The Interactive Plan (IP)

[strider77]

Nice set of 3 x 10' Si-in some ways with such a short rest I think this is harder than a straight 30 mins at the same pace

Mat, you could be right on the patience thing, I am NOT very patient so maybe I should have persevered with the IP and it would have taught me to be more patient too

However now I am on the WP I intend to see it through until Grimsby and review training then- who knows ?

[SlowSi]

Yet another AT session for me tonight, a repeat of Mondays 12' AT where I really surprised myself with a 1:47.4 @ 25, knew pretty much from the 1st stroke of the warm up that I wouldn't be able to match that at such a low rating as my legs felt pretty much bereft of power, so settled in my mind for anything around the top end of my IP AT pace so 1:49.0.

4k wu

12' AT - 3346m - 1:47.6 @ 27

Splits too shameful to report but got caught between settling for 1:49's after a too fast start and inner pride about chasing Monday#s session; the result being a too hard workout where I couldn't get into a decent rythmn and had no power, anyway a sprint @ 32spms for the last minute semi-rescued the session.

Glad to have done the session though, very tempted to sub it for something easier but managed to HTFU.

5k cd

Cheers, Si

[SlowSi]

Ut1 day for me today, 3*12', 3r, plan was to hit top end of pace (1:54.0) but not push too hard past that as i've been prone to in the past

2k wu

3*12 Ut1 - 9514m - 1:53.5 @ 21 - strapless

1:53.9 @ 21
1:53.8 @ 21
1:52.7 @ 22
955m AR

2k cd

Happy enough with that, as ever had to neg split after the first rep and push just a little bit in the last rep

Cheers, Si

[Mat]

Sounds like a tough 12' Si Sometimes you do just know from the warm-up that it's not feeling quite right, but at least that didn't stop you from going for it, and that final sprint certainly brought you fairly close to your previous pace =D>

Good strong set of 12' yesterday, with solid negative splitting - great stuff =D> =D>

[SlowSi]

Thanks Mat

Yet more AT intervals for me today, this time 2*8', 4r, last time was 1:47.5 @ 27 so that was the target with the plan of a slightly slower first and then a harder second.

4k wu

2*8 AT, 4r - 1:47.1 @ 26

1:47.8 @ 25
1:46.4 @ 28
1318m AR

3k cd

Good session, 2nd rep felt a lot better than the first where there were quite a few doubts on pacing, decided to keep it just under 1:48 which allowed me to throw what I could at a controlled last rep, resisted the temptation of a sprint at the end aswell so maybe a bit more to come.

Cheers, Si

[strider77]

Very impressive AT sessions all at around 1:47 x-brilliant tough rowing from you Si

Ut1 looks solid too-its all pretty hard the IP no nice recovery rows maybe thats why I couldn't cut it-keep it up, you are a great example to us all mate

[SlowSi]

Thanks Al & Mat , although I think its Mat who's the shining light on the IP

Tonight was scheduled for 2*15' Ut1 but decided to call it a straight 30' , once you've made that decision there's only one way to do it isn't there; 30R20

2k wu

30R20 - 7827 - 1:54.9 - strapless

1:55.9 @ 20
1:55.6 @ 20
1:55.2 @ 20
1:54.5 @ 20
1:53.4 @ 20

Pretty happy with that, would like to get to 7900+ at some point this season, hopefully on fresher legs and strapped in I could make a decent attempt at it.

3k cd

Cheers, Si

[Mat]

Sounds like a good plan on the 2 x 8' Si, and well executed too, with a good improvement on the last one, and a pretty swift second interval

Pretty happy with that, would like to get to 7900+ at some point this season, hopefully on fresher legs and strapped in I could make a decent attempt at it.

You've a right to be happy with that nice 30'R20 - good negative splitting, getting stronger all the way =D> I have every confidence that the 7900m will be yours before too long

[strider77]

Another great row Si-I agree that Mat is an excellent example of a great IP'er too

I have been thinking about strapless rowing, maybe its me but doesn't it lead to a shorter stroke or am I doing it wrong.

Tried my L4 strapless for a change last night and it was much harder and I seemed to be using more powerful but shorter strokes, what are your thoughts ?

[Huw Thomas]

Another great row Si-I agree that Mat is an excellent example of a great IP'er too

I have been thinking about strapless rowing, maybe its me but doesn't it lead to a shorter stroke or am I doing it wrong.

Tried my L4 strapless for a change last night and it was much harder and I seemed to be using more powerful but shorter strokes, what are your thoughts ?

L4 strapless is a great idea....

L4 - USE PROPER TECHNIQUE. Follow the ratings sequences as exactly as possible. A very common error I see
among athletes I work with is to overstroke the planned sequences. Someone may supposedly do a 188, for
example, but take anywhere from 2 to 10 extra strokes (not surprisingly, people rarely understroke their
sequences). This of course inflates their meters, causing people to increase their Reference Pace when it isn't
really warranted, and makes it harder to keep track of true progress. And make sure you achieve the desired
ratings with good ratio and slide control. I have seen many people attempt to hold a 16 by pausing at the finish
for several split seconds before racing up the slide towards the catch like they were shot out of a cannon. These
aren't good strokes, just bad strokes done less often. Develop the proper control so that the handle is always in
motion. I strongly recommend rowing with feet unstrapped (not only but most importantly for Level 4).

[hewitt]

Develop the proper control so that the handle is always in
motion.

Very well said. =D> I have been working on this aswell.It is all in the timing at the end of the stroke.

[Iain]

Alan, I may well be wrong, but as I understand it it should be possible to do full good strokes strapless. I have a (well known) tendency to exagerate my lean back and this is not possible strapless (I go over backwards!). So I struggle to get the same power, but the idea of L4 is to develop power with a normal stroke rather than to develop a stroke that makes use of the extra time of low rating, buit which cannot be translated to a race pace stroke. You do see people who have amazing 30'R20 s etc. who make use of the extra lean back. Whn trying to develop more power at a low rating when tiring, this is all too easy, hence what MC is saying is that rowing strapless should help to maintain a proper stroke.

- Iain

[strider77]

Thanks Huw, Jase and Ian, I do strapless now and then on longer pieces but find it very hard if not impossible on 500's or full on 2k TTs-what experience do others have ?

You don't see people racing strapless for example do you ?

[Huw Thomas]

I agree about strapless reducing speed in shorter Tt stuff. It seems that unless you time the arms/lean back and legs to finish together the legs get pulled off the footplates.
The timing of the arm finish seems key (the way i row anyway)

[Iain]

I haven't heard of anyone consistently rowing above R32 strapless and few people faster than R28 or so. In a sprint we have to compromise to up the rate as efficiency becomes less important. So on a 500 I think almost everyone would be slower strapless and the finish to any other unrestricted TT as well. In addition, lack of concentration is potentially far more dire strapless. As in an all out TT most people see some lapse of technique (albeit a lapse to a much better technique than i will demonstrate in the near future for many of you!), the security of strapping in makes sense to me. I think it as the US Octagenarian multiple WR holder BobS who described a WR attempt when they forgot to strap in and had a brief break to strap in as they approached the end when they pulled their feel off the footplate when attempting the start of a sprint finish!

- Iain

[SlowSi]

Don't think I can add anything to the strapless rowing conversation apart from that when strapping back in it definately gives you an added boost for interval session, great advice from everyone

Tonight was scheduled to be a repeat of Sundays 2*8 AT but to be honest I was looking for a way out of it as I don't like to keep on repeating the same session so closely togethor, my gym gave me the ideal opportunity with aircon that was playing up so decided to swap it for tommorrows 3*15 UT1 :-

1k wu

3*15 UT1 - 11770 - 1:54.6 @ 21 (Strapless)

1:56.1 @ 20
1:54.9 @ 21
1:53.1 @ 22
1359 Active rest

1k cd

An absolute sweat-fest of a workout, thankfully most sane people had left the gym by the time i'd finished so not too many disgusted looks !!

Tommorrow back to the AT session, if the aircon is still dodgy pacing will definately be within the prescribed band on the IP (max 1:49) but trying to keep the rate down at the lower end.

Cheers, Si

[Mat]

Don't think I can add anything to the strapless rowing conversation...

My sentiments entirely Si I'm have even less experience of strapless rowing as I do of low rate stuff

You sound like a man after my own heart - I'd always take a 3x15' over a 2x8', but no more excuses to miss the AT again tomorrow

Very nice negative splitting on those 15' intervals, especially in an aircon-free gym =D> Good session Si

[strider77]

Nice set of 3 x 15 mins UT1s Si-looks very controlled

[SlowSi]

Tonight was a catch up on yesterdays postponed 2*8 AT, just for Mat !!

I think i've been hitting these AT sessions a bit hard lately and far exceeding the recommended pacing for me so decided to scale it back a bit tonight and pace around 1:49 for the first rep and a bit harder for the second without blowing the rate up.

4k wu

2*8 At, 4 AR - 1:48.3 @ 25

1:48.8 @ 25
1:47/8 @ 26
1459 AR

3k cd

Cheers, Si

[Mat]

Tonight was a catch up on yesterdays postponed 2*8 AT, just for Mat !!

Good session Si, and probably a wise idea to scale back a little rather than killing yourself on each AT session. There'll be plenty of time for that when the TR /AN sessions come around

[andy walls]

Some great IP sessions posted on here over the past few days, well done all. =D>

Just keeping an eye on things ready for when I go back on the plan, the down side of going back on the IP will be my holiday is over!!!!!

[SlowSi]

CTC for me today, wasn't really looking forward to it but knew that if I put it off it would only get worse !!

4k wu

CTC - 20*45/15 - 4390 - 1:42.5 @ 29

Detalis in the CTC thread.

3k cd

Cheers, Si

[SlowSi]

Today the IP called for 3*13 UT1, so decided to make this my long row of the week and called it a straight 10k but with jaded legs from yesterdays CTC I was confident it wouldn't be a fast one so decided on R20 at low range UT1 pace

2k wu

10kR20 - 38:53.7 @ 20

1:57.4 @ 20
1:57.1 @ 20
1:56.6 @ 20
1:56.4 @ 20
1:55.7 @ 20

Very pleased with that one, I would have settled for 1:59 ish pace (WP L3 pace for 20's for me) but felt comfortable throughout at 1:56 - 1:57. Not exactly a recovery row but the closest I've come for a couple of weeks .

2k cd

Cheers, Si

[jolo]

Good work there Si

With all the popularity of the IP, think I will give the 16 week cycle a go. First order of business is a 2k test for a starting point reference.

500m splits
1:43.1 / 32
1:43.1 / 31
1:42.7 / 31
1:40.1 / 32
2000m__6:49.1__1:42.3 / 32

Satisfied with that attempt. No taper or day off beforehand, so maybe could have been a little faster.

[Mat]

CTC - 20*45/15 - 4390 - 1:42.5 @ 29

Very strong CTC performance Si =D> =D> Only 1s over 2k PB pace - suggests not only a great performance, but that training is producing some really strong results Not too shabby "recovery row" today either

Great to hear from you Joe, and a good strong 2k as a starting point - consistent first 1k, and then speeding up before a very strong finish =D> =D>

The two of you have very close PBs across many distances/times which will I am sure will help in bouncing off each other when it comes to session pacing etc