60r18 HRR 70% (146)

Been very hit and miss last few days - work and home life taken control - didn't even get a lunch break today :cry: but managed to get on top of things ... for now - so out to the erg shed for a 60r18 - I knew I could get to 30r18 just under 1:50.0 pace so that was the initial aim and then just played with the pressure to get the best time I could - worked quite well bearing in mind I haven't completed a row for 6 days :lol: (ok slightly over HR now and then - bit nothing major - mainly it peaked when the mind drifted to racing) 

30r18 HRR 70% (146)

A "recovery row" although when you start of having to pull 1:48's to get the HR it certainly doesn't feel it at the start with both a CTC and 2k TT in the legs from the previous day - and that coupled with lack of sleep means it's harder to get the HR up than usual - still got through it - plenty of sweat - feel better now - aaahhhh 

30min TT no PB - just hard

Two days of inactivity as far as rowing/cycling - just had no opportunity at the weekend - so today although I feel lethargic - and I hate doing a hard session after not doing anything for a day especially two - I went ahead with the 30min TT as scheduled - the plan going down was to hold sub 1:40 ave for the first ten minutes at least and then just give it what  I had.

I didn't have as much as last week - but still managed to scramble over 8900m with a push at the end - a horrible middle section - but pleased I managed to crack on with the row and didn't HD which is easy enough to do once the split starts drifting.

I do believe that I can crack 9k soon enough with the right start and energy levels ( on about 5 hours sleep a night at the mo :lol: )

Plenty left on the HR

8by500m 1:30r PB

Well I had a shocker of a session on Wednesday - wasn't worth blogging  :lol:

Yesterday we went to the hospital with the baby for a check up - alls well and she's getting to be a little "bunter" now  :-D

Last night I managed to get out on the mountain bike (10 years old - been sat in the loft for 5 years) for a quick spin up a nasty little hill - the Mrs calls it "Heart Attack Hill" and that's from just driving down it!  :shock: so of course I had to try and bike up it - on a bike I hadn't rode for 5 years - :lol: - felt kinda weird cycling down to it after being on the road bike - but got to the bottom - dropped the gears and took a flyer at it - got half way up - gears started slipping and crunching (had them too high) and so turned and rolled down - turned again and dropped the gears and up I went - wow that was frickin tough! Great training - gave me the oxygen throat burn - loved it :lol:

So today I thought I’d better do some “proper” training on the erg and as I haven’t done a few of our standard interval sessions I went for 8by500m 1:30 rest – decided to aim at 1:31 – heading down to get ready to be honest I felt like crap – feel the same – I’ve not been getting a huge amount of sleep at the moment and getting run down a bit I think – still training to be done and that’s how I viewed it – just get through the session – even if only the first 4 hit the target I was willing to grind out what I had for the final four – but as it turned out all went quite well – sure it hurt in parts – but this is only 1:30 of rowing and that normally means just grinning and bearing it – I even visualised the hill from the bike ride and used that to spur me on- previous PB for the session 1:31.8 new PB 1:30.3 – and probably a little more there if I could get some kip :lol:

**** 30min TT ****

Well training is poop - drained at the moment and feeling the pull from the road bike - but I broke that on Saturday  :roll: and although I got my mountain bike out the loft it's not the same - so need to pull my socks up and get back on the erg today - dragged myself down to train and made myself do a 30min TT - I'd got 20min in on this on the 16th and bailed basically cos my mind wasn't in it (nor my heart) that was averaging 1:41.4 @27

Went through a 2k warm up - two 30 second bursts at rate and pace to see how it felt - was OK - legs complaining - but when don't they - so plugged the time in and of I set - earphones played their usual games of trying to fall out but managed to get them back in enough times - in my head I wanted to sit on 1:41 for the first ten minutes - let it drift to 1:42 for the middle if needed and then back to 1:41 for the final ten - I found it tough more mentally than anything - heart was coping fine and legs just as usual dead feeling - lungs working but not overly worrying - did notice my stroke length was diminished to 1:50's but then the rate came up higher - hey-ho

**** 30r20 PB ****

OK - I officially do not understand this malarkey anymore

I’m suffering from a mild Vertigo attack (or whatever it’s called – “attack” sounds a bit drastic) so the last couple of days have been a dizzy spinning haze – just about managing to get what needs to be done done (feed baby – wash bottles – feed/walk dogs – get to work – get what I can done etc) but other than that I’ve been sleeping – was late into work this morning as I couldn’t wake and slept for two hours yesterday evening – it’s the only time the world doesn’t feel hazy – well that and when I erg for some odd reason – even so I was tempted not to erg today – the only reason I did is because I’m likely to miss tomorrow as we have a “team building” afternoon in work.

So the plan was to go down and after a 1k warm up do 30r18 HRR 70% - but decided that was too hard as it meant banging out 1:48/49’s so thought I’d go for a 30r20 and cap it at 160 (80% HRR) – and off I set – then it happened – the stroke became long – the legs didn’t feel like lead – the headphones stayed in my ears and I erg’d with ease – well while it’s there lets have it – and I did – in fact I could have gone 8700+ I reckon – next time hey

1k PB ... just (with video)

Just…

Firstly big thanks to C2 UK - they sent me replacement bolts for my erg seat so I can start hammering it again now  :-D

After the last couple of days of rubbish rows I think I may understand why – I hate to join in the “complain about heat” brigade – but it does me in! It’s not so bad in the room I train in (got moved again) it’s probably about 20c and with a fan quite nice – it’s the temp in the office and the building and outside that’s kicking my butt – basically last couple of evenings I’ve just ended up falling asleep wherever I stop for more than five minutes – chair – bed – car – OK not the car – so rather than start a middle distance piece where my old mental capabilities might leave me wanting I pulled in a off the cuff 1k TT – I was going to do a power erg session (8by2min @20) but even that looked ominous

So 5k warm up and the HR was good – legs a little tired – breathing a little heavy but all manageable – oh well best get on with it then – the plan was 1:26/27 and I wanted to maintain a strong technique with a long stroke and high tempo – I paid for the lack of speed work though as the lungs began to burn not being used to this kind of exertion – happily the legs held strong and the HR stayed stronger – I’m going to have to work my lungs I think to get nearer the 2:50 mark (which I believe is within reach this season) – as I couldn’t very well just do 1k after the last couple of days of mucked up training I tagged a 5k@20 on after about 5min recoup which helped flush the system.

In other news I've managed to maintain sub 110kg for the last 5 days