So, a slight change in plan. I was supposed to do 4 x 15′, but I found the idea of trying to beat 8K twice in a row.  I thought it had a certain badass-ery to it that was more motivating.

New Plan:

1. 2 x 30′ / 5′ rest
2. pace 1:52.5 (8k target)
3. rate: free rate probably around 26

Workout Summary - Nov 22, 2015
--_|_Total_|_-Total-_|_--Avg--_|_-Avg-_|_Avg-_|_-Avg-_|_--Avg--_|_-Avg_|_-Avg
--_|_Dist-_|_-Time--_|_-Pace--_|_Watts_|_SPM-_|_-HR--_|_-%HRR--_|_-DPS_|_-SPI
--_|_20476_|_79:00.0_|_01:55.7_|_225.7_|_24.2_|_154.7_|_ 78.5% _|_10.7_|_09.3
Workout Details
#-_|_SDist_|_-Split-_|_-SPace-_|_Watts_|_SPM-_|_AvgHR_|_Avg%HRR_|_DPS-_|_-SPI

01_|_00995_|_04:00.0_|_02:00.5_|_199.8_|_21.0_|_118.3_|_ 52.7% _|_11.9_|_09.5
02_|_08104_|_30:00.0_|_01:51.1_|_255.5_|_25.6_|_157.2_|_ 80.3% _|_10.5_|_10.0
03_|_01035_|_05:00.0_|_02:25.0_|_114.8_|_18.8_|_126.0_|_ 58.1% _|_11.0_|_06.1
04_|_08006_|_30:00.0_|_01:52.4_|_246.3_|_25.9_|_162.4_|_ 84.0% _|_10.3_|_09.5
05_|_02336_|_10:00.0_|_02:08.4_|_165.3_|_19.1_|_143.2_|_ 70.4% _|_12.2_|_08.7

1st 30 minute piece - 5 minute splits
02_|_01347_|_05:00.0_|_01:51.4_|_253.2_|_25.2_|_140.1_|_ 68.1% _|_10.7_|_10.0
03_|_01345_|_05:00.0_|_01:51.5_|_252.3_|_25.4_|_154.4_|_ 78.3% _|_10.6_|_09.9
04_|_01341_|_05:00.0_|_01:51.9_|_249.9_|_25.4_|_157.3_|_ 80.3% _|_10.6_|_09.8
05_|_01347_|_05:00.0_|_01:51.4_|_253.3_|_25.6_|_160.6_|_ 82.7% _|_10.5_|_09.9
06_|_01347_|_05:00.0_|_01:51.4_|_253.3_|_25.6_|_162.9_|_ 84.3% _|_10.5_|_09.9
07_|_01378_|_05:00.0_|_01:48.8_|_271.5_|_26.6_|_167.5_|_ 87.6% _|_10.4_|_10.2

2nd 30 miute piece - 5 minute splits
09_|_01313_|_05:00.0_|_01:54.2_|_234.8_|_24.8_|_146.3_|_ 72.6% _|_10.6_|_09.5
10_|_01325_|_05:00.0_|_01:53.2_|_241.0_|_25.2_|_159.3_|_ 81.8% _|_10.5_|_09.6
11_|_01325_|_05:00.0_|_01:53.2_|_241.3_|_26.0_|_162.5_|_ 84.0% _|_10.2_|_09.3
12_|_01325_|_05:00.0_|_01:53.2_|_241.0_|_25.8_|_164.4_|_ 85.4% _|_10.3_|_09.3
13_|_01337_|_05:00.0_|_01:52.2_|_247.7_|_26.0_|_167.3_|_ 87.4% _|_10.3_|_09.5
14_|_01381_|_05:00.0_|_01:48.6_|_273.4_|_27.4_|_173.2_|_ 91.7% _|_10.1_|_10.0

I started with a 4 minute warmup, then right into the first 30′ piece.  I got halfway through it and I knew that 8000 was easily in the bag so I kept going at the same pace.  With about 5 minutes to go, I saw that the projected finish was around 8050 or so, so I got carried away chasing the split down to try to get the projected finish to 8100.  I really had to drop the hammer in the last minute to make it.

After that, I was spent.  I paddled through the rest and told myself it was OK to just row out the second piece at 1:55.  When I started, 1:54 actually felt kind of OK, so I held that for the first 5 minutes.  Then I pushed it a bit further and tried to keep the pace bouncing between 1:53 and 1:54.  With 10 minutes to go, I could see my projected finish was around 7900, so I started to push a bit more.  By 5 minutes to go, I was around 7950, so I needed to push harder, and held around a 1:50 split for the first couple minutes which had me at 7980 with about 1:30 to go.  So, I pushed the splits down to until I saw 8000 on the screen, then a bit faster to get some insurance on the distance.

I enjoyed the happy ending cool down after.  This felt harder than the HR suggests.  Maybe it was the wonderfully cool room (around 60F).

I ranked the first piece.  25th of 715 (97% percentile).  I have a bit more in the tank if I do an all out 30′.

Tomorrow:  4 x 20′ and maybe a second 30′ session.

Argghhhhh.  What a frustrating end to the week.  This week has been very up and down.  Monday and Tuesday were lovely workouts.  I was forced to miss wednesday because I needed to prep for a big meetig at work.  Then a great workout on Thursday.  Friday was another bust.  I needed to be in Rhode Island for a meeting at 7am, which blew up my chance for a morning row, and then the traffic was so heavy getting from RI back to work that I missed the chance to erg at lunch time.  Then I spent most of the afternoon getting “constructive feedback” on some projects that are behind schedule and over budget.  I left work and then sat in traffic again for another couple of hours.  By the time I got home, I was a wreck.

I had planned to get up extra early this morning to meet some folks for a friendly 5K on Lake Quinsigamond. This is a group from another club on the lake that train together for head races and they invited me to join in.  But by the time I got to bed at midnight, I just couldn’t face another short nights sleep and cancelled out.  The fact that Sunday morning, I need to get up early and fly to Taiwan was also in the back of my head.

I got up around 8 am and I figure I would do some erg penance.  A 30 minute threshold workout seemed to fit pretty well.

Plan

1. 2K WU
2. 30 minute threshold.  Target pace 1:52 (to get just over 8K).  Target rate 26.
3. 2K cool down

It all went just fine for about 10 minutes.  But I started too fast, averaging about 1:50.5 for the first 10 minutes and my HR was skyrocketing.  I tried to pull back to a 1:55, but I had dug myself too deep of a hole and kept digging when the warning signs started to appear.  I ended up with 4 HDs, and a much reduced pace for the last two thirds of the piece.

It was awful.

Warmup.  Nice and controlled.  burst of 10, burst of 20, burst of 20.

Workout Summary – Aug 29, 2015
–_|_Total_|_-Total-_|_–Avg–_|_-Avg-_|_Avg-_|_-Avg-_|_–Avg–_|_-Avg_|_-Avg
–_|_Dist-_|_-Time–_|_-Pace–_|_Watts_|_SPM-_|_-HR–_|_-%HRR–_|_-DPS_|_-SPI
–_|_02000_|_07:45.4_|_01:56.3_|_222.2_|_22.8_|_139.8_|_ 68.0% _|_11.3_|_09.7

Workout Summary – Aug 29, 2015
–_|_Total_|_-Total-_|_–Avg–_|_-Avg-_|_Avg-_|_-Avg-_|_–Avg–_|_-Avg_|_-Avg
–_|_Dist-_|_-Time–_|_-Pace–_|_Watts_|_SPM-_|_-HR–_|_-%HRR–_|_-DPS_|_-SPI
–_|_07712_|_30:00.0_|_01:56.7_|_220.2_|_24.6_|_167.8_|_ 87.8% _|_10.5_|_09.0
Workout Details
#-_|_SDist_|_-Split-_|_-SPace-_|_Watts_|_SPM-_|_AvgHR_|_Avg%HRR_|_DPS-_|_-SPI

01_|_01360_|_05:00.0_|_01:50.3_|_260.8_|_25.6_|_152.5_|_ 77.0% _|_10.6_|_10.2
02_|_01356_|_05:00.0_|_01:50.6_|_258.6_|_25.6_|_171.9_|_ 90.7% _|_10.6_|_10.1
03_|_01268_|_05:00.0_|_01:58.3_|_211.2_|_24.2_|_170.6_|_ 89.8% _|_10.5_|_08.7
04_|_01203_|_05:00.0_|_02:04.7_|_180.5_|_23.0_|_164.0_|_ 85.1% _|_10.5_|_07.8
05_|_01278_|_05:00.0_|_01:57.3_|_216.7_|_24.4_|_174.7_|_ 92.7% _|_10.5_|_08.9
06_|_01247_|_05:00.0_|_02:00.2_|_201.3_|_24.8_|_173.2_|_ 91.6% _|_10.1_|_08.1

Cool down – 500 @ 2:05/2:10/2:20/2:25 (aiming at exactly 9:00)

–_|_Total_|_-Total-_|_–Avg–_|_-Avg-_|_Avg-_|_-Avg-_|_–Avg–_|_-Avg_|_-Avg
–_|_Dist-_|_-Time–_|_-Pace–_|_Watts_|_SPM-_|_-HR–_|_-%HRR–_|_-DPS_|_-SPI
–_|_02000_|_09:00.2_|_02:15.1_|_142.1_|_18.5_|_151.8_|_ 76.4% _|_12.0_|_07.7
Workout Details
#-_|_SDist_|_-Split-_|_-SPace-_|_Watts_|_SPM-_|_AvgHR_|_Avg%HRR_|_DPS-_|_-SPI

01_|_00500_|_02:04.5_|_02:04.5_|_181.3_|_21.2_|_146.1_|_ 72.4% _|_11.4_|_08.6
02_|_00500_|_02:08.8_|_02:08.8_|_163.9_|_20.0_|_159.4_|_ 81.8% _|_11.6_|_08.2
03_|_00500_|_02:19.6_|_02:19.6_|_128.8_|_17.6_|_154.6_|_ 78.5% _|_12.2_|_07.3
04_|_00500_|_02:27.4_|_02:27.4_|_109.3_|_15.9_|_146.5_|_ 72.7% _|_12.8_|_06.9

So, there it is.  I take off tomorrow morning.  I will be working on keeping my aerobic base and then getting back on the water next weekend.  A very disappointing end to the week.