6th day in a row for me and 8th session of the week, so I was happy to get this done. Legs sore/fatigued from the week's exertions and so I kept drag a little low at 116 and I think that helped to get me through, in addition to keeping it at RPE 9.5 until the last rep. I tried keeping my eyes closed for long periods to continue to feel/embed my technique and it seemed to work, although it's still very conscious and not totally natural

big dinner tonight and a day off tomorrow

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M HR
13:26.5 4,000m 1:40.8 342 1475 32 163

1:41.1 500m 1:41.1 339 1465 32 151
1:41.1 500m 1:41.1 339 1465 32 159
1:40.6 500m 1:40.6 344 1483 33 163
1:42.0 500m 1:42.0 330 1435 32 164
1:41.6 500m 1:41.6 334 1448 31 164
1:41.7 500m 1:41.7 333 1445 32 166
1:40.9 500m 1:40.9 341 1472 33 167
1:37.5 500m 1:37.5 378 1599 36 171

All of the above regarding training volume and intensity seems to be generally consistent with the running world as well where studies point to something in the neighborhood of 80/20 easy/hard as optimal. Makes sense I suppose but I thought more intensity was probably a good thing in rowing for whatever reason.

Interesting pace vs. rate vs. hr considerations as well.

Zzzzzzz.


Been telling this guy he trains too hard and I think I came up with the 135 hr number for him years ago because we have the same exact hr data. My training is even lower now, closer to 130.

But here is the thing bro, nobody ain't got time to train like a pro. So you do your thing. Sure we all got gains on the table by hitting more AET(the first rise in lactate) and lower. But hard pass on training anything over 8 hours per week. That interferes with your family and hobbies.

So point is, fack Seiler and 5 hour bullshiet. You are an anaerobic monster who can generate 20 mmol lactate when aerobic guys like me and floppy can't break 10 mmol. Your breaking point where your split should approach 80/20 is probably 6 or 7 hours.

So unless you magically came up with 10+ hours of training, you do you.

We are recreational hobby endurance joggers/rowers. I realize you want a record but is 8-10+ hours of endurance a week reasonable? And you got a couple or more hours of lifting too.

We all gravitate to slower, the faster we get, but we never reach pro status because we don't have 10 hours a week for some bullshiet that doesn't pay and we may even damage our health with too much cardio.

So I would make sure your coach understands you have a life and program appropriately and not just keep adding more <aet work til your wife and kids dump your arse.

Good post, and I do have to keep reminding myself of this; given I'm lifting around 3 hours a week, getting back to reasonable volume rowing (4-5 hours a week) with a bit of treadmill work thrown in to take a shot at a Hyrox in mid- to late-2023 is where I've landed. Whatever pace I need to do to keep from breaking down under that volume of training is what I'm going to have to figure out, since I've never truly rowed and lifted semi- competently simultaneously.

yes, I think what you say is all very accurate/true and i also recognise that you would have been aware of what I'm just understanding/learning for a long while while.

I am new to having a cardio/conditioning focus (or at least taking it seriously) and it's taken me a while to get to the stage where I'm opening my mind beyond my originally set beliefs.....which historically were built on 'go hard every time'.

your point about how much of my life I/we all should be devoting to this is correct too. Both from a family/business/life balance POV but also an injury prevention perspective....I have to remember that I'm a 51 yr old small business owner and not some 22yr old dreaming of the Olympics.

I'm prepared to give up more time and focus to this over the next 4 months to do this (potentially with a 'hang up my competitive oar' at the end of it). and I do think upping the volume will help my 2k - it's clear that my longer distances are the weak points and that if i improve my endurance, my time should come down. But of course, it still has to be within reason and it needs to be smart so that I can withstand it physically and also mentally. And I have to say, having trained 8x a week for the past two weeks it is a big commitment and I don't think I want to do it for 4 months.

Plus, while I may get used to it, I do worry that going slower is batshit boring and I'm not sure I want to spend 4 months paddling around like an old woman.

I'm having a conversation with him tomorrow that will work through what we do post next weekend's 1k. I wonder if fewer, longer rows might be the answer. I'd rather do 3x60-70min UT2s than 5 40-50min ones. Then, if it's 2 HIT sessions and 2 weights, that 7 sessions over 5 days with 2 days rest and I hope that's managable.

40 min steady state with 4 20 stroke bursts at 1k pace.

Not a great session. Heart rate got weirdly high mid morning (after narrowly missing stepping on my cat!)and I couldn't settle it so I started with it 20bpm higher than usual and struggled to keep a lid on it, even before the first burst. Then it refused to drop down to UT2 levels after the first surge. Made the entire session a lot harder than it should have been.

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M HR
40:05.9 9,422m 2:07.6 168 878 19 153

5:00.0 1,143m 2:11.2 155 832 17 136
5:00.0 1,205m 2:04.4 181 924 21 150
5:00.0 1,153m 2:10.0 159 847 19 151
5:00.0 1,202m 2:04.7 180 919 21 152
5:00.0 1,143m 2:11.2 155 832 19 152
5:00.0 1,204m 2:04.5 181 922 22 158
5:00.0 1,150m 2:10.4 158 842 20 161
5:00.0 1,208m 2:04.1 183 929 21 160
0:05.9 15m 3:16.6 46 458 0 159

2x10min UT2, 5min UT1. no rest

nice, light session as I begin my taper. Coach has me with my feet on setting 4, to help with my technique adjustments. (have previously been using 2...and 1 when sprinting) Second day doing it today and it felt less weird than yesterday.

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M HR
30:00.0 7,176m 2:05.4 177 910 20 149

10:00.0 2,339m 2:08.2 166 870 19 138
5:00.0 1,269m 1:58.2 212 1029 22 156
10:00.0 2,301m 2:10.3 158 843 19 144
5:00.0 1,269m 1:58.2 212 1029 22 161

Decisions Decisions

the schedule and entrants for Aus/NZ Champs were released today ahead of the comp on Sat and I have a decision to make.

I have entered the 2k, 1k and 500m just because the price is pretty similar and I wanted to leave my decision til now. Last year I was planning to row 2k but switched to 1k a few days before because a) I had a slight chest cold and was worried about the longer distance and b) the 2k was stacked. The decision was the right one, in the sense that I won a bronze in the 1k and my PR would have been 7 secs off bronze in the 2k.

fast forward a year and it's all change.

In the 2k, the top 3 guys from last year aren't there - one is European and just entered for race practice, one is injured (he won the 1k too last year) and one is only entered into the 1k. A few of the other entrants in the 2k are unknown (I can't find records of them on C2 or on the internet for other row races), there's one guy who looks a little slower than me and one guy with a long track record in indoor rowing including multiple world champ qualifications, but he's only rowed 1.5 secs faster than me in the past year. then the others look slower.

of the 1k competitors who look close to me....there is one guy who I think is unbeatable - I can't find a 1k time for him, but his 2k time is 10secs faster than mine and his 500m time is approx 3.5 secs faster than I think mine is. Then there are two others who are very similar profiles to me....a teammate from sub 7 whose PRs match mine almost exactly (he is only rowing the 1k and 500m) and another guy who doesn't have a 1k time but has a recent 2k time that is 2 seconds slower than me. (he also is only rowing 1k and 500)

in the 500m, there's one guy (who is only rowing the 500) who I think I can't beat even if fresh, two of the competitive looking 1k guys and a few unknowns

My finger in the air analysis of racing if fresh

35% chance of gold in 2k and 90% chance of medal
5% chance of gold in 1k, 55% chance of silver, 75% chance of medal
5% chance of gold in 500m, 60% chance of medal (I'm not seriously considering just the 500)

In terms of timing, the 2k is 10.30am, the 1k is 11.50am and then the 500m is 1.40pm.

Impossible to row the 1k competitively with either the 2k or the 500m. Plausible to row a fast time in the 500m 3 hours post the 2k, although some of the zip from the legs will be gone.

So....I need to decide whether to row the 2k or the 1k

Arguments for the 2k

- It'll almost certainly be the only chance I ever get to win a National Championship
- It's the higher status event
- The more I row the 2k fast, the more it'll help my next 4 months of training...potentially with a 2k world champ entry at end Feb
- More chance I can recover to row a good 500m and potentially squeeze out another medal
- I can always do a 1k time trial in a few weeks time to notch that PR>

Arguments for the 1k

- I enjoy it far more as an event ....I dread the 2k to some degree, whereas I enjoy the 1k
- I've been mentally preparing for it for a few weeks and I have a plan for it that I'm happy with.
- more chance of a PR...I haven't rowed a tt since end Feb and think I have a 1-2sec PR in me which would be fun. whereas I did a 2k one recently and while I've been training the past 6 weeks since, if I do get a PR, it'll be tiny
- with 4 months to focus on the 2k, it would be nice to tie a bow around the 1k for a while and then 'leave it behind'

IDK....generally with big decisions, I work through the issues, then park them and let my subconscious decide. When I first read the list of entries, I thought for sure I would do the 2k. Now after a few hours, my subconscious is saying to do the 1k, stick to the plan and be happy to go for a big PR and then focus on the 2k. IDK though....would be great to be a National Champ!

thoughts?

I find the 2k plus the 500 compelling as it enables a good shot at two races and you can tt a PR for the 1k later.
Your heart clearly leans towards the 1k though so I don't think you can really go wrong. If you have more time to decide, let that subconscious churn and see which rises to the top.

+1 to 2k/500!

thanks breaux for the thoughts. Wife and coach agree with you, but right now leaning towards the 1k - it's just what I'm mentally prepped for and what I enjoy. But I'll make the final decision on Fri

interesting day today.

The plan was to practice the race day warm up and then do a 1k at 2k pace and then a 500m at 1k pace. (I haven't decided still if I'll race 1k or 2k on Sat)

Two very bad night's sleep meant that I felt mentally fatigued when I rowed (all day actually). The session was almost a disaster but was pretty good in the end and I feel a lot better for it.

30min warm up worked really well and I felt ready to go and not at all fatigued

(basically it was 4 mins UT3, 10 mins UT2, 6 mins alternating 15 race speed pulls with 90 secs of recovery UT3, then 10 mins UT2). Finish 5 mins before the race, have a drink, a rub down, a pee and then GO.

I messed up the 1k at 2k pace. I hadn’t prepared for it mentally at all and I went out really fast – was at 1.31 after 120m and my legs felt really heavy. I’d been warming up with the drag on about 110 and switched it up to 131 immediately before I started – maybe I should warm up with the drag I intend to race with? Either way, my pace was still too fast and while I managed to stabilise it, my mind started playing tricks with me, my legs felt heavy, I started feeling really fatigued and I just couldn’t focus/commit to the 1k. SO I pulled the pin at

500m in 1.38.0 sr 34

I rested 3 mins and then did another 1st 500 of a 2k and that one felt a lot better

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M HR
1:38.8 500m 1:38.8 363 1548 33 146

0:19.3 100m 1:36.5 389 1640 34 117
0:19.8 100m 1:38.9 361 1541 33 140
0:19.7 100m 1:38.5 366 1560 37 152
0:20.0 100m 1:40.0 350 1504 33 159
0:20.0 100m 1:40.0 350 1504 33 164

Then rested 5 mins and did a ‘1st 500 of a 1k’

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M HR
1:33.5 500m 1:33.5 428 1773 37 154
0:18.1 100m 1:30.5 472 1925 40 126
0:18.6 100m 1:33.0 435 1797 36 150
0:18.8 100m 1:34.0 421 1750 38 161
0:19.0 100m 1:35.0 408 1704 35 167
0:19.0 100m 1:35.0 408 1704 38 170

This felt fine...a little fatigued towards the end as you’ll see by the increased stroke rate but if I row the 1k on Sat, I think this pace or a teeny bit faster is the right way to go for the first half

20 min 'keep things moving' paddle

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M HR
20:04.5 4,610m 2:10.6 157 840 19 134

very easy 6k paddle with 3x15 stroke bursts at 2k pace

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
25:54.9 6,004m 2:09.4 161 855 18

Good luck feel, bring home the hardware

The 1000m probably the perfect distance for competing and training.

500m dominated by power generating mass monsters.

2000m dominated by who trains the most.

Racing and training decisions decisions decisions.

'Fatigue makes cowards of us all' is the Vince Lombardi quote and unfortunately, I managed to prove it today

Have had a horror run of sleeps this week due to some really stressful and difficult work stuff....and probably also too much thinking about this weekend. Averaged 5 hours from Tues to Thurs and then last night I got 2.5 hours til 2am and then managed another hour at 6am.

Just couldn't face the aerobic effort of a 2k but thought a 1k was managable given it's anaerobic demands and despite being really tired and weak mentally, I really feel my body is in great shape and there was a big PR in me. Started well and was right on schedule at 500m in 1.33.3. My target was somewhere between high 1.36 and mid 1.37s. Unfortunately, when the pain in the lungs and the quads started, my brain just went to putty. It started telling me to quit at about 350 and just a load of 'overall body fatigue' hit at about 550 which was clearly anxiety/mental related not physical and I pulled the pin at 600m. Second was 3.07.8 and 3rd was 3.08.s (first was 2.59), so there was a medal there with a good performance but I couldn't do it on the day at all.

really dispiriting and just made me question the whole thing to be honest. I love the training and aspiring to be quick and good etc but if it's going to be stressful and going to cause me anxiety in the lead up and then distress/disappointment and a little shame afterwards, then what's the bloody point?

Either way, I decided to back up and do the 500m. I have the softest of PRs in that (it was 1.28.9) because I haven't tried one in 10 years and I figured I could at least get something out of the day.

The good thing was that I had no expectations and therefore no anxiety. The bad thing was that I totally missed the start. I thought we had 30 seconds to go and then all of a sudden it was GO on the screen. After 100m, with the screen showing 1.21/500 as my pace, my average was still over 1.32. I stuck with it and managed to at least last out the distance and finish in 1.28.4...so at least it's a PR, albeit even with heavy legs and no sleep, I think if I hadn't missed the start I had at least another second.

I don't know. By far my worst day on a rower and honestly, the first time ever, in a lifetime of competing in sports at a very high level, where I feel my mindset and mental strength let me down. Not sure it's worth paying for a coach if it makes me stressed and I can't perform on the day

That is a bummer. Lack of sleep is a killer. This is a one-off issue though. Shake it off, put it in the rear view and look forward to the next go. Of course you will probably lose your Vegemite sponsorship but you can focus on Ugg now.

That sucks man, but +1 to everything floppy said; just goes to show that everything has to align perfectly when you're at your level. You'll get 'em next time!

You seem to mostly get joy out of all this.

did a 30 min recovery row. About all I was good for after alternating between beer and scotch most of the weekend

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
30:01.7 6,801m 2:12.4 151 818 20

5:00.0 1,127m 2:13.0 148 810 18
5:00.0 1,143m 2:11.2 155 832 20
5:00.0 1,135m 2:12.1 152 821 21
5:00.0 1,126m 2:13.2 148 809 21
5:00.0 1,131m 2:12.6 150 816 21
5:00.0 1,137m 2:11.9 152 824 21


have decided not to put any pressure on any decisions - gonna do a week's training and then see how I feel next week

it turns out the weekend wasn't a total failure. I got an email telling me I won silver in the 500. More because of a lack of opposition than the quality of the row but it's something to show the kids at least and I can use it as a 'get back up story', even if I know it wasn't a great row.

Two easy sessions today.

early am weights after I woke up at 4 again

3x10 DB Bench 26kg
3x10 Seated hammer row 100kg
3x8 Barbell Press 40/SS with 3x8 Hex bar DL 70
3x5 Pull ups SS with 3x10 single leg KB RDL 24kg

then 30 min UT2

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
30:05.6 6,910m 2:10.6 157 840 18

5:00.0 1,153m 2:10.0 159 847 18
5:00.0 1,178m 2:07.3 170 883 19
5:00.0 1,169m 2:08.3 166 870 18
5:00.0 1,129m 2:12.8 149 813 18
5:00.0 1,138m 2:11.8 153 825 18
5:00.0 1,140m 2:11.5 154 828 18

4x2k 4r at r22.

guideline from the coach was RPE 7. weird doing an interval session where I'm not blasting. I have a 30r20 max effort in a few days, so will be interesting to see what I've got in the tank for that


Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M HR
31:03.6 8,000m 1:56.5 222 1060 22 155

7:44.3 2,000m 1:56.0 224 1070 22 150
7:46.3 2,000m 1:56.5 221 1060 22 157
7:45.8 2,000m 1:56.4 222 1062 22 159
7:47.2 2,000m 1:56.8 220 1055 22 156

thinking about binning the coach. not sure it's worth the $$ tbh and the smashing my mojo took on the weekend has taken all the testosterone out of my ambitions and the subsequent need for the constant focus & resultant coaching. I'm only on week 3 with him, so I'm gonna see how the next week goes

Nice to hear there was a silver lining to the weekend. Congrats on the bling!

Congrats on the medal!

Re: coaching, I definitely know the feeling.