had planned a double day yesterday but body was feeling tired. Not sure my 51 yr old body can handle 8 sessions a week...no matter how much I want to do it, so I either abandon the double days or do less/no weights.

AM gonna try moving to a heavy week, light week rotation to see if that can keep me fresher. IDK...clicking buttons really

60 min steady state

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
1:00:01.0 13,892m 2:09.6 161 853 19

5:00.0 1,179m 2:07.2 170 884 19
5:00.0 1,179m 2:07.2 170 884 19
5:00.0 1,171m 2:08.0 167 873 19
5:00.0 1,155m 2:09.8 160 849 19
5:00.0 1,150m 2:10.4 158 842 20
5:00.0 1,156m 2:09.7 160 851 20
5:00.0 1,145m 2:11.0 156 835 20
5:00.0 1,155m 2:09.8 160 849 20
5:00.0 1,149m 2:10.5 157 841 20
5:00.0 1,147m 2:10.7 156 838 20
5:00.0 1,161m 2:09.1 162 858 21
5:00.0 1,143m 2:11.2 155 832 20

You are being far too hard on yourself and unrealistic about your mental fortitude. When you were playing rugby, you were putting in relatively* short bursts of maximum effort and you just had to outcompete people who were in similar states of fatigue from playing a game or two per week plus practice. Now you are competing against a damn clock on nearly a daily basis, and that clock isn't going to get fatigued no matter how hard you push.

There is a reason why people doing sports like you are doing now typically try to peak somewhere between once per year and once per four years.

In short, your confidence level gauge is not working correctly. Maybe try turning it off and then back on.

*Compared to what you are doing now with rowing.

5x1500 5r

Really enjoying the 95% interval sessions. I had two full days off over the weekend and my body felt fresh but sleepy today, so it was a relief to be able to take a little heat off in the middle splits and then feel good enough to go a little harder at the end.

Speaking of heat, we've had a warmish spell in Sydney and while it was only 25C (77F) today it was hot enough to be a reminder that Summer is round the corner and I need to be smarter with my training. I bought an industrial floor fan a few weeks ago but the only time I've used it, it tripped the electricity in the entire house!

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
27:10.8 7,500m 1:48.7 272 1237 29

5:26.4 1,500m 1:48.8 272 1235 28
5:28.2 1,500m 1:49.4 267 1219 28
5:28.0 1,500m 1:49.3 268 1221 29
5:25.5 1,500m 1:48.5 274 1243 30
5:22.7 1,500m 1:47.5 281 1267 31

thank you and I think you're right.

A few things - I think I overestimated by fitness slightly...I trained all the way through my European trip and I did very well 'for a holiday' but I might have lost 1-2%.

Then I have an unjustified level of entitlement.....I am still in the mindset that I 'should' be getting faster purely because I'm training - my progress was so linear for the first 9 months of rowing last year, that I expected that to continue but it's unrealistic...both for every athlete as they get closer to their limit and then particularly for someone getting a lot older

Lastly I've got a particularly difficult home situation playing out that weighs on me a lot and it must have an impact at various times

most importantly, i think not going balls out so often seems to be the 'right' way to train too, to hopefully continue to make progress without destroying myself

45 min steady state. meh, fine

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
45:00.9 10,395m 2:09.9 160 849 20

5:00.0 1,174m 2:07.7 168 877 19
5:00.0 1,191m 2:05.9 175 902 20
5:00.0 1,158m 2:09.5 161 854 21
5:00.0 1,160m 2:09.3 162 857 21
5:00.0 1,127m 2:13.0 148 810 19
5:00.0 1,139m 2:11.6 153 827 20
5:00.0 1,136m 2:12.0 152 823 20
5:00.0 1,152m 2:10.2 159 845 20
5:00.9 1,160m 2:09.6 160 852 20

crippling insomnia the past few days despite zero alcohol. Managed some weights

1k row warm up
3x5 Hex bar Deadlift 115kg
3x6 DB Bench 30kg DB
3x3 Power Clean 70kg
3x8 One legged Leg Press 110kg/SS with One leg KB RDL 22kg KB

Hex Bar actually felt good for the first time. Definitely lest wear and tear on my lower back

Had my first good night's sleep in a while and actually felt human today

10k UT1. Just Row so I could stop for a towel down at half way

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
40:00.5 10,002m 2:00.0 203 997 22

5:00.0 1,253m 1:59.7 204 1002 22
5:00.0 1,255m 1:59.5 205 1005 23
5:00.0 1,243m 2:00.6 199 985 23
5:00.0 1,252m 1:59.8 204 1000 23
5:00.0 1,247m 2:00.2 201 992 23
5:00.0 1,251m 1:59.9 203 998 23
5:00.0 1,251m 1:59.9 203 998 23
5:00.5 1,250m 2:00.2 202 993 23

Speed Pyramid

Legs felt a little heavy and I took the pace off a little in the middle 3 intervals but managed to bring it home in a reasonable fashion. The plan was 95% intensity and...given it's 1.0/500 off my best, I guess this was it but...it felt a little harder than I would have hoped. Fifth day in a row and off lower body on Weds night and a 10k UT2 last night so perhaps that explains it.

TBH, really struggling with my recovering the snap in my legs after lower body lifting. It's a tough balance - I want to lift to maintain and improve my strength & explosiveness to help with the power of my stroke, but...in the middle of the cycles, it feels like the opposite is happening and my legs feel heavier.

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
13:13.2 4,000m 1:39.1 359 1535 33

0:45.9 250m 1:31.8 452 1857 38
r: 1:30 33m
1:36.3 500m 1:36.3 392 1648 35
r: 3:00 37m
2:31.5 750m 1:41.0 340 1469 32
r: 4:30 35m
3:27.5 1,000m 1:43.7 313 1378 32
r: 6:00 33m
2:32.7 750m 1:41.8 332 1441 33
r: 4:30 34m
1:34.9 500m 1:34.9 410 1709 37
r: 3:00 29m
0:44.4 250m 1:28.8 500 2020 39

did an easy ocean swim yesterday as recovery on my rest day and then today, 60min steady state while watching a movie.

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
1:00:00.6 14,018m 2:08.4 165 868 21

5:00.0 1,162m 2:09.0 163 859 20
5:00.0 1,166m 2:08.6 164 865 20
5:00.0 1,175m 2:07.6 168 878 22
5:00.0 1,175m 2:07.6 168 878 22
5:00.0 1,166m 2:08.6 164 865 22
5:00.0 1,171m 2:08.0 167 873 22
5:00.0 1,163m 2:08.9 163 861 21
5:00.0 1,184m 2:06.6 172 892 23
5:00.0 1,173m 2:07.8 167 876 22
5:00.0 1,149m 2:10.5 157 841 21
5:00.0 1,160m 2:09.3 162 857 21
5:00.6 1,175m 2:07.9 167 875 20

Which movie?

Good one actually. LA cop movie with Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña called End of Watch

Well worth finding on Netflix

had a little too much to drink last night, so swapped intervals for a 12k steady state

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
51:37.4 12,001m 2:09.0 163 860 20

5:00.0 1,154m 2:09.9 159 848 19
5:00.0 1,173m 2:07.8 167 876 20
5:00.0 1,161m 2:09.1 162 858 20
5:00.0 1,167m 2:08.5 165 867 21
5:00.0 1,164m 2:08.8 164 862 22
5:00.0 1,160m 2:09.3 162 857 21
5:00.0 1,165m 2:08.7 164 864 21
5:00.0 1,159m 2:09.4 161 855 22
5:00.0 1,162m 2:09.0 163 859 21
5:00.0 1,162m 2:09.0 163 859 22
1:37.4 374m 2:10.2 159 845 21

This year’s medal arrived. Nice and heavy

Purty!
Congrats!

first row since Monday as I picked up an annoying little bug that didn't develop into much but had me weak and a little short of breath.

did something short and easy today and will hopefully ramp up the intensity a little over the weekend. I had a 2k test planned for next Thursday (before a 3 day lads weekend) but that's in doubt now

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
34:43.6 8,007m 2:10.1 159 846 19

5:00.0 1,144m 2:11.1 155 834 19
5:00.0 1,155m 2:09.8 160 849 20
5:00.0 1,148m 2:10.6 157 839 20
5:00.0 1,157m 2:09.6 161 852 20
5:00.0 1,150m 2:10.4 158 842 19
5:00.0 1,163m 2:08.9 163 861 20
4:43.6 1,090m 2:10.0 159 847 20

whatever the bug I've been fighting off is, it's still lingering, which is annoying. Hoping to wake up tomorrow and feel good enough to put some sauce on something, but for now a 40 min slow steady state was all I was good for

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
40:04.3 9,186m 2:10.8 156 837 18

5:00.0 1,157m 2:09.6 161 852 19
5:00.0 1,153m 2:10.0 159 847 19
5:00.0 1,144m 2:11.1 155 834 19
5:00.0 1,154m 2:09.9 159 848 19
5:00.0 1,148m 2:10.6 157 839 20
5:00.0 1,145m 2:11.0 156 835 19
5:00.0 1,129m 2:12.8 149 813 18
5:00.0 1,147m 2:10.7 156 838 19

woke up today feeling recovered from the virus I had last week....must have been the afternoon of drinking in the sun yesterday!

14k steady state

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
1:00:24.7 14,003m 2:09.4 161 855 20

5:00.0 1,183m 2:06.7 172 890 20
5:00.0 1,186m 2:06.4 173 895 20
5:00.0 1,175m 2:07.6 168 878 21
5:00.0 1,146m 2:10.8 156 837 20
5:00.0 1,154m 2:09.9 159 848 20
5:00.0 1,151m 2:10.3 158 844 20
5:00.0 1,141m 2:11.4 154 830 20
5:00.0 1,151m 2:10.3 158 844 20
5:00.0 1,157m 2:09.6 161 852 20
5:00.0 1,159m 2:09.4 161 855 20
5:00.0 1,158m 2:09.5 161 854 20
5:00.0 1,153m 2:10.0 159 847 20

forgot to post this on Tues

had programmed 4x1k today but within 400m of the first interval I knew my CV system wasn't fully recovered from last week's bug. So chose to do some 500m prep ahead of a CTC attempt in the next week or two. Also did 6k warm up and cool down metres

Still so much to learn with sprinting...how fast to stroke, what pace to aim for, what drag to use etc etc. The second split looks a little neater but I felt more in control and stronger at the end of the first interval. Although perhaps that's because I was fresher?

2x300m 5r

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
0:51.1 300m 1:25.1 267 2249 42

0:16.9 100m 1:24.5 580 2296 46
0:17.0 100m 1:25.0 570 2261 39
0:17.2 100m 1:26.0 550 2193 42


Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
0:51.0 300m 1:25.0 570 2261 42

0:16.8 100m 1:24.0 591 2332 43
0:16.9 100m 1:24.5 580 2296 43
0:17.3 100m 1:26.4 541 2161 42

still can't shake a lingering weakness/slight temperature so took Weds off.

Weights this morning for the first time in 2 weeks...so kept it light and higher rep

4x8 DB Bench 30kg DB
3x8 Military Press 40kg
3x12 Seated Hammer Row 100kg
3x8 Barbell Curl 40kg
3x8/12 Tricep rope pushdown/rope extension

all fine.

nice, confidence boosting session today.

I'd always planned to do a 2k test today for my inter club monthly challenge for sub 7, as I'm off on a boozy lads weekend to the cricket tonight and I'm not going to be feeling much like a time trial next week! But I've been struggling with a mini virus and feeling lethargic for the last 2 weeks and haven't completed many (any) good rows. So I knew a 2k wasn't a good idea.

I set out to do an ascending rate 10k without much ambition beyond making it difficult and....while it isn't a full 'PR' because it wasn't full out, it's the fastest I've completed the distance by almost 15 seconds. My fear of the longer distance is well documented, but I do need to pluck up the courage to do a full on time trial at some point.

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
38:38.3 10,000m 1:55.9 225 1073 25

7:52.2 2,000m 1:58.0 213 1032 23
7:49.5 2,000m 1:57.3 216 1044 23
7:44.4 2,000m 1:56.1 224 1069 25
7:38.5 2,000m 1:54.6 232 1099 27
7:33.7 2,000m 1:53.4 240 1125 28

Congratulations on the PR! I can't believe you can rate that high for that long.

And my rating at longer distances is still my biggest weakness. I really should be aiming to rate at 26 from the start but I don’t have the fitness or the bravery to go out that fast

If I can do one of these again I’ll aim to go through half way at 1.56.5 and then hope I can keep speeding up. I ‘should’ be able to go sub 38 I think but I don’t have the intestinal fortitude to go out that hard yet.

First cab off the rank is to try an all out 30min and then if I can manage that it’ll give me more confidence to go for the extra mins

massive weekend on the booze, chems and smokes. good for the soul, bad for the body.

good for the soul though.

managed some light weights in the home gym today to get myself back into it.

5x5 Bench 70kg
3x5/5 DB Flye/Bench 22.5kg DB
4x6 Seated Press 40kg
4x13 Bent Over row 22.5kg DB
3x8 Barbell curl 40kg
3x8 Lat raise 12.5kg DB

will get on the rower tomorrow

50 min trundle. I can't say I feel much better for it, but hopefully I'll recover OK and have a bit more in the tank for tomorrow

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
50:02.4 11,448m 2:11.1 155 834 18

5:00.0 1,152m 2:10.2 159 845 18
5:00.0 1,153m 2:10.0 159 847 19
5:00.0 1,142m 2:11.3 154 831 18
5:00.0 1,148m 2:10.6 157 839 19
5:00.0 1,139m 2:11.6 153 827 19
5:00.0 1,142m 2:11.3 154 831 19
5:00.0 1,143m 2:11.2 155 832 19
5:00.0 1,143m 2:11.2 155 832 20
5:00.0 1,144m 2:11.1 155 834 19
5:00.0 1,138m 2:11.8 153 825 19

have been sick with a bad cold since last Weds. Have managed two light weight sessions but no cardio. Not worth poasting about.

Chest feels better today so might attempt a light row.