8by500 1:30r r28

OK I have the Irish on the 19th January so I'm going to sqew the schedule aimed at that (cos I normally stick so close.. 😂) with that in mind and the way all this week (and other weeks) I seem unable to settle into a session at lunch due to time constraints, I figured I would do the "hard" sessions in the morning, not ideal but better than nothing. So with all that I picked 8by500m on 1:30 rest all reps from "standing start" target was r28 1:30. Full warm up, felt crap, first rep done, felt crap (repeat for next six reps) ten seconds before I started 8th rep I puked into my mouth, swallowed it and cracked on. Session completeled. Yay

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....

8by500m - be better than your last

With the continued head cold (mainly sinuses blocked) lunchtime session beckoned and as I looked for something out of my candy cart of speed sessions to do the 8by500m 1:30r came up to the top - enough to do some good without burying me in snot - well that was the hope - looking at last week I managed to complete this on a average of 1:33.7 8by500 r1:30 r28 this was as stated at r28

so - target 1:33.7 from the start and depending on how I felt either just maintain that at r28 or push on - of course the first one went to pot as I took one less stroke the ave dropped to 1:34.1 - bugger - OK so in that case is negative split time and of I set - thoroughly enjoyed that - puffing like a steam train and sweating like a Eskimo in the Sahara but felt good - now if my sinus would kindly clear up!

no much kip got to keep a grip - 4 by 1500m r28

Another of Q's recommendations today "4 or 5 x 1500[4:00] but done at r28 (to begin with ) at 95% (to begin with)" he warned "Pushing up the intensity always feels very unpleasant as you work your way back in - normally disproportionately so. " and it certainly did that this morning - to be fair after only 4 hours sleep (if that - into bed gone 12:30 and daughter came in about 4:30) driving to work felt unpleasant - never mind the warm up - as for the first rep - well that was nearly the last lol but with a new found determination to get the training done and regard it as training I persevered and got through the second - the third was pretty daunting and the 4th was horrid - but again reminding myself that the gains come from completing the session at the intensity dictated no matter what the pace may look like got me through. Still very tired though .... ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz..........

Oh yes - booked in with a instructor at the gym to check over squat technique and deadlift then will look to add in weights to the program.

8by500 r1:30 r28

Went down stairs for my lunchtime session not really feeling "it" but these are the days you just need to put your head down and get on with it - so after a 2k warm up of bursts I set the 8by500m and checking on my previous result of 1:33.9 overall average targeted that from the outset - managed to get the first three spot on then messed up on the fourth so just went with the negative split and a determination to finish the last one sub 1:30 - tick - feel better now :o)

8by500m r28 r1:30 1:32.8 ave

Struggling ....

Yesterday having not rowed since Friday morning I was in with enough time for a 30 min pre work session but after about 3 minutes I stopped - it just didn't feel right on my back - I'd struggled with discomfort since Friday and it slowly got worse to the point my legs where giving me odd sensations which is worrying as it means the disc is affecting the nerve(s) I took the lunchtime session of from rowing and did this new exercise I'd heard or "running" but boring so then I did a few weights and stretches.

This morning I cam in and basically sat on the erg with the premise that if I got one inkling of anything wrong I would get off - 30r20 70% HRR done and felt ok'ish

 So lunchtime came and i decided to get one of my "tougher" sessions done - again on the premise that if I thought for one second it was causing me a issue I would get off. 2k warm up done and I picked last weeks finishing split (1:36.0) and aimed at 1:35.9 for the first rep and negative split - I did increase the pace to r28 which is still very controlled but should be easier on the back. All went well although slightly annoyed that the last rep wasn't sub 1:30 - i achieved 1:33.9 r28 and then the monitor went back and the session wasn't saved on it nor the ergdata - luckily I had taken photos at the end of each rep and stuck them together lol

CTC r28 for Joan

Thank you Joan for helping me through this - any regular ctc and I would have been looking to wrap it up on the 4th rep and finished on the 6th but thinking of what the session was about meant I kept going thinking about having Joan in my corner cheering me on in the shed.

The row came out of the blue and with little prep other than getting changed - hadn't planned on rowing today but a opportunity arouse and I grabbed it. Up to the shed and after a full race warm up at old race pace targets I was pretty much cooked before I started lol but dialled in the 15 by 1 min with 1 min rest and using a target of sub 1:32 (so 327m) I set off on the model B. First two reps went well as they tend to but the third started to bite and on finishing the 4th I knew I was in trouble. A lack of erg fitness (or any other kind of fitness) was a problem and that coupled with messing up timings for the start (hitting 1:50 first split for a lot of the reps) meant digging deep and in order to try and keep the stroke rate to 28 meant I lost a minimum of 3m on a lot of the later reps ( ie I'd take my last stroke and see predicted finish of 320 and end with 317) still a good training effect from the session and a plus 1 on the mental peg board should see me in good stead for a few days at least. Nearly sick after the 6th rep and pretty much every one after lol.