World Rowing - Erg Sprints - 1k

Far from my best (2:50.8) but good enough to earn the bronze in the World Rowing Indoor Sprints

30r20 70% HRR and 1k TT

Did a 30r20 HRR 70% before work - the splits where down and not sure if this was because of early morning, lack of sleep or illness but jsut went with the HR.

Then at lunch I rowed a 1k TT – I’m happy enough with the row and confident of breaking the 2:50 barrier when the situation is more favourable

Issues today:
1) Lack of sleep for last few nights – even by my standards
2) Throat infection which is travelling to the chest

Now also to note other things of possible importance – the warm up left me with a lack of confidence in my power today – not sure if this was illness or nerves – probably a combination. I took an energy gel before going down to the warm up along with a black filter coffee – also took a caffeine energy gel between warm up and TT. Also I weighted down the erg on the front with two 20kg plates on the feet. Drag was at 145. Legs seemed to hold up pretty well as did the HR – the lungs weren’t too bad considering. Oh you can’t do 50m splits – I did set it up on the monitor with 50m splits but it defaulted to 100m splits.

So through 500 at 1:25.8 but then next 200m was at 1:25.5 then 1:25.0, 1:24.5 and 1:24.0 – although the final stroke was 1:26 I was holding 1:24 up to that last stroke but wasn’t seeing the predicted finish drop under 2:50 which was demoralising at the end

It actually showed 2:50.7 on the PM at the end but recorded at 2:50.8 - a PB and Irish Record but I know there is more in there.

Irish triple crown - Bristol 2014

Quick blog will fill in details later but good day out - Sam Blythe pipped me by 0.1 to fastest 2k - damn him :lol:

2k 40-49H 6:04.6 (PB)
1k 2:54.9
500m 1:18.3

The details ..

Well I'm sat here waiting to board the plane back to Cork - looking forward to seeing the Mrs and baby seems like I've been gone a week but it's only been two nights. Set off on Friday afternoon after a day in work and landed in East Midlands to be picked up by Jen on her way down from Durham. Got into the hotel about 9pm to meet up with Q and the team. Quick catch up with everyone then into bed probably got to sleep about 1am after chatting with Q (room buddy) woke at 5 but back to sleep till 8am beds where quite comfy.

Got to the venue on time and scoped out the set up. Same as last year. Bank of 8 or 9 race machines with about 7 or 8 warm up. Seemed a smaller crowd than last year but ever so friendly as these events are. Met up with a few new and old friends then on to business.

5k race warm up done felt very hot and dry in the warm up area. Thankfully the doors where open so the race area had a breeze and was a little cooler. Set up drag and got ready to race. Wore headphones for the first time in a race and found them a help. Plan was to attack the first 1k and try to settle to a lowish stroke rate of about 32 but I think adrenalin got the better of me and probably brought the rate up. First 500 at r34 on 1:31.3 which was about where I wanted - maybe a fraction slow. But then I seemed to slump into 1:32 1:33 and I think I mentally played it save through 1k at 3:03.9 I was way off where I wanted to be and so started to formulate a attack. This was to start a build from around 800m out - well more of a slow burn with a real drive from 500m. This plan seemed to work and from 600m out I started the countdown. So every stroke from then I tried to apply more and more power and when I eventually came to the last 100m I was still thumping through 1:28 pace but the burn in the legs was deepening and I did slow slightly through the line although I did take a final stroke with only 2 or 3 meters left. A PB by 0.4 seconds. Final 500m of 1:28.3. Beaten by 0.1 on the clock for overall fastest 2k but Gold and Irish Record in the 40-49H. It also reminded me of the power I have in the final run in and a way I can draw on that :-)

During the break Q and I worked on my technique and we've identified a lovely little area which should if I develop it correctly pay some dividends across all pieces ;-)

Then to set for the 1k - I had no markers in the 30-40's as I was in the first wave but after seeing a guy in the 60's group lay down a 3:08 (I believe British Record) I had to re-access my 3:04 cruise and so targeted sub 3. Started with the 1:30 split and through to about 500m on 1:29.5 then figured I'd try my new home straight approach - thump at around 300m out - split down to 1:18 and then I held low 1:20's and finished the final 500m on 1:25.4 with final stroke at 1:26 and another Irish 40-49 record with 2:54.9.

So then the 500m again the plan was to hold 1:20. But once on the machine the adrenalin got hold. Second or third stroke was 1:12 and I slowly backed off to hold 1:16 - 1:17 trying to break my old PB of three years ago (1:18.0) I held it sub 1:18 until the last three or four strokes and it finally clicked over to 1:18.3 FFS! Final stroke 1:25. But I notice from the video that about 10 strokes from the end I lost my seating and this caused me to stop with the full leg drive and finish on arms. In the end I was probably more miffed with that then missing the fastest 2k by 0.1 lol still another Irish 40-49 record and on race software.

At the end the calculations where made and I managed the fastest 500m and 1k, won the triple challenge and also 40-49H. A good day followed by a good evening.

As always it important to note the massive amount of work Q puts in to this for me and the team. And also the positive affect of the team itself being there to help each other out. Also a big well done to all who competed and helped out on the day.

Thanks to Anne Yates for the following pictures


2k Race

1k Race

500m race

Trying To Stay Strong - 9 Irish records in 24hrs

The breakfast before the off

So - I did it - just - and it was a heck off a lot tougher than I thought or some people may have thought when comparing my PB's (mostly set within the last year) to the old records - there a scientific reasons for that which Q know best  :-D

See his views here Q-Power

The set up

Watched the TV during the Marathon - Film "2012"

Big thanks to all those who supported, rowed alongside, donated and basically helped me get through what I think was my toughest challenge to date - arguably tougher than the 100k and possibly not as bad as the 24hr - but then I didn't complete that one. Q as ever was immense with his approach and organisation but also there where guys on Facebook and Rowpro who helped probably more than they realised (too many to name all) but Adam Mell and Darren Simmons where huge - Adam actually rowed all the distances himself which was great inspiration and Darren's use of Twitter got us encouragement from some of the top rowers including Team GB. Also of course the Mrs who allows me to do these daft things and supports me during them.

So how did it go - well we had been up to Dublin (3hr one way trip) on the Thursday and Back on the Friday after a appointment at the childrens hospital (no huge emergency) - also I could still feel the effects of the 6k TT from earlier in the week (19:42.5) - but when am I ever rested :lol: so started off OK with the 6k bang on target and no issues, other than realising I could not see either predicted finish or ave pave rowing online - hmm - tried to sort it out to no avail. 1of 9 - 6k Record Taken ave 1:44.9

Then the 500m - without the pred finish or ave I was at a loss as to where I was - and I although I thought I had secured the record I found myself 0.1 too slow feck! 

So then the 1k - made sure I was comfortably under for this one. 

Then it was back to the 500m and nailed it keeping the pace under by a second. 

So onto the FM - had the Mrs in contact with Q to try and work out where I was with the split due to still not sorting it out and got that one knocked off - Rowpro was becoming a pain - tried to enjoy it and even took some selfies as I rowed lol. There would be a rest of just under a hour then the 10k.

Back in for the 10k and saw a few friendly faces online which was good as I needed them logged in and ready to go - READY - ROW - err I'm still sat there! FFS crashed again so set up a stand alone 10k and nailed that - so much easier with pred finish and ave pace. 

OK we'll do the 30min online - again some friendly faces and I'd also managed to get ave 500m pace showing - set off and it was tough but I got it. 

But after this is when Q and I needed to take stock so the first phone call was put in. The body was showing that it wasn't coping well with the pressures - two choices where revealed - one was to push the break out and do the hour and then the HM and 5k - the other was to swap the HM and hour round. I decided to crank the 5k out, rest and recover then hit the hour.

A bath and rest at this point.

OK back for the hour and from the start it was a struggle - I managed to get almost to 40 minutes - but with pace plummeting and HR soaring I had to make a decision - just finish it or bin it and get the HM done then push the hour out to the final hour of the 24. 

I took the second option - another quick call to Q - then went off on the HM - what's noticeable is that the 2:00.6 pace was a struggle for me and that the HR was actually dropping as the pace increased towards the end - a sure sign the body was close to being a bit naughty. Still HM completed and then left with the hour to do before 9am in the morning.

Up at just after 6 - weighed in and lost 2.5kg - quick breakfast then out with the dogs. Felt surprisingly well with the body - the skin not so much - I'm raw on my butt to the point of bleeding also the hands as well as two large areas on my chest where the HR strap rubbed. Still got dressed and then out to shed so not to wake the baby and got set - couple of technical issues meant I was delayed starting until about 7:55am - at 8am my phone alarm went off after I was about 4 minutes into the row - I tried to swipe at it three times to turn it off - no good as it was just too far so almost at a stop I got to it - turned it off and then back to the row - up to this point I was going quite well (target of 1:46.9 for the start) the pace boat was now over 10m in front of me and it took me till halfway to get level again - bearing in mind I needed to be 1:46.4 this wasn't helping. I had to dig in pretty deep and had more demons in my head than a row at this pace (for me) necessitated - but with the reasons being the row I put them to the fore and dug in - pretty much on my TT limit for the entire row I managed to get within the target and with two minutes to go called on Beowulf to carry me home - got it - thank god and thanks to all those people out there who believed in me and supported me.

Having done this challenge it really brought home to me how depression can set in - again looking at those old records they are so within me on a good day that it seems a simple task - but when you stack them up one on top of another - even though you know there are people out there supporting you and would be willing to do the task for you - ultimately you (I) are alone and sometimes that means you need to rearrange, sometimes you need to put that call in for help, I could well have failed today, would people think less of me, some may, others have more admiration for the fact you get so far, my one piece I would say is - if you need help don't be afraid to make that call - it can save something precious to you - samaritans website 

Just Giving Page for donations

Total Meters - 124,054 Rowing Time 7:44:44.3 Ave 500m 1:52.4

Written by Ad Mell