CTC and sprint reps

 

Following the 2k @ 28spm that I posted in my last blog entry I have now moved into the final 2 weeks of prep for the English IRC in Manchester on 2nd March. One important aspect of this final race prep is short reps at close to max pace. These really help me in getting the stroke rate up, and in teaching myself how to maintain a very quick pace when I’m fatigued – a great learning point when it comes to the sprint finish of a 2k. When I prep properly with this type of sprint training I am always confident that I can beat anyone in a final sprint finish who is of a similar 2k standard. So if I am level with an opponent with 200m to go I will beat them. At the moment I am neither up to the 2k standard I want to be, or up to the standard I’d like to be in this type of workout. But the prep and the 2k standard go together, so still relatively I feel I can out sprint my competitors in that final sprint finish.

Feb 13th:

20 x 100m / 45sec rest:
2000m = 5:30.9 / 1:22.7 / 42

All reps between 1:21.5 and 1:23.5.

Feb 15th:

30mins = 8003m / 1:52.4 / 23

The next hard workout was a second and final go at this month’s CTC challenge row. I rowed this one with a team mate who was about 3sec / 500m faster than me, and that gave me a good push and motivation to do well. Compared to the last time I did this challenge (look back a few blog entries ago) I pushed harder on the first 4 reps, and managed pretty much the same solid pace for the final rep. Overall this gave me a solid 0.5sec pace improvement.

Feb 16th:

CTC monthly challenge row, second and last attempt.

4mins = 1205m / 1:39.5 / 31
4min rest
3mins = 908m / 1:39.1 / 32
3min rest
2mins = 611m / 1:38.1 / 33
2min rest
1min = 305m / 1:38.3 / 33
1min rest
3mins = 947m / 1:35.0 / 35

13mins = 3977m / 1:38.0 / 32

 

Feb 17th:

30mins = 8050m / 1:51.8 / 24

2k @ 28spm

2k = 6:33.5 / 1:38.3 / 28

500m splits:
1:38.5 / 28
1:39.1 / 28
1:39.3 / 28
1:36.6 / 31

Today’s training was a 2k at r28 (with a free rate last 250m). This is the last step in the progression we have done since BIRC that has been 2k @ r24 (6:49), then 2k @ r26 (6:39), then 2k @ r26 with a free rate last 500m (6:35), and now finally 2k r28 with an (optional) free rate last 250m.

The idea behind this is to take away any fear of 2k time trials. If you do them regularly they really are just like any other session you do on the erg. It’s not a good idea to do very regular free rate time trial at the same distance, so putting a restriction of some sort on them can progress the distance nicely up to a completely full on TT.

It is also a good illustration with regards to getting to the point where your brain thinks you can’t achieve the target you set out to do, and then kind of shutting down and possibly handling down. I was pretty much flat out here with the r28 restriction, but plenty more pace to give still when I removed that restriction for the final 250m. This is what you learn to do by doing the “fast last” reps in interval sessions, how to manipulate your stroke in order to either maintain pace, or increase it, generally by increasing the stroke rate (and generally then regulating the stroke power to make it manageable).

So with the last 2k race of the season in 3 weeks time what does this tell me? Well with 1:39 / 28 as a sustainable rate and pace combination for a 2k it tells me that there is no reason not to sustain a pace quicker than this throughout the Manchester 2k by rowing at a free rate throughout. 1:38s should come at 30/31spm for roughly the same effort level, and 1:37s at 32 / 33spm. Therefore from this my aim for Manchester should be to maintain a minimum rate of 32spm through the middle of the 2k, and aim for 1:37s through that period. With a fast start and a quick last 500m this should put me in a good position to better the 6:26 times I did at both Bristol and BIRC.

CTC, illness and recovery

Last Saturday I came down with an illness I’d not experienced before, and hope not to experience again. The symptoms pointed to a diagnosis of labyrinthitis when I visited the doctor on Monday, so aside from a (perhaps ill advised) 30min row last Sunday I then did nothing at all Monday to Thursday this past week to aid recovery.

Friday I then stepped back onto the erg with a tentative first go at this month’s CTC challenge, and things seem to be fine from there.

7th Feb:
CTC monthly challenge
4mins = 1202m / 1:39.6 / 32
4min rest
3mins = 902m / 1:39.7 / 32
3min rest
2mins = 602m / 1:39.6 / 33
2min rest:
1min = 303m / 1:39.0 / 34
1min rest:
3mins = 949m / 1:34.8 / 35

Totals: 13mins = 3958m / 1:38.5 / 33

8th Feb:
6k = 1:50.0 / 26

9th Feb:
10k = 37:17.6 / 1:51.8 / 24
2k splits:
1:53.7 / 23
1:53.7 / 23
1:53.8 / 23
1:53.5 / 24
1:44.5 / 28

5 x 4mins / 4min rest

31st January:

5 x 4mins / 4min rest:
1177m / 1:41.9 / 30
1177m / 1:41.9 / 30
1178m / 1:41.8 / 31
1179m / 1:41.7 / 31
1220m / 1:38.3 / 33

20mins = 5931m / 1:41.1 / 31

2nd February:

30mins = 7898m / 1:53.9 / 22