This might be the best week of the whole season in terms of weather.  Every day since last Sunday has been just about perfect.  Today was no exception.  Sunny, upper 60s, light wind from the SW only 1 or 2 mph, which was generally a tail wind heading down river.

Plan:

1. 3K warmup, gradually getting up to 20spm
2. 2 x 5K / 1′ rest over the HOCR course
3. 3K cool down

Start_|_Dist_|_Split_|_Pace_|_Strks__|_Rate_|_DPS_|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00020_|_2980_|_14:30_|_2:25.9_|_284___|_19.6_|_10.5_|_142___|_w
03000_|_5000_|_23:39_|_2:21.9_|_493___|_20.8_|_10.1_|_155___|_m
08000_|_0250_|_01:27_|_2:53.0_|_027___|_18.7_|_09.3_|_125___|_r
08250_|_5000_|_24:19_|_2:25.9_|_513___|_21.1_|_09.7_|_155___|_m
13250_|_3130_|_16:16_|_2:35.9_|_343___|_21.1_|_09.1_|_152___|_c

Dist__|_Time__|_Pace___|_Strks_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
02980_|_14:30_|_2:25.9_|_284___|_19.6_|_10.5_|_142___|_warmup
10000_|_47:58_|_2:23.9_|_1006___|_21.0_|_09.9_|_155___|_Main set
00250_|_01:27_|_2:53.0_|_027___|_18.7_|_09.3_|_125___|_rest meters
03130_|_16:16_|_2:35.9_|_343___|_21.1_|_09.1_|_152___|_cool down
16360_|_20:11_|_2:27.0_|_1660___|_20.7_|_09.9_|_151___|_Total

There was tons of traffic on the river this morning.  Heading down river, at first I was going back and forth with a 2x.  They were doing pieces and paddling in between.  They would pass me during their pieces and then I’d pass them when they paddled.  Then we both caught up with a group of 3 or 4 singles that seemed to speed up as we got to them.  That is what pushed me above the cap.  On the Charles, there always seems to be a bridge coming up and you need to decide if you will try to pass before the bridge or tuck in behind until after the bridge.  The first bridge, I tucked in behind.  That’s the brief slow down to 2:50 or so.  Other wise, I pushed to get clear ahead.  If I trained on this stretch of river all the time, I would have to break the habit, or I would never train at the right intensity for steady state workouts!

Coming up river, I was in the company of 4 women’s collegiate eights.  They were doing pause drills and other stuff, so we were roughly the same pace for most of the way up the HOCR course.  But that also was a motivator to try to keep the pace up.  I’d rather row in the clean water ahead than the choppy mess that 4 boats and 2 launches leave behind.  They did pass me with about 3K to go, and it was pretty miserable for about 1km after that with the wakes bouncing off the sides of the river, which is pretty narrow up there.  I finally fell far enough behind that the water was reasonable for the last 2K or so.

Tomorrow:  4×20’/1’r on the erg at 180W with lactate tests