WorkshopRameur 500m 1:18.5 throwdown - #2XUDefiGuillaume

So spotted a 500m throw-down on Facebook yesterday (google translated version here -

 Guillaume Guillou, Coach and Athlete in Hyeres CrossFit offers a challenge on the rowing machine: 500m for time! In this challenge to the 15/03 you can try to win a compression shorts 2XU Two lucky will be drawn, it which will leave many chances to athletes who have done better than William to those who have not been faster! Time to beat: 1: 28.3! to participate, you shoot and share your video on facebook using the hashtag # 2XUDefiGuillaume! requirements: - Good show her BEFORE and AFTER the 500m. - Post the video on his profile publicly. - Use the hashtag # 2XUdefiGuillaume and tag our page and that of William in the description of your video.Go to the page facebook 2XU France to see the video of Guillaume! )

and with little prep I decided it would be good to see where I lay in terms of a 500m - I'm not going to be training for next couple of days so what the hell. I actually had a try this morning before work but just not motivated to complete it - still lunchtime meant more coffee int he system so off I went - 2 min warm up - then a 500m race start and then set to go - target was sub 1:19 although I would love to have broke my all time PB of 1:18.0 - still not bad and something to work on - power wise I never got any lower than 809 watts - (1:15.6) and SPM wise I maxed out at 44 - so ye a lazy day...

1 minute test - 392m

Decided to see what I could do with the minute today - weekend of chores and little sleep last night - missed training this morning and sore back what better time to try it. 2 minute warm up - 15 seconds race start practice then on to it - drag 180 - erg weighted down. Went OK - complete throat burn at the end - should of got 393 really - but learned from it for next time.

Turn a negative to a positive - perseverance - 30r20

So crappy week of training what with coming back sick from a Spa weekend (I knew relaxing was bad for you!) missed training due to "life", blisters from my new ruby slippers, a HD yesterdayand basically being pooped I was one training session away from the weekend which often means no training for me - I could of gone down and done a light 30min piece but after seeing Al Taylor post that he'd been off for the week and that he came back with a 75% 30r20 I got a spark (so thanks Al) that was a 30r20 at 80% HRR but first I needed to sort something out with the Ruby slippers and my blisters

So blister pads on the heels and foam padding in the shoes - 2 min warm up and a pop to the loo

So off I set and with the aim of hitting a HR of 160 then dropping pace all went quite well - especially bearing in mind the rubbish week of training I've had - in fact I was only 12m off my age group PB for the 30r20 (set in October of 8686m) and if I had of taken one more stroke I would have had it - but as I got ahead of myself I had to stop rowing with about 7 or 8 seconds left on the clock lol - next time then - I did have issues with the heels slipping up the back of the shoes today - but that I think was due to having the loo break and not tightening them up properly afterwards as I did a two minute cool down and I tightened them and rowed without that issue. So ended the week on a positive :o)

Nicely padded out 

 Got a bit sweaty alright!

1 min r20 test - CTC r20 (1k, 300m, 300m, 300m, 300m, 1k 2r)

So Q asked me to do a 1 minute r20 test - after a bit of messing about I got the monitor off the arm so I could sit the iphone on the floor to video it - this through me a touch as couldn't really see the monitor so timing of slightly - next time I'll use boatcoach at home as it's wireless :o) bit annoyed I wasn't under 1:30 split but will go again.

So then I had less than 30 minutes left and figured as I have a touch of tonsilitus I'd stick with power r20 work and so set up this months CTC - target was sub 1:35 ave - easy enough on the 300m's but knew I'd have to dig deep in the 1k's - first one wasn't too bad - 300's easy enough - the last 1k was tough enough to get some benefit from the session and feeling good for the day now, Wonder if I could crack 1:30 pace on r22 or r24????

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.

40r20 70% HRR in the am - 30r20 TT lunch

The weekend did it's usual job on me in terms of training and I can't see it being any different until after the wedding now - priorities Paul - priorities ... so no training.

Into work early enough this morning to get a 40min r20 70% workout in - still working on technique and it still seems to be making me tired for the amount of meters I get - still gotta take the baby steps now

 So then lunchtime came around and it was time for the 30r20 - something I've been remiss in completing recently - in fact the 11th of August was the last 30r20 TT and looking back I aimed at 1:43.5 after starting that day - wish I saw that before starting today as I aimed at 1:42.9 - that got a bit tough - who am I kidding - it was a complete grind - almost HD'd a few times - at 9 minutes to go the swerve was definitely downwards but luckily got my head together and carried on - better to come back up to work having finished it no matter what the pace.

Just before the end the ergdata connection went and I had to try and make sure I got in spot on 600 strokes

Then I re-plugged and got the stroke count - bang on 600 - phew 

This also qualifies as a new Irish 40-49H 30min record - which is nice 

6k - So long I'll miss you 30's group

So - quick tip - don't email Q and ask him if you can do a TT and expect him to say "no" - you'd think I'd learn - I don't - as today is my last row in the 30-39 group I asked if I could row 6k for that record as there isn't one set - he said yes and off I set downstairs - 4k warm up and then set off - had three or four people try and talk to me during it (I managed to keep quiet this time .. just) hated every minute of the row - couldn't quite manage the 1:38 target I set off for but reasonably happy with it as the legs are burned and the lungs nearly came out - had an almost permanent line of froth over my bottom lip for the last 2k - the breathing was so bad I had to apologies to the lady in there :lol:

So bye bye 30's group - I'll miss you - wish I could of got the sub6 2k, 9k 30min and sub 2:50 1k - but I'm still working on it - onwards and upwards

40r20 HRR 70% am 30r20 TT lunchtime

Bit of a mess training as usual so trying to just knuckle down - Bristol is now open to enter (Bristol Indoor Rowing web page) so if I am going to put in a decent time I need to get my head straight. So 40r20 70% HRR before work and then 30r20 TT at lunchtime - taking last weeks 30r20 split of 1:45 I figured I should be able to hold 1:44 and once I started found myself at 1:43.5 so just held on to that - not easy - not destroying - just training....

Garmin Details 40r20 70% HRR

Garmin Details 30r20 TT

2k r24 Time Trial - with video

The end of this training cycle called for a 2k r24 TT originally scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday) but due to a work event (Canoeing in aid of Diabetes Ireland - sponsorship will be gratefully received :o) ) I had to bring it forward to today. Also due to the large possibility of distractions at lunchtime I decided if I was up in time I would do it before I started work. On reflection both of these decisions may have cost me a few tenths of a second - but then that's the price to pay for being an amateur athlete - training fits around life and not the other way. Target wise I had a 6:15.9 from two months ago - between Q and myself we had the target of 6:13.9 in mind going into this - that meant a split of 1:33.5 with a small push at the end.

So after waking to here the rain (heavy Irish rain!) I was up and had my porridge then walked the dogs - got soaked - and into work. Race warm up done and I set the phone to record and off I set. Maybe a fraction hard at the start and too many strokes so had to back off to get that in line and let it slip too much - legs where tired and had to dig deep in order to focus the mind - too many of my HD's (handle downs) have come from seeing a split slip and giving up on the piece - not because I couldn't finish - but because I couldn't see how I could hit my target - so I dug in and got over the halfway mark and settled for beating my last attempt but as I got towards the end I dug in a little more and keeping to the 24 strokes per minute came so close to target - but alas I missed - result was 6:14.4 so 0.5 seconds away :o(

Garmin HR Details