5 x 750m

On one of those days when you don’t feel like training it’s never fun doing one of those sessions you never really feel like doing. It is going to be one of those weeks with so much to do at work before I head off to Washington DC next week though, and the training does help to keep you sane.

So it was straight to the gym after the commute home from work, 2500m warm up, then into the session. Target today of all reps under 1:37.5.

5 x 750m / 3:30 rest:
2:26.1 / 1:37.4 / 32
2:25.8 / 1:37.2 / 33
2:26.1 / 1:37.4 / 33
2:25.9 / 1:37.2 / 33
2:24.8 / 1:36.5 / 34

3750m = 12:08.8 / 1:37.1 / 33

It felt an odd session today. Tough going through reps 2 and 3, but rep 4 felt the easiest by some way.

Another month passes

Has it really been a month since I last blogged? To be fair, there hasn’t been much training to blog about since my last entry on 1st January. I continued doing steady 10k rows most days during my holiday in Seattle, arriving home on Friday 8th. I then had two days of mostly sleep before heading back to the US on a work trip, taking in the sights of Pensacola Beach in Florida, followed by Las Vegas. When I arrived back home again on Thursday 14th I had managed a total of 16km on the erg during the entire work trip, not enough to stop my fitness levels dropping somewhat.

So I have been back, and training, for two weeks now. I decided a week ago that what I really needed to do was get consistent interval training back into my routine in order to make progress, so my plan is to do (almost) standard Pete Plan interval sessions on a Sunday (speed reps) and a Friday afternoon (distance reps).

Sunday 27th Jan:

8 x 500m / 2min rest:
1:36.1 / 34
1:36.1 / 34
1:36.0 / 34
1:36.1 / 34
1:36.1 / 34
1:36.0 / 34
1:36.2 / 34
1:35.7 / 34

4k = 12:48.3 / 1:36.0 / 34

Friday 1st Feb:

5:14.7 / 1:44.9 / 29
5:14.6 / 1:44.8 / 29
5:14.5 / 1:44.8 / 29
5:14.5 / 1:44.8 / 29
5:09.1 / 1:43.0 / 30

7500m = 26:07.4 / 1:44.9 / 29

As I don’t have the pace endurance at the moment I don’t gain any benefit from taking longer rest periods on the short reps, so will be sticking with the following sessions for now:

8 x 500m / 2min rest

5 x 750m / 3:30 rest

4  x 1k / 5min rest

And the standard three for distance reps of 5 x 1500, 4 x 2k and 3k, 2.5k, 2k – all with 5min rests between reps.

With another work trip to the US in a week’s time, this time taking in Washington DC and Bristol, Pennsylvania, I will see how long I can keep up the consistent training…

End of the year

Friday was a rest day after 6 days in a row of training on the erg.

Saturday:

10k = 37:09.5 / 1:51.4 / 26
2k splits:
1:50.8 / 26
1:50.9 / 26
1:50.8 / 26
1:55.3 / 24
1:49.3 / 27

This workout was really a case of either setting out a bit too fast for what I intended, or not being in the frame of mind for wanting to train too hard straight out of bed on holiday. Coming up to 6k gone I considered just stopping there, but decided to just do a slow 2k then get back to pace in the final 2k, as the duration of these workouts is doing me good. I am doing all of these holiday workouts in the basement where the air is warm and dry, and with no warm up.

Sunday:

10k = 37:07.5 / 1:51.3 / 26
2k splits:
1:53.8 / 24
1:52.8 / 25
1:51.7 / 26
1:50.9 / 27
1:47.6 / 28

Yesterday I started out slower, but in negative splitting by 1sec each 2k, and increasing the rate by 1spm each 2k, the time ended up a little faster than the day before.

Today has been a day off, so I think I will go for a faster 10k tomorrow and actually warm up for this one, and aim for under 1:50 pace throughout. I may as well start the new year with a good solid workout and set out how I intend to continue.

6 for 6

6 days on holiday, 6 days in a row training. Also 6 days in a row of drinking beer. I need a rest day from one or the other.

Wednesday:
10k = 38:00.2 / 1:54.0 / 23
2k splits:
1:58.2 / 20
1:55.8 / 22
1:53.9 / 24
1:53.8 / 24
1:48.2 / 27

Thursday:
5k = 17:59.7 / 1:47.9 / 26
1k splits:
1:49.7 / 26
1:49.7 / 26
1:49.6 / 26
1:47.3 / 27
1:43.4 / 28

Christmas day interval training

4 days into the holiday, and 4 for 4 on the training days so far! Yesterday was another steady 10k session, which is pretty much all I had planned to do during the holiday.

Monday:
10k = 37:47.6 / 1:53.3 / 24

Today I decided that I should really do the interval session that I had set as the first session for the Boston 2k training group for today. I don’t think it is a session I’ve ever done before, and generally I would not set a session without first attempting it to be sure I’ve got the target paces right. 625m reps were picked as the half way point between 500s and 750s, so made sense as a new session to try.

Tuesday:
6 x 625m / 3min rest:
2:01.0 / 1:36.8 / 34
2:01.0 / 1:36.8 / 34
2:01.0 / 1:36.8 / 33
2:01.5 / 1:37.2 / 34
2:02.4 / 1:37.9 / 33
2:00.8 / 1:36.6 / 34
Totals: 3750m = 12:07.7 / 1:37.0 / 33

In working out the target paces for the new people I’m coaching in this group training I worked off an estimated current 2k pace. The question I asked all of the athletes was “if you were to do a 2k time trial today, what time do you think you would achieve?”. To set initial paces for interval training like this it is the best way to get a good ball park starting point. For this session I then set the target pace band as between that 2k pace, and 1second faster for the first 5 reps, and a fast last rep. I had done a 6:26 for 2k in the recent Newark race, but have done pretty much no speed work since, including 10 days off training with a bad cold. So I estimated that I could just break 6:30 for 2k at the moment, so a target pace band of 1:36.5 to 1:37.5 for this session. As you can see, I started off ambitiously towards the faster end, and had to slow in reps 4 and 5 in order to get through the session. Aside from rep 5 all were within the guidelines for the session, and the overall average was exactly at the mid point of the target band. I would imagine like most other people who do hard reps on the rowing machine I hate interval training when I’ve not done it for a while though. The only thing that gets me back on the erg for more is knowing the benefits it will bring me.

Comment answer:

Kirstin commented on a recent blog entry with a question of how tall I am. I am 182cm / 5′ 11.5″, so just marginally under 6 feet tall.

Early morning holiday training

When you travel across time zones you may as well make the jetlag work for you and get your training out of the way early morning while everyone else sleeps.

Day 1, Saturday:

On the erg at 6am for a steady 10k.

10k = 37:47.5 / 1:53.3 / 24
2k splits:
1:53.8 / 24
1:53.7 / 24
1:53.6 / 24
1:53.7 / 24
1:51.9 / 24

Day 2, Sunday:

On the erg at 5am, this time for a negative split 10k.

10k = 37:58.0 / 1:53.9 / 23
2k splits:
1:57.5 / 22
1:55.6 / 23
1:53.8 / 24
1:53.4 / 24
1:49.1 / 26

I don’t warm up at all when I do steady distance work, so when the session is straight out of bed I have to start slower like today to get warm before gradually increasing the pace.

Training during this 2 week holiday is made much easier by the early Christmas present I got from my wife:

Perhaps it is a little extravagent to have an erg at your in-laws house when you visit at most twice a year (we live 5000 miles away), but we are justifying the purchase by totaling up how much we save by not going to the gym. The convenience of not having to make a special trip out to the gym is priceless of course, especially when you’re on holiday! So far 2 days on holiday, and we’ve both done a session each day, so that is $40 saved so far!

After finishing my session this morning I read a blog post on the Concept2 website, posted highlighted through the C2 facebook site. The blog entry is written by a former winner of the TV weight loss show “the biggest loser”. I find these sort of life changing stories quite motivational, so I’m sure others of you do too:
http://concept2.co.uk/blog/post/kevin-mclernons-christmas-message

I don’t know how much Kevin used the C2 in his weight loss, but he is obviously using it now and planning on taking part in the English champs in 2013. Have a read, and perhaps it will aid your motivation too.

Note: Just in case anyone doesn’t know, the blue sleeve on the erg is a c-breeze, a must have accessory for any serious indoor rower, and more effective than a fan at keeping you cool while you row. Click on the “pimp my erg” tab above to find out where to get them!

Back training, and heading to the USA

The last training session I did was a 60mins on 9th December. I spent a few days after that finishing work on the final masters degree paper of the term, then went down ill with some sort of cold / flu. 10 complete days of no training, or even energy to train, and that sucks.

The masters paper was submitted, and that means no more uni work till April. I finished work for Christmas yesterday, and now have 2 weeks off, and 5 weeks out of the office! So today was a good day to get back on the erg and start training again.

10k = 37:52.0 / 1:53.6 / 24

So off to the airport tomorrow for 2 weeks in Seattle. Planning to train every day during that period. Then I get back home for a couple of days then fly back out for work, a week in Florida then a few days in Las Vegas. Then back home for a couple of days, then off to Cornwall, again for work. Training during the 3 weeks of work travel could be hit and miss, all depends what the hotel gyms are like. The Florida hotel I’ve stayed in before, but don’t think I’ve used the gym in it. The Las Vegas hotel should have a great gym I would think as it’s a huge hotel.

Apart from the travel over the next few weeks I am looking forward to 3 months of decent training. Doing a part time masters degree on top of everything else certainly takes time and mental energy away from training, so with that out of the way for a few months I should be able to look forward to getting back into some sort of form. My main aim for the 3 months is with a better diet and more consistent training to get back as close as possible to 200lbs. When I raced in Boston last February I was at an all time high of 225lbs, and am currently tipping the scales at around 218lbs. Anywhere from 195 to 205 is a much better weight for me, and I will be a lot faster just for that alone. Ultimately my aim is to get back to a stable 196lbs (14 stone). Pace will come, so I have no specific targets there.

2k training group – Boston 2013

Due to popular demand I will be running a short training group leading up to the World Indoor Rowing Championships. The Crash Bs are being held on Sunday 17th February 2013 in Boston, USA. The training group will run for 8 weeks, beginning on Sunday 23rd December 2012.

As in previous years the 8 week plan will be focused on a 2k race or time trial to be held on Sunday 17th February, but racing that 2k in Boston is not a pre-requisit to be able to join the group training.

Training will be sent in 4 two week blocks, with each session laid out in detail with personal target paces, and guidance about how to approach the session. The plan will consist of 3 core sessions each week, with the core sessions being predominantly interval sessions with progressive pace targets over the 8 week period. Advice will be given on how to approach further steady distance training to supplement the harder sessions. All sessions will be set using pace and stroke rate targets, no heart rate limits will be set.

Optimisation of technique, stroke rate, drag factor, pacing and race preparation will be discussed during the 8 weeks. You should come to race day with a good appreciation of your current capabilities, and the tools to enter the race with the ability to execute a solid race at the limit of those capabilities.

The cost to take part in the group is a one off fee of £40.

If you are interested, or want to register to take part in the training group please email me at thepeteplan@gmail.com by Friday 21st December 2012 at the latest. No late additions this year due to the short duration group.

60mins

It is funny how one day you can struggle both mentally and physically, and the next everything feels easy. Yesterday I set out to do a steady 10k at 1:52.5 pace, but felt mentally and physically drained and stopped after just 6k. Today I decided to set 60mins on the monitor with the aim of doing at least 40mins, with the final 20mins being bonus training.

60mins = 16253m / 1:50.7 / 26
10min splits:
1:51.5 / 26
1:51.6 / 26
1:51.7 / 26
1:51.2 / 26
1:50.7 / 27
1:47.6 / 28

The first 40mins felt like a fairly comfortable cruise, hence the slight increase in pace from half way. Then for the last 20mins it was just a gradually increase in pace. This isn’t that fast when I look at the bigger picture of pbs (17116m / 1:45.2), but on current form it is a good solid endurance row. And it is always a good sign when you want to finish longer rows hard.

2 weeks to go…

Not until a race, but until the end of term on my masters degree. The significance to training is that it will then give me more time for it, as I have a break in studying until after easter 2013.

Today a 500m reps session, and the first time doing anything faster than 1:37 pace (aside from the 2k race 2 weeks ago) for quite some time:

8 x 500m / 2:30 rest:
1:36.0 / 33
1:35.9 / 33
1:35.9 / 33
1:35.8 / 33
1:35.4 / 34
1:35.6 / 34
1:35.0 / 34
1:34.3 / 34

4000m = 12:43.9 / 1:35.4 / 33

Other recent sessions of note have included a 6344m row for the Concept2 challenge series last Monday:

6344m = 22:18.5 / 1:45.4 / 28
1k splits:
3:31.8 / 1:45.9 / 28
3:31.8 / 1:45.9 / 29
3:31.8 / 1:45.9 / 28
3:31.8 / 1:45.9 / 28
3:31.8 / 1:45.9 / 28
3:31.0 / 1:45.5 / 28
1:08.7 / 1:39.8 / 31

A 5 x 750m reps session and a 4min reps session the week before:

5 x 750m / 3min rest:
2:26.0 / 1:37.3 / 32
2:25.9 / 1:37.2 / 32
2:25.9 / 1:37.2 / 32
2:25.9 / 1:37.2 / 32
2:24.5 / 1:36.3 / 33

3750m = 12:08.2 / 1:37.0 / 32

Wednesday 21st:

4 x 4mins / 3min rest:
1177m / 1:41.9 / 29
1177m / 1:41.9 / 30
1177m / 1:41.9 / 30
1191m / 1:40.7 / 30

16mins = 4723m / 1:41.6 / 29