Weather: cool, 55-60F, wind NNE 5mph (head wind going downriver, felt worse than it really was)

Plan:

1. 4 x 2500 / 5′ rest
2. rate target: 28
3. pace target: 2:12
4. Technique:  work on getting a good reach at the catch and crisp finishes with not much layback.

I’ve done this workout twice as part of the training plan.

• July 21st: avg pace…2:14, rate: 24.7, avg HR: 167 (flat water conditions)
• August 25th: avg pace…2:12.9, rate: 26.3, avg HR: 168 (flat water conditions)

So, today, I wanted to get another second off the pace, get the rate a bit higher and hopefully keep the level of effort, as shown by avg HR about the same.  Despite the light breeze, which slowed me down for half of the reps, I succeeded with the goals.

• Today: September 22nd: avg pace: 2:11.1, Rate: 27.2, Avg HR: 167 (5mph NNE wind)

Start_|_Dist_|_Split_|_Pace_|_Strks__|_Rate_|_DPS_|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00020_|_0280_|_01:38_|_2:55.4_|_030___|_18.3_|_09.3_|_115___|_w
00300_|_2500_|_10:54_|_2:10.8_|_293___|_26.9_|_08.5_|_162___|_m head wind
02800_|_0500_|_03:31_|_3:31.2_|_058___|_16.5_|_08.6_|_124___|_r
03300_|_2500_|_10:42_|_2:08.5_|_292___|_27.3_|_08.6_|_168___|_m tail wind
05800_|_0400_|_02:56_|_3:40.1_|_050___|_17.0_|_08.0_|_135___|_r
06200_|_2500_|_11:16_|_2:15.2_|_307___|_27.3_|_08.1_|_169___|_m head wind
08700_|_0300_|_02:00_|_3:20.7_|_036___|_17.9_|_08.3_|_138___|_r
09000_|_2500_|_10:50_|_2:09.9_|_296___|_27.3_|_08.4_|_169___|_m tail wind
11500_|_1440_|_08:09_|_2:49.9_|_167___|_20.5_|_08.6_|_136___|_c

Dist__|_Time__|_Pace___|_Strks_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00280_|_01:38_|_2:55.4_|_030___|_18.3_|_09.3_|_115___|_warmup
10000_|_43:42_|_2:11.1_|_1188___|_27.2_|_08.4_|_167___|_Main set
01200_|_08:28_|_3:31.5_|_144___|_17.0_|_08.3_|_131___|_rest meters
01440_|_08:09_|_2:49.9_|_167___|_20.5_|_08.6_|_136___|_cool down
12920_|_01:57_|_2:23.9_|_1529___|_24.7_|_08.4_|_157___|_Total

I forgot to start the speedcoach until after I finished my 1000m warmup, so that’s missing from the data.

The 1st and 3rd reps were mainly headwind, and the 2nd and fourth had the tail wind.  It felt like the wind was freshest during the second and third reps.  I was struggling with keeping the pace below 2:20 for the parts of the 3rd rep where there is no wind shadow.  I feel like I am getting a better idea of how to maintain a “constant effort” pace with a head wind and not burn myself out trying to hit the target splits.  Same thing for the tail wind sections.  The thing I liked to see was how similar the HR response was in reps 2,3 and 4.  I would have been a bit happier to see some red at the end of the fourth rep, but I guess I didn’t did quite that deep today.  I was pretty spent at the end of the workout though.

Very happy with the session overall.

Here is a map view of the 4 intervals.  1 and 3 into the wind, 2 and 4 with the wind.

Tomorrow:  Steady state: 4 x 3000 / 1′ rest r20 (HR limit at 75% HRR)

Originally I had this planned with a cap of 80% HRR (157), but with the lactate test results I’ve been seeing, I want to ratchet down the intensity of the steady state stuff, so I would like to do about the first half of the session tomorrow as UT2 (< 143) and the other half in the lower part of UT1 (143 to 150).  I’m hoping that will help repair my aerobic capacity over the next couple of weeks.  I have plenty of intensity in the three hard sessions a week.  I think I’m being foolish to push the steady state stuff too hard.

I’d welcome opinions, should I do these steady state rows with an even lower cap?  Do them entirely as UT2?  I’d find that a real challenge and I would end up going VERY slow by the second half of the session, but if that is the best strategy, I’ll give it a try.