Early meeting, so I missed a beautiful morning on the river. I looked at the glassy smooth water as I drove past.
Plan: Taper day 2.
- 20 minute warmup
- 2 x 2′ / 5′ rest
- rate: >30
- pace: faster than 2K race pace (1:40ish)
- on slides
- Cool down
It was mercifully brief, but each interval really stung. I pushed a lot faster than 2k race pace and let the rate really climb on the theory that the whole point is to provide sufficient stimulus to avoid any fitness loss during the taper. No evidence that this is the right thing to do, but it made me feel like I was giving it my all.
Tomorrow: Back on the river. A nice warmup, a single 500m interval, and an easy cool down focusing on technique. Then load up the boat for the race.
Quantified Rowing 
In the train to work this morning, I happened to read the “Rowing Faster, 2nd edition” chapter on tapering. Quite interesting stuff. The psychological effect of doing speed work and being confident in rowing fast is as important as the physical effect …
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The taper in the book would probably kill me :-O
But I totally agree about the feeling you get from rowing faster. I love the feeling of holding back in the first quarter of a head race.
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