500m Challenge Series - poor show

Well I said I was going to do weights after this morning - I kinda did - 2k warm up on drag 170 then 500m race start at drag 216 with two "bursts" at 300m and 100m (4 strokes each) then set the 500m up - started slow - didn't get much faster - got slower at the end - mind you the erg was jumping around a bit which didn't help - I may go again as i really should have a 1:18 something in there - might get someone to stand on the erg for me

Not sure yesterdays 30r20 PB would help either lol

Garmin Detail

A solid workout - challenge series 2500m

Just needed to get a solid time in for this so decided to grind it out aiming 1:35 splits on the screen - no fireworks - just get it done - tough enough but out of the way now - noticed the breathing was quite heavy

500m splits
1:34.6 r30 HR161
1:35.2 r30 HR170
1:35.5 r31 HR174
1:34.8 r32 HR177
1:32.4 r33 HR180

7:52.5 1:34.5 r31

**** 6344m Challenge Series PB ****

So after yesterday’s mile PB – blog updated with result – today we (Team Q-Power) were told we could have a crack at either a 6k TT or for those doing the challenge series the “Joe Simpson” 6344m (OK – he (Q) may not have meant those who rowed a mile TT – but then again he didn’t say we – well “I” couldn’t :lol: ) now I have it set in my head I can row 1:40 split for 30 minutes and therefore decided this would be a good opportunity to test the metal in the mind. So that was the target set all I had to do was hit it – simple eh – oh wait I have a bit of a bug and legs of lead – oh well.

 

4k of our 5k race warm up done and then some 1:40 splits @26 – thought this would be a good rate to test out – set the distance and splits at 793m (the total divided by 8) and set off. First split was a little fast but then I settled and the rate increased a little – wasn’t too worried by that as the legs took a pounding this week (4 PB’s – now – since Monday) managed to keep hitting the target but had “issues” in the shorts department as things weren’t sitting in the right place – had a few fiddles to no real benefit and just drove on. After the half way mark the right knee started playing up and so I upped the rate to take the pressure off – this also caused the pace to increase slightly. Puffing and panting I got to the final split and decided to drive for home. From 300m out I let the hammer drop and got down to 1:26 splits just before the end. Happy enough with the result – but I know there are a good few seconds to take off that on fresh legs …

Another crack at the mile

This time I had a plan  :-D  - but not the result I wanted  :cry:

 

So with the Mile TT on Monday lunch and the 30r20 PB on Monday eve - even though I played protection on my legs - last night when I went to bed they were still feeling like lumps of lead - so much so I coated them in deep heat in the hope the body would repair overnight - I think it helped - but maybe not enough - I even avoided the stairs in work and used the lift up one flight  :oops: still last chance saloon to down I went and carried out the race warm up - throat dry from the bug I've been carrying and breathing not the best. Took a moment to compose and set up the mile - focussed on the plan which I had posted in front of me and set of.

The plan

 

First few strokes a bit erratic (must do some practise on this) then after bumping around I found my pace for the first 400m and sat on it – hit target – OK next 400m and target reduced so backed off – hit the split bang on again – third 400m time to put a little squeeze on – but this is where the legs started to fight back – OK just keep it going – slightly off target (by 0.3) now time to call in the big guns and see what wulfy could do – not as much as I hoped – I did drive down to 1:26’s and 1:27’s but couldn’t find the 1:25’s I wanted to really fire home – thin this was more down to the bug than the legs – maybe both – finished and tried to release the straps – took a moment and then went through a very slow 1k cool down.

The result

Poor little sick boy - CS Mile - PB

Well I do not seem to have travelled well - Bristol was a disappointment time wise - and after getting back I've felt pretty crap - put this down to the trip and the booze on the Sat night - but towards the end of the week it was still lingering - then Friday the baby got sick - poor thing sounds like she's been out smoking and drinking all night as she's completely lost he "voice" either that or she's been doing some TT's on the erg and got ergers cough - that meant Friday and Sat night I slept in her room in a single bed and by Sunday I had not had much sleep - had a crick in my neck and my own cough and cold - lovely - during the three days I managed to HD on both Friday (11 min into a 30min TT @1:40pace) and Sunday (3k gone on the second set of 4by4k @1:40 pace) suffice to say confidence is shot ..... but there is a small matter of the challenge series - and while the wulf may be more gummy than fangy at the mo - I need to keep in contact with Ollie - that meant anything under 5min would see me keep the lead - but I wanted to try out my bravery badge and see if I could hold 1:31's for the first 1200m and then wind it in - almost but not quite - for some reason in my last few rows I've found my heels catching on the seat when I come in to the catch - that along with not feeling great means I've bagged a time - will I go again .....

4min challenge series - Dr's orders

Well after ending up in more sporadic and intense pain yesterday afternoon – especially just before I left work – I booked myself into the Dr’s for a 7:45pmappointment – got home and had some food and then hobbled round with the dogs in “discomfort pain” and then off to the Dr’s we went – Mrs drove and came in with me – after a few questions the Dr got me to sit on the bed with both socks and shoes off – prod – poke – touch – scream – yelp – tears (yep – I cried from the pain – Mrs said after it was the first time she had seen me cry in ten years from pain – I’d broken a leg in that time :lol: ) after a few minutes the pain subsided and the Dr prodded again – she said she was looking for the same spot – I said I hoped she didn’t find it and she didn’t. Sitting down and discussing she thought maybe I had either ruptured the tendon or got something floating about in there - bit of bone or something – I asked for a MRI and she sent in the form – meanwhile I got drugs – which are spacing me out :lol: I asked about training and she agree’d that if I wasn’t in actual pain it should be OK – so today I trained.

 

Went down and did the usual warm up – slightly stiff/sore on the first 1k but no intense pain – so I set up the 4min for the challenge series – I know that I could do better than Mondays attempt (1335) and so set the target at 1:29 split and set off – the toughest bit for me in these is the breathing but I managed to control the drowning feeling and came out with a more solid – but not yet heroic – score – will have to take each day as it comes for now – oh yes – drug time :o)

Challenge Series 4min - knackered ankle

I don't like not training because of a niggling injury (ie one that comes and goes) and although obviously training on a knackered ankle isn't good - not training on it with only weeks before a comp in my mind is worse - so went down to test it out - first plan was to get through the morning without collapsing in pain - check - next step was to get changed - fail (forgot my socks) - but I had an ankle brace thing so I went barefoot in my shoes with that on the bad ankle - next step warm up - fail - after the first 1k I stopped as usual and although the row itself went pain free something went in the ankle again and the pain flared up - I saw the 1 minute countdown go over and all I could do was sit and wait for the pain to subside – then I got up and went for a little walk gingerly around – seemed OK so sat on the machine for the next part of the warm up – all OK – phew – OK the last part of the warm up 3k with bursts and that was OK too – I was very conscious of the ankle and tried to maintain a very rigid stroke.

OK so now the 4min for the challenge series – I reckon on recent form I should be 1340+ meters on this – but with the ankle issues and a HD before the holiday on this session I just wanted a solid row – so with a split of 1:30 in my head I set off and waited for the usual pain and hoped the ankle would hold – well the usual breathlessness came within the first minute and had to remind myself that although this was uncomfortable it wasn’t going to get much worse – first three minutes I was in more control than I would have thought before I started – but still conscious of the ankle going “ping” I left the drive to the last 30sec and drove I did – hitting 1:25 I believe to be the lowest split – job done – not quite the distance I should be at – but good enough for the moment

The main pain in the ankle is across the top where the finger is when it comes