

Atlanta Erg Sprints: usual anxiety. Was on or a hair faster than my plan until 400 to go. Saw the pace go slower and the rate go higher at about 200 to go which was do or die time. Managed to hang onto 7:01.7. Lost a bit at the end. Better than last year which is just fine with me. Gives me a reason to keep trying.

It was nice to meet Jim. He's actually quite pleasant!

Congrats, not sub 7 but a hard fought pb is always a top result!

[JohnAd]

Glenn, huge congratulations on the the new PB and well done for sticking out the training for so long and giving it your all on the day.

[maestroak]

Atlanta Erg Sprints: usual anxiety. Was on or a hair faster than my plan until 400 to go. Saw the pace go slower and the rate go higher at about 200 to go which was do or die time. Managed to hang onto 7:01.7. Lost a bit at the end. Better than last year which is just fine with me. Gives me a reason to keep trying.

It was nice to meet Jim. He's actually quite pleasant!

Congrats Glenn! Great effort. I'll have to make it down there again one of these years. I really don't think that atmosphere is best for PB given how dry it was the year I did it, so I suspect you have the sub7 in you. I still shudder thinking about how shredded my lungs were after that.

-Steve

[G-dub]

You guys are awesome for the good cheer. Jack, Henry, Remi, John, Steve, Ed, Gary, Rohan, Lindsay, Jim, ETC - thank you. It makes it worthwhile. Steve, yup shredded lungs. The 9:30 start isn't ideal either. But then again I don't have friends cheering for me in my basement! Come on out next year. Its worth it once it's over!

[Cyclingman1]

I still don't know how you get so much power from such a compact stroke.

[Gammmmo]

You guys are awesome for the good cheer. Jack, Henry, Remi, John, Steve, Ed, Gary, Rohan, Lindsay, Jim, ETC - thank you. It makes it worthwhile. Steve, yup shredded lungs. The 9:30 start isn't ideal either. But then again I don't have friends cheering for me in my basement! Come on out next year. Its worth it once it's over!

definitely keep at it!! (sorry - bit belated with the congrats..not been on here as much lately)

[mdpfirrman]

Dang Glenn, I missed all that - congrats!! Very nice improvement. You are indeed a powerhouse!! Cool that you got to meet Jim too.

[mdpfirrman]

Glenn, solid race result and PR. I agree that Pete '17 kicked in too early for a number of people. Seemed to work better for the Brits with an earlier racing calendar. Think you could have started in October with LIndsayH without forcing your peak.

I'll take some blame for that. My idea. Worked out great for some, not so much for me. Glenn's time quite nice despite it but I would agree.

[jackarabit]

I should have said PP '16 as I believe the current version is called '17. Glenn started PP '15 in July. That worked fine as there was no attempt to coordinate peak performance (and there is a peak, folks, not a plateau as some yarn spinners will tell you!) with a race calendar. So no fault there I think and Mike in fall '16 certainly couldn't backdate the start to suit racing schedules spanning a three month period. Upshot is only those with the same comp target or those free to test when they please shouid start together on the same date.

I have been a strong proponent of the self-discipline necessary for same day, same page group training, but have been forced to recognize the downside of my priorities. Fortunately, the three-week repetition of training content in PP allows both staggered starts and doing the same workouts others are doing in a given week. So credit to Glenn and Mike and to everyone who has the courage to learn the hard lessons along with the easy.

[G-dub]

You bet Jack - I knew what I was doing and am not laying any blame on having done the PP. I honestly thought all along (even this summer) I was about 7:01ish, so had I not gotten antsy with 400 to go thinking more was possible, I may have stayed closer to that. I think next year I will snuggle the intense work closer to race day mostly because I think my nervous system got a little fried having to additionally keep up with my real job! It's all good! - we had fun on PP and met some good people (where is Pier BTW) and saw some great results come out of it. And as we always say, we aren't getting paid for this!

Its time to put this one to bed - I want to save some space in the thread for when I actually do break 7! BUT I think I will do a 16-20 month IP2K and see how I test in the sunny months. I really got down in the dumps December / January and tend too anyway those months.

[lindsayh]

Its time to put this one to bed - I want to save some space in the thread for when I actually do break 7! BUT I think I will do a 16-20 month IP2K and see how I test in the sunny months. I really got down in the dumps December / January and tend too anyway those months.

I wouldn't be too down Glenn you have done really well. (I think you mean weeks not months for the IP!)
The PP worked well for me I think because there was an immediate intermediate goal to race in November to finish it and move on with the IP. I deliberately chose to do 3 cycles because I have seen a lot of guys struggle to maintain the intensity for longer. It is my longer term observation from the southern hemisphere that there is a common thread of people in the northern winters really struggling with focus and often illness which I suspect is weather and sunlight related. (Just an anecdotal theory)

[Gammmmo]

Its time to put this one to bed - I want to save some space in the thread for when I actually do break 7! BUT I think I will do a 16-20 month IP2K and see how I test in the sunny months. I really got down in the dumps December / January and tend too anyway those months.

My advice to you (FWIW) is that you shouldn't focus too long on going sub7. I've noticed similar patterns myself when I get overly fixated on breaking a particular barrier i.e. it becomes a bigger mental issue than it should. I've found if I start concentrating on other distances and/or even do some unorthodox pacing, the reduced expectations and "novelty" reset the mind. In January I came within seconds of my 5K SB set at a competition when I was physically fitter. I just decided to jump on the erg with no warmup and thought "right, let's have it!" and I just did it. Sometimes we are our own worst enemies. Just a thought...

[hjs]

Its time to put this one to bed - I want to save some space in the thread for when I actually do break 7! BUT I think I will do a 16-20 month IP2K and see how I test in the sunny months. I really got down in the dumps December / January and tend too anyway those months.

I wouldn't be too down Glenn you have done really well. (I think you mean weeks not months for the IP!)
The PP worked well for me I think because there was an immediate intermediate goal to race in November to finish it and move on with the IP. I deliberately chose to do 3 cycles because I have seen a lot of guys struggle to maintain the intensity for longer. It is my longer term observation from the southern hemisphere that there is a common thread of people in the northern winters really struggling with focus and often illness which I suspect is weather and sunlight related. (Just an anecdotal theory)

Proberly true, although seldom sick, the darkness and damp weather are no fun.

Glenn, 16/20 months..... In my view that does not work, you need shorter term goals. Which can be anything, but looking at the way you now row and look sub 7 is very well possible.

Rowing wise, you don,t need strapless work anymore. It could even be contraproductive given your rowing style.