It was COLD this morning.  About 28F, with a thick layer of frost on the dock.  After I finished rowing I noticed that the water on my oar blades was frozen when I put them into my car.  They were lying on the dock or about 10 minutes while I put away my boat.  That’s cold.

It was also dark.  I could not see very well until I was on the water for about 15 minutes and the sun got a little closer to rising.  On my way out of the lagoon where I launch, I saw that one of the fours from Brandeis had rowed way off into the weeds in the dark and was stuck up against the shore line.  That’s how dark it was.

Plan for today:

1. 4 x 2500 / 5′ rest
2. pace target: 2:10
3. rate target: 28

Start_|_Dist_|_Split_|_Pace_|_Strks__|_Rate_|_DPS_|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00020_|_0980_|_05:32_|_2:49.6_|_104___|_18.8_|_09.4_|_118___|_warmup
01000_|_0580_|_02:41_|_2:18.6_|_063___|_23.5_|_09.2_|_151___|_false start
01580_|_2200_|_09:39_|_2:11.6_|_257___|_26.6_|_08.6_|_164___|_Interval #1
03780_|_0220_|_01:53_|_4:16.8_|_030___|_15.9_|_07.3_|_124___|_rest
04000_|_2500_|_11:07_|_2:13.4_|_307___|_27.6_|_08.1_|_168___|_Interval #2
06500_|_0500_|_03:41_|_3:41.3_|_065___|_17.6_|_07.7_|_131___|_rest
07000_|_2500_|_11:02_|_2:12.5_|_311___|_28.2_|_08.0_|_168___|_Interval #3
09500_|_0500_|_03:55_|_3:55.4_|_067___|_17.1_|_07.5_|_126___|_rest
10000_|_2500_|_11:09_|_2:13.7_|_314___|_28.2_|_08.0_|_168___|_Interval #4
12500_|_1460_|_08:38_|_2:57.3_|_164___|_19.0_|_08.9_|_134___|_cool down
Dist__|_Time__|_Pace___|_Strks_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00980_|_05:32_|_2:49.6_|_104___|_18.8_|_09.4_|_118___|_warmup
09700_|_42:57_|_2:12.8_|_1189___|_27.7_|_08.2_|_167___|_Main set
01800_|_12:11_|_3:22.9_|_225___|_18.5_|_08.0_|_133___|_rest meters
01460_|_08:38_|_2:57.3_|_164___|_19.0_|_08.9_|_134___|_cool down
13940_|_09:18_|_2:29.1_|_1682___|_24.3_|_08.3_|_153___|_Total

So, I am a bit disappointed.  Last time I did this workout (September 22nd), I managed a 2:11.1 avg pace.   Today, was 2:12.8, with roughly the same HR. I’m not sure why.  There was a little bit of cross wind, but not enough to really write home about.  I think I was just having trouble getting the boat up to pace.

One small issue was during the first interval.  I wanted to let the coach from Brandeis know about the stuck four, but they were already heading down river by the time I got to the start point for my interval.  So I cranked it up, but then stopped to talk to the coach once I caught up around the 400m point.  I extended the interval until I ran out of river, but ended up a couple hundred meters short.  The rest of the time, I just couldn’t find that extra second of pace.

Oh well.  Tomorrow is another day.  At least I didn’t quit on the intervals or blow up.

Tomorrow:  Steady State

Weather:  Cloudy, cool, around 48F.  Moderate wind 5 to 10 mph from the SW.  This was a headwind going up river.

My original plan was to do 5 x 2K / 5′ rest.  While I drove to the river, I decided to change that to 4 x 2500 for a couple of reasons.  I was running a bit late and I wanted to save the 5′ rest time and end up back at the right end of the river at the end of the last rep.  I wanted to keep working on steering and 2.5km includes both the s-turn and the bridge in the rep.

So, my modified plan was

1. 4 x 2500 / 5′ rest
2. pace: faster than 2:15
3. rate:  target r28 or higher (this was the highest priority for me.  I would really like to get my race rate up to 29 or 30, and right now it is more like 27)

So, I did a very quick warmup and then dove straight into my first rep.  I had a tail wind and I was holding 2:10 or better without a lot of trouble.  I steered around the Brandeis boats, and in the s-turn, I passed the coach from LaSall College who was doing steady state.  I was happy with the line I took through the turn and the bridge was good too.

But it felt like so much work!  I was tired and I wasn’t having much fun.  After I finished, the dude from Lasall eventually rowed up and we had a nice chat about the HOCR.  He rowed in the Master 4s with the Riverside Boat Club.  I decided that I better get going on my next rep, so I started up and when the Speedcoach clicked over to 4000m, I took up the rate and discovered just how much headwind there was.  It was a lot of work to get the split down below 2:20.  I was still not having much fun.  I threaded the needle through the bridge and then passed my friend Bruce going the other direction in front of the watch factory.  I did the s-turn just right and then slowly, inexorably counted down the meters to the end of the piece.  My heart rate was reasonable, and I was not in any way in distress, but gosh it was kind of miserable.

It was also getting a bit late.  I realized that I would end up being a bit late for my first meeting if the traffic was bad, but I decided to go do the next rep anyway.  At least I did for the first 250 meters.  At that point, I just didn’t want to do it any more.  So I stopped.  Then I turned around and rowed back  to the dock and called it a day.

This is basically something that I don’t do.  I will fail on reps, miss targets, steer into weeds and cheat on rests, but I don’t think I can remember another time where I just quit on a workout.  Thinking through it, it seems pretty clear what happened.  I have been focused with singular intensity on the HOCR.  Knowing that I would be rowing in that event was an incredible tool to stick with really hard workouts.  And I felt like I did my best in the day.  I have another event coming up, but it certainly is not anything like the HOCR.  I certainly want to do my best, but I think I don’t have the drive to push the high intensity as hard as I was, at least for a week or so.

I think it is probably a good idea to give myself a break.  Congratulate myself for a good run up to last weekend and focus on maintaining and building my base for now.  I will probably pull back to one or two high intensity sessions per week until the race on Nov 7th.  After that, I will be putting a new training plan into place and focusing on my next set of goals.

Start_|_Dist_|_Split_|_Pace_|_Strks__|_Rate_|_DPS_|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00020_|_0980_|_05:19_|_2:42.7_|_101___|_19.0_|_09.7_|_116___|_w
01000_|_2500_|_10:45_|_2:09.1_|_297___|_27.6_|_08.4_|_162___|_m
03500_|_0500_|_03:11_|_3:11.3_|_057___|_17.9_|_08.8_|_128___|_r
04000_|_2500_|_11:36_|_2:19.1_|_315___|_27.2_|_07.9_|_168___|_m
06500_|_2340_|_14:01_|_2:59.7_|_277___|_19.8_|_08.4_|_132___|_c

Dist__|_Time__|_Pace___|_Strks_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00980_|_05:19_|_2:42.7_|_101___|_19.0_|_09.7_|_116___|_warmup
05000_|_22:21_|_2:14.1_|_612___|_27.4_|_08.2_|_165___|_Main set
00500_|_03:11_|_3:11.3_|_057___|_17.9_|_08.8_|_128___|_rest meters
02340_|_14:01_|_2:59.7_|_277___|_19.8_|_08.4_|_132___|_cool down
08820_|_44:52_|_2:32.6_|_1047___|_23.3_|_08.4_|_146___|_Total

Tomorrow:  Steady State.  4x3k/1′ rest r20, HR cap 150

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.