Building the engine 60r20

so although the power isn't too bad one thing I have lost is the "engine" so need to build that back and the only way I find is long low rate work - so - 60 minutes r20 and I was going to go at 75% HRR - but as my HR strap has given up today I had to judge it and therefore went off with a target of 1:55 for first half hour and drop it to 2:00 splits by the end - first split went through at 1:53.5 so I just added a second and stuck with it - all seemed well with the back but will be "listening" to it closely


the one thing I have noticed is my stroke length has shrunk (get details on the ergdata app) down to between 1.5 and 1.57 where it used to be 1.6 plus on these rows - not sure if it's a subconscious thing or the body not as flexible - will keep an eye on it

60r20 - 17k - if at first you don't succeed - Irish Record 40-49H Hour

So got in early this morning and intended on cranking out a 17k hour – (1:45.8 pace) as my legs where feeling a little heavy I decided to go r24 (I was thinking about doing it r20 originally – I have done a sub 1:45 pace r20 17k in my youth – well last year I think lol *update just found it - 2nd July 2014 - 1:44.3 pace ) so off I set and zoom my heart rate went – thought maybe the belt was not sat properly and it would settle – but no it was racing away – still I cracked on – but after I got through the third split (22m30s) I just didn’t have it in me to push on and stopped :o(

So then lunchtime loomed and I decided to go back to basics – r20 hour (I had time as I got to my desk half an hour early) and cap it at 80% HRR (160bpm) got set up and set off – had a mess about with the HR strap as somehow I had it round towards the side – sorted that out and saw that I was sitting sub 1:46 without a huge strain – blew through the HR cap after about ten minutes and kept on it – worked out if I got to halfway with ave pace a 1:45.5 or lower that I could ease of and then pick it up at the end. That’s what I did – snot and spit and sweat flew everywhere and still a few demon moments to contend with but I got there in the end :o) Also qualifies as a new 40-49H Irish record (beating my own previous record) so that is nice

The Stats:

TE 5.0

EPOC 274m/kg

Ave HR 165bpm (85% HRR)

Max HR 178bpm

Ave resp rate 36 breaths per minute 

1414 kcal

60r20 70% HRR the morning after

Well after last nights late night excursion to do the ctc was a little tired and struggled to get up this morning - but I managed it in time to get a 60r20 70% HRR done before I started work :o) 

Warp engines back online? 60r20 70 HRR

Well that went better than expected as I went down to the gym - bit of a headache today and although I was in early enough to row before work I ended up at my desk instead this morning which gave me a bot more time at lunch. Thought about a 30r20 TT before going down but with the headache and current "life" stresses decided that was a bad idea so went with the r20 70% HRR work - again due to having some spare time I decided on stretching it to 60 minutes but if it was going pear shaped to drop to 30.

And what do you know - it looks like my "engine" has come back on line - at my peak I was able to dip under 1:50 pace for this - and although this is quite a way of that it's still the strongest HRR row I have had in 2015 - I have only just managed this pace for 30 minutes recently. Just went so fluidly and felt relaxed throughout - onwards and upwards!

In fact the actual average HR for the row was only 136 - which is closer to 65%

60r20 70% HRR - New Model D - PM5 #GetOutAndRow

First session on the new Model D PM5 I brought back from Boston - what better way to start than a 60r20 70% HRR - but slow but hadn't been on the erg since Friday - Even managed to wheel it out onto the decking and row outside which was nice - oh yes - forgot to set the date before I set off ...

60r20 HRR 70%

Man that felt slow - not sure why - maybe a hangover from the head cold or yesterdays row - really want the blinking HR to get back to where it was lol

60r20 OCD ... fail

I feel robbed and violated! Target was sub 1;50 splits and after hitting the first at 1:49.7 I turned it into what I thought was the perfect OCD row - but alas I was robber! nice and sweaty. Got ahead cold at the moment which is mainly sinus - so HR might be a little elevated from that and a few hours missing in the sleep last night. I have in my prime rowed at the pace/split/rate at 70% HRR - this ended at 85 to 90 % HRR

60r20 OCD fail

Just want to push myself at moment - target sub 1:50 pace and got to 10 minutes at 1:49.1 so tried to stick with it

WATTS this number ? 60r20 HRR 70%

Well in order to help win the battle over the current slump which isn't helped by me chasing numbers I've decided to row my HR capped pieces by WATTS for the time being - if I get to used to that I'll swap to calories lol - so 60r20 at 70% HRR turned out at 242 ave WATTS

Now the good news is that I looked back at my recent 60r20 70% HRR rows and found one from the 29th Sep which was almost as slow 1:52.7 ave on that day - at lunchtime I pulled a 6:14 r24 2k - so maybe all is not lost

Bristol fashion - 60r20 70% HRR - 2kr24

Well I'm still undecided on Bristol at the moment - at the weekend I was 80% not going - after this mornings 60r20 70% HRR I was 90% not going as it's the slowest HRR 60 I have done ever (OK probably not but sure felt like it) almost binned it so many times as I saw the pace drop and drop - nearly 3 seconds per 500m slower than a good day  :(

So lunchtime I wanted to push a little and see where I stood in the great 2k - but capped it at r24 as my lungs are not conditioned to high rates at the moment - especially after having the best part of two weeks of - even before that I have been missing key sessions as life's "stuff" gets in the way. I looked back and saw that in Jun (6th) I rowed a 2k r24 at 1:33.6 pace so just figured I would target sub 1:34 and see where it took me - god it took me breath away - blowing like a good un from 800m into it - thank god I had headphones on or I would have put myself off :lol: still not decided on Bristol - it's all dependent on life's "stuff" and also if I think I can put in a good time - don't want to roll up and row anything less than 6:10 and to be honest a 6:09 would be a disappointment - but probably a fair reflection on current training.

60r20 70% HRR

Managed to get in before work for a full hour this morning - usual jobby - rate 20 and 70% HRR - I usually go chasing the sub 1:50 split average on this and start hard in the mid 1:40's and then allow the HR to come up and let the pace drop off - but with recent form being a little off on these rows I decided to just hang around the 1:50 mark and see what happened - well it seems like the engine is purring again - not sub 1:50 pace but with a average HR of 137 (HR cap is 143 and this row normally averages 140) it shows there is more in there - so looking good :o)

another struggle 60r20 70% HRR

So this morning I went into the gym before work to get a 60r20 done - just about had time - HRR 70% and it was a struggle from the start - not because I physically found it hard - but because the HR rose and that meant the pace had to drop which then started playing on the mind - on a really good day I can get this done sub 1:50 pace - today wasn't a really good day but as opposed to recent days I stuck with it to the end which means I walk up to work with a small smile on my face

oh you may notice the pace increases about 15 minutes before the end - this tied in with it getting cooler in the gym as the two other users had left and the air con had caught up

 

60r20 HRR 70%

Up and at em this morning - might be over the worse of the weekend as the mind is willing - the body not quite there yet - still a bit achy in places that aren't normally achy - pace suffering still as I'm a second and a half of 500m ave pace for this piece - it will come - onwards and upwards

Oxygen thieves in as well this morning moving the fans around I had set to blow me some breeze FFS

60r20 70% HRR - pushing it

In work and although the RHR was elevated this morning (36bpm) I just about managed to get in in-time for the 60r20 - did push the HR cap to the limits on this one to get the pace but still within the overall limits.

Busy day today - pre work 60r20 lunch 30r20 with 2by1

60r20 HRR 70% this morning - started very gently as the air con wasn't on and to quote the guys in there before me "It's like a sauna" I turned the air con on and it did manage to cool after a while - 1:50.4 pace 16,303m

Lunchtime was 30r20 HRR 70% - nice and cool so chased the power at the start. Then 2by1min targeting 1:25 - job done onto tomorrow.