Day: November 15, 2015

Sunday: 6K test

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Right before I went to go do this test, I read Sander’s post about how he might have had a PB if he went out less conservatively and had a “Contempt of Death”.  I was very uncertain about what I could do today.  On one hand, I haven’t done a lot of work on the erg, and I was pretty far away from PB pace on my 2K test.  On the other hand, I’ve been working this distance all autumn.

So, I decided to set up three pace boats on RowPro.

  • One at 1:50, which was the slowest I really wanted to go
  • One at 1:49, which was about my PB pace from last season
  • One at 1:48, which was just a bit slower than what I thought was my PB Pace (1:47.9).  In fact, I had misread my PB from my signature.  Checking it now, I found out that it was in fact a 21:23, not 21:32 (1:46.9).  A bummer, as it turns out.

I started with a 2K warmup with 3 bursts at 1:45 to 1:50.

Screen Shot 2015-11-15 at 5.26.00 PM

Workout Summary – Nov 15, 2015
–_|_Total_|_-Total-_|_–Avg–_|_-Avg-_|_Avg-_|_-Avg-_|_–Avg–_|_-Avg_|_-Avg
–_|_Dist-_|_-Time–_|_-Pace–_|_Watts_|_SPM-_|_-HR–_|_-%HRR–_|_-DPS_|_-SPI
–_|_02000_|_08:07.3_|_02:01.8_|_193.6_|_19.7_|_125.7_|_ 58.0% _|_12.5_|_09.8

Then in to the main event.  With Sander’s words ringing in my head, I went out to see if I could hold 1:48.  I felt pretty good through 1000.  By the time I got to 2000, it was starting to hurt, but my HR was nice an low.  I was just counting out each 1000m.  It was generally about 95 to 98 strokes per 1000.  It wasn’t very dramatic, but it was pretty nasty going with 2000 to go, and I eased up just a little bit for a few strokes.  With 1000 left, I knew I was going to make it and started to push a bit more.  In the end, I finished with a 1:47.5 and a 21:29.9.  Not the PB  that I thought it was at the time, but still a hell of a row.

Thanks to Sander and the Contempt of Death.

Screen Shot 2015-11-15 at 5.29.16 PM Screen Shot 2015-11-15 at 5.28.59 PM

Workout Summary – Nov 15, 2015
–_|_Total_|_-Total-_|_–Avg–_|_-Avg-_|_Avg-_|_-Avg-_|_–Avg–_|_-Avg_|_-Avg
–_|_Dist-_|_-Time–_|_-Pace–_|_Watts_|_SPM-_|_-HR–_|_-%HRR–_|_-DPS_|_-SPI
–_|_06000_|_21:29.9_|_01:47.5_|_281.8_|_26.7_|_170.1_|_ 89.4% _|_10.5_|_10.6
Workout Details
#-_|_SDist_|_-Split-_|_-SPace-_|_Watts_|_SPM-_|_AvgHR_|_Avg%HRR_|_DPS-_|_-SPI

01_|_00500_|_01:48.7_|_01:48.7_|_272.6_|_24.8_|_137.4_|_ 66.2% _|_11.1_|_11.0
02_|_00500_|_01:47.4_|_01:47.4_|_282.2_|_26.2_|_157.4_|_ 80.4% _|_10.6_|_10.8
03_|_00500_|_01:46.9_|_01:46.9_|_286.9_|_26.4_|_164.4_|_ 85.4% _|_10.6_|_10.9
04_|_00500_|_01:47.3_|_01:47.3_|_283.7_|_26.3_|_168.3_|_ 88.1% _|_10.6_|_10.8
05_|_00500_|_01:47.6_|_01:47.6_|_281.1_|_26.2_|_170.2_|_ 89.5% _|_10.6_|_10.7
06_|_00500_|_01:47.7_|_01:47.7_|_280.2_|_26.2_|_172.2_|_ 90.9% _|_10.6_|_10.7
07_|_00500_|_01:47.7_|_01:47.7_|_280.3_|_26.7_|_174.5_|_ 92.5% _|_10.4_|_10.5
08_|_00500_|_01:48.1_|_01:48.1_|_277.2_|_26.6_|_176.3_|_ 93.9% _|_10.4_|_10.4
09_|_00500_|_01:47.8_|_01:47.8_|_279.3_|_26.7_|_177.9_|_ 95.0% _|_10.4_|_10.5
10_|_00500_|_01:47.9_|_01:47.9_|_278.3_|_27.2_|_178.8_|_ 95.6% _|_10.2_|_10.2
11_|_00500_|_01:47.8_|_01:47.8_|_279.5_|_27.8_|_179.9_|_ 96.4% _|_10.0_|_10.0
12_|_00500_|_01:45.1_|_01:45.1_|_301.2_|_28.5_|_180.9_|_ 97.1% _|_10.0_|_10.6

I did a lactate test 4 minutes after finishing, just for fun.  13.6mmol/l

Then I did long “happy ending” cool down.

Screen Shot 2015-11-15 at 5.31.10 PM

Workout Summary – Nov 15, 2015
–_|_Total_|_-Total-_|_–Avg–_|_-Avg-_|_Avg-_|_-Avg-_|_–Avg–_|_-Avg_|_-Avg
–_|_Dist-_|_-Time–_|_-Pace–_|_Watts_|_SPM-_|_-HR–_|_-%HRR–_|_-DPS_|_-SPI
–_|_05000_|_21:24.1_|_02:08.4_|_165.3_|_19.1_|_146.8_|_ 72.9% _|_12.3_|_08.7

Tonight, I drink my SB Beer.  Tomorrow is supposed to be a rest day, but I think I will do a light endurance session instead.

Saturday: 3 x 20′ / 1′ – lacates don’t lie (or do they?)

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During “test week”, I am doing 3 x 20′ steady state on the off days.  I’m trying to home in on the right training power and also do something that I think will be easy to keep up with in future test weeks.

Today, it was chilly outside, so with open windows, it was quite cool, maybe mid-50s, and it was quite breezy, so I had a lot of air flow.  I’ve noticed a very strong correlation between HR and temperature, so I expected my HR to stay low and it did.  It also felt incredibly easy.  I had intended to back off from 193W to 190W for todays session, but it just felt so incredibly easy, I couldn’t do it.  I stuck with 193W.

As usual, I did the slow start.  I’m more convinced every day that this makes a big difference

Screen Shot 2015-11-14 at 6.38.53 PM Screen Shot 2015-11-14 at 6.38.37 PM

Workout Summary – Nov 14, 2015
–_|_Total_|_-Total-_|_–Avg–_|_-Avg-_|_Avg-_|_-Avg-_|_–Avg–_|_-Avg_|_-Avg
–_|_Dist-_|_-Time–_|_-Pace–_|_Watts_|_SPM-_|_-HR–_|_-%HRR–_|_-DPS_|_-SPI
–_|_14589_|_60:00.0_|_02:03.4_|_186.3_|_18.9_|_130.6_|_ 61.4% _|_12.9_|_09.9
Workout Details
#-_|_SDist_|_-Split-_|_-SPace-_|_Watts_|_SPM-_|_AvgHR_|_Avg%HRR_|_DPS-_|_-SPI

01_|_04745_|_20:00.0_|_02:06.4_|_173.1_|_17.9_|_122.7_|_ 55.8% _|_13.3_|_09.7
02_|_04919_|_20:00.0_|_02:02.0_|_192.9_|_19.4_|_132.8_|_ 63.0% _|_12.7_|_09.9
03_|_04924_|_20:00.0_|_02:01.8_|_193.5_|_19.4_|_135.7_|_ 65.0% _|_12.7_|_10.0

But lactates don’t lie.  When I used this power on Thursday, I tested at 3.0mmol/l.  Today, with my HR so low and a low RPE to match, I expected to test out well below 2.0, but that is not what happened.  I tested out at 2.5mmol/l.

That’s a bit better than Thursday’s reading, but still above target.  It just goes to show you how variable HR is as a guide for steady state training.  If I was using HR as a guide, I would have pushed the pace much harder and my lactates would have probably been above 5.0 by the end.

There is a little nagging doubt in the back of mind that maybe this test was wrong.  Maybe I contaminated it with a bit of sweat.  But I’m pretty careful, and it isn’t that far off.  I only have to be a little bit above target to start to accumulate lactate and over 60 minutes, the difference between 2.0 and 2.5 is very small.

So, I have to earn the right to train at 193W.  I have to back off and get 3 tests below 2.0 before I push the pace up.

Here are my 60′ lactates

lc 11-14

Later today I’ll be doing my 6K test.  Target is sub 1:50 pace.  SB last year was 1:49 pace.  PB is 1:47.6 pace.  I think a PB is out of reach, but if today is a good day, I might be able to match last season.  I need to remember that this is just a marker for the beginning of winter training.