Conditions: Cloudy, 70F, 75% humidity.  A bit better than yesterday, but still pretty sticky.  Light wind from the NW (1-2mph) which is a headwind going up river.

Plan:

1. 4 x 2500 / 5′ rest
2. Rate: 24 spm
3. Pace: faster than 2:15
4. Technique:  Keep rate at or above 24.  Try to maintain good posture (don’t slump at the catch). Try to stay forward during the leg drive.  Try to minimize layback at the finish and keep finishes clean.

Start_|_Dist_|_Split_|_Pace_|_Strks__|_Rate_|_DPS_|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00020_|_0980_|_05:14_|_2:40.4_|_105___|_20.0_|_09.3_|_120___|_warmup
01000_|_2000_|_08:41_|_2:10.3_|_217___|_25.0_|_09.2_|_161___|_Int #1 (shortened)
03000_|_0900_|_05:04_|_2:48.7_|_098___|_19.4_|_09.2_|_124___|_rest
03900_|_2500_|_10:59_|_2:11.8_|_276___|_25.1_|_09.1_|_168___|_Int #2 (head wind)
06400_|_0600_|_04:05_|_3:23.9_|_072___|_17.7_|_08.3_|_130___|_rest
07000_|_2500_|_11:05_|_2:13.1_|_278___|_25.1_|_09.0_|_171___|_Int #3 (tail wind)
09500_|_0400_|_03:04_|_3:50.5_|_056___|_18.2_|_07.1_|_131___|_rest
09900_|_2600_|_12:07_|_2:19.9_|_288___|_23.8_|_09.0_|_166___|_Int #4 (head, bailed on the rep twice)
12500_|_1320_|_07:41_|_2:54.5_|_166___|_21.6_|_08.0_|_139___|_feet out

Dist__|_Time__|_Pace___|_Strks_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00980_|_05:14_|_2:40.4_|_105___|_20.0_|_09.3_|_120___|_warmup
09600_|_42:53_|_2:14.0_|_1059___|_24.7_|_09.1_|_167___|_Main set
01900_|_12:13_|_3:12.8_|_226___|_18.5_|_08.4_|_128___|_rest meters
01320_|_07:41_|_2:54.5_|_166___|_21.6_|_08.0_|_139___|_cool down
13800_|_08:01_|_2:27.9_|_1556___|_22.9_|_08.9_|_153___|_Total

Quick warmup.  Then right into the first rep.  24 spm felt good and I was able to maintain much closer to 2:10 than 2:15, which was nice to see.  I had to maneuver around a paddle boarder and I passed a sculler going the other way in the s-turn, but other than that, I was just counting strokes and hoping for it all to be over.

As I approached the Prospect Street bridge, I saw that another sculler was stopped in my path to the proper arch.  I needed to talk to this guy anyway, so I decided to stop this piece at 2K.  8:41 @ r24 – I’m happy with that.

The sculler is Bruce.  He and I both launch from the same place.  I wanted to ask him if he could take a quick video of me from a bridge so I can check my catch angle.  He was ready and willing to help out!

I paddled out to the Moody Street dam and turned around for interval #2.  This one was a little bit slower with the touch of headwind, and it certainly hurt a bit at the end, but no drama.

I paddled to start of the next interval and had a drink of water.  I was starting to feel pretty tired.  But this one was with the ghost of a tail wind.  I was starting to really feel the fatigue and the pace sagged a bit in the middle.  But once I went through the Prospect Street bridge, I pushed the rate up a bit and brought the pace to around 2:10.

The last two intervals had pushed my HR up above 95% of HRR and I was really depleted.  But I set out on the last interval.  The head wind was a bit stronger, but still probably below 4mph.  Right before I went back under the Prospect Street bridge, my starboard oar touched bottom on two strokes in a row.  The river level is about a foot below normal, I guess I need to steer a different line through here until it comes back up.

After the bridge, I was really struggling.  My form was starting to fall apart and my splits were getting worse.  I made it to beginning of the s-turn and I decided that I had had enough.  So, I coasted to a stop.  I immediately regretted it.  I started up again and pushed through the turn, but bailed again about 30 strokes into the last stretch, and then picked up again after a couple of paddled strokes.  From there it was just grinding it out to the end.  All of my drama cost me about 30 seconds on the time for the whole interval.

This was hard work.  My training over the past month has been very sprint focused, and I think I have some aerobic base building to do.

When you put it all together, the average pace for the session was 2:14.  I think next I do this, I will probably aim at about a 2:13 or so.

Tomorrow:  4 x 3000 / 1′ rest (HR cap at 80% HRR – 157 bpm)