Indoor Rowing on the Concept2 target sub6 on the 2k. World Record holder in the 100km and Irish National Record holder
The old favourite light session today - 30r18 with HRR at 70% (146) all went well at the start but then the mind drifted to Sunday's races and the HR started bouncing around - then lost track of stroke count and took me a while to sort it out - stupid brain trying to think during erging
so simple 5k race warm up and then 4by1min at r33 target for me being 1:28.0 pace - so 340m - never going to be an issue as I knocked out 6by1min 1r @1:25.8 in Jan and followed that up with another set 5min later also have a PB of 1:25.1 from November - so just want to concentrate on stroke and get that blood pumped round. The HR didn't even get over 85% HRR :lol: feeling good for Sunday :-D
Think there are three sub 6:10 capable rowers in the 30-39 and at least 5 sub 6:20 in the open that I have found so far.
Just needed to get a solid time in for this so decided to grind it out aiming 1:35 splits on the screen - no fireworks - just get it done - tough enough but out of the way now - noticed the breathing was quite heavy
500m splits
1:34.6 r30 HR161
1:35.2 r30 HR170
1:35.5 r31 HR174
1:34.8 r32 HR177
1:32.4 r33 HR180
7:52.5 1:34.5 r31
(popped some photos and the livestream video of the 30-39H CRASH-B race in my blog http://therowingcompany.com/forum/blog.php?u=11819&b=113283
Had my bloods done when I was ill and cholesterol came back at 9.2 – now I hadn’t fasted for it but still a tad high – anything over 5 is hi – oops – so today they had heart screening in work so I thought I’d get it done again (going back to Dr’s in 2 months to get a proper one done) and still showed to high today – bugger - not exactly sure why – few things to look at diet wise anyway so we’ll see – Ollie pointed me in the direction of some research about “The Great Cholesterol Con” so I will look at that as well.
So todays training – thought I’d see how the heart was coping and dialled in a 30r20 – aimed at 1:45 splits – with a PB 30r20 of 1:42.9 I figured that would be tough but doable – I was right in the first instance – it was a bugger after about 8 minutes and 12 minutes in the handle very nearly came down – not used to this kind of work – but managed to grind it out and the old ticker got a good test maxing out at 184BPM (think my max is 190)
Was hoping to get a gentle erg in last night - but alas the moment never presented itself – so back into work today and down for a 30r18 HRR 70% (146) at lunch time – quite tired and it seems a little of the chest infection I had prior to Boston has popped up again but can’t see that lasting more than a day or so. Body feels completely battered though – legs, back even the arms – just ache’s – must be my old age showing :lol: managed to start quite well on the session but tailed off more than I would like as the HR came up – shot up a few times when I contemplated the English. Folk in work have been asking how I got on in Boston and feels shit to say I came 5th although they all say well done – just have to use it to build for the future – onwards and upwards!
(If you want to skip down to the race scroll and look for the bold title)
Well I’m currently on the long trip home from the 2014 CRASH-B (In the air just over the Gulf of Main the pilot just announced) so have plenty of time to write a blog while I watch a movie or three.
First and foremost I would like to thank Q (James Bailey) for all his hard work, time, effort indeed his essence for once again getting this old fat man out to race with the young guns – I can’t even imagine the emotional and time investment he puts into not only mine - but also the teams endeavours - most of which I will more than likely never even know about it – so thank you boss.
We’ll cover a bit of the lead up to Boston – basically not the best prep as three weeks out from D-Day I caught a chest infection – that put me out of work and action on the erg for about two weeks – and gave me only a 7 day run up to Boston – one day of that I would be travelling. Still look at the positives – this would mean I would be plenty rested :lol: also couldn’t pick up any injuries and unlikely to get ill with two lots of anti-biotic and steroids inside me. Travelling to Boston was eventful to say the least – the day before I flew I was due to drop the dogs to the kennels – a 90min round trip which is normally simple enough – unless of course there are 100mph + winds that are tearing trees up and dumping them on the ground left right and centre – still I and the dogs survived. On the day of the flight I had to drive from my home to Shannon airport (2 hour drive) the flight was 13:30 so needed to be there for 10:30 really – set off at 07:00 and it was a wise decision as it decided to snow that morning for the first time this year – I arrived at 10:00 so still time to breath :-D on to the flight without too much effort and even got a row of three seat to myself. Landing in Boston I decided to take the subway as Jen Howse had given me directions that seemed simple enough from the station near the hotel – of course what I didn’t do is work out how to get from there to the Hotel :lol: so I asked a Police man and then after a stop at another hotel I got to the Marriot – huge hotel interconnected to a massive shopping complex. Met up with Q and a few of the team then checked in – room sharing with Paul Brew I awaited his company as he was still to arrive. Out to the cheesecake factory for a meal with those there and on return to the hotel I met up with PB and after a small erg to loosen the muscles we retired for the evening. Never really got over the time difference – Paul and I both woke comically around 4pm when we both tried to sneak a look on our phones while the other slept – trying not to wake each other - then the other woke to try and sneak a look on their phone thinking the other was asleep until we both worked out we were both awake and said good morning :lol: at that point we’d have a bit of a chin wag as if we’d been mates for years having really only just met – maybe that’s the Power of Q-Power.
During the two days leading up to the race we had early morning gentle paddles and then in the afternoon we did something with a little more oomph – not too much – just enough to keep us ticking over. Also had a couple of team meetings and discussed a few things prevalent to the big day and the coming year – all in all a well organised and most beneficial time spent as a team building for something quite unique.
********** Race Here **********
So on to the big day – seeded 5th I had nothing to lose – the plan was to go out hard and see if I could get a little closer to that magic number 6 – with reports coming in from the early races it was clear that Boston was having it’s usual effect of a few seconds so do I adjust or do I go for it – feck it I’ll start hard and see – pre race warm up timed to perfection and out onto the race machine – Ollie to my right and Rich Connell to my left – set the drag – took a breath and got ready – attention – row – we was off and I was hitting it hard – the first 500m I went through in 1:30.8 – but at this point my mind started to drift and instead of keeping my eye on the split I started watching the race – the problem was that we were all so close that we all kept flipping places I saw everyone’s name from Jordan Weide (Q-Power) down to Toby Ayer flick on the screen and it became mesmerising to work out who was where and how close to the upper positions I was – this was a costly mistake in the end – instead of hitting 1:32’s at this point I so a few 1:35’s and 1:36’s come up when my attention turned to the split – damn it – OK focus Paul – the HD thoughts came – I took 5 seconds to picture my daughter’s face and that was sorted out – time to dig in – I have a aerobic base bigger than most and I just focused on using that to get me through to the finish – it worked and we started looking at less than 500m to go – time to push on – the middle two 500’s where 1:33.1 and 1:33.2 respective – Wulf time – hauling the average split down from 1:32.4 Q put in the shout I was on for 6:09 – then 6:08 then 6:07 then I heard it “PB is on!! PB IS ON!!” and I pumped for all I was worth – alas I ran out of rail as the 2k clocked down to 0 meters – I finished not knowing my time nor my position but looking up and taking a breath I saw the 6:06.1 – bugger! PB is still 6:06.0 – OK where did I finish – 5th! Bugger – missed 4th place by 0.3 seconds (Adrian Quinn on 6:05.8) at that point other than Jordan on 6:00.3 and Toby Ayer (6th) on 6:07.1 I had no idea of 2nd or 3rd – (I later found that Rich Connell had pulled 6:05.5 for Bronze (0.6 seconds faster than me) and Marcos Sarmiento had 6:04.8 (1.3 seconds faster than me) double bugger – that will teach me for taking my eye of the ball won’t it.
Later on the Q-Power team entered the team event – really enjoyed that I have to say – if anyone saw it they may have noticed that :lol: we set off to hit the first 500m on a even pace and then waited for the call from our cox – Q- it came at 200m to go – we lifted our pace and a erg :lol: we won the event with Jordan Weide, Ollie Osborne, Paul Brew and myself (all had rowed 2k’s less than two hours before) rowed the 4k combined distance in a ave split of 1:30.4 – awarded some very special hammers for that one. After the last of the medal ceremonies I went to pick up the erg I had ordered and with the very kind help of Jen and Ian Howse and Paul Brew I got it back to the hotel. A team meal that evening and a few drinks – not too many though as I had the erg to breal down to get the weight distributed for the journey home.
A fantastic few days (even though this is the first erg comp I’ve been to where I haven’t medalled – but saying that I have probably taken more away from this than some of those that I have) – the entire Q-Power team rowed fantastically as did every one of those there – as ever I’m so grateful for meeting so many wonderful ergers – too many to mention – although it was nice for them to ask where the fat man went who was there two years ago – wait till next year as the chubby man is about to get cut :evil: I have plans on a few changes that need to be made – which I will talk about as they happen – but first the English
Good job I don’t fly very often after a race – I might overload the blog servers :lol:
Just landed in Shannon - now to collect the luggage and erg then get car and drive home ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz
