Arjun, I'll check that out for sure. I watch his channel occasionally, but something about him annoys me so I probably miss some useful stuff.

PP - W7D2

4x2750m/1:00r
11000m, 52:26, 2:23.0, 19spm, 167 AEHR

2750m1 - 2:22.0, 19spm, 161 EHR
2750m2 - 2:22.8, 19spm, 167 EHR
2750m3 - 2:23.6, 19spm, 169 EHR
2750m4 - 2:23.6, 19spm, 170 EHR

First the good, no back pain at all! I even debated doing a 5th interval, but decided to be smart about it. The bad is my heart rate was so high and pace down. It felt really easy though, so I'm not going to worry about it. Today was a hot day so maybe that's the reason, idk. I would have gone faster if I couldn't see my HR, because it really felt so comfortable.

Diet is back on point. My weight is trending downwards.

Lower

Bulgarian Split Squat: 16x10x3 (per leg)
KB Swings: 24x12x10 (EMOM)
Side Plank: 70sx2 (per side)

I'm not skipping workouts, which is good. I have very minor irritation in my right knee, so I decided to skip pistols today and did BSS instead.

Run

8.2km, 51:00, 6:13/km, 160 AHR

That was a really enjoyable and slow run. Everytime my HR got above 165, I slowed down. It started creeping up towards the end and during uphill portions. I felt like I could have gone forever though, thanks loco! Who knew 15 sec/km makes such a big difference?

PP - W7D3

10 minute warm up - 1696m (drills)

5x1500m/5:00r
7500m, 31:12, 2:04.8, 25spm, 182 AEHR

1500m1 - 2:05.4, 26spm, 174 EHR
1500m2 - 2:05.0, 25spm, 180 EHR
1500m3 - 2:04.8, 25spm, 182 EHR
1500m4 - 2:04.7, 25spm, 186 EHR
1500m5 - 2:04.3, 26spm, 186 EHR



That was very hard mentally. Physically as well from my heart rate on the last 2 intervals. I'm still making good progress though!

Upper

Pull ups: 12, 10, 8, 8, 6 (more than 3 minutes rest)

10 minute EMOM:
Minute 1 - Banded pushups (15, 15, 15, 12, 10)
Minute 2 - Farmer's Carry (4 laps with 22.5s)

Banded push ups might have been regular in the first 2 rounds (unclear). Last 2 rounds were broken into 3 sets.

PP - W7D4

4x3000m/1:00r
12000m, 57:34, 2:23.9, 19spm, 162 AEHR

3000m1 - 2:24.5, 20spm. 155 EHR
3000m2 - 2:23.9, 19spm, 162 EHR
3000m3 - 2:23.5, 18spm, 165 EHR
3000m4 - 2:23.7, 19spm, 165 EHR

I decided last minute to row 12k instead of 11k. This was fairly enjoyable and relaxed. I went a touch slower than usual, still no back pain! I think my form is better, but I haven't recorded it in a while - I need to do it.

Lower

Pistols: 1x1 (each leg, NO WL SHOES, very stable and with depth!!!)
Pistols: 5x6 (each leg, WL shoes, 2 failed reps in total)

10 minute EMOM:
Minute 1: 20 KB Swings (24kg)
Minute 2: 8 strict toes to bar

I'm so pleased with the shoeless pistols! I wasn't even close before the lockdown. I got a bit ambitious with my EMOM - I was huffing at the end. It was all grip. My grip is pathetic, so this is good.

PP - W7D5

10000m, hard distance
44:54, 2:14.7, 22spm, 182 AEHR

2000m1 - 2:15.0, 22spm, 174 EHR
2000m2 - 2:14.6, 21spm, 180 EHR
2000m3 - 2:15.0, 21spm, 184 EHR
2000m4 - 2:15.2, 22spm, 186 EHR
2000m5 - 2:13.5, 24spm, 189 EHR

There is a lifetime best page on the concept2 website, with a bunch of your best times (1 min, 4 min, 30 min, 60 min, 100m, 500m, 1000m, 2000m, 5000m, 6000m, 10000m, HM, marathon, 100km). I'm going to try and do some of these in the hard distance days just to get a time on there. Today wasn't a 100% effort. I could have definitely sustained this pace for an hour, probably more. It was still hard. My heart rate went high a lot earlier than I expected, probably variance.

My goal was anything under 45 minutes and speed up at the end. Done.

No back pain. My new schedule of row-run-row-row-off seems to be working.

I was a little disheartened by how hard today's row was and my slower steady state rows in the last week, so I took a quick video. I've been focussing so much on hinging my back in the recovery and opening up my back after my legs on the drive. I think that looks a LOT better.

I wrongly assumed that I had fixed the pause in my hands. I need to think hands away fast. I did that after the video, and my stroke already felt more powerful.

My main cues should now be, fast hands away, hinge at hips, drive with legs.

Congrats on the PR! I have to man up and do a hard 10k at some point in the next six weeks or so I suppose. I remember doing a sub 40 10k back in the day and it would be nice to get back to that, I suppose.

Re: hands away, it's a problem for me too when I don't concentrate, which is more of an issue during steady state. Generally I try to count strokes and focus on techniques during hard sessions to try to pass the time.

Thanks Monte. I'm not terribly pleased with it, but I'm really happy I recorded myself. I think the hands away que gives me 2-3 seconds per 500m. It lets me recover slower and keep my stroke rate higher (as opposed to slow hands, then rushed recovery with overall lower stroke rate).

I plugged your 5k (was it 19:15?) here and the equivalent 10k time was 40:10. So I'm pretty sure you're there already. I realized yesterday that my steady state is between 2:20 and 2:25, and all the interval work is between 1:50 and 2:08. There's that big gap between 2:08 and 2:20 where I never row. I've read about polarized training, but it seems a little extreme. I think I will try and do one 10k per cycle to do some work in that range.

19:35 just now, although iirc 19:08 or something along those lines was my best time.

As I recall, my sub-2 10ks had a lot of {pull hard for 1k} then {pull 500 m light-ish}; I'd like to get to the point where I just pull 1:59 for 39:40 flat as opposed to just randomly getting there.

Pulling 1:59 flat has got to be easier than the hard-light method. I'm still waiting on your 2k test!

Upper

Weighted Pullups: 16kg x 3,3,2,1
Strict Handstand Pushup: 10, 5, 4, 6, 5 (erratic rest)
Ab Wheel Rollouts: 4x7

I really didn't feel like doing it, so that's a win.

Run

10km, 1:03:43, 6:22/km

This was more like 10.4km, and my HR messed up for the first 3km or so. I kept it below 165 after that. Another very enjoyable run and I felt like I could have gone on forever.

Lower

Pistol Squats: 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3 (per leg, no WL shoes!!!)

20 minute EMOM:
Minute 1: 12 Goblet Squat (24kg)
Minute 2: 15 KB Swings (24kg)
Minute 3: 3 pistol squats per leg (with WL shoes)
Minute 4: 60s side plank (normal plank last round)

AHR: 146, MHR: 171
HR would drop really low during planks and then back up for everything else.



I can easily do pistol squats now, even without WL shoes!

Good ****, man.

On another note, I thought this was an interesting listen:

Thanks Monte. I got bored after 7 minutes or so, but I think I got the gist of it. I don't think zone 2 is even possible for me by his definition (60-70% of max). I would have to row at like a 3:00 split. I suppose that is his point.

PP - W7D6

4x3250m/1:00r
13000m, 1:01:57, 2:22.7, 20spm, 163 AEHR

3250m1 - 2:22.4, 20spm, 157 EHR
3250m2 - 2:22.8, 20spm, 163 EHR
3250m3 - 2:22.4, 19spm, 166 EHR
3250m4 - 2:23.1, 20spm, 167 EHR

Back pain was 3/10 in the last half of the 3rd interval and 2/10 in the last half of the 4th interval. I was expecting it though, it showed up towards the end of my EMOM last evening. I know what to do this time, slightly less volume, more rest, etc etc.

My recovery is not smooth and jerky because of all the thoughts in my head. When I make it smooth without pauses, it feels more efficient and even less pain. That's going to be my focus for next time. I was thinking quick hands away today, but then sort of paused after hands and hinging my hips.

PP - W8D1

250m, 500m, 750m, 1000m, 750m, 500m, 250m / 1min30 rest per preceding 250m
4000m, 15:20.6, 1:55.0, 34spm, 173 AEHR

250m1 - 1:58.4, 32spm, 154 EHR
500m1 - 1:58.0, 32spm, 167 EHR
750m1 - 1:57.7, 32spm, 175 EHR
1000m - 1:57.6, 32spm, 180 EHR
750m2 - 1:54.6, 33spm, 182 EHR
500m2 - 1:48.7, 37spm, 182 EHR
250m2 - 1:41.8, 42spm, 174 EHR



I aimed to keep it around 1:58 and then speed up in the final 3 intervals. It was hard, but not terrible, which is evident from my heart rate not getting above 182. I felt it more in my arms and a little in my legs, rather than lungs. I will take 2 complete rest days now as I am starting to feel a bit fatigued. The old me would have powered through until something really broke down.

More gains! I am thinking about pacing these differently next time and hold a steady pace throughout. A constant 1:55 would be a much harder session than the one I am doing, since my split comes down a lot from the last 2 intervals, which are basically sprints and not aerobic.

PP - W8D2

4x3000m/1:00r
12000m, 57:05, 2:22.7, 20spm, 170 HR

3000m1 - 2:20.8, 20spm. 166 EHR
3000m2 - 2:22.0, 20spm, 170 EHR
3000m3 - 2:23.8, 20spm, 173 EHR
3000m4 - 2:24.2, 20spm, 173 EHR

That was not a pleasant session. I didn't sleep well and had to wake up at 5:55 to row because of a horrible position at work. Heart rate was so high, that got me stressing out about my form. Back was annoying me in the 3rd interval, but not too bad. My steady state pace and heart rate gets worse and worse, but my intervals keep improving. Weird.

I stopped out of my horror position after 5 hours of staring at the screen. To distract myself, I then started thinking about rowing and why I've become worse. I got an instant 3-4 second boost after first posting my form video on C2 forum. I just took 3 videos of myself rowing.

After video 1 - I realized my hands were way too low at the catch (original problem)

After video 2 - Higher hands meant that I was losing my forward lean at the catch and was thus using my back way too early on the drive

After video 3 - Much better! Thought about maintaining the forward lean and high hands. It felt strong.

I can't wait for the day where this all becomes natural and I can zone out during long rows.

PP - W8D3

4x2000m/5:00r
8000m, 33:44, 2:06.5, 26spm, 185 HR

2000m1 - 2:06.8, 25spm, 177 HR
2000m2 - 2:06.7. 25spm, 185 HR
2000m3 - 2:06.5, 25spm, 188 HR
2000m4 - 2:05.9, 27spm, 191 HR



Consistent improvements. My split on the last cycle was 2:08.2, so I was aiming to keep it under 2:08 and then speed it up in the last interval. The first one was too easy though so I decided during it to just speed up and maintain a consistent pace throughout. Interval 2 was fine, 3 was horrible, 4 was death. 191 is my highest rowing HR so far (only reached 187 in the 2k test). It pretty much confirms that the drag factor was way too low in my 2k test. I think I have 7:30 on a really good day.

That's from W2D3!

Upper

Weighted Pull ups: 16kg x 4,3,2,1
DB Floor Press: 22.5sx20x3
Farmer's Carry: 22.5sx5 lapsx4

It's been 6 days since my last weights session. It's a bit of weaksauce and a bit of being smart because my bicep tendonitis was beginning to creep back. It's all fine now. I've definitely made progress in all 3 exercises I did today when compared to the beginning of the lockdown.

Run

10km, 1:02:37, 6:15/km, 163 HR

I kept my HR under 165, another pleasant run. My calves hurt for the first 3km or so, then it went away. That's been happening on most of my runs. This was about a minute quicker than last time, with the same HR cap.

Lower

Pistol Squat: 4, 4, 6, 4, 7 (per leg, no WL shoes)
Bulgarian Split Squat: 24x6x3 (per leg)
Side Plank: 75sx2 (per side)

Pistol squats, solved it. I couldn't even do one 2 months ago, now I can rep them out. I think I can do a set of 15+ now per leg. If I use my WL shoes (if it were a competition), they become even easier.

There are now 2 movements left in crossfit that I cannot do - strict ring muscle ups and handstand walks. Since I'm getting a bit bored of this routine, I thought I may as well start working on handstand walks. Cool party trick and all.

I'm going to be following the progression here. Wodprep puts out really good content and the progressions seem reasonable.