Blue Monday - race practice sub 6:30 2k

Blue Monday is a name given to a day in January (typically the third Monday of the month) reported to be the most depressing day of the year. The concept was first publicized as part of a 2005 press release from holiday company Sky Travel which claimed to have calculated the date using an equation.
The idea is considered pseudoscience, with its formula derided by scientists as nonsensical.

Well woke up late, got soaked walking dogs (even through my wet gear), got held up at home, stuck in traffic, had to get fuel on the way to work, missed morning row because of all that and basically felt fed up all morning in work - considered pulling out of the Irish as I'm no where near where I would like to be (are we ever) physically or mentally - no erg'ing at the weekend yet still knackered from it lol  - so ye when I hear it was "Blue Monday" I had to agree.

Still - it's a process and not a race - so even if I don't get the score I want on Saturday I still need to take that step - and in order to take that step I needed to take today's - a session I am notoriously bad at (anything other than standard times/distances wreck my head) but I wanted to go through a possible race plan for Saturday - that being a hard first 16 strokes - settle to 1:31/32 and then back to 1:33 with the odd 1:34 without panicking. Row through the 1250m and then paddle home. So down I went and changed I got - warm up done I took off my headphones as I am going to race without them on Saturday so need to get used to my panting lol last few times I wore them they seemed to get interference from somewhere - I'm guessing the Bluetooth from all the PM5's but not sure.

So off I set - half of my head dealing with counting, pace, breathing the other half telling the little demons to feck off - about the 500m was probably the worst for those but the as I got to the 1km mark instead of the usual panic throwing down of the handle I went through calmly and securely - even contemplated going through to the 1500m mark - but decided no - stick to the plan .... well then as I was paddling away I saw the predicted finish and worked out if I hit the last 250m at 1:30 pace I would go sub 6:30 ..... so I brought on the power - nice little erg cough and feel a lot better about Monday now :o)