Tag: 2′

Tuesday: 9 x 2′ / 1′ in the double

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I needed to drop off my car for service out in Shrewsbury for service at 7am.  So, I dropped a text to my friend Joe to see if he wanted to take out a double with me before I dropped off my car.  We met at the boathouse at 5:30am, and the eastern sky was just starting to lighten up.  It reminded me of last fall when we would do a couple sessions a week like this when we were getting ready for the HOCR.

It was cool, only about 50F and there was a lot of mist on the water.  There was a bit of wind blowing from the North, maybe 6 mph of so.  Just enough to make the boat feel heavier when we were rowing up lake.

My plan called for an L1 workout today.  An 8×500 sprint session.  I decided to dial it back a little bit and change it to more of a head race type session since I didn’t think it would be good to try to rate up too much.  It takes a few good practices together before you can really get the timing down well enough to sprint together.  I figured by cutting back the rests ad bringing down the stroke rate it would be a good threshold workout and it would fit into the trip up the lake.  That would leave us the trip from the boathouse down to the south end of the lake to warmup and get used to rowing together, and the trip from the north end of the lake back to the boathouse for cool down.

So, the Plan:

  • 8 or 9 x 2′ / 1′ rest
  • Target stroke rate: 26-28
  • Heart Rate Limit: None
  • Pace Target:  Who knows.  Maybe 2:15?

8-29a

8-29b

       Workout Summary - media/20170829-131818-Greg Smith 20170829 0546amo.csv
--|Total|-Total-|--Avg--|-Avg-|Avg-|-Avg-|-Max-|-Avg
--|Dist-|-Time--|-Pace--|-Pwr-|SPM-|-HR--|-HR--|-DPS
--|11696|62:17.0|02:39.8|000.0|24.2|149.1|173.0|07.8
W-|09238|43:52.0|02:22.5|000.0|24.7|153.0|173.0|08.6
R-|02471|18:24.0|03:43.5|000.0|22.1|132.5|173.0|00.0
Workout Details
#-|SDist|-Split-|-SPace-|-Pwr-|SPM-|AvgHR|MaxHR|DPS-
01|03364|16:00.0|02:22.7|000.0|22.3|143.9|162.0|09.4 - warmup
02|00414|02:00.0|02:25.0|000.0|25.1|144.7|158.0|08.2 - rep 1 - waked
03|00440|02:00.0|02:16.5|000.0|26.8|160.2|166.0|08.2 
04|00416|02:00.0|02:24.3|000.0|28.5|163.3|168.0|07.3 - waked
05|00437|02:00.0|02:17.4|000.0|27.6|162.9|171.0|07.9
06|00434|02:00.0|02:18.1|000.0|26.5|165.7|171.0|08.2
07|00445|02:00.0|02:14.9|000.0|26.7|163.1|171.0|08.3
08|00452|02:00.0|02:12.9|000.0|27.7|166.7|172.0|08.1
09|00451|02:00.0|02:13.1|000.0|27.4|166.3|173.0|08.2
10|00454|02:00.0|02:12.1|000.0|28.0|164.8|172.0|08.1
11|01932|09:52.7|02:33.4|000.0|23.9|151.3|160.0|08.2 - cool down

There was a ski boat out at the same time as us.  He nailed us in the middle of our first interval, and then again with 30 seconds left in the third interval.  We were free and clear after that.  With the head wind we were a bit slower than I thought we’d be, but I was also rowing a bit lighter than I normally would, trying to be careful of my back.

My back was really touchy this morning before we set off.  If I bent wrong, I got shooting pains in my hip and lower back.  I stretched a bit before we launched and worked my way out to full length during the warmup and it felt much better by the time we finished.

It was a great workout.  I really like rowing in the double.  I like stroking and not having to worry about steering and its nice to be out rowing with someone literally in the same boat.

Tomorrow:  The workout plan calls for an 80′ L4.  I am going to continue to substitute r20 endurance sessions for L4s for the foreseeable future to minimize risk of aggrevating my back injury.

For reference, here’s the link to the google sheet with my workout plan and daily summary.

 

Wednesday: 8 x 2′ / 2′ 1x

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A beautiful morning.  Sunny, warm, dry, hardly any wind.

Plan:

  • Long warmup to re-acclimate to higher stroke rates
  • 8 x 2′ / 2′ rest
  • Stroke rate target: 26 (head race rate)
  • Pace target: better than 2:15 (a pretty easy target for this workout)
  • Do work sections in line down the river, do not avoid turns
  • Technique work after

The basic thing I was trying to do today was to row at Head race rates and slightly higher than head race pressure to start getting my head wrapped around what I need to accomplish over the next 9 weeks before the HOCR.

I was really happy with how the workout went.  I am liking the new smoothies at higher stroke rates.  I feel like the softer shafts are helping me manage the drive better and the extra length is providing more stability on recovery.

8-9-1.png

Workout Summary - media/20170809-133817-Greg Smith 20170809 0633amo.csv
--|Total|-Total-|--Avg--|-Avg-|Avg-|-Avg-|-Max-|-Avg
--|Dist-|-Time--|-Pace--|-Pwr-|SPM-|-HR--|-HR--|-DPS
--|13815|81:42.0|02:57.4|149.0|21.7|146.5|180.0|07.8
W-|03748|16:00.0|02:08.1|252.0|26.7|160.2|180.0|08.8
R-|10077|63:42.0|03:09.6|112.1|19.9|141.5|180.0|08.3
Workout Details
#-|SDist|-Split-|-SPace-|-Pwr-|SPM-|AvgHR|MaxHR|DPS-
01|00456|02:00.0|02:11.7|247.1|26.7|154.4|167.0|08.5 - vs current
02|00455|02:00.0|02:11.9|242.6|26.6|158.9|170.0|08.6
03|00458|02:00.0|02:11.1|228.0|27.0|161.3|172.0|08.5
04|00460|02:00.0|02:10.3|259.7|25.8|160.6|173.0|08.9
05|00479|02:00.0|02:05.2|236.8|26.7|161.3|175.0|09.0 - w/ current
06|00470|02:00.0|02:07.7|267.6|26.5|160.0|176.0|08.9
07|00478|02:00.0|02:05.5|258.7|26.3|159.1|177.0|09.1
08|00493|02:00.0|02:01.8|275.8|28.3|165.6|180.0|08.7

A few metrics plots.  I held things very consistent throughout.  Lifted stroke rates on purpose in the last interval and allowed it to creep up in the turns.

Tomorrow:  I have an 8am meeting, so no OTW.  I will try to squeeze in an erg session during the day, but it might not happen.

 

Monday: 2′ Intervals OTW

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Weather:  Cool and misty.  Around 45F.  A little bit of wind, head wind when going upstream generally.  After Saturday in Wellfleet, I have a new standard for wind and waves.  😉

Plan:

  • 2′ On /2′ Off
  • 3 sets of 4 intervals
  • Each set at 22, 24, 26, 28 spm

As I set off from the dock, I noticed how much more cramped I felt at the finish than I did in my Alden.  I turned around and headed back to the dock and moved the footstretcher 2 cm toward the bow.  I noticed the change immediately and I felt a lot more comfortable at the finish.

I rowed the 1km out to the start point and I set off.  The 22 was easy, so I only took 1 minute of rest.  After the 24, I was starting to feel it so I took the full 2 minutes.  This setup worked pretty well.  I was pretty gassed at the end.

Workout Summary - media/Fusion_20170502-211209.csv
--|Total|-Total-|--Avg--|-Avg-|Avg-|-Avg-|-Max-|-Avg
--|Dist-|-Time--|-Pace--|-Pwr-|SPM-|-HR--|-HR--|-DPS
--|09687|54:00.0|02:47.2|172.2|22.5|151.1|179.0|08.0
W-|05553|24:00.0|02:09.6|246.8|25.5|158.4|176.0|09.1
R-|05345|37:06.0|03:28.2|108.4|20.2|145.3|176.0|08.2
Workout Details
#-|SDist|-Split-|-SPace-|-Pwr-|SPM-|AvgHR|MaxHR|DPS-
00|00007|00:00.0|00:00.0|000.0|08.5|102.0|102.0|00.0
01|00458|02:00.0|02:11.0|198.3|22.5|153.1|160.0|10.2 - tail wind/curr
02|00467|02:00.0|02:08.4|242.9|24.5|158.6|165.0|09.5
03|00491|02:00.0|02:02.1|266.5|26.5|160.5|169.0|09.3
04|00500|02:00.0|02:00.0|279.3|28.0|162.5|173.0|08.9
05|00437|02:00.0|02:17.4|216.7|22.8|150.1|165.0|09.6 - head wind/curr
06|00442|02:00.0|02:15.8|240.3|24.8|160.8|169.0|08.9
07|00459|02:00.0|02:10.7|231.6|26.7|164.3|173.0|08.6
08|00463|02:00.0|02:09.6|274.4|28.1|164.8|176.0|08.2
09|00451|02:00.0|02:12.9|235.3|22.6|146.2|165.0|10.0 - tail wind/curr
10|00469|02:00.0|02:07.9|272.0|25.3|158.0|170.0|09.3
11|00448|02:00.0|02:14.1|228.9|26.3|159.2|171.0|08.5 - head wind/curr
12|00462|02:00.0|02:10.0|275.2|28.4|162.6|175.0|08.1

This shows some of the power of the interval editor on rowsandall.  By isolating each interval, you can see how much the wind and current was effecting pace.  Compare intervals 1,5, and 9.  In # 1, I was in a tail current the whole way.  In #5, I was against the wind and current for the whole interval.  In #9, I started in a dead end section and finished with a tail current.  You can see that in the variations in pace.  More interesting was how I was working at higher powers in each one of them.  Look at the consistency of power at r28.  275 to 279W.  But the pace was 2:00 with the current and 2:10 against!

5-1d

To look at the effect of moving my feet, I compared this workout with the a rate ladder workout I did back in April.  This workout was at r18,20,22 and 24, so I plotted a few parameters versus stroke rate to see what changed.

  • Effective stroke length:  Improved about 2-4 degrees
  • Slip: roughly the same, strongly correlated with stroke rate.
  • Catch angle:  Maybe a little higher.  I was surprised, I would have thought 2cm would have caused a bigger change.
  • Wash:  2-4 degrees better.  This where the longer effective length came from.  By giving myself a little more room, I could tap down better.
  • Finish:  I was expecting this to get smaller since I moved my feet, but it didn’t change all that much.

I am like the new foot position, and I like being able to correlate it with a single parameter (wash) that got better.

Good workout.  It’s fun to row hard sometimes.

 

Thursday: 4 x (5 x 2′ / 30″ paddle) / 3′ rest

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On the Upper Charles.  In my fluid.

Weather:  Cold, calm, clear and dark!  30F when I launched, 31F when I finished.  The water was glassy smooth.  It was so calm that I noticed the tiny wake that a goose made when he paddled by in the opposite direction (and I resented the goose for spoiling my perfect water!)

Plan:

  • 4 sets of 5 x 2′ on / 30″ paddle
  • 3 or 4 minutes of rest between sets
  • rate: 26-28
  • pace: better than 2:15
  • HR: No cap.  Threshold workout
  • Technique:  full compression, level draw, crisp tap down, smooth recovery

The number of reps in each set is designed to cover the distance down the river so that I get my long rest when I need to turn at the end.  The intent of this workout is to work  at head race pace and stroke rates with enough rests so that it is more focused on technique than survival.  It worked out as planned.

| Tstart_ | Dist_ | Time_ | _Pace_ | SPM_ | avgHR | _DPS___ | Remarks
 | 00:00.0 | 01166 | 08:00 | 3:25.8 | 15.2 | 119.3 | 09.6 | warming up
 | 08:00.0 | 00451 | 01:59 | 2:11.9 | 25.9 | 151.5 | 08.8 | 
 | 09:59.0 | 00090 | 00:30 | 2:46.7 | 20.7 | 155.1 | 08.7 | 
 | 10:29.0 | 00462 | 02:00 | 2:09.9 | 26.9 | 158.1 | 08.6 | 
 | 12:29.0 | 00079 | 00:30 | 3:09.9 | 19.6 | 159.8 | 08.1 | 
 | 12:59.0 | 00452 | 02:00 | 2:12.7 | 26.8 | 158.3 | 08.4 | 
 | 14:59.0 | 00075 | 00:30 | 3:20.0 | 19.7 | 160.9 | 07.6 | 
 | 15:29.0 | 00473 | 02:01 | 2:07.9 | 27.1 | 160.6 | 08.7 | 
 | 17:30.0 | 00078 | 00:29 | 3:05.9 | 21.4 | 165.2 | 07.5 | 
 | 17:59.0 | 00470 | 02:00 | 2:07.7 | 27.9 | 165.0 | 08.4 | 
 | 19:59.0 | 00323 | 03:00 | 4:38.6 | 20.2 | 135.8 | 05.3 | 
 | 22:59.0 | 00454 | 02:00 | 2:12.2 | 26.9 | 152.0 | 08.4 | 
 | 24:59.0 | 00084 | 00:30 | 2:58.6 | 21.6 | 164.3 | 07.8 | 
 | 25:29.0 | 00447 | 02:00 | 2:14.2 | 27.5 | 164.8 | 08.1 | 
 | 27:29.0 | 00078 | 00:30 | 3:12.3 | 21.7 | 167.5 | 07.2 | 
 | 27:59.0 | 00444 | 02:00 | 2:15.1 | 26.8 | 166.5 | 08.3 | 
 | 29:59.0 | 00082 | 00:31 | 3:09.0 | 25.2 | 170.0 | 06.3 | 
 | 30:30.0 | 00437 | 01:59 | 2:16.2 | 27.2 | 167.6 | 08.1 | 
 | 32:29.0 | 00069 | 00:30 | 3:37.4 | 21.0 | 170.3 | 06.6 | 
 | 32:59.0 | 00445 | 02:00 | 2:14.8 | 26.3 | 167.2 | 08.5 | 
 | 34:59.0 | 00415 | 04:00 | 4:49.2 | 18.9 | 136.7 | 05.5 | 
 | 38:59.0 | 00460 | 02:00 | 2:10.4 | 26.8 | 153.5 | 08.6 | 
 | 40:59.0 | 00084 | 00:30 | 2:58.6 | 21.3 | 163.6 | 07.9 | 
 | 41:29.0 | 00447 | 02:00 | 2:14.2 | 27.4 | 163.3 | 08.2 | 
 | 43:29.0 | 00084 | 00:30 | 2:58.6 | 22.0 | 166.7 | 07.6 | 
 | 43:59.0 | 00447 | 02:00 | 2:14.2 | 26.2 | 165.3 | 08.5 | 
 | 45:59.0 | 00093 | 00:31 | 2:46.7 | 21.5 | 166.6 | 08.4 | 
 | 46:30.0 | 00445 | 01:59 | 2:13.7 | 27.0 | 164.9 | 08.3 | 
 | 48:29.0 | 00078 | 00:30 | 3:12.3 | 21.3 | 167.2 | 07.3 | 
 | 48:59.0 | 00454 | 02:00 | 2:12.2 | 27.4 | 167.2 | 08.3 | 
 | 50:59.0 | 00215 | 03:00 | 6:58.6 | 18.2 | 134.5 | 03.9 | 
 | 53:59.0 | 00455 | 02:00 | 2:11.9 | 26.8 | 153.4 | 08.5 | 
 | 55:59.0 | 00081 | 00:30 | 3:05.2 | 21.2 | 163.2 | 07.7 | 
 | 56:29.0 | 00440 | 02:00 | 2:16.4 | 25.8 | 163.6 | 08.5 | 
 | 58:29.0 | 00082 | 00:30 | 3:02.9 | 21.3 | 165.1 | 07.7 | 
 | 58:59.0 | 00437 | 02:01 | 2:18.4 | 26.1 | 164.8 | 08.3 | 
 | 01:00.0 | 00076 | 00:29 | 3:10.8 | 21.7 | 166.6 | 07.2 | 
 | 01:29.0 | 00437 | 02:00 | 2:17.3 | 26.2 | 165.7 | 08.3 | 
 | 03:29.0 | 00079 | 00:30 | 3:09.9 | 20.4 | 167.7 | 07.7 | 
 | 03:59.0 | 00449 | 02:00 | 2:13.6 | 26.7 | 167.7 | 08.4 | 
 | 05:59.0 | 01455 | 10:20 | 3:33.1 | 18.1 | 127.8 | 07.8 |

| Tstart_ | Dist_ | Time_ | _Pace_ | SPM_ | avgHR | _DPS___ | Remarks
 | 00:00.0 | 01166 | 08:00 | 3:25.8 | 15.2 | 119.3 | 09.6 | warmup
 | 00:00.0 | 02245 | 18:00 | 4:00.5 | 20.1 | 148.8 | 06.2 | rests
 | 00:00.0 | 01455 | 10:20 | 3:33.1 | 18.1 | 127.8 | 07.8 | cool down
 | 00:00.0 | 09006 | 39:59 | 2:13.2 | 26.8 | 162.1 | 08.4 | main set

I was hoping to be a bit faster, but it wasn’t gonna happen for me today.  I suspect that the hard workout from Tuesday, plus 90 minutes yesterday has built up a little fatigue.

I also was not pushing this to the edge.  In each interval, when it started to bite, I tried to refocus on technique.  Try to get my finishes so clean that I wouldn’t touch the water, and really get out for the catch.  With water this smooth, it was hard to row badly!

I was curious what my stroke dynamics look like.  Here are a few strokes from the begining and end of the workout.

screen-shot-2016-10-27-at-10-00-33-am

You can compare that to last year.

screen-shot-2015-11-01-at-10-09-29-am

It looks like some subtle changes.

  • This year, it looks like I am getting a bit more impulse from my leg drive.  The acceleration curve is peaking more at 0.4 sec.
  • It looks like my finishes were a bit cleaner last year.
  • See how the boat speed is peaking right before the catch last year?  That means that I am accelerating up the slide.  This year in two out of three strokes, the boat speed is nice and flat through the recovery, so a smoother, more even recovery.  You can also see this in terms of the minimum instantaneous boat speed.  Last year, it troughed well below 2.5m/s.  This year, all strokes troughed above 2.5m/s.  That’s good.

Tomorrow:  The weather is supposed to be terrible.  I might do an erg session.  I should probably do a 4 x 20′ endurance session, but I might do a rate limited 10K to post a CTC number.

Wednesday:4 x 5 x 2′

1 Comment

Weather:  Wind from the NE.  Weather data says it was less than 5mph, but it felt stronger than that on the lake.  Overcast, but no fog!

Plan:

  • Warmup to north end of the lake
  • 4 x ( 5 x 2′ / 30″ paddle)
  • 3 ish minute rests between sets
    • with a minute or so of square blade drills in each rest
  • rate pyramid in each set of 5: 24, 26, 28, 26, 24
  • pace:  better than 2:15
  • Cool down with some feet out rowing to work on finishes

We did 2 power 10s and a 20 during the warmup and finished with a minute or so of alternating squared and feathered.

The first 2 sets were with a tail wind.  It made us a bit sloppy.  The r28 felt good though.  The boat felt nice and light and I felt unhurried and like we in good sync.

We did about minute of square blade drills in the breaks between sets.  Between sets 2 and 3, we did about 2 minutes of drills in the cove.  The water was nice a flat, and frankly, I wanted a bit more rest for the last two sets.

When we headed up into the wind, we were a lot slower.  Just about 10 seconds difference in pace between the downwind and upwind pieces.  But even though the boat felt heavier, I felt like our technique was a bit more solid.  At times in a couple of the intervals, we would lose the set of the boat for a few strokes.  I would find myself dragging my starboard oar, dropping in the catch early because the boat felt unstable, or basking my right thumb on the opposite oar toward the end of the stroke.  The good news is that we seemed to be able to get back on track within the interval.

Screen Shot 2016-09-28 at 10.25.27 AM.png

| Tstart_ | Dist_ | Time_ | _Pace_ | SPM_ | avgHR | _DPS___ | Remarks
| 00:00.0 | 02498 | 16:30 | 3:18.2 | 18.3 | 122.6 | 08.3 | warming up
| 16:30.0 | 00469 | 02:00 | 2:07.9 | 24.0 | 151.8 | 09.8 |
| 18:30.0 | 00096 | 00:30 | 2:36.3 | 22.8 | 156.3 | 08.4 |
| 19:00.0 | 00466 | 01:59 | 2:07.7 | 26.0 | 160.8 | 09.0 |
| 20:59.0 | 00097 | 00:31 | 2:39.8 | 23.8 | 162.1 | 07.9 |
| 21:30.0 | 00477 | 02:00 | 2:05.8 | 27.3 | 164.8 | 08.7 |
| 23:30.0 | 00092 | 00:30 | 2:43.0 | 23.3 | 165.1 | 07.9 |
| 24:00.0 | 00459 | 02:00 | 2:10.7 | 25.6 | 165.5 | 09.0 |
| 26:00.0 | 00080 | 00:30 | 3:07.5 | 23.2 | 165.1 | 06.9 |
| 26:30.0 | 00470 | 02:00 | 2:07.7 | 24.4 | 166.4 | 09.6 |
| 28:30.0 | 00331 | 02:30 | 3:46.6 | 21.1 | 141.8 | 06.3 |
| 31:00.0 | 00443 | 02:00 | 2:15.4 | 23.9 | 153.3 | 09.3 |
| 33:00.0 | 00075 | 00:30 | 3:20.0 | 23.7 | 156.9 | 06.3 |
| 33:30.0 | 00450 | 01:59 | 2:12.2 | 26.2 | 162.1 | 08.7 |
| 35:29.0 | 00097 | 00:31 | 2:39.8 | 24.7 | 166.1 | 07.6 |
| 36:00.0 | 00462 | 02:00 | 2:09.9 | 28.3 | 169.0 | 08.2 |
| 38:00.0 | 00086 | 00:30 | 2:54.4 | 24.8 | 170.1 | 06.9 |
| 38:30.0 | 00448 | 02:00 | 2:13.9 | 27.0 | 170.7 | 08.3 |
| 40:30.0 | 00091 | 00:30 | 2:44.8 | 24.8 | 172.0 | 07.3 |
| 41:00.0 | 00439 | 02:00 | 2:16.7 | 25.5 | 171.8 | 08.6 |
| 43:00.0 | 00627 | 06:59 | 5:34.1 | 23.3 | 127.7 | 03.8 |
| 49:59.0 | 00429 | 02:01 | 2:21.0 | 24.2 | 153.2 | 08.8 |
| 52:00.0 | 00080 | 00:30 | 3:07.5 | 22.7 | 158.8 | 07.0 |
| 52:30.0 | 00425 | 02:00 | 2:21.2 | 26.4 | 162.9 | 08.1 |
| 54:30.0 | 00088 | 00:30 | 2:50.5 | 24.9 | 166.8 | 07.1 |
| 55:00.0 | 00445 | 02:00 | 2:14.8 | 28.3 | 168.7 | 07.9 |
| 57:00.0 | 00085 | 00:30 | 2:56.5 | 24.9 | 170.1 | 06.8 |
| 57:30.0 | 00420 | 01:59 | 2:21.7 | 26.4 | 170.1 | 08.0 |
| 59:29.0 | 00082 | 00:31 | 3:09.0 | 23.9 | 169.2 | 06.6 |
| 00:00.0 | 00424 | 02:00 | 2:21.5 | 24.7 | 167.5 | 08.6 |
| 02:00.0 | 00252 | 03:00 | 5:57.1 | 19.9 | 140.1 | 04.2 |
| 05:00.0 | 00413 | 02:00 | 2:25.3 | 24.3 | 153.0 | 08.5 |
| 07:00.0 | 00079 | 00:30 | 3:09.9 | 23.7 | 162.7 | 06.7 |
| 07:30.0 | 00432 | 02:00 | 2:18.9 | 26.2 | 164.4 | 08.3 |
| 09:30.0 | 00078 | 00:30 | 3:12.3 | 24.3 | 165.4 | 06.4 |
| 10:00.0 | 00426 | 02:00 | 2:20.8 | 27.5 | 166.8 | 07.7 |
| 12:00.0 | 00073 | 00:29 | 3:18.6 | 24.3 | 168.7 | 06.2 |
| 12:29.0 | 00426 | 02:01 | 2:22.0 | 26.4 | 168.7 | 08.0 |
| 14:30.0 | 00078 | 00:30 | 3:12.3 | 23.8 | 170.9 | 06.6 |
| 15:00.0 | 00429 | 02:00 | 2:19.9 | 25.3 | 169.8 | 08.5 |
| 17:00.0 | 00297 | 01:20 | 2:14.7 | 28.9 | 175.7 | 07.7 |
| 18:20.0 | 02439 | 16:34 | 3:23.8 | 20.0 | 136.7 | 07.4 |

| Tstart_ | Dist_ | Time_ | _Pace_ | SPM_ | avgHR | _DPS___ | Remarks
| 00:00.0 | 02498 | 16:30 | 3:18.2 | 18.3 | 122.6 | 08.3 | warm up
| 00:00.0 | 02567 | 20:31 | 3:59.8 | 22.8 | 146.0 | 05.5 | rests
| 00:00.0 | 02439 | 16:34 | 3:23.8 | 20.0 | 136.7 | 07.4 | cool down
| 00:00.0 | 01821 | 08:00 | 2:11.8 | 24.5 | 160.8 | 09.3 | r24 downwind
| 00:00.0 | 01823 | 07:58 | 2:11.1 | 26.2 | 164.8 | 08.7 | r26 downwind
| 00:00.0 | 00939 | 04:00 | 2:07.8 | 27.8 | 166.9 | 08.4 | r28 downwind
| 00:00.0 | 01695 | 08:01 | 2:21.9 | 24.6 | 160.8 | 08.6 | r24 upwind
| 00:00.0 | 01703 | 08:00 | 2:20.9 | 26.3 | 166.5 | 08.1 | r26 upwind
| 00:00.0 | 01168 | 05:20 | 2:17.0 | 28.1 | 169.7 | 07.8 | r28 upwind

Put it all together and you get an average pace for all intervals of 2:15.5.  This is a bit slower than the last time we did this workout.  That time we did it in 2:14.1 in perfect water.  Today I also had a bit higher heart rate, so more effort to go slower.

My assumption is that the difference is down to wind.  I would guess that the tail wind was giving us about 3 seconds of pace, and the head wind was costing us about 7, that would yield about 2 seconds of pace degradation.

Tomorrow:  Back in my single for an easy r20 session.

Friday: 4 x ( 5 x 2′ hard / 30″ paddle) / 3′ rest (2x)

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Thursday:  I felt very tired when the alarm went off at 5:15am.  I hit the snooze button and slept in.  I took it as a rest day.

Weather:  Incredible, again.  Flat water.  nice temperature.  What an amazing fall it’s been.

I was out in Worcester again this morning for another hard session with Joe.  Today, the objective was to work on our technique and synchronization at race rate and pressure.

Plan:

  • 4 sets of  5 x 2′ hard / 30″ paddle
  • 3 or 4 minutes between sets
  • rate: 24/26/28/26/24 in each set
  • pace: ~2:15
  • technique:  work on blade depth and cleaner finishes

First we did a 2K warmup to the north end of the lake.  In the warmup up we did a couple of power 10s and one power 20 to get a taste of what was to come.

We set up and started from the North end.  The first set of five we enthusiastic, but a bit ragged in terms of technique.  Joe also needed to do a hell of a lot of looking around, so he felt like he could really get in a good groove.  It was still very dark and there were quite a few eights out on the water with pitifully dim lights.  He was rightfully concerned that we might plow right into one.

The first set finished up a bit south of the bridge, so we did a quick loop to make sure we wouldn’t run out of lake in the second set.  The second set was much better in terms of technique, but a bit slower.  The last two pieces in this set were a bit shaky.

Then we paddled the rest of the way to the south end of the lake, and set up for the third set.  From the first two sets, I think we both had a better idea of a sustainable level of pressure and could focus a bit more on technique.  The r28 rep in this set was especially crisp.  The 2nd to last rep of this set was a bit ragged, but the last rep at r24 was much better.

This set finished a bit south of the Rt 9 Bridge.  We took a bit shorter rest here and got into the last set.  The first rep finished under the bridge.  The next two were good, and then the end was in sight.  The 2nd to last at r26 was not memorable, but the last one at r24 started right in front of the QRA docks.  This time of day, there is always a bunch of people there, so I could feel myself sitting up straighter and really concentrating on nailing every single stroke.  It ended up being just about as fast as the very first rep we did at the beginning of the workout.  Amazing what pridefulness can inspire…

On the way back to the dock we worked on a bit of square blade rowing.  We did some alternating square and feathered (I love doing that!), and then some sets of 5 and 10 square blade strokes at a time.  This was a mess at the start, but we improved a lot over about a 1000 meters.  We went straight from rowing on the square into a couple of power 20s, and they felt great!  Some of the best, crispest stroke we took all day.  I think we have to do some rowing on the square in our warmups from now on.

Looking at the splits for the different rates is interesting.

  • r24: 2:15.1
  • r26: 2:14.2
  • r28: 2:11.8

I was expecting to see a bit more speedup from 24 to 26.  I think that might be because we had r24 reps for the very first and very last reps, so they were a bit faster.  Still, since r26 is most likely our go to pace for head races, we have to do some more work on efficiency at that rate.

| Tstart_ | Dist_ | Time_ | _Pace_ | SPM_ | avgHR | _DPS___ | Remarks
| 00:00.0 | 02424 | 16:00 | 3:18.0 | 15.2 | 120.6 | 10.0 | warming up
| 16:00.0 | 00464 | 02:00 | 2:09.3 | 24.4 | 149.7 | 09.5 |
| 18:00.0 | 00095 | 00:30 | 2:37.9 | 22.0 | 159.1 | 08.6 |
| 18:30.0 | 00464 | 02:00 | 2:09.3 | 26.2 | 161.9 | 08.8 |
| 20:30.0 | 00088 | 00:29 | 2:44.8 | 23.1 | 164.8 | 07.9 |
| 20:59.0 | 00467 | 02:01 | 2:09.6 | 28.0 | 164.0 | 08.3 |
| 23:00.0 | 00088 | 00:30 | 2:50.5 | 23.1 | 166.7 | 07.6 |
| 23:30.0 | 00455 | 02:00 | 2:11.9 | 26.4 | 164.5 | 08.6 |
| 25:30.0 | 00090 | 00:30 | 2:46.7 | 23.2 | 167.2 | 07.8 |
| 26:00.0 | 00452 | 02:00 | 2:12.7 | 24.8 | 165.4 | 09.1 |
| 28:00.0 | 00436 | 04:30 | 5:09.6 | 21.8 | 124.6 | 04.5 |
| 32:30.0 | 00452 | 02:00 | 2:12.7 | 24.9 | 147.1 | 09.1 |
| 34:30.0 | 00089 | 00:30 | 2:48.5 | 23.0 | 160.3 | 07.8 |
| 35:00.0 | 00450 | 01:59 | 2:12.2 | 26.3 | 162.9 | 08.6 |
| 36:59.0 | 00092 | 00:31 | 2:48.5 | 23.8 | 166.3 | 07.5 |
| 37:30.0 | 00449 | 02:00 | 2:13.6 | 28.1 | 164.8 | 08.0 |
| 39:30.0 | 00087 | 00:30 | 2:52.4 | 24.0 | 168.4 | 07.3 |
| 40:00.0 | 00438 | 02:00 | 2:17.0 | 26.4 | 166.1 | 08.3 |
| 42:00.0 | 00088 | 00:30 | 2:50.5 | 24.4 | 168.4 | 07.2 |
| 42:30.0 | 00426 | 02:00 | 2:20.8 | 24.6 | 165.7 | 08.6 |
| 44:30.0 | 00563 | 05:00 | 4:26.4 | 20.2 | 128.9 | 05.6 |
| 49:30.0 | 00444 | 01:59 | 2:14.0 | 24.7 | 149.0 | 09.0 |
| 51:29.0 | 00093 | 00:31 | 2:46.7 | 23.7 | 160.8 | 07.6 |
| 52:00.0 | 00447 | 02:00 | 2:14.2 | 26.3 | 160.6 | 08.5 |
| 54:00.0 | 00086 | 00:30 | 2:54.4 | 24.3 | 164.5 | 07.1 |
| 54:30.0 | 00454 | 02:00 | 2:12.2 | 28.7 | 165.3 | 07.9 |
| 56:30.0 | 00083 | 00:30 | 3:00.7 | 24.5 | 169.8 | 06.8 |
| 57:00.0 | 00427 | 02:00 | 2:20.5 | 26.9 | 164.6 | 07.9 |
| 59:00.0 | 00080 | 00:29 | 3:01.2 | 24.7 | 165.7 | 06.7 |
| 59:29.0 | 00438 | 02:01 | 2:18.1 | 25.0 | 163.9 | 08.7 |
| 01:30.0 | 00258 | 03:00 | 5:48.8 | 19.8 | 131.8 | 04.4 |
| 04:30.0 | 00428 | 02:00 | 2:20.2 | 24.6 | 149.0 | 08.7 |
| 06:30.0 | 00096 | 00:30 | 2:36.3 | 24.6 | 161.2 | 07.8 |
| 07:00.0 | 00446 | 02:00 | 2:14.5 | 27.1 | 161.3 | 08.2 |
| 09:00.0 | 00081 | 00:30 | 3:05.2 | 24.4 | 165.2 | 06.6 |
| 09:30.0 | 00455 | 02:00 | 2:11.9 | 29.1 | 166.1 | 07.8 |
| 11:30.0 | 00084 | 00:30 | 2:58.6 | 25.0 | 170.5 | 06.7 |
| 12:00.0 | 00443 | 01:59 | 2:14.3 | 26.8 | 166.8 | 08.3 |
| 13:59.0 | 00086 | 00:31 | 3:00.2 | 24.6 | 170.6 | 06.8 |
| 14:30.0 | 00448 | 02:00 | 2:13.9 | 25.2 | 169.7 | 08.9 |
| 16:30.0 | 02355 | 18:21 | 3:53.8 | 24.2 | 134.4 | 05.3 |

| Tstart_ | Dist_ | Time_ | _Pace_ | SPM_ | avgHR | _DPS___ | Remarks
| 00:00.0 | 02424 | 16:00 | 3:18.0 | 15.2 | 120.6 | 10.0 |warm up
| 00:00.0 | 02663 | 20:31 | 3:51.1 | 21.9 | 142.7 | 05.9 | rests
| 00:00.0 | 02355 | 18:21 | 3:53.8 | 24.2 | 134.4 | 05.3 | cool down
| 00:00.0 | 03552 | 16:00 | 2:15.1 | 24.8 | 157.5 | 09.0 | r24 pieces
| 00:00.0 | 03570 | 15:58 | 2:14.2 | 26.6 | 163.6 | 08.4 | r26 pieces
| 00:00.0 | 01825 | 08:01 | 2:11.8 | 28.5 | 165.0 | 08.0 | r28 pieces

Thursday: 8 x 2′ / 2′ rest

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On slides

Target pace 1:48 (I wish it could be faster, but I’m trying to be realistic)

Started off with a Fletcher warmup.  HR was a bit high.

Screen Shot 2016-04-21 at 9.00.10 AM

2016-04-21 07.35.05

Then on to the main event.  I had a brief, little break down during the first rep.  Basically, it started to bite a little and I needed to do a gut check to decide if I was willing to “go there” today.  I was.

Annoying HR dropouts from the Wahoo TIKR again.  It only happens when I do short intervals.  I have no idea why.  I kind of enjoyed the last rep.

 

After that I did a 2K cool down.

Tomorrow:  3 x 20 / 1′ rest (static)

Saturday Sprints: 8 x 2′ / 3′ rest

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Plan:

  • Fletcher warmup (20′)
  • 8 x 2′ / 3′ rest
    • Pace target: 1:41
    • Rate target: 30
  • 2K cool down

What a great morning.  8 of us from our club met up at Regatta Point.  They are letting us move our ergs into a conference room for sessions on Saturday mornings.  I offered up my planned workout as a group session and I was stunned that 7 other folks were nuts enough to join in.  I offered the group a couple of options, either row the 8 as a ladder (24/26/28/30/30/28/26/24), or all at about race rate.  The cool thing about time intervals is that folks can do their own thing and stay in sync through the session.  By the sixth, we were all pretty beaten up.

I was in a bad way.  I basically treated the session like my normal 8×500/3’30” rest.  Of course, its about 20 seconds more rowing and 30 seconds less rest than that, so I dug myself in pretty deeply over the first half of the workout.  I backed off a bit, but didn’t give in to the HD demons.  I think I may have scared my neighbors a bit though.

I had some issues with my HR monitor, so all I have are monitor snaps

Warm up

2016-01-23 10.31.15

Main set

2016-01-23 10.31.27

I paddle the  7 3′ rests for a total of an additional 2773m over 21′.

Happy Ending Cool down

2016-01-23 10.31.42

Tomorrow: Should be a rest day, but I’ll be traveling on Monday, so I will do a 4 x 20′ L4 and not row on Monday.