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.

Session 022 – 6 x 3:00 @ 24, controlled build and strong finish

Today’s session was a proper change of rhythm from the recent steady aerobic rows: 10 minutes warm up, 6 x 3:00 on / 2:00 easy at 24 spm, then 5 minutes cool down.

The aim was not to sprint the early reps, but to settle into the session, hold good shape, and build through it if there was anything left in the tank. That is exactly how it played out.

The work block came to 18:00 total, covering 4534 metres at an average pace of 1:59.1/500m. The rep progression was nicely controlled: 744m, 750m, 753m, 756m, 759m, and then 772m on the final rep. Splits moved the right way too, from 2:00.9 down through 2:00.0, 1:59.5, 1:59.0, 1:58.5, and finally 1:56.6 on the last piece.

That is the part I liked most. The early reps were measured rather than overcooked, the middle of the session settled into a solid rhythm, and the final interval showed there was still another gear available. It never felt like a ragged survival effort. It was a controlled session with a definite lift at the end.

Stroke rate stayed where it needed to be, around 24 spm, which matters because the goal was to produce more speed without losing structure. This was not about chasing rate for the sake of it. It was about holding rhythm, connecting cleanly, and letting the pace come down rep by rep.

One thing worth noting again is the PM5 heart-rate display. The values shown beside the reps are not true average heart rate for each interval, but the heart rate at the point the split ended. Even so, the trend was useful: the end-of-rep values rose progressively through the session, which matches how the workout felt.

Overall, this was a good punchier session: disciplined early, controlled through the middle, and strong late. Exactly the kind of work that breaks up the steady mileage without tipping too far into chaos.

Session summary

10:00 warm up

6 x 3:00 / 2:00 easy @ 24 spm

5:00 cool down

Work block

18:00 total

4534m

1:59.1/500m average

Intervals

744m – 2:00.9

750m – 2:00.0

753m – 1:59.5

756m – 1:59.0

759m – 1:58.5

772m – 1:56.6

Session 021 – Stable Middle, Strong Close

Tonight was another 45-minute aerobic row at 20 strokes per minute, and this one was probably the cleanest of the recent block.

The overall result was 10,801 metres in 45:00 at an average pace of 2:05.0/500m, with average heart rate sitting around 128–130 bpm depending on device, and a maximum of 138 bpm. Average power came out at 179 watts, drag factor was 138, and the conditions in the shed were about 15.8°C and 64% humidity.

What stood out most in this session was how steady the middle became once the row settled. The opening 5 minutes was controlled at 2:07.0, then the next block moved to 2:05.9, and after that the session locked into a really consistent rhythm. From 15 minutes through 35 minutes, the row sat almost exactly on 2:05.0 pace, which gave the whole piece a very calm, controlled feel.

The last 10 minutes were the best part of the row. Rather than fading, the pace lifted nicely while the stroke rate stayed at 20. The 40-minute split was 2:03.9, and the final 5 minutes came home in 2:03.0. Heart rate rose gradually across that closing section, but it never ran away. That gave the row a strong finish without turning it into something harder than it needed to be.

This was a good example of what these aerobic sessions are supposed to look like: controlled start, stable middle, and a measured finish lift. No drama, no big surges, just a solid rhythm and a better outcome. Compared with the previous rows in this stretch, this felt more organised and more efficient, and the finish suggested there is still a bit more room there when needed.

A really useful aerobic session and another good step forward.

Session Details

Time: 45:00

Distance: 10,801m

Average Pace: 2:05.0/500m

Stroke Rate: 20 spm

Average Heart Rate: 128–130 bpm

Max Heart Rate: 138 bpm

Average Power: 179 watts

Drag Factor: 138

Temperature: 15.8°C

Humidity: 64%

5-Minute Splits

5:00 – 1181m – 2:07.0 – HR 123

10:00 – 1191m – 2:05.9 – HR 127

15:00 – 1200m – 2:05.0 – HR 128

20:00 – 1200m – 2:05.0 – HR 129

25:00 – 1200m – 2:05.0 – HR 130

30:00 – 1200m – 2:05.0 – HR 129

35:00 – 1200m – 2:05.0 – HR 133

40:00 – 1210m – 2:03.9 – HR 137

45:00 – 1220m – 2:03.0 – HR 137