Training towards a 6:20 2k

[thornmaster]

3x4k 3 rest r20 for me today. Was pretty tough and nearly didn't make it to the gym with a sudden case of cannotbearseditis before I left the house.

1 15:18.9 1:54.8 r20 2 15:16.1 1:54.5 r20 3 15:18.3 1:54.7 r21 T 45:53.3 1:54.7 r20

[Paul Victory]

Well done Andy. That's a strong session at R20, particularly as you had to overcome a large dose of CBA. Those are the kind of sessions that really help to build mental toughness.

[hewitt]

Nice solid sessions Andy. Really like the look of them 1ks you did.

My rowing mojo is still lost and I can not find if anywhere. I just seem to think of a low rate session and beast myself at the end of a weights workout now. Not done anything over 5k straight in a while. But at least I am getting something done. The weights are going very well and I really enjoy going to the gym.

[thornmaster]

Thanks Jason, I used to do the 1k session at around 1:40 pace but after doing the CTC i decided i better MTFU and go faster with the longer rests.

You could become a knuckle dragging sprint monkey like I used to be Jason. Lots of short intervals and weights.

[thornmaster]

Went off plan a bit today as I've been doing Janurow and have got a bit off target meters wise. This afternoon I covered just over 22k and this evening another 8k. Mostly 1:55-2:00 pace and approx 22 spm. This was by some way the furthest I've rowed in a day and put me a bit more on track for Janurow.

[thornmaster]

No rowing over the weekend for me due to wifes birthday and a trip to London. So two sessions again for me today. This morining was UT2 session totaling 16k. This evening was a 8x500m 3:30 rest that saw my total for the day to just over 27k.

1 1:35.0 r28 2 1:35.0 r28 3 1:35.0 r28 4 1:35.0 r28 5 1:35.1 r28 6 1:35.0 r28 7 1:35.0 r28 8 1:33.0 r29 T 12:38.1 1:34.7 r28

[Paul Victory]

Wow! That's a lot of rowing in one day, with a super fast set of 500s thrown in.

[thornmaster]

Yesterday really couldn't be bothered so just paddled along until I got to 10k. Today back to plan 3x4k 3 min rest .

1 15:18.0 1:54.7 r20 2 15:18.7 1:54.8 r21 3 15:17.5 1:54.6 r21 T 45:54.1 1:54.7 r20

Was supposed to be r20 but lost focus a few times and rate crept up. Followed this with 10 min untestricted at sub 1:50.

[thornmaster]

Feeling a bit under the weather yesterday and today so just a gentle paddle for 15k and 16k. Hopefully feel bit better tomorrow for something a bit quicker and to finish of my 310k in January for Janurow.

[thornmaster]

Still not feeling 100% today, so opted for something a bit slower than the planned CTC attempt.

3x3k 3 rest r24

1 10:58.8 1:49.9 r24 2 10:58.1 1:49.6 r24 3 10:41.0 1:46.8 r24 T 32:37.8 1:48.7 r24

[flatlander]

Hi folks. Just been catching up on the 50 posts that have accumulated since my last visit in mid Dec. Well done to Erik, Jason, Andy and Paul for keeping the thread going. Heartening to read about the various battles with night shifts, viruses and errant mojos!!!!

Since starting a new job with even worse travel, erging patterns have changed a bit. Training now consists of a row on each day Fri-Sun, steady on Sat since I usually run in the morning. On the London commute days (up to 4 Mon-Thur), I have an 4 mile each way cycle commute across central London. If I am traveling in Europe (Again could be up to 4 days Mon-Thur) I do whatever I can in a hotel gym. Ergs are hard to find!

Been recovering from a virus, so rested last Friday despite having the luxury of time. Saturday, skipped the run, but managed 30' 8125m. Sunday struggled and was sub 30' sub 8k.

No gym in tonight's hotel, so planning for a few sets of pushups ..

Good luck all with training/illness and mojos.....

[Liefcat]

A pleasant "surprise" to see you post here again, Andrew Yes, I have also read some of your posting on FB - really a big challenge to meet all your other priorities - and then still have time and energy to train How is it to go on bike in central London in present day I think you can feel happy about your comeback row - way past 8k is a promising marker =D> =D> Keep posting...

Such energetic outbursts with more than one quality erging session a day, Andy Anyways, it´s probably what we all should be doing if we want to improve... Very unfortunate with another strikening of illness - but fortunately you don´t seem to have lost a lot of fitness on that account...

Been doing more exercises than actual training - but I can´t complain of any illness or injury - it´s just bad shape... Hope I can grow with this month´s challenges on Facebook and the ctc. Rather positively surprised with my ctc today: 5675m 1:45.7 28spm Maybe I can get back to +8500m shape for the half hour before too long...

[thornmaster]

Good to hear from you again Andrew. I think the most important thing when work or life get in the way of training is to take any opportunity you have and do the best session you can even when you can't really be bothered.

Eric I know that feeling of rowing but not training, I'm sure this months CTC will help get your focus and mojo back. As for my training recently the extra sessions were mostly stubbornes to complete a challenge of 310km in a month.

[thornmaster]

Yesterday had my first go at this month's CTC (5804m) details on the CTC thread. Today back to the plan.

3x5k 3 rest

1 19:03.7 1:54.3 r20 2 19:03.5 1:54.3 r20 3 18:57.7 1:53.7 r20 T 57:04.9 1:54.1 r20

[thornmaster]

Enforced rest day for me yesterday due work and family. Today was speed intervals 30 sec on 30 sec off, 10 intervals 3 min rest 10 intervals. Average for first 10 1:31.6 r30, ave for second 10 1:31.0 r29. First fast intervals I have done for a while apart from 8x500. Felt good to open the taps a bit, but kept it controlled with 30 spm rate cap.

[flatlander]

Credit to you for keeping it going around work and family Andy.

Not much erging of late due to work travel. Did 8244m/30' on Friday. 5k cross country run yesterday and 8357/30' today. Hoping tomorrow's hotel has a gym

[hewitt]

Got the bug back today and going to try my best to push like hell for 2 months till EIRC. 8x1min with 1min rest today.

8min...2528m...1:34.9...r28

Followed by biceps and triceps,

Not my best attempt but had some kind of crappy virus for 2 days with intense head aches. Going away now.

[Liefcat]

Unfortunately it is less than 2 months before the EIRC, Jason... Can see that´s really motivating you, very decent session despite the virus =D> =D>

Sone solid 30´ from you, Andrew =D> =D> As so often mentioned before, not so easy with lots of other obligations, let alone the travelling...

The ctc showed you have lots of aerobic fitness, Andy - so you will probably benefit from the faster intervals now =D> =D>

Been doing some progressive distance/time sessions around 1:45 pace - actually getting better and better each day...

[Liefcat]

Yesterday my goal was 4k in 14 minutes, went well - but still a bit too far to the 20 minutes...

Today goal was to reach 5k in sub 17:30 - went past it at 17:25 - and continued to 20 minutes: 5750m 1:44.3 31spm

[DavidHolmberg]

After reading this thread page by page (the 2011 action is very interesting, but some good inspiring training is being done right now as well!), I feel it's time to join in. Personal goals this spring is to accomplish a sub 6:20 2k and a sub 16.40 5k, we will see how it will go.

Back from a long cold, only been doing some easy training for a couple of days. Today HM @ 1.58, lost connection with the heart rate belt..., but quite relaxed.

[Liefcat]

A big welcome, David Yes, this thread is not anywhere near the glory days when it first started in terms of the realizations of its title... So very refreshing with some new blood here Are planning for any specific race - or merely TTs "at home"

[hewitt]

Hi David. And welcome to the thread. Great to have a LWT guy on here. You should be able to motivate me back to old glory knowing that you onlt weight half as much as me and I should be pushing harder.

Nice CTC Erik. And you inspired me to have another go this morning at silly o'clock. 5:15AM after back and shoulders on the weights to try and wake me up first. I have got some kind of stomach bug at the moment but thankfully it held out till after my row. (To much info sorry) Managed an improvement all the same by upping the rate to r24.

5,613m...20min..1:46.8...r24

[DavidHolmberg]

Are planning for any specific race - or merely TTs "at home"

Hi Erik, planning on competing at the swedish indoor championship in mid march, my original plan says sub 6:20 then so some hard training has to be done. Otherwise only some basement torture...

Today's training, and also the first high intensity session in two weeks, was my first attempt at 12x600/R2, thought I would start easy @ 1.40 and speed it up from there, but wasn't easy in any way.... barely finishing (close to quitting after 8..., but good with 2 minutes rest to gather mental strength). Avg 1.39.9

600m @ 1.40.0 / 29 spm
600m @ 1.40.0 / 29 spm
600m @ 1.40.0 / 30 spm
600m @ 1.40.0 / 30 spm
600m @ 1.40.0 / 30 spm
600m @ 1.40.0 / 31 spm
600m @ 1.39.9 / 30 spm
600m @ 1.39.9 / 31 spm
600m @ 1.39.9 / 31 spm
600m @ 1.39.7 / 32 spm
600m @ 1.39.8 / 32 spm
600m @ 1.39.5 / 33 spm (no power for sprinting, was just able to see some 1.38 in the end...)

Feels far from the 6x1k/1R @ 1.40.5 in December, before the day-care bugs started to hit hard...

[hewitt]

Very nice 600m reps David.

After yesterdays 20min with stomach cramps I wanted to see if I could get inside the old hurt box with 8x500m with 90sec rest but I am still not my old self but fairly happy with the session and no cramps today.

500m...1:40.1...r28
500m...1:39.6...r28
500m...1:39.3...r27
500m...1:38.9...r27
500m...1:38.5...r27
500m...1:38.3...r28
500m...1:37.5...r28
500m...1:36.3...r29

Nice negative split but really need more commitment earlier.

[Recess]

Some great training here! Interesting reading - especially the rate most of you are using. My attempt at the BRIC this weekend was 34-36 spm for the 2k - and though I was happy to PB, after looking back at the video (which you can see on the BRIC thread) I see the guy next to me (who did 6:21) was down at about 30/31 the whole time.

Should I lower my rate and go for more power? If you do see my video, any comments on technique would be greatly welcomed by the way.

Only 18 days to Boston!

John