Chasing Stripes 005 — Flow

 Today’s EDS focus was controlled movement.

With Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, load is not just about how hard a session looks on paper. It is about how the body responds to repeated movement, fatigue, joint control, and recovery afterwards. A session can be short and easy, but still needs to be managed properly.

This was a lunchtime row at work, so the aim was simple: keep it smooth, keep the heart rate controlled, and finish feeling better rather than drained.

The session was 30 minutes continuous, with the first 5 minutes used as the warm-up, 20 minutes of main rowing, and the final 5 minutes as a cool-down.

The main piece sat nicely under control. Heart rate stayed low and stable, with no big spikes, and the rate stayed mostly around 19–20 spm before easing down near the end.

That made this a useful EDS awareness session: not dramatic, not forced, just controlled movement and sensible pacing.

The row finished at 6,870m in 30:00, averaging 2:11.0/500m, with an average heart rate of 117 bpm and a max of 127 bpm.

For Chasing Stripes, this was a good reminder that progress is not always about pushing harder. Sometimes it is about moving well, respecting the limit, and keeping the work repeatable.

Session 005 30:00 continuous

5:00 warm-up | 20:00 main | 5:00 cool-down

Distance: 6,870m

Average pace: 2:11.0/500m

Average heart rate: 117 bpm

Max heart rate: 127 bpm

Average stripe rate: 19 spm

Drag factor: 130

Chasing Stripes 004 – Load

Date: 5th May

Session: 40:00 @ r19

Distance: 9,119 m

Pace: 2:11.6 /500m

Heart Rate: 118 avg / 131 max (monitor drop mid-session)

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EDS Focus – Load

With EDS, training isn’t about how hard you can go.

It’s about how well you can manage the load.

- Controlled stroke rate

- Stable pacing

- Low cardiovascular strain

- No accumulated fatigue

That was the point of today’s row

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Session Breakdown

Warm-up – 5:00

Steady and controlled. Heart rate built gradually into range with no spikes.

Main – 30:00

Pace settled early around 2:10–2:11 and stayed there. Stroke rate consistent at 19–20 spm.

Movement stayed smooth, long, and repeatable.

At ~30 minutes there was a clear heart rate drop — not effort-related, just a monitor issue. I’ll try to get the battery changed tomorrow.

Cool-down – 5:00

Pace eased to ~2:19. Heart rate came down cleanly. Finished under control.

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What Matters

This session was about load management.

No spikes.

No chasing numbers.

No drift into higher effort.

Just consistent, controlled work from start to finish.

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Takeaway

Consistency beats intensity.

Sessions like this build durability without forcing it.

No ego. No rushing. Just controlled work, repeated.

That’s how this gets built.

Chasing Stripes 003 – Load

Date: Monday, 4th May 2026

Day 3 of the Chasing Stripes series, and the theme was load.

Today included paving and manual work before the row, so the session was not done on fresh legs. That made the aim very clear: keep the work controlled, keep the heart rate capped, and do not chase pace.

The Session

40:00 RowErg

Structure:

5:00 warm-up

30:00 steady main row

5:00 cool-down

Distance: 9,076m

Pace: 2:12.2 /500m

Stroke Rate: 19 spm

Average Heart Rate: 118 bpm

Max Heart Rate: 136 bpm

Drag Factor: 128

The Row

The target for the main section was around 2:10 pace, with a heart rate cap of 130.

Because of the load already in the body from paving, the heart rate cap mattered more than the pace. The pace was allowed to settle where it needed to, rather than being forced.

The first 5 minutes were the warm-up.

The 30-minute main row stayed controlled, with the rate around 20 and the effort kept inside the planned limit.

The final 5 minutes were the cool-down, with the rate and pace eased deliberately.

There was a clear heart rate drop around three-quarters of the way through, but that looks like a monitor issue rather than a real effort change.

Zebra Fact #3 – Load

EDS affects connective tissue.

Connective tissue helps support joints, muscles, ligaments, skin, and other parts of the body.

For people with EDS, repeated load can be harder to manage. Ordinary activity, manual work, exercise, or holding the body in one position can build fatigue, pain, and joint instability.

Why This Matters

Today’s row linked directly to the EDS theme.

It was not about proving fitness.

It was about managing load.

That meant respecting the fatigue already there, keeping the session controlled, and adjusting pace to stay within the limit set.

For many people with EDS, this kind of management is not optional. Activity has to be balanced against fatigue, pain, and joint stability.

Today was a simple training example of that idea:

Do the work.

Respect the limit.

Manage the load.

Learn More

You can learn more about Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome here:

https://www.ehlers-danlos.com

Day 3 done.

Load managed.

Chasing stripes, one controlled session at a time

Chasing Stripes 002 – Control

Date: May 3rd, 2026

Day 2 of the Chasing Stripes series, and the theme was control.

This row was planned for May 2nd, but the day turned into its own kind of training: coaching my son’s rugby, joining in with a kids versus parents game, concreting in the garden, and a few household jobs.

So today I was not starting fresh.

There was fatigue in the body, but the aim was simple: complete the row under the conditions set — controlled rate, controlled heart rate, and no chasing pace.

The Session

40:00 RowErg

Structure:

5:00 warm-up

30:00 steady main row

5:00 cool-down

Distance: 9,328m

Pace: 2:08.6 /500m

Stroke Rate: 20 spm

Average Heart Rate: 125 bpm

Max Heart Rate: 136 bpm

Drag Factor: 128

The Row

Today was not about speed.

It was about restraint.

The goal was to keep the effort aerobic, hold the rate around 20, and let the pace be whatever it needed to be to keep the heart rate under control.

That meant not chasing 2:04 or 2:05.

It meant accepting 2:08–2:09 because that was the right effort for today.

The heart rate stayed where it needed to be. The stroke rate stayed steady. The session stayed inside the box.

That was the win.

Zebra Fact #2 – Control

People with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome often need to move with more control to protect their joints from strain or injury.

That ties directly into today’s row.

Controlled movement matters.

Not every session needs to be harder, faster, or more impressive. Sometimes the important part is keeping the body within safe limits and doing the work without tipping over the edge.

Why This Matters

EDS Awareness Month is about helping people understand what EDS means in real life.

For many people with EDS, movement has to be managed carefully. Fatigue, repetition, and poor control can all increase the risk of pain, injury, or joints moving where they should not.

Today’s row was a simple example of that idea in training.

I was tired before I started, so the session had to be managed.

Control over ego.

Control over pace.

Control over effort.

Learn More

You can learn more about Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome here:

https://www.ehlers-danlos.com

Day 2 done.

Conditions respected.

Chasing stripes, one controlled row at a time.

Chasing Stripes 001 – Stability

1st May 2026 – EDS Awareness Month Begins

Day 1 of the May challenge, and the focus is stability.

That is something most people do not have to think about, but for people with EDS, it can be part of daily life. EDS affects connective tissue, which means joints are less stable and can dislocate more easily.

So today’s row was about control.

The Session

Time: 40:00  

Distance: 9,522m  

Pace: 2:06.0 /500m  

Stroke Rate: 20 spm  

Average HR: 129 bpm  

Drag Factor: 128  

The Row

This was not about pushing limits.

It was about holding form, holding rhythm, and holding control.

The session was one continuous 40-minute row. The first few minutes were kept very easy, then I settled into a smooth rhythm through the middle before easing slightly at the end.

The heart rate stayed controlled, the stroke rate stayed steady, and the row did exactly what it was supposed to do: set the tone for the month.

Every stroke was controlled. Every stroke deliberate.  

Every stroke, one more stripe earned.

Zebra Fact #1 – Stability

EDS makes joints less stable, which means they can partly or fully dislocate more easily.

That is why stability, strength, control, and recovery all matter.

Why This Matters

This month is not just about rowing.

It is about using training to help raise awareness of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome during EDS Awareness Month.

The zebra is often used as a symbol for EDS and other rare conditions. The idea comes from the medical saying: when you hear hoofbeats, think horses — but sometimes it is a zebra.

For me, Day 1 was about building through control. Nothing dramatic. Nothing forced. Just one steady row to start the series properly.

Learn More

You can learn more about Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome here:

https://www.ehlers-danlos.com

Day 1 done.  

Foundation laid.  

Chasing stripes, one stripe at a time.

Session 024 – Built Through Control

Date: April 30, 2026

Session: 45:00 Steady Aerobic

Distance: 10,861 m

Avg Pace: 2:04.3 /500m

Stroke Rate: 20 spm

Avg HR: 136 bpm

Max HR: 149 bpm

This session wasn’t about pushing limits — it was about holding control from start to finish.

After a missed day, the goal was simple: get back on the machine and re-establish rhythm without forcing anything. No intervals, no structure within the piece — just a straight 45 minutes of steady work.

The Shape of the Row

The heart rate tells the story.

It rose cleanly in the opening minutes, settled quickly, and then followed a smooth, gradual drift upward across the full 45 minutes. No spikes, no drops, no signs of strain — just controlled aerobic work.

Pace followed suit. Sitting around 2:04–2:03 for most of the piece, with no real fluctuation. Power output stayed tight, stroke rate stayed locked at 20 spm, and there was no need to chase numbers late in the row.

This was about discipline over intensity.

What Went Well

Consistency: Very little variation in pace or power across the full session

Heart Rate Control: Stayed within the aerobic band, drifting naturally rather than spiking

Efficiency: 2:04.3 average at 136 bpm shows solid aerobic development

Stroke Discipline: Rate held steady at 20 spm throughout

Everything sat where it should.

The Bigger Picture

Sessions like this don’t stand out on paper — but they’re the ones that matter most.

This is the work that builds:

Aerobic capacity

Efficiency at sustainable pace

Control under fatigue

There was no fight here. No need to dig. Just holding the line for 45 minutes.

That’s progress.

Takeaway

The focus right now is clear:

Control first, speed later.

This session reinforces that the base is building well. The ability to sit at this pace, at this heart rate, and stay composed for the full duration is exactly where things need to be.

No drama. No noise.

Just work done properly.

Session 023 – Built Through Control

Some sessions are about numbers.

Some are about effort.

This one was about control.

Back in the work gym again, time tight, capped at 40 minutes. The plan was simple on paper:

- 10:00 steady

- 5 × 4:00 builds

- 1:00 easy between

- 5:00 cool down

Nothing fancy. Just honest work.

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The Reality

The heart rate strap had other ideas.

Dropouts, spikes, nonsense readings… at one point showing 85 bpm mid-piece and then jumping straight to 150+. Useless.

A while ago that would have thrown the whole session. Today, it didn’t matter.

Because this one wasn’t about chasing a number on a screen.

It was about rowing properly.

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The Work

The warm-up settled in at 2:14 pace, nice and relaxed, letting everything come together. From there, straight into the first 4-minute piece.

No rush.

Just build.

- Rep 1: 2:01

- Rep 2: 2:00

- Rep 3: 1:59

- Rep 4: 1:58

- Rep 5: 1:57

Each one slightly stronger than the last. No spikes. No panic. No digging too early.

Just pressure, layered on.

The 1-minute recoveries stayed honest. Not a stop, not a collapse — just enough to reset and go again.

By the final rep, the pace was down, the power was up, and everything still felt connected.

That’s the difference.

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The Lesson

There’s a shift happening.

Less staring at the monitor.

More feeling the stroke.

Length. Rhythm. Breathing. Control.

The numbers still matter — but they’re not leading anymore.

Today proved that.

Even with no reliable heart rate, the session landed exactly where it needed to:

upper aerobic, controlled, repeatable effort.

That’s where the engine gets built.

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The Close

Last rep strongest.

Cool down deliberate, not a fade.

Walked away knowing there was more there — and that’s exactly the point.

Not empty. Not smashed.

Just better.

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Takeaway

You don’t need perfect data to train well.

You need:

- patience early

- discipline in the middle

- strength at the end

Build it right, and the speed comes.

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Built through control. Finished with strength.