Anyone had any SEASON's bests recently?

[Paul Victory]

Hi WestYorksRed

Welcome to Free Spirits. Sub 7 for 2k is a huge benchmark! Congratulations! =D> =D> =D>

Paul V

[plummy]

Very nice 2k and well paced. Deserves be on the PB thread but a PB is an SB by default.

Welcome to the forum sir! Looking forward to less lurking and more posting

Plummy

[WestYorksRed]

Cheers gents - know what you mean re benchmarks, got as much of a buzz out of it as anything I ever did on the track. There's nothing better than beating your personal targets (whether sub 6.20, 7, 8 or whatever).

Started out erging thinking it was all quite similar to the 8/15 on the track but have really enjoyed (sometimes through bitter experience) learning how different they are. For a discipline where I seem to accumulate way more lactic than I ever remember on the track, the easy option is to do intervals / aerobic threshold type work for a short@rse lightweight like me. At some point, guess you have to do the work in training that puts you properly in the redzone and that's what's got me the PB. The training and the TT has hurt like hell for the weeks but that's the whole point in my book! Next stop 6.55.

[plummy]

Well, something vaguely positive to report with a new SB for 30 minutes at 7584m (an improvement of 29m). Given it was really hot and sticky it was far from ideal conditions to try it but having been near and/or failed 3~4 times recently I got to pace and just held for 10 minutes or so rather than try and stay ahead resulting in having to back right off a couple of times. Saved the push for a gain until the last 2 minutes.

Max heartrate was 170 with a highest ever seen of 175 so I was working hard for sure (27SPM)

[Paul Victory]

Well done Plummy. =D> =D> =D> I can't manage anything above a sprint at any kind of decent pace in this weather. So extra kudos for doing so.

Paul V

[Jill]

That's the Free Spirit spirit Plummy. =D>

Given more ideal rowing conditions ( if there is such a thing ) and the right state of mind, you know that an improvement on the 29m is a possibility ...

[JonT]

A SB that is definitely not worth writing home about

Given the lack of rowing this season (er...and last) I knew I had lost a lot of form. But the gap in the Nonathlon for an 'hour of power' was talking to me, and so I sacrificed my normal Sunday morning bike ride and decided to take it on and see just how much form I had lost. The answer: A LOT.

I knew I wouldn't be able to get close to my PB of 14523m (at 2:03.9) so I dialled a pace of 2:06 into Rowpro. My pace boat had clear water after a few minutes and I never saw it again . I struggled on at 2:07-2:09 for a while and then watched my HR sail up and up, so I just rowed for an hour at 166-170 bpm reaching 13,863m

Just two positives came out of this. As you can imagine the "What is the point? Surely there are better things to do" demons were loud and proud for at least 58 of the 60 minutes, but I managed not to HD somehow. And I at least put down a marker for the season (and scored some Nonathlon points on the way)

[plummy]

Well done Jon - sometimes the success is not the SB/PB but just staying to the end and posting a score without quitting. I had a similar experience (and also for the hour) on Saturday. I was thinking of quitting at 5k, very close to quitting at 30 mins and definitely stopping at 10k and 45 minutes but just kept going at whatever pace I could manage to win the mind game.
Finished with 14460m (SB is 14642m) - but I still feel it was a minor victory

[plummy]

With a week of serious over-eating coming up starting tomorrow I decided on a longer than recent row - i.e. a HM. Part way through I noticed that I could maybe manage a 1hr SB (thinking it was 14555m). Bailed at the hour mark after a tough last few minutes and was very happy with 14653m - UNTIL I the spotted my previous SB was actually 14641m so it was only a 12m improvement - GRRR!

Step in the right direction though

[Paul Victory]

Well done plummy. An SB is an SB and I think it's hard to produce a strong performance over longer distances in this weather. So, very well done indeed! =D> =D> =D>

[JonT]

With a week of serious over-eating coming up starting tomorrow I decided on a longer than recent row - i.e. a HM. Part way through I noticed that I could maybe manage a 1hr SB (thinking it was 14555m). Bailed at the hour mark after a tough last few minutes and was very happy with 14653m - UNTIL I the spotted my previous SB was actually 14641m so it was only a 12m improvement - GRRR!

Step in the right direction though

Great work Plummy - and there was I believing you had a sore elbow! Enjoy the indulgent week ahead.

[Grobi]

Well done on the SB Dave! Even by a small marginit's still an SB. Imagine you would have missed the SB by 12m. I bet that would have ruined your whole holiday

After a completely failed ctc attempt I decided to release my anger in a 500m TT. Previous SB was 1:43.0 and I hoped to get close to the 1:40 barrier:

100 / 1:41.0 / 36
200 / 1:41.0 / 33
300 / 1:40.5 / 36
400 / 1:38.0 / 37
500 / 1:38.0 / 43

Total: 1:39.6

Finally happy with a new SB by 3.4 seconds. Pacing went pretty much to plan with a more or less steady first 300m and then a sprint towards the finish. Might try this again with fresh legs.

[plummy]

There should be a hat-full of Nonathlon points for a 3.4s improvement - very impressive Peter.

[Grobi]

There should be a hat-full of Nonathlon points for a 3.4s improvement - very impressive Peter.

Thanks Dave, in fact it was 26 points. I've never earned so many nonathlon points in so little time

[plummy]

Just taken my 60 minutes up my 29m - and it was TOUGH. 14682m (was 14653m) with negative splits across all ten 6 minute splits.
Need to find another 24m on top of that for a 2 year SB.

A whole 2 Nonathlon points too - woohoo!

[Jill]

Thank you so much everyone for all your encouraging words of support.

All done - 6 hours 13 minutes and 48 seconds.

The erg broke twice so we lost precious time as it was as replaced with a substitute.

I think I managed to keep my end up and completed all my rows.

Such a great bunch of people - it was an honour to row with them.

I'll write when I get home.

Going out for a meal now - might treat myself to a glass or two of sparkling ' miserable ' water.

[plummy]

Well done Jill - superb stuff. You are now part of a World Record holding team - bet you never thought that was going to happen?!

Enjoy your meal and the glass or three - thoroughly well deserved - to you and all the Diamonds. =D> =D> =D>

[BigWaveDave]

Very well done Jill, most impressive =D> =D>

Plummy - a SB is a SB and they are never anything other than tough - well done sir

[jhaveman]

Plummy, every nonathlon point has got to be fought for (I have been putting off trying for the distances that I still need to improve )
So well done and good luck with your next 24m, that should also make you go green in the meta-nonathlon

Jill, very well done =D> =D> =D>
We're looking forward to reading the report!

[Jill]

Well done Jill - superb stuff. You are now part of a World Record holding team - bet you never thought that was going to happen?!

Enjoy your meal and the glass or three - thoroughly well deserved - to you and all the Diamonds.

Thank you Plummy, Dave, Jan and Sheena.

You are absolutely spot on Plummyxxx - even last year I would never have imagined that I would be part of this.

I will post a full report, on a new thread, in the next few days - will probably quote a fair bit of Joe's succinct version.

Feeling rather tired today - I think that the adrenaline rush has finally petered out. Hope I can be excused from a contribution to the Fall Challenge? Back to it tomorrow, quite a few metres to be caught up with.

[plummy]

Actually managed a 2 year SB tonight on a 10k beating my time from Madchester 2015. I only took 2s off that but it was 23 seconds off my best so far this season and I'm very happy to be back under 40 minutes again (and not just scraping by a second or two) - finished in 39:42.6 - which is my best 10k since June 2014.

I have to say though, I was on the floor for a few minutes at the end after the last 250m sprint

8 Nonathlon points leaving me with 7999 - grrr

[zootMutant]

Jill -- Just amazing!

=D> =D> =D>

I knew you could do it... but somehow, reading about it makes it much more real (if that even makes sense). Can't wait to read the detailed write-up!

Dave -- well done! A 2-year SB must feel very satisfying. Don't worry about the 7999... you'll have many more opportunities next month!

[plummy]

Translated my 10k time to 30 minutes and thought that I might be able to attack my current SB of 7584m - if my legs weren't too fatigued. A long battle against sweat, aches and trying hack up a lung and I managed to add a whole 50m to that scoring moving to 7634m

What is even better is that is ALSO a 2 year SB beating last season's 7616m by a chunk. I wish I'd looked back another year as 7637M would have been 3 year SB.

[Paul Victory]

Translated my 10k time to 30 minutes and thought that I might be able to attack my current SB of 7584m - if my legs weren't too fatigued. I long battle against sweat, aches and trying hack up a lung and I managed to add a whole 50m to that scoring moving to 7634m

What is even better is that is ALSO a 2 year SB beating last season's 7616m by a chunk. I wish I'd looked back another year as 7637M would have been 3 year SB.

Well done plummy! =D> =D> =D> Great run of form.

[jhaveman]

Good result Plummy =D> =D> It sounds like your mojo is back