Conditions:  Sunny, warm (55 to 60F), wind ssw at 5-8mph.  This was a tail wind going down river and a head wind coming back.

Plan:

1. 4×2500
2. 500m rest
3. Pace: better than 2:15
4. rate: 26 or higher

Well, it didn’t quite work out as planned.  There was a light but consistent headwind heading up river which made the boat feel quite heavy.  That combined with a pair of sore legs from 21K in the boat on Saturday and 21K on the erg on Sunday provided a bit of a challenge to hitting my plan.  I was having a bit of trouble keeping my rate up, especially into the headwind.

However, I was pretty happy with the rowing.  I was working on rowing with less layback and that seemed to be working.  I also focused on relaxing my shoulders during the last 500m of each piece.  This was based on some feedback from Tom (“Stelph”) about me looking a bit hunched.  I was feeling pretty fatigued by the time I was 2000m into each of the intervals, and concentrating on something different for the last section really helped me power through to the end.  I found when I relaxed my shoulders during the drive that I was burying my oars less at the catch.

At the downwind end of the two straight parts, I was having a bit trouble staying clear of the minuscule bit of chop that was forming.  When I rowed my cooldown with feet out, I really tried to get better press down and stay completely clear of the water.  I don’t think it’s an issue of balance.  I think carrying my oars close to the water is just a bad habit at this point.

Start_|_Dist_|_Split_|_Pace___|_Strks_|_Rate_|_DPS__|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00020_|_0980_|_05:18_|_2:42.1_|_095___|_17.9_|_10.3_|_127___|_
01000_|_2500_|_10:47_|_2:09.3_|_275___|_25.5_|_09.1_|_163___|_tailwind
03500_|_0500_|_03:22_|_3:21.6_|_054___|_16.1_|_09.3_|_132___|_
04000_|_2500_|_11:18_|_2:15.5_|_287___|_25.4_|_08.7_|_170___|_headwind
06500_|_0500_|_03:15_|_3:15.0_|_057___|_17.5_|_08.8_|_143___|_
07000_|_2500_|_11:01_|_2:12.2_|_280___|_25.4_|_08.9_|_169___|_tailwind
09500_|_0500_|_03:28_|_3:28.1_|_059___|_17.0_|_08.5_|_137___|_
10000_|_2500_|_11:36_|_2:19.2_|_295___|_25.4_|_08.5_|_168___|_headwind
12500_|_1640_|_09:10_|_2:47.7_|_182___|_19.8_|_09.0_|_141___|_feet out

Dist__|_Time__|_Pace___|_Strks_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00980_|_05:18_|_2:42.1_|_095___|_17.9_|_10.3_|_127___|_warmup
10000_|_44:41_|_2:14.1_|_1137__|_25.4_|_08.8_|_168___|_Main set
01500_|_10:05_|_3:21.6_|_170___|_16.9_|_08.8_|_137___|_rest meters
01640_|_09:10_|_2:47.7_|_182___|_19.8_|_09.0_|_141___|_cool down
14120_|_09:14_|_2:27.1_|_1584__|_22.9_|_08.9_|_157___|_Total

I used RIM again today.  Here are example strokes from the last 30 seconds or so of each of the intervals.

First Interval, tail wind.  Feeling fresh.

Second Interval, Headwind.  Feeling significantly less fresh.  Pushing really hard

Third Interval, Downwind again.  Shows some reasonable consistency with Interval #1, even though my legs were pretty much jelly by this point.

Last Interval.  Headwind.  Lower and flatter peak in the acceleration curve.

This afternoon, I am taking off for Orlando.  So, it will be some crosstraining in the hotel fitness center for me tomorrow, or maybe a run.

Conditions:

• Sunny
• 37F
• Wind: West 12mph, gusting to 20. Very changeable direction and gusty
  (cross/tail wind down river, cross/head wind up river)

Plan:

1. 4 x 2500m
2. ~ 5 minute rest
3. Head race pace (2:10 – 2:15)
4. stroke rate: > 26

This was a good workout.  The wind was brutal.  There were a couple of sections where there was enough width to really build up some chop and allow the wind to get up some momentum.  This map shows where it was bad.

I had a bit of excitement on the first interval.  I came rowing out of the narrow channel where I had started and started to make the broad turn onto the straight 1k section.  I look over my shoulder every 10 strokes or so, since there isn’t usually much traffic.  Anyway, when I looked at 300m, I didn’t see anything.  But when I turned 10 strokes later, there were 2 fours and a launch lined up across my side of the river, about 50m ahead.  They were stopped dead in the water and drifting.

I needed to essentially coast to a stop and then thread the needle between the two boats.  I’m usually really good natured about them ignoring the traffic pattern, but I was pretty grumpy about interrupting an interval that was actually going pretty well.  The coach in the launch apologized and I was on my way again.

From there, it was really just about trying to find a pace that was maintainable, work on crispy finishes, try to avoid smashing the chop, and stay brave enough to fully compress into the catch with the boat bouncing around.  Oh yeah, and get the right line through the s-curve and the right arch on the bridge without losing too much boat speed.  To put it another way.  It was perfect head race training.

The rate chart shows that I did a good job keeping my rate up in though it was choppy.  By comparison, last fall for the Merrimack chase in similar conditions, I was pulling at r24.  So that’s a step in the right direction.

It’s easy to see the interruption in the first interval.  The big hit on pace in the second interval was rowing into the wind tunnel.  The pace increase at the end of the third interval was hitting the basin at the end and picking up a nice bit of tail wind.

The fourth interval shows that the tail wind that hit me at the end of interval #3 was still blowing, but now as a head wind.  It was bad all the way to the bridge.  The next chunk, in front of the watch factory was nice and flat, then I turned into the s-curve and hit the wind tunnel again.  Beyond the wind tunnel, the chop on the last 1K section was horrible until I was past the island.  I was able to get some good strokes in over the last 300m as the elevation on the bank increased and gave me a bit more shelter.

After that one, I wasn’t ready to feed the fishes ;-), but I was totally spent.  I took my feet out of the shoes and paddled my cool down like that.

aStart_|_Dist_|_Split_|_Pace_|_Strks__|_Rate_|_DPS_|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00020_|_0980_|_05:20_|_2:43.1_|_097___|_18.2_|_10.1_|_134___|_warmup
01000_|_0440_|_01:54_|_2:09.9_|_049___|_25.7_|_09.0_|_152___|_Interval #1 part 1
01440_|_0080_|_00:28_|_2:51.9_|_007___|_15.3_|_11.4_|_138___|_blocked by fours
01520_|_1980_|_08:36_|_2:10.4_|_237___|_27.5_|_08.4_|_164___|_Interval #1 part 2
03500_|_0500_|_03:22_|_3:21.7_|_059___|_17.6_|_08.5_|_131___|_rest
04000_|_2500_|_11:16_|_2:15.2_|_299___|_26.5_|_08.4_|_170___|_Interval #2
06500_|_0500_|_03:14_|_3:14.0_|_058___|_17.9_|_08.6_|_144___|_rest
07000_|_2500_|_11:10_|_2:14.0_|_302___|_27.0_|_08.3_|_171___|_Interval #3
09500_|_0500_|_04:04_|_4:03.7_|_065___|_16.0_|_07.7_|_135___|_rest
10000_|_2500_|_11:43_|_2:20.6_|_317___|_27.1_|_07.9_|_168___|_Interval #4
12500_|_1700_|_09:36_|_2:49.4_|_198___|_20.6_|_08.6_|_146___|_cool down (feet out)

Dist__|_Time__|_Pace___|_Strks_|_SPM__|_DPS__|_AvgHR_|_Remarks
00980_|_05:20_|_2:43.1_|_097___|_18.2_|_10.1_|_134___|_warmup
09920_|_44:40_|_2:15.1_|_1204___|_27.0_|_08.2_|_168___|_Main set
01580_|_11:07_|_3:31.0_|_189___|_17.0_|_08.4_|_136___|_rest meters
01700_|_09:36_|_2:49.4_|_198___|_20.6_|_08.6_|_146___|_cool down
14180_|_10:42_|_2:29.6_|_1688___|_23.9_|_08.4_|_157___|_Total

So, I managed a 2:15.1 pace.  Only a bit off the target despite the wind.  I’m really pleased with that.  On a calm day, I think I could shave 3 to 5 seconds off of that.

With the wind and water conditions, I needed to grip the oars a bit more tightly than normal.  As I told a coworker.  I rowed until I was bleeding!

Tomorrow:  No rowing!  Road trip.