11/24
WP C9D3 - 90:00
20101 m/2:14.3/16.7 spm

HRM battery ran out, I'll be flying blind for a few days. Paced this one a bit better, and hit 1500 strokes on the button.

11/25
WP C9D4 - 15x3:00/1:00r (UT1)
11885m/45:00/1:53.5/23 spm
3:00_1 - 775m/1:56.1/22 spm
3:00_2 - 779m/1:55.5/22 spm
3:00_3 - 782m/1:55.0/22 spm
3:00_4 - 786m/1:54.5/22 spm
3:00_5 - 792m/1:53.6/22 spm
3:00_6 - 793m/1:53.4/23 spm
3:00_7 - 795m/1:53.2/22 spm
3:00_8 - 796m/1:53.0/23 spm
3:00_9 - 798m/1:52.7/23 spm
3:00_10 - 802m/1:52.2/23 spm
3:00_11 - 802m /1:52.2/23 spm
3:00_12 - 806m/1:51.6/23 spm
3:00_13 - 806m/1:51.6/24 spm
3:00_14 - 787m/1:54.3/24 spm
3:00_15 - 786m/1:54.5/23 spm
r8446m (15:00 warmup + interval rests + 10:00 cooldown)

Pretty nice PR here; probably could have really pushed and kept the negative split going for the last few splits, but decided against it.

11/26
WP C9D6 - 90:00
20089 m/2:14.4/16.9 spm

Happy Turkey Day, S&F.

11/27
WP C9D6 - 90:00
20090m/2:14.3/16.7 spm

Drank too much yesterday, so this sucked. Off day tomorrow, though.

11/29
WP C9D7 - Power Pyramid
4000 m/13:45.7/1:43.2/31 spm/173 HR
250_1 - 0:51.2/1:42.4/30 spm/154 HR
500_1 - 1:42.8/1:42.8/30 spm/168 HR
750_1 - 2:34.2/1:42.8/30 spm/175 HR
1000_1 - 3:29.2/1:44.6/30 spm/179 HR
750_2 - 2:36.1/1:44.0/31 spm/180 HR
500_2 - 1:42.3/1:42.3/33 spm/180 HR
250_2 - 0:49.8/1:39.6/36 spm/173 HR
r15962 (20:00 warmup + rest intervals + 30:00 cooldown)

Previous PRs on this were around 1:43.5 (though I blew up to 1:44.6 last time), so slight overall gains today, and this one was a bit more consistent and paced better. Feels like I can just keep shooting for 1:42.5 across on the first three intervals and then try to keep inching the pace down towards that on the 1k and second 750.

11/30
WP C9D8 - 90:00
20095 m/2:14.3/16.9 spm/123 HR/129 ending HR

Pretty good session for HR, but legs felt heavy.

486k meters this month; was hoping for one million meters flat the last two months of this year, so right on course.

12/1
WP C9D9 - 90:00
20026 m/2:14.8/16.8 spm/130 HR/140 ending HR

K.

12/2
WP C9D10 - 30r20 (UT1)
7694 m/1:56.9/20 spm/171 HR
5:00 - 1257 m/1:59.3/20 spm/155 HR
10:00 - 1274 m/1:57.7/20 spm/165 HR
15:00 - 1283 m/1:56.9/20 spm/172 HR
20:00 - 1289 m/1:56.3/20 spm/176 HR
25:00 - 1292 m/1:56.0/20 spm/180 HR
30:00 - 1298 m/1:55.5/20 spm/182 HR
r12314 m (20:00 warmup + 35:00 cooldown)

Negative split this the whole way, so paced it pretty well; 600 strokes on the button as usual. Had 7700 meters in the back of my mind as a goal, and even after my somewhat sluggish start I almost got there, so pretty pleased. Even though this wasn't a rating piece, it is still a PR, so there is that.

12/3
WP C9D11 - 90:00
20102m/2:14.3/16.6 spm/135 HR/143 ending HR

Still k.

12/4
WP C9D12 - 90:00
20256m/2:13.2/16.4 spm/130 HR/140 ending HR

Good session.

12/6
WP C10D1 - 4x2000m/5:00r
8000 m/29:46.6/1:51.6/24 spm/176 HR
2000_1 - 7:27.6/1:51.9/23 spm/170 HR
2000_2 - 7:25.2/1:51.3/23 spm/177 HR
2000_3 - 7:25.1/1:51.2/24 spm/178 HR
2000_4 - 7:28.7/1:52.1/26 spm/180 HR
r11902 (15:00 warmup + interval rests + 20:00 cooldown)

Nice little PR here, which, given I was able to rate lower than last time, means I'm getting a bit more power per stroke out of my lower body. Had sub-7:30 for each interval as a pre-session target and got it pretty comfortably.

Had an mini-innerEV occurrence in the last interval, as I took a half beat pause two or three times for some reason I can't explain, but I managed to pull it together and finish. Progress, at least.

12/7
WP C10D2 - 90:00
20275m/2:13.1/16.6 spm/129 HR/140 ending HR

K.

12/8
WP C10D3 - 90:00
20487m/2:11.7/16.6 spm/136 HR/149 ending HR

Pushed it a little more this time; felt decent enough but we'll see how the UT1 goes tomorrow.

Back to back 90 minute sessions seem crazy but probably theoretically sound. Who wrote this insanity?

Pretty much me; I used the Pete Plan as a jumping off point (which is itself a simplified version of a well known program called the Wolverine Plan), and worked in some thoughts from Travis Gardner (rowing coach with a small YouTube channel). Basically I'm doing a two week cycle with six days on/one day off:
TR/UT2/UT2/UT1/UT2/UT2/off,
AT/UT2/UT2/UT1/UT2/UT2/off

Essentially it's a shitload of lower intensity steady state (UT2) with a slightly higher intensity day (UT1), an endurance interval (AT, so the 4x2k/5:00r I just did), and a speed interval (TR, so the 4x1k/5:00r I have scheduled for Sunday) sprinkled in. There's rough correspondence to Zones 2 through 5 there, but Gardner cautions making a direct comparison because rowing has more of a power component in comparison to other endurance activities. I've been stretching out my steady state from 30 minute pieces to 90 minutes continuously over the past six months or so; after we get through the new year I may cut back on the steady state to hour sessions (maybe with one weekly 90:00 session) and maybe add an AT or TR session per week so I don't overtrain. I'm tolerating it pretty well, though, and 1 million meters within the last two months of this year is in reach, so I'll give it a go.

Seems crazy, only Hanson does something similar. And it's usually something like 60min and then next day 90min. But it is mostly zone2.

With your max heart this way in zone1. Again, like you said hard to compare since you guys use more musculature.

And all my old farts heroes train a bunch in zone1. So maybe you ready to write a book. I felt like 2x90min per week in running was better than doing some of the bullshiet 2:30 sessions reccommended for marathons. But marathon runners batshiet crazy, 42km not meant to be run by humans. Half marathon much better. And there is science that shows 90min endurance sessions are pure meat and potatoes for gains. But back to back? You've lost it my man. Welcome to endurance addiction.

Well I'm actually doing 90 minutes (roughly) every day since I'm adding enough warmup/cooldown to get to 85 or 90 minutes on my non-steady state days, so yeah, I'm a little obsessive, news at 11.

Feels like shooting for ~an hour a day six days a week with one ninety minute session a week is an easy enough sweet spot that I'll settle into it next year. I was just short of 36 hours rowing over 24 training days in November, which could be too much volume.

U]12/9[/U]
WP C10D4 - 2x6000m/7:00r (UT1)
12000 m/47:07.2/1:57.8/20 spm/179 HR
6000_1 - 23:37.5/1:58.1/20 spm/175 HR
6000_2 - 23:29.7/1:57.4/20 spm/182 HR
r6553m (15:00 warmup + interval rests)

Might have pushed this a bit hard, but felt pretty good (relatively speaking), so I went for it a little. PR, but the HR was a little high.

So what's your cholesterol history? One exam at 240lb bodyweight and you get on a statin for life?

I have that one freaky drop by 200 points that I have been rambling about for a decade but maybe I need more data points. I did show up at 200 total cholesterol a few years later but I had gained two inches on my waist. My cholesterol is 310 at 37.5" waist and 123 at 30.5".

We probably need your data point bro. Get off the statin. If something happens, don't worry Papa Loco coming to play sports with the Minis and the Double Es.

I was in indiana the other day, those casinos are a candy store. But they have ridiculous ID requirements and won't be going back til the world is vaccinated.

I haven't had a physical for 3+ years and stopped taking my statin for a while because I ran out and never refilled it, but as it happens I have a physical scheduled in a week and have been back on the statin for 2+ months, so I'm interested to see the numbers now that I'm a twig cardiobunny. I always responded very well to the lowest possible dose, so I'd expect decent numbers but who knows. Truth be told I haven't really paid that much attention, which I realize is probably bad, but I'll have an interesting data point before the end of the year, at least.

Cholesterol numbers when statin'd up and lifting at 210ish lbs were below 200 iirc, but I don't recall much more than that. Probably about time to actually care.

12/11
WP C10D5 - 60:00
13809 m/2:10.3/16.6 spm/139 HR/149 ending HR

Thinking about dialing down the volume a bit so I don't burn out or get injured. Something like 4 on/1 off with 1 TR, 1 AT, 1 UT1, and 5 UT2 every two cycles. Limit the UT2 length to 60ish minutes at a bit higher pace (like today) with one 90 minute session every two mini-cycles. Should still work out to 25+ hours a month, and have me doing higher intensity work a bit more frequently.

Did you notice or feel anything physically different when you're on the statin as opposed to being off of it?

The plan sounds really good. Give your body a bit of a break, increase the harder work, and smash PBs in all distances.

I haven't, no, not while lifting or cardiobunnying. That's the hope! Should still be about tree fiddy thousands meters per month, which should be plenty of total volume.

Switching the program up as described above, so today's a speed interval day. This one was the original "no heart" session last month:

12/13
C1D1 - 4x1000m/5:00r
14:01.5/1:45.1/29 spm/175 HR
1000_1 - 3:29.0/1:44.5/28 spm/170 HR
1000_2 - 3:28.2/1:44.1/29 spm/178 HR
1000_3 - 3:29.7/1:44.8/29 spm/181 HR
1000_4 - 3:34.5/1:47.2/29 spm/181 HR
r11105 (15:00 warmup + interval rests + 15:00 cooldown)

So my multi-month odyssey of trying to break a 1:45 average comes up just short; I knew I'd be close, but didn't have any finishing kick and couldn't quite hold on. Regardless, sub-1:45 in all four intervals feels like it could be doable next time, which would be a nice personal milestone.
As with last time, legs and cardio kind of both failed at the same time, but later in the session - just a small hiccup in the third interval and then beginning maybe 60% of the way through the last interval where I just skipped half beats four or five times, which unfortunately was the difference.