Category: Training Journal

Friday: 16K in Wellfleet

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Today was deceptive.  I launched from the base of our stairs.  I came in yesterday at our house and stored the boat on top of the breakwater (not an easy thing to do, by the way).

This morning I had some time to think through my technique.  Basically I do it in steps.  I lift the stern, carry it halfway down the seawall and set it down.  Then I do the same thing for the bow.  Repeat as necessary to get to the beach taking care to not let the boat slide along the rocks.  It’s a bit nerve wracking but a lot easier than cartopping to a long walk to the water.

Anyway, I got myself launched and headed out.  Again it took about 10 strokes of touching sand before I was in deep enough water.  Then I headed east across the bay.  The wind was from the north and as soon as I cam out from  the lee of the island, I got hammered by the waves coming at me from the stern quarter.  They were just over a foot, with some whitecaps. I decided that turning around and heading up to indian neck would probably give me better water.  A good idea.  As soon as I turned around and was heading up into the wind, I filled the cockpit with water.  It also splashed the crewnerd hard enough to turn the damn thing off.  I could still see my splits and rate, but it wasn’t recording any data.  I need to come up with some kind of a splash cover for the phone or just give in and buy a Speedcoach GPS2.

I was right about the water.  I rowed to indian head and the water smoothed out.  There was still a fair amount of wind, but it was entirely rowable, and quite enjoyable.  I rowed up to the north end of the bay, then turned west and rowed along the north shore to the north end of great spit.  Then turned and rowed back all the way to the inner harbor, and around the outside of all the moored boats back to the end of the breakwater.  Then I cut back to indian head and rowed south along the shore all the way to where the salt marshes inland of Lt Island are.  Finally I cut back west and rowed to the north point of the island and around the shore in front of our house.

All together, I’m guessing it was about 16km in about 90 minutes.

We have some company coming tomorrow, so I am not sure if I will get a row in.  If I do it will probably be a short one.  I’m liking this open water stuff, and I’m getting a hang of rowing this boat.  Basically, I need to rate a little higher and row a little lighter, with a gentler push at the catch, building up the pressure through the stroke.  It also is pointless to pay much attention to the splits because with the wind, waves and tidal currents, it bears only the slightest resemblance to effort going in and the quality of the rowing.  A much better indicator is heart rate.  Today, my HR was generally between 144 and 150.  144 was when I was rowing downwind which is easier but requires a fair amount of concentration.  150 was rowing into the wind, which is technically simpler but a lot more work.

 

Monday: 14K steady state r18

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Weather:  Stunning.  Sunny, cool, dry, light wind from the Northwest.  2 to 5 mph.  This was generally a cross wind, but always felt like a head wind.  :-O

Plan:

  • Easy steady state
  • r18
  • heart rate: 150 absolute, ease off at 145

The objective today was best stated by Dave C. in a blog post a couple years ago.

“Don’t piss off the boat”

Basically try to row smoothly, at low rate, in such a way to maximize the run of the boat and minimize the check.  This is what that looks like in RIM.

Screen Shot 2016-08-15 at 1.55.43 PM.png

The drive has a strong initial slope, there is no negative transient as I go from legs to body to arms.  There is no negative acceleration at the finish, and the recovery is very close to zero negative or positive acceleration.

The game is to try to maintain the stroke rate, and try to minimize the split time without driving up the heart rate.  I was happy with the way things felt, but I wish the boat was moving faster.  One thing at a time.

Tomorrow:  Schedule calls for a hard row, but I’m not feeling the love right now.  I think I will do another 70′ steady state session, at r20 and a 157 HR cap.

 

Sunday: 10K Push

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Friday:  No Training.  We closed on our new vacation house down on cape cod.  Here’s the view from the deck.

2016-08-13 10.44.08

Saturday:  No Training.  A very busy day setting up the house.

Sunday:  Started the day down on the cape.  I went for a nice walk around the island.  I decided that the stairs down to the water are too steep to carry a boat down.  I’m going to drive 2 minutes to the beach and launch from there.  Eventually, Ill figure out some way to store my boat down near the water in front of the house.  We headed home in the afternoon.

I was itching for a quick workout, so I hopped on the erg around 7pm.  I didn’t have much of a plan, so I decided to do a 10K push, but start it off slow so I could warmup and also, to be honest about it, because I didn’t want to work too hard.

Plan:

  • 10K push
  • Start pace: 2:05, go 1 second faster for each 1000m, ending at 1:56 for the last 1000m
  • Free rate.  Try to inch rate up as the pace goes down.
  • Heart Rate: No cap

That was fun.  It was hot as hell outside, over 90F, and humid too, so I kept the windows closed and ran a fan.  I generated enough heat to raise the temperature in the room from 72F to 78F over 40 minutes.

I had a little trouble getting myself to row slow enough during the 2:05s, but did better tracking the paces down.  Once I was within 2K of finishing, I kind up gunned it and did the 2000 down to 1000 at 1:55.  Then I finished the last 1000m at a 1:50 pace.  Not super fast, but it stung in a good way.

 

 

Wednesday: Steady State & Technique

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Weather: started sunny, then clouded up.  A bit of a breeze sprung up, seemingly from whatever direction I was trying to row.

Plan:

  • 4 x 2700m / 1′ rest
  • rate: 20 spm
  • pace: 2:25
  • HR limit: 155 (top of UT1)

myimage (61)

Start_|_Dist_|_Split_|_Pace_|_Strks__|_Rate_|_DPS_|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00020_|_1040_|_05:12_|_2:30.1_|_110___|_21.1_|_09.5_|_128___|_dock to island
01051_|_2150_|_10:14_|_2:22.8_|_208___|_20.3_|_10.3_|_146___|_downstream piece
03201_|_0082_|_00:36_|_3:37.1_|_009___|_15.2_|_09.1_|_122___|_stop to talk to bruce
03283_|_0664_|_03:10_|_2:23.3_|_062___|_19.5_|_10.7_|_137___|_rest of downstream piece
03947_|_0064_|_00:22_|_2:48.7_|_005___|_13.9_|_12.8_|_116___|_turn
04011_|_2811_|_13:44_|_2:26.6_|_271___|_19.7_|_10.4_|_149___|_upstream piece
06822_|_0064_|_00:26_|_3:24.7_|_008___|_18.3_|_08.0_|_116___|_turn
06886_|_2754_|_13:34_|_2:27.8_|_274___|_20.2_|_10.1_|_150___|_downstream piece
09640_|_0074_|_00:28_|_3:05.8_|_007___|_15.3_|_10.6_|_131___|_turn
09714_|_0286_|_01:26_|_2:30.5_|_028___|_19.5_|_10.2_|_141___|_started upstream, decided I’d had enough
10000_|_0051_|_00:22_|_3:38.6_|_005___|_13.5_|_10.2_|_115___|_thought about life
10051_|_3685_|_21:26_|_2:54.5_|_390___|_18.2_|_09.4_|_136___|_drills

Dist__|_Time__|_Pace___|_Strks_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
01040_|_05:12_|_2:30.1_|_110___|_21.1_|_09.5_|_128___|_warmup
08665_|_42:09_|_2:25.9_|_843___|_20.0_|_10.3_|_147___|_Main set
00335_|_02:13_|_3:18.8_|_034___|_15.3_|_09.9_|_121___|_rest meters
03685_|_21:26_|_2:54.5_|_390___|_18.2_|_09.4_|_136___|_cool down
13725_|_11:00_|_2:35.2_|_1377___|_19.4_|_10.0_|_142___|_Total

I was quite stiff and sore this morning when I woke up.  I think I dug deep enough in yesterday’s session that I was not fully recovered by 5:15AM today.  But, since I had a planned a low intensity endurance session today, I wasn’t too concerned about it.

I was on the water before 6:30 and basically jumped right into a rhythm at r20 as soon as I was clear of the dock.  I slowed down to go through the cut, and then got back up to speed for the roughly 3K down river.

I noticed that I was struggling to get anywhere near the paces that I was holding easily on Monday.  And stupidly, instead of just accepting that and rowing for form, I worked harder to try to hit the pace.  It made the session a bit of a grind.

When I got to the bridge, I caught up to a guy that launches from the same place I do and stopped for a quick chat.  He turned around to head upriver and I continued downriver another 1000m or so to the dam.

I turned to head upriver and again was having trouble holding my pace target.  I experimented a bit and at times, I was able to get long smooth strokes and a good pace without a ton of effort.  But it was spotty at best.  I definitely felt like focusing on holding a body forward position during the drive, and then opening my back was more efficient.  It was a little difficult to focus on that and at the same time keep my finishes early and crisp.  I have issues chewing gum and walking at the same time, apparently.

I spun at the upstream end and headed down to the dam again.  Grinding it out.  When I turned at the dam, I had every intention of just finishing up normally, but within about 500m, I was sick of it.  I was working hard and not going very fast.  It didn’t seem very productive, so a change of plan seemed like a good idea.

I decided to finish up with some technical rowing.  500m of square blades, 500m of alternating square and feathered, 500m of feathered rowing focused on balance.  Five 500m blocks brought me to the upstream end of the river, then I paddled back to the dock.

Thinking about it, since I pushed so hard yesterday, I probably should have done the whole session as a UT2, technique focused row.

Tomorrow:  Schedule calls for another threshold row.  4 x 2700 at r24-26

Tuesday: 4 x 2700 / 4′ rest Threshold

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Weather: Basically perfect.  I launched at about 6:20, and I started my first piece around 6:45.  Here’s the weather data for the most reliable station near the waltham end of the river.  You can see it was basically flat calm and then the wind shifted and built into a gentle breeze from the northeast.  This was a light headwind in the 3rd interval and a light tail wind in the fourth.

Screen Shot 2016-08-09 at 9.46.21 AM

Plan:

  • 4 x 2700m
  • 4′ rest including a little paddling and a drink of water.
  • rate: 24-26
  • pace: 2:15
  • Heart rate: no cap.  maximize time in TR zone (>164)
  • Technique:  GET LONG AT THE CATCH.

Screen Shot 2016-08-09 at 9.40.50 AM

The map view shows the little paddles I took between intervals.

The speedcoach data shows the pace impact in the s-turn.  This was worst in 2nd and 3rd intervals when my line was less than ideal and I needed to turn a bit tighter.  You can also see the rate tick up in the turn.

The TCX data (processed on rowsandall.com) shows the rests a bit more accurately.  I wasn’t fastidious about the rest time.  I generally took between 4 and 5 minutes of rest.  myimage (60)

In terms of heart rate,  I got a good 34 minutes of threshold work.

myimage (59)

Start_|_Dist_|_Split_|_Pace_|_Strks__|_Rate_|_DPS_|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00020_|_1129_|_06:25_|_2:50.5_|_115___|_17.9_|_09.8_|_119___|_
01142_|_2823_|_12:29_|_2:12.6_|_318___|_25.5_|_08.9_|_159___|_
03965_|_0395_|_02:53_|_3:39.0_|_051___|_17.7_|_07.7_|_116___|_
04360_|_2778_|_12:29_|_2:14.8_|_320___|_25.6_|_08.7_|_164___|_
07138_|_0357_|_02:23_|_3:20.0_|_041___|_17.2_|_08.7_|_125___|_
07495_|_2787_|_12:39_|_2:16.2_|_324___|_25.6_|_08.6_|_166___|_
10282_|_0353_|_02:40_|_3:47.1_|_046___|_17.2_|_07.7_|_126___|_
10635_|_2813_|_12:41_|_2:15.3_|_326___|_25.7_|_08.6_|_167___|_
13448_|_1205_|_07:42_|_3:11.9_|_144___|_18.7_|_08.4_|_126___|_

Dist__|_Time__|_Pace___|_Strks_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
01129_|_06:25_|_2:50.5_|_115___|_17.9_|_09.8_|_119___|_warmup
11201_|_50:18_|_2:14.7_|_1288___|_25.6_|_08.7_|_164___|_Main set
01105_|_07:56_|_3:35.4_|_138___|_17.4_|_08.0_|_122___|_rest meters
01205_|_07:42_|_3:11.9_|_144___|_18.7_|_08.4_|_126___|_cool down
14640_|_12:21_|_2:28.3_|_1685___|_23.3_|_08.7_|_151___|_Total

And thanks to a blazing fast first interval, I managed to hit my target!  And no quitting!  This was a very good workout.  Good pacing.  Reasonable steering.

I’m starting to look forward to head racing.

Monday: 14K Steady State

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Sunday:  A much needed rest day.  I had rowed the 7 previous days and put in some serious volume (88K on the water and 20K on the erg).  On Saturday, after my tough threshold session, we went out to Listen to The Boston Symphony Orchestra in Tanglewood.  We got home about 1 in the morning.

Back at it this morning!

Weather:  Beautiful.  Sunny and Cool, around 60f.  Dry.  Very light wind just rippling the water, from the northwest, which is basically a crosswind.

Plan:

  • warmup to the little island
  • 4 x 2800m
  • brief rest to just turn around the boat.  Less than a minute
  • rate: 20 spm
  • pace: <2:30
  • heart rate: cap at 150

What a difference flat water makes.  On Saturday, my average pace was 2:22.7 at 24spm and with an average HR of 165.  Today, my pace was 0.4 sec slower at 2:23.1, but at a stroke rate of 20spm and an average HR of 147!

The main difference was the wind and waves, but there is also a loss in efficiency as my stroke rate goes up.  I need to keep at the threshold sessions to improve my technique at head racing stroke rates.

Tomorrow:  4 x 2700m / 4′ rest, pace ~2:15, rate: 26

 

Saturday: Tough Threshold work on Quinsig

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Weather:  Warm, starting in the low 70s and climbing.  Wind was gusty, swinging randomly around from the south to the west.  Average wind was around 4 mph with gusts above 6.  There was a fair amount of chop on the lake.  There were also lots of power boats.

Plan:

  • Warmup by heading to the north end of the lake (~2K)
  • 2 x 5.5K
  • 5′ rest
  • pace target: 2:20
  • rate: start at 22 for 2k, then to 24 for 2k then to 26 for the last 1.5K

Start_|_Dist_|_Split_|_Pace_|_Strks__|_Rate_|_DPS_|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00020_|_2150_|_10:47_|_2:30.5_|_199___|_18.5_|_10.8_|_138___|_warmup
02156_|_0069_|_00:33_|_3:57.0_|_009___|_16.5_|_07.7_|_110___|_turn
02225_|_1404_|_06:40_|_2:22.3_|_152___|_22.8_|_09.2_|_157___|_head down lake
03629_|_0847_|_05:16_|_3:06.3_|_092___|_17.5_|_09.2_|_146___|_swamped
04476_|_2134_|_10:05_|_2:21.7_|_253___|_25.1_|_08.4_|_168___|_rest of lake
06610_|_0186_|_01:42_|_4:33.7_|_021___|_12.4_|_08.9_|_125___|_turn
06796_|_5724_|_27:19_|_2:23.2_|_669___|_24.5_|_08.6_|_165___|_full lake
12520_|_2246_|_14:22_|_3:11.9_|_265___|_18.4_|_08.5_|_139___|_feet out

Dist__|_Time__|_Pace___|_Strks_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
02150_|_10:47_|_2:30.5_|_199___|_18.5_|_10.8_|_138___|_warmup
09262_|_44:04_|_2:22.7_|_1074___|_24.4_|_08.6_|_165___|_Main set
01102_|_07:30_|_3:24.2_|_122___|_16.3_|_09.0_|_139___|_rest meters
02246_|_14:22_|_3:11.9_|_265___|_18.4_|_08.5_|_139___|_cool down
14760_|_16:43_|_2:35.9_|_1660___|_21.6_|_08.9_|_154___|_Total

What an adventure.

The warmup was reasonably uneventful.  I launched and headed up lake.  The wind was behind me and I was cruising along nicely.  I pushed the pace a little until my heart rate was well up in the UT1 range, then backed off to save myself for the main event.

The plan was to do two complete lengths of the lake, 11k in total at a pace a bit slower than head race pace.  To try to conserve energy, I planned to start at 22spm, and then push the rate up to 24 after 2K, then again up to 26 after another 2k.

This plan lasted until my encounter with the new police boat on the lake.  This is a truly magnificent police boat.  Apparently a surplus open ocean patrol boat from the coast guard.  It’s big and I learned the hard way that it throws a massive wake.

I was pushing hard into the head wind.  At first, in the relatively sheltered north end of the lake, I was doing OK around 2:20 pace, but slowed considerably in the chop and breeze as I got into the second 1000 meters.  Then I saw the police boat over my shoulder.  It passed to my port side, about 40 meters away, and I steered a bit toward the wake to take it straight on my bow.  The wake was huge.  I rolled down either side of my boat, well above the gunwale and completely filled the footwell before it receded to stern.  At first, I thought I would just be brave and muscle on, but the water sloshing around was really bugging me, so I turned into the docks to empty it out.  My pace from the top of the lake to the point I got waked was a 2:22.3.

That part went just fine.  In to the dock. Out of the boat.  All the loose bits out of the boat.  Oars off, lift the boat, drain it out.  Back in the water. Oars back on.  Water bottle and shoes back in the boat.  Get back in the boat.  That is where things went awry.

I stepped into the boat and got my feet strapped in.  At that point, I noticed the dock was just barely beyond my reach to push off.  Oh well, I slowly pulled in my port side oar to push away from the dock.  I had to haul it all the way so that the blade was at the oarlock.  This position was apparently a bit unstable.  I started to push off with my blade tip, and the oar slipped under the side of the dock, and in a heart beat, I was in the water next to my boat wondering what the hell had happened.

So back to square one.  right the boat.  Repeat the drill to get the water out.  Get back in.  Feet in shoes.  Push off and row humbly away.  Very embarrassing.  I paddled out to the proper course and restarted my piece.  The wind must have swung more westerly in this section because the chop was less and my pace was better.  At least it was better until I was waked again about halfway to the narrows.  I got back up to speed and continued to the narrows before I noticed that my speedcoach seemed  to have been stopped during my whole docking/draining/flipping/draining exercise and I had not logged the prior 1000 meters or so.  Dohhh!  I restarted the speedcoach and continued.  Within a few hundred meters, I was waked hard again.  Not enough to swamp me, but enough to make me stop rowing for a couple strokes.  Things were nice and flat for the next 1000m, then another waterskiing boat nailed me with a wake as I was heading into the cove at the south end of the lake.  The last 2K was at a 2:21 pace.  I guess it must have been more of a cross wind than a head wind.

At this point the thought doing another piece just like that one was filling me with dread.  I took a nice rest, a bit longer than 5 minutes and told myself that a nice tail wind would make everything feel much better.  This lie was exposed almost immediately.  The wind was coming just about from exactly sideways, and now I was on the leeward side of the lake, so the chop was bigger.  I gave up on trying to rate down at 22 because it was easier to balance at 24.  It was a real challenge to try to keep my strokes long at the catch because the chop was throwing off my balance.  I was also having trouble finishing clean on some strokes because my oars would come out of the water at different times with the wave action.  Strangely enough, after getting waked 3 times going down lake, I was completely unscathed going uplake for the entire 5700 meters.  I was slower going uplake, with an average pace of 2:23.2.  I blame the chop!

I was very tired by the time I finished the piece at the north end of the lake.  I had a drink, pulled my feet out of the shoes and took it really easy coming back down lake to the dock.  I crawled out of the boat onto the dock.

It wasn’t easy, but I have to say it was a productive session.  Need to get practice in crappy water, and I need lots of minutes at threshold to get ready for head racing.

Friday: Long UT1 row

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Weather:  Awesome!  Sunny.  It started cool around 60F, but warmed up fast.  It was in the mid 70s by the time finished.  The wind was just like yesterday, around 2-4 mph from the West.  A tailwind going downriver and a headwind heading up wind.

Plan:

  • 90′ of steady state
  • rate: 20
  • pace: ~2:30
  • HR: <155

Start_|_Dist_|_Split_|_Pace_|_Strks__|_Rate_|_DPS_|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00003_|_1201_|_06:00_|_2:30.0_|_124___|_20.6_|_09.7_|_132___|_warmup
01204_|_2784_|_13:14_|_2:22.6_|_268___|_20.3_|_10.4_|_147___|_tail wind
03988_|_0055_|_00:20_|_3:04.5_|_005___|_14.8_|_11.0_|_140___|_turn
04043_|_2818_|_13:54_|_2:27.9_|_280___|_20.2_|_10.1_|_151___|_head wind
06861_|_0078_|_00:31_|_3:20.6_|_009___|_17.3_|_08.7_|_133___|_turn
06939_|_2775_|_13:29_|_2:25.9_|_269___|_19.9_|_10.3_|_152___|_tail wind
09714_|_0077_|_00:34_|_3:42.7_|_012___|_21.0_|_06.4_|_143___|_turn
09791_|_2798_|_14:05_|_2:31.0_|_286___|_20.3_|_09.8_|_154___|_head wind
12589_|_0054_|_00:21_|_3:13.5_|_005___|_14.4_|_10.8_|_121___|_turn
12643_|_2822_|_13:54_|_2:27.7_|_279___|_20.1_|_10.1_|_153___|_tail wind
15465_|_0061_|_00:32_|_4:22.3_|_009___|_16.9_|_06.8_|_142___|_turn
15526_|_2315_|_11:46_|_2:32.4_|_238___|_20.2_|_09.7_|_153___|_head wind
17841_|_1683_|_09:14_|_2:44.4_|_183___|_19.8_|_09.2_|_146___|_back to dock

Dist__|_Time__|_Pace___|_Strks_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
01201_|_06:00_|_2:30.0_|_124___|_20.6_|_09.7_|_132___|_warmup
16312_|_1:20:21_|_2:27.8_|_1620___|_20.2_|_10.1_|_152___|_Main set
02008_|_11:32_|_2:52.4_|_223___|_19.3_|_09.0_|_144___|_rest meters
19521_|_1:37:54_|_2:30.4_|_1967___|_20.1_|_09.9_|_150___|_Total

I’m happy with this session.  I worked within the HR cap and felt like the boat was running well.

Tomorrow:  2 x 5.5K / 5′ rest, rate r24, pace <2:20 on Lake Quinsigamond

Thursday: Easy Technique

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Weather: Sunny, hot – in the 80s, light wind around 4 mph from the west, generally a head wind when going up river.

I was out late for dinner with a customer on Wednesday night, so I decided to sleep in, and maybe catch a row in the late afternoon after work.  I was able to get out around 4:30PM and I was on the water by about 5:15.

I was originally planning to do a hard threshold session, but I’m still feeling a bit worn down.  I’m also working through some lower back pain.  I was dreading the session enough that I found myself trying to come up with reasons to not row.  Once I figured that out, I decided that it was too nice a day to miss getting out on the water to enjoy it, and reset my plans.  I would do a low intensity technique session.

I didn’t have a ton of time, so I decided to just do one lap of river, about 9km.  It’s been a while since I did a bungee row, so I opted to row from the dock to the end of the river with the bungee and then take it off for the row back.  The main thing I try to do when I row with a bungee is to work on my form during the drive.  I want to accelerate smoothly while maintaining a body forward position, with my shoulders relaxed and my arms not bent at all, then swing my body through, and finish smooth and early and get my blades out of the water cleanly.  The big thing is avoiding opening up my back early.  Paradoxically, doing this session with a bit of lower bak pain was helpful.  Essentially, my back would remind me with a twinge anytime I opened early.

I was surprised by the pace I was getting with the bungee.  I usually lose about 15 seconds or more off pace, but today it was less than 10.  Once I turned the boat around and took the bungee off, I understood why.  I was rowing with a gentle tail wind.  Now I was rowing into the wind and frankly, it felt a lot like rowing with the bungee.  I tried to just stick at an easy 18 spm, and ignore the pace as much as I could to focus on getting the drive right and enjoying the sunshine.

 

Wednesday: 13K LIT Technique

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Weather:   cool and misty.  Around 60F, quite foggy at the start, but cleared up as I went along.  Light wind <2mph, seemingly from every direction of the compass.

Plan:

  • 2′ Square Blades
  • 2′ alternating square and feathered by stroke
  • 2′ feathered – r20
  • Objectives:  clean finishes, balance during recovery (blades high!), full compression at the catch
  • HR guideline:  Top of UT1 (155), maximize time in UT2 (137-143)

This was a nice relaxed session.  Good balance and some very nice strokes.

75′ LIT

Tomorrow:  4 x 2700 / 4′ rest @ r24, pace target <2:20, HR limit 170