Irish Indoor Rowing Championship 2017 - triple gold

Well I kinda spoiled the ending to the story....

As I said a few days ago "I would rather go and lose than stay at home and wonder" and as Q said to me "Sometimes racing is about getting to the finishing line... sometimes the victory is getting to the start line. I think turning up and rowing a 2k of any description is a victory - you have been to hell and back. This is not about winning in the eyes of others, it is about winning your battle. That occurs when you take the first stroke. Nothing after that matters..."

I had a not very good session on Thursday I attempted two by 1k on 4min rest first 1k was aimed at 1:33 r30 which I hit (this was target for 2k) the second 1k was to be 1:32 r32 but 400m in I just felt it on the legs and stopped... But I've learned and this didn't completely disrail me but gave me a new target for the day. From looking at the competition I thought the 1k could be around 2:55 so I planned to start at r32 1:28 pace and I would do what I needed to do to win. If I have to bury myself so be it. As it turned out the guy I expected to be the main competition didn't arrive so I changed the plan to 1:30 r30 and see what was happening at halfway. On starting the race I noted that guys from the lower age group where showing on the screen but knew that one of the guys in front of me was in this lower age group and pretty sure that the guy leading was also in the other group. At about 600m gone I saw that I was in second and as I was pretty sure the leading guy on the screen was in the lower group thought I would just sit behind him .... that didn't last long and the pace came up to 1:26's and with about 100m to go I went passed him finishing in 2:57.8 - the second guy came in at 2:59.2 - it turned out he was in the same category as me - phew!

 

So the 2k plan was aimed at a 6:15 orinally as again I had it planned around another rower being there - for some reason he didn't make it - it was to be r32 and start at 1:35 pace and this was to remain until half way at which point I will decide if I needed to destroy myself to go for the win or if I can save some for the 500m. I ended up rating a little lower than planned at 30 maybe the 1k took more than expected or maybe the recent cold/flu - lack of training etc etc still I had the control and come the final 500m I simply kept the pressure on and controlled it home - a win but I'll be honest slower than I really wanted.

There was quite some crowd there ....

ahh the reason for the crowd :o) O'Donovan brothers 

So then the 500m that itself will be a fly hard from the start and hold on to the wings of the angels. As I was lining up to get to the erg I heard the all so familiar "Attention - This is a emergency - Please evacuate the building" ... err no that's not right its Ready Attention Row! Nope there is was again and at that the arena was cleared and we waited outside for the fire brigade to come on scene and declare it safe - as there was apparently a fire detected in a plant room this took about a half hour or more. Still once back in I was even more pumped for the 500m - on the erg - music on and ... balls forgt to put the phone on airplane mode and the wife was calling - quickly chucked the headphones off and tried to focus - got a good not great start but think I missed first stroke - patiently waited for the pace to come down as I was hitting 1:16's but the average was showing over 1:20... eventually it came down and I was looking at a sub 1:20 finish up to the last few strokes - ended on 1:20.1 and my third Gold. 

Overall I was happy with my day - it was about getting to the start as much as it was about finishing the races and to get three wins made it all the better - talked to some old friends and met some new ones and for that I am grateful. Also got three new t-shirts :-)

2k Test - starter for ten

Of the back of nothing but half marathons and full ones with one speed type session in the last two months - and even before that training wasn't that speedy... lol I decided on a 2k test today as a starter for a months worth of work aimed at the Irish on Jan 23rd the aim was just to rate 28 for the first 1500m at 1:35 pace and then see what the body and mind was capable of. So after 5 hours sleep waking at 4:30 I was in the gym about 7am and after getting changed a warm up I started just before 8am not the ideal time for a 2k tt but there you go. The piece itself went pretty well - rated slightly higher and pace slightly faster but kept it controlled and for once the voices in my head where more positive than negative. Very dry mouth at the end and legs where pretty loaded - happy with how it went and feeling positive I can build on it :o)

Interesting it showed 6:14.9 when I finished but rounded up to 6:15.0 ffs....

Irish Bronze - 2k Open

So waking up this morning with a 2 hour drive ahead I hear my daughter calling me "daddy, daddy, don't go to work today!" shes breaking my heart...  Nearly didn't get in the car but she drifted of and so of to "work" I went. That is what today was about - a job - rowing a 2k from start to finish following a plan as best as I could - plan was hard start and settle to 1:32 at 250m then keep the 1:33's tapping away until between 500m and 300m before the end and lift.

So once at the venue and registered I took myself of to a quite place and sat down relaxed and waited to warm up - during which I noted the Irish Heavyweight team also warming up and a line from monsters Inc came to me

"if I lose no one will remember but if you lose know one will let you forget"

Not that I have anything against the young guys but it was more for me to remember why I picked the open and not the 40's group - it was the "I have nothing to lose"  mentality also meant I could focus on the process and ignore the placing - I've rowed in races where I've been leading and backed off pushing myself to make sure I finished - it's a silly way to race in those circumstances. Not today. 

Today was a job. And surprisingly I enjoyed it - stuck to the plan - I'll admit I wasn't it real hellish trouble (which I have been in 2k's) but that again what want today was about - I stuck religiously to my goal - ignored largely the other guys positions (although noted I started in first place and spotted myself in 4th or 5th most of the way)

Not to worry - wasn't expecting a medal - so with 500m to go I lifted - down to 1:32 and 1:31 and then about 300m out I went again and hit a few 1:28's maybe - still solidly in 4th by 14m I drove on to get a sub 6:10 score (my own silver for today - my personal gold would have been 6:07.7) 6:09.6 so 2 seconds of ideal time but walked away having completed a 2k inside 6:10 and nicked the bronze in the open at the same time ;-) still not sure how or who but one of the guys in the top three apparently stopped with a stroke left - be interesting to see the split data.

I'm currently chilling in my car - going back for the 500m open in two hours - time to let the Wulf out....

A mention in the results piece in afloat.ie

2k TT next step

So Wednesday as reported I showed signs of tiredness/bug so kept to low rate work - yesterday morning was a similar story and plodded through a 30r20 75% HRR Ave HR 147 Max HR 156 -  8,244m then at lunchtime I planned on rowing a 2k - first 1500m was to be 1:32 r32 and then just finish it off - as I got through 250m though a guy came in and started "fixing" one of the machines in the gym - and seemed to have difficulty as he threw most of the stuff around - really not in the mood for that and so HD time. This morning still tired I woke late and had no time before work to row - so - end of the week lets at least try and finish it well - I noticed the HR this morning had returned to a reasonable level so whatever was "ailing" me had passed referring back to Q's thoughts after my last 2k of 6:23.3 - 17th November

"Still not looking for anything faster than 6:19.9 next 2k - 1:36 cruise and then a push at the end."

I went down with a plan of 1:35 first 500m with the drop to 1:36 middle 1k and then attack the last 500m and so through the warm up. Then the thoughts start - are your legs too tired, have you still got some sickness, did you get enough sleep etc etc. Still I was determined to go and so I did - r30 to start and lift if I needed - all went well for first 30 seconds and then it was as if an avalanche of doubt poured down on me - which was bad enough - but then I had the driest mouth I've ever experienced on the erg - literally no spit at all - normally fluid is coming out from mouth, nose and brow lol - not today though - so breathing became even more difficult than usual but I stuck to my guns and drove on - looking for anything to help me see a finish line - constantly working out how long left - how many strokes - how many meters - finally about a minute out I knew i was going to make it - lets drive on - clicked the mental ticker on with the countdown from 32 strokes and in came the power and down came the pace - about ten strokes from home I was hovering on a 6:16 finish but wanted to get down under that to 6:15 so with a few 1:28's and a few more 1:29's it flicked to showing a 6:15.. finish and through the line I got - not flattened but certainly needed a drink. - One step closer.

Irish Indoor Rowing Championships - 2015 - 2k & 500m Gold 40+

Well just sitting down reflecting on the day, It didn't go to plan ... again. So time to relax and train without the pressure of a race for a while. There are many small reasons why today didn't go to plan which go back as far as October but lets not dwell on the past.

So today I ended up at the venue a lot later than planned - on fact too late to even complete my 20 minute warm up - running around trying to find water (in a University sports hall!) wasn't ideal either - also had trouble finding the toilets. All adds to it ... So on to the race machine and set the drag at least the headphones seemed to be working. So off we went on row and after 10 reasonable power strokes I backed off to my planned 1:32 - the plan was to hold that to about 1250 and then either push on or take stock - after about 500m or so I felt very comfortable and ended up drifting away - I stopped looking at the monitor completely and just looked around the hall at the spectators - other rowers - people in the background - anything - don't get me wrong I was still hitting my numbers - but just a million miles away. When I did focus back on the job I had a look at second place and looked at the meters between us  and for whatever reason - tiredness - lack of hard training - getting to the venue late I just let it go and did what I needed to do to finish - came in slower than my second 2k from the Euros.

After collecting the medal and T-Shirt :o) the wive and I with the baby went into town so she could get some time doing what she likes - "row - life balance" while there I decided to have two large burgers - err double - so two large double burgers - hmm that didn't sit well for the 500m warm up about two  hours later. So back to the venue and about 2500m with some controlled sprints - the burgers kept coming back to remind me of their taste lol but out onto the race machine and ready to rock. Seemed to be a long delay between looking at the get ready to row and the count down but once it came I found myself pushing 1:18's on the screen without too much pressure. Think I lead from about four or five strokes in and manage to finish strong enough to take a second Gold. Again off form as would of liked to be hitting 1:18 finish.

So time to reflect and relax .... 

BORC Open (British Online Rowing Championship)

Grabbed this from my old blog in the indoorsportsservices forum - original here

it simply says "DONE" lol I remember I was away with work in Indianapolis and did this in a Crossfit gym - Carmel

Results here