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

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.

4by750 3r PB - first red post Bristol

Q decided we'd had enough rest from Bristol - well he gave us one day of for travelling and then two 70% HRR sessions - lucky us - so back into the red sessions today - 4by750's - last time I did these was 5th Oct where I did two lots back to back - but PB'd the first session at 1:30.7 ave and Q wanted us to hit the first two reps at PB pace - and what Q wants I try to deliver.

 

Legs still have an ache in them from either Bristol or the floor laying which cost me seconds in Bristol - but i managed to grind through that - which left me with carbon poisoning to deal with as the lungs tried to cope - luckily they managed it and on the final rep I was able to dig in a little - had to back off slightly when I felt a small twang in my knee - but then drove on again as it was just old age and nothing more.

(ignore the stroke length on the photos - that seems to keep going in the rest period although everything else stops - well apart from the HR)

Bristol Indoor Rowing Championship

Firstly a massive thanks to the City of Bristol Rowing Club for putting this on - and all the people at the sports hall who helped out - without these guys and gals there would be know racing. Also a big "hi" to all those who I talked to yesterday - the day flew by as we all chatted away - and for me it had the potential to be long as my first race was at 10:00 and last at 16:10.

Also a beyond massive thanks to Q (James) without whom there would be no Beowulf - without whom there would be no "Q-Power" yesterday was the first time the team got together in such a large group to race (Ollie and Carolyn having raced together in the Worlds - and Eddie, Ollie, James, Jason and myself had got together for row24) and I think it would be fair to say it was a success (you can read about the teams haul here [url] http://q-power.co/News__2013_.html [/url] ) well done to all the team and all of those who raced yesterday.

OK - so what actually happened from my point of view - well this day last week I wasn't even sure I would be racing - back/hip issues having flared up on top of a bad ankle and training not exactly going to plan meant it was going to be an interesting run in :lol: luckily I settled some nerves on the Monday with a PB in the 30r20 and then just cracked on with training. Friday morning it was also a close call as to whether or not I'd be racing as due to local floods and torrential rain I was struggling to make it to the airport on time - in the end I had to drop the dogs at my in-laws and the Mrs had to get them to the kennels (if you don't know I have 4 large dogs - they weigh in at a combined weight of 130kg - and so need to be kennelled when I am away) but I did make it and met up with Dave Sheehan (recent Q-Power recruit) and we flew to Bristol and then got to the hotel and the team began to assemble along with Mat from sub7. 

We had a short training session at the hotel - 4 model E's in the large gym and two model C's (one of which didn't survive a bit of relay training - see previous blog entry) then it was a team meal and bed.

Race Day

So race day – up for a quick paddle about 7:30 – myself and Dave managed to blag our way into the gym 15 minutes before opening – must have been the gift of the gab – well I have kissed the Blarney stone ;o) we did a 3k paddle and finished before the rest of the team managed to get in :lol: then breakfast and got ready to go to the venue. Once there I registered (I think I confused them having entered 2 2k’s) and had to jump on the warm up machines – I lucked out as the one I got was one of only three where the monitor was working. Through the race 5k warm up and the sweat was pouring – seemed very warm at the warm up machines ….. Then onto the race machines – which luckily where in a lot cooler area of the hall. I was lined up in the middle – there where in fact three heats of the open and we were unsure if they were seeded or not – I was in the middle heat – so settled and waited for the start – the plan was to hit the first 500m at 1:30/31 and see what the old body had – I got to about 200m to 300m in and I knew it was going to be a difficult day in the office – the legs where complaining far too early and I took the decision to back off to the safe zone of 1:33’s early. At this point a cox decided to input some advice – I most politely turned to them and mentioned that I would be OK for now thanks (OK – they were not exactly the words I used :lol: ) I think at this point I may have been 6th or 7th in the race - the 1:33’s though turned to 1:34’s and just before the 1k came up and Jon Goodall (who did a fantastic job on the commentary I must add) started walking towards us and said something along the lines that we had to stop – I figured out that the software had gone down – nothing on the race part of the screen – but the monitors where still recording and as soon as Jon spotted that he said carryon and we did. Through the 1k now and I was aware that before the monitors had gone I was leading – so I carried on with the 1:34’s (maybe 1:35’s)  with the intention of picking it up at 500m to go – which I did – I think I pulled it down to a 1:30 split for the last 500m which was good enough for a 6:11.4 – miles off what I wanted – miles of my PB and 2 seconds off my time from July. But it turned out good enough to win the Open – which I suppose wasn’t too bad for a nearly 40 year old ex-gym rower. Not 100% sure why it wasn’t there – I wasn’t deliberately holding back for the second 2k or the triple challenge – it just was not there on the day – lungs and heart where fine – legs where the issue.

 

 

As soon as I finished I knew I would be racing the second 2k (30-39H) not to win it – but just because I wanted to see what it felt like to race 2k’s in one day – had no idea if I could get through it so the idea was to sit on 1:36’s and see what was left – that turned out to be 1:36/1:37 until 500m to go – it was quite a surreal race for me – no pressure – no expectations – and I just found myself listening to the commentary on Ollie’s race – was aware of him picking it up at 500m to go and thought I might help him race home if I went as well – which I was going to do anyway – but it gave me the impetuous to drive it home thinking it might just help push him through that 6:10 barrier – I have no idea if it did help or if he was completely unaware – but it was fun and I got 1:30.5 for the final 500m at r34 (having rated 30 for the first 1500m at 1:37.1) and grabbed the “bronze” (although there was only a “medal” for first). Ollie bagged himself a PB and the Gold with the fastest time of the day at 6:09.4 which I was delighted for him as he’d worked so hard for it. Dave managed Silver and so Q-Power had a clean sweep.

So then there was the relay which we brought in Sean Dickinson for (rather a good call I thought :o) ) we had a quick practise in which I made it quite clear that if anyone missed the seat they were to get off straight away and let on another rower ….. err we’ll wait for the video on that - :lol: Q-Power won the Gold with a time of 5:17.6 – about 18 seconds slower than we intended due to change overs we think :lol:

 

Next for me was the 1k as part of the triple challenge – Ollie hadn’t entered this and my attention was focused on Sean who came second in the Open – but then I realised that Dave was actually in second place as he’d pulled a 6:16.9 in the 30-39. So that meant again I had to box clever – so 1:35 for the first 500m - started well and then another "cox" decided to interject and again I kindly spoke to them and asked them to stop .... :lol: and then I thumped it for the second 500m to grab a 3:02.0 1K.

 

Finally came the 500m – this was going to be interesting to see what was left in the legs – seems I had enough as I pulled 1:21.9 and secured the triple challenge Gold.

In summary – 5 races (2by2k – 650m of the 2k relay – 1k – 500m) with 4 “medals” on offer and I won three “golds” and a “bronze” not a day day – knowledge learnt and a great day meeting great people and a wonderful Q-Power team event with beers and laughter to follow until 3am – jee’s I’m tired – I bet you are if you just read all that !! :lol:

 

 

Q-Power meet in Bristol - plus guest star

So Q-Power meets up in Bristol (and also Matt from sub7 - guest star  ;-)  ) and after a quick bite to eat - Ollie, Dave, Jo, James and myself pop down for a quick session - race warm up then a race start - then we went through the relay and errr .... well this happened *no ergers where harmed*