CTC 8by500m 2min rest 4@20 4@30

Well I back - I missed you guys and gals too much :-D so for my penance I did the CTC ( http://www.c2ctc.com/ ) - why - well apart from last Saturdays 100km I've been struggling with finishing a lot of rows recently - after the 100km on Saturday I rowed Monday - Tuesday - Wednesday 30 minute pieces dropping the rate each day from 22 to 20 to 18 keeping the HRR at 70% and managed to drop in sub 1:50 splits on all of them. So Thursday I decided to crank a 6k TT but just after 3k the handle came down (1:39.9 pace which I am aiming to row a 30min at) I have a few niggles from the 100km - the main one being a groin strain after my knee crapped out 10k in - so I think they got to me - along with being quite tired this week. Friday I wanted to have a go at the 6by1min on 1min off - that too got cut short on the second rep - not for any major reason - just too many minor ones. Onto today - been busy cleaning and doing chores but at 8pm with the dogs walked and the baby in bed on came the x-factor - out I went to get changed and warm up to row :lol: had to give the thighs and groin a good dose of deep heat and then the knees during the warm up - it went well but still conscious of the groin I had to take it a little easy - the plan I had was to do the @20's at 1:36 and the @30's at 1:31 which should take the lead - I went a little faster - to be honest I wasn't anywhere near the red zone until the final rep and even then it wasn't on the edge as I squeezed through the line at 1:26 -

 To be honest I'd asked Q earlier in the month if there was any training benefit to the CTC - he said there wasn't - I understand why now - the rests are way too long - or maybe I didn't push hard enough - but it did a job for me and got me through an interval session - so for that Casey I thank you ;-) Final score 12:16.4 - but two penalties for the two @21's - so 12:18.4 for the CTC

30r18 70% HRR - continue the recovery

Just hitting the 30 minute piece again with a 70% HRR - this time @18. Was tough to get motivated as very tired this morning - but after a quick coffee and a piece of chocolate I managed to head down to get changed. Things ticking along nicely, still some skin to heal and niggle in the groin to sort out, but happy with the progress. 

Also somehow missed this tweet yesterday! Love it ;-)

30r20 HRR 70% - continued post 100k recovery

Keeping on the recovery trail for the moment - giving the body time to regroup - aside from the minor skin loss and slight groin strain I've now broken out in a heat rash which I've experienced before after the endurance sessions - ow well there's always a price to pay - still the row went well. Slightly faster than yesterday with a reduction in stroke rate for the same HR :-)

Recovery row post 100k - 30@22 HRR 70%

Post 100k (see Saturday’s blog) “recovery” row today which I decided on a 30@22 HRR 70% (146bpm) fluffy but still a little bite in it to keep me interested. Wasn’t sure what would happen body wise to be honest – no major problems that have surfaced – knees a little sore – back a little aching – small skin loss on one finger – I suppose the main thing is the groin strain in the right leg (probably brought about by the body compensating for the knee on Saturday) it’s sore enough but not so bad that I think training would make it worse. 

To that end I set of on a  1k warm up – that brought to attention the butt skin loss – well scar/scab that had to me removed before I could row and then off I set on the 30r22 – after a while I noticed the breathing was heavy on the chest – but put that down to the body protesting – since when did I ever pay attention to that though.

So cracked on and lined up 8200m – failed by a meter even by breaking HR cap by 3bpm in the last minute – still that didn’t hurt as much as the shower after when the water hit the open butt scars !!

100k 30-39H World Record

Well - where to start - I suppose the idea of breaking the WR first came to me when I attempted my first 100k in 2012 (6h46m) I did this very last minute without any huge prep and with a support team who I hadn't had chance to talk to before the day - still it went well and apart from one stop to clean the rail I rowed all the way through it. After that I attempted row24 during which I failed an attempt at a WR which I felt sure I could attain - after 15 hours various physical issues took over and I had to stop - that took a lot out of me on a physical and mental aspect. In December my daughter was born 7 weeks early and again things got thrown up in the air.

I then started up training again seriously in March once I heard the Irish Indoor champs was on - I didn't attend in the end as in a 2k TT I was only able to pull 7min (my PB is 6:06) after that I started focussing on the training which was reduced in time from what I was used to due to the new family - this in turn led me to look at gains elsewhere - the most obvious place was weight loss and I managed to drop about 18kg in the last 6 months - this meant gains on my rowing and PB's in a lot of mid distance rows as well as the HM and more recently the FM (Full Marathon - 2:34:34) and again my mind turned to the 100k Two weeks ago I stated my intent to Q (my coach) and with that in mind I set myself a date to do the row - my birthday 22nd Aug - and over the last two weeks I focused solely on the 100k - during which I rowed a 50k piece and two 25k's - physically I was set ready - but the set up for the row was not and so it was postponed until the 24th - with my partner Pamela as my support crew - my mother-in-law Liz to babysit Lilly and the kitchen to row in I was finally ready.

So 12 o'clock on the 24th August and finally ready to roll - music on and off we go - focus on the 5k and split - fluids on the 5k and food every 2500m between - after about 10k I stopped - put the handle down unstrapped my feet and looked at Pamela "no sod it, I can't do it" she replied "you can't do it?" I then strapped back in and picked the handle up and set off again "your doing really well" Pamela commented. So why did I stop - well the guilt of taking up the entire day for rowing and the fact my right knee had started playing it's games (pain and locking up) after another few k I was back on track and I asked Pamela to give the knee some freeze spray for the knee - two applications and after a few k it seemed to be OK - thank god. At about 30k I again turned round to Pamela and said I couldn't do it - she gave me the look - that one that says "you better bloody not" and I kept going - trying to concentrate on every 5k hitting the split my spread sheet told me I needed to get in order to hit the WR.

Somehow I made it to halfway - back was stiffening and knee still hurting - but halfway done and with the split showing at 1:55 to hit the WR I kept going and focussed on getting to the FM distance left to go - it's a weird point of view - looking forward to only having a marathon to row - but I was - because then I was in known territory - about 30k to go I started feeling sick in my stomach - too much sweet stuff and "sports drink" I was thinking about asking Pamela to bring a bucket down for me - but decided if I needed to the floor was OK as it was tiled lol - after that I broke it down - looking at hitting the HM to go - then the hour - then the 10k - still on target and then the final 5k split came up - the predicted finish was still bouncing either side of the WR but I knew I had a little bit of wulf finish for the last few hundred meters.

So with 200m to go I let him have a play - got the split down to the low 1:30's and it was done and so was I - felt like I needed to be sick - but kept it down - photo's of the monitor took I stumbled up from the machine - took a while to stand up straight and then in a hot bath - weight before the row was 107kg after it was 104.4kg. 147 Ave HR 170 Max HR TE 2.8 EPOC 75.00 ml/kg 5690 kcal

30@24 breezey

Nice and gentle - TE 1.9 - 27ml/kg - max HR 137

12500@23

Another 12,500m today @23 - rated a little lower and that showed in the TE and EPOC - used the C2 seat pad today and it gave some relief from the butt friction burns :-D TE 2.0 30 ml/kg 782kcal

12500@23

Just some meters for banking - nice a cool in the training area - no fluids during the row - lack of skin still an issue but jot too severe at the moment 

25k @23 - 13 million lifetime meters

Same row as yesterday - only slightly cooler and had my camelback set up - massive difference in HR for the piece (yesterday I finished at 150+ today maxed at 145) quite pleased with that - kept the rate a little higher which no doubt helped as well - skin still deteriorating quicker than its growing back on hands and butt - ow well lol

This row put me over 13million meters on the concept2 

TE 2.0

30ml/kg

HR Max 145

1681kcal

Temp 23.4c

Hum 60%

25k @22

Well the hands are still sore - 4 open blisters in all - my butt ain't fairing much better but that's all behind me - behind me - get it? Oh ok I'll stick to the day job.

25k in the shed - not the best conditions - temp 25c - humidity 65% and no camelback set up so had to go one handed every 6k to grab a bottles and sip away - still meters in the bag - my next row should see me over 13 million meters for my erg'ing career.

TE 2.3

48ml/kg

1761kcal

Max HR 152

Need to heal

Down for lunchtime session - aborted two warm ups as the inch diameter of skin loss on my butt cheek to sore to erg on (often I find I'm able to row through these - but this one is in a bad position) so ditched the erg and did some weights - don't do the upper body at all and it shows lol

Bench press (smith) 3x10x60kg

Lat pulldown 3x10x8

Shoulder Press parallel grip 3x10x6

Tricep push downs 3x10x4

Bicep pull downs 3x10x4

Incl Bench (Smith) 3x10x50kg

30r20 HRR 70% recovery row

Well seems like I didn't quite get away with yesterday's 50k "bum grate" free - although I still managed today's row - in the shower after it was evident there was a distinct loss of skin - ouch - still it's only skin it'll grow back.

Kind of enjoyed today's row - normally I do this @18 on a similar pace - my poor body 

50k @23 - a lesson in stubbornness

The first question is why? Why did I just row 50,000m in one go - non stop - the answer - "because I could" ie the Mrs was out and I got my household chores done yesterday ;-) I don't get a lot of opportunities to knock through long rows so I grab them when I can. Also I wanted to test my resolve on these bum numb'rs (s) - I will be honest - it got tested quite a few times - at the start it was more "this is boring why don't I ditch it and go out on the bike?" in the middle is was "ok this is starting to grate my butt and make my back sore is it worth carrying on?" in the last 3k I felt like crap - only had 3lt of zipvit sports drink set up - no food that I normally have (jellies and Jaffa cakes) so maybe low energy (combined with not really eating much before I started at 2pm) in fact it was hell on the erg - but that's why we do these things - test the metal - today we passed ;-)

OK anyone know the film I was watching - last 3 hours 10 minutes - perfect :-)

PB **** 30r20 ****

Not sure where the PB came from – but I’ll take it – went down with the intention of rowing a 30r18 70% HRR – mainly due to my left hand looking like this -

But then as I went through the 2k warm up I decided I needed some punishment – so testing out the r20 power I swapped the session to a 30r20 and would aim at a pace slightly slower than PB pace (training having been very hit and miss recently) got myself set after checking current PB (8668m) and off I set at a pace slightly faster and took a while to get a rhythm going – but once I found the rhythm I was able to hold it – no trouble with legs or heart – just lungs blowing a little but nothing too bad – after getting past 20min I knew PB was on and squeezed the pressure – starting looking at 8686m (yes I am OCD) and then as I came into the final 3minutes I started to target 8700m – but as I took my 600th stroke with 8700m + showing on predicted finish I had to sit there and watch it drop under to 8699m – lol – I could have taken another stroke to get it over 8700m – but this is a 30r20 and doing that wouldn’t be very sportsman like would it ;o) Besides I am happy enough with it and know there is more in the tank on this even without too much training.

I taped up the fingers before the row - by the end it looked like this lol