Anyone had any SEASON's bests recently?

[Mike Channin]

Haha. You're right that as you were older, mine actually needs some more work, but I will save that for another day, and possibly another year even!
I can easily do the HM without a stop, but the FM can be more of a challenge, although it helps to avoid losing time on stops if you can get away with it.
I don't think I was anywhere near being limited on hydration yesterday - more on leaving it until quite late to pick up the pace. And maybe confidence.
Still it makes a good story, and I am proud to be in the same ballpark as your time!

[Iain]

Great FM Mike. How you managed to keep increasing for 16km beats me!

[Mike Channin]

Once I got into the final 7k or so, one of the mental targets was to try to beat the Average from the last Interval each time, which is why you can see it gradually coming down. At that point, ANYTHING that can distract you from what you're trying to do overall is useful.

I showed the session to another rowing friend, and he described it as, 'You basically did a pretty fast and aggressive negative split 5k with HR over 160, having done a 37k warmup!' which was another interesting way to look at it!

[plummy]

New SB for 5k today. No specific warm up but had been being a domestic God around the house this morning so wasn't exactly from a completely cold start either.

Was 22:05.0 - now 21:48.9 so a respectable 16.1 seconds lopped off.

Add that to my first complete 6km i.e. without break/HD etc on Thursday evening which by default is an SB. Looking back, that's my first full 6km since August 2023 (1 month before injuring my back).

[Iain]

Well done Plummy, great to see the improvement.

[stumpy]

Nice one and well done Dave you must be so relieved, are you completely pain free now?

[strider77]

Well done Dave that's a big chunk off your 5k

[plummy]

Thanks guys. Not 100% free but maybe 95%...unless I carry anything heavy which seems to upset it a bit (numbness returns and low grade ache down lower left quadrant. I haven't got much stamina and the fear of over-doing is maybe holding me back a bit but rather safe than sorry at present.

[Mike Channin]

My 2k pace test was a(n) SB.
Went better than expected, and even prompted me to start a whole Training thread on 'fearing the 2k'!
viewtopic.php?t=4369

[Mike Channin]

And here is today's 1k test.

Plan was fast start, hold 1:40 and then sprint to the end if anything left. Pretty much how it went. Did the whole middle section without looking. Must get more confident in my ability to complete these...

[plummy]

That's a tasty 1k there Mike!

[Mike Channin]

Thanks, Plummy. I'm pretty pleased with how it went, considering that I've not exactly been prioritising this area of performance. I did have some markers from the 1402 CTCs and the 2k test, but this was still the upper end of the range of stretch expectations.
Once again, there's that interesting HR shape, and no noticeable effect from the hell-for-leather sprint finish.
(And THAT probably means I need to do a full-out 5k, 6k or 30 min to see what happens at the end of one of those more drawn-out torture sessions)

[Mike Channin]

Me again. With the requirement to enter a 5k piece today, I decided to take the opportunity to do a 5k pace test.
Target pace was 1:51.9 (to beat previous SB of 1:52.0). Plan was to do faster first 250 to gain on the pace boat, hold at 1:52 to see if I could make it, and then wind up for the finish if I was still going.

Was feeling a bit lethargic in warm-up, possibly result of having done a late night (slow) HM last night at 10PM.
Set off and went to plan, taking 4m out of my 1:51.9 pace boat by 250m in.
Didn't have the greatest confidence, having had a badly failed pace test at 1:54 / 8k not long back (possibly a result of doing the day after 300m CTC)
Did second interval (was set for 250s) watching the pacing, then went for the usual approach of recent times of rowing eyes shut and only checking the pace periodically. I was running slightly up still mostly when I did check.
Had a proper look at progress at 2k, with mildly scary discovery that my HR was already 171, and I had 3k still to go. If you've looked at some of the other recent pieces and the 1402 thread stuff, you'll see I've been flat-lining on most of the shorter stuff, and with the point as low as 170. So 171 and rising with 3k left was a bit scary. So, I took the view that if I couldn't see it and went off how I felt, it was probably better. Largely eyes shut with peeks to make sure I was pacing OK, and trying to concentrate on the fact that although it felt hard work, I didn't feel like I was blown yet. Could feel my lungs were working hard and was wheezing a bit. Counted strokes down to 500m out and had another look, with the confidence that I should finish. HR was on 179, so it was nice and high, and maybe a chance to see how high it would go. Didn't feel confident enough to push until 350 when started to wind into high 1:40s. Got into last 100 and fully opened up, bringing split into low 1:30s, then cranked the rate too, to see it down to 1:26 at the finish.

Hadn't looked at the pace-boat the whole way. Avoided looking at the HR, but did see 181 at the end, and with a little kick up to imply it would have done more had I had the nerve to go for it harder and earlier.

Still, the 1:50.8 was well ahead of pace target, so more than happy to get through this one. Av HR for the whole piece was 171!

[strider77]

Well done speedy !

[stumpy]

Great pacing and a very powerful sprint nailed that one well done matey.

[plummy]

Small potatoes - but pulled my 2k down from 8:31.8 to 8:16.2 (15.6s improvement). Wasn't nice but wasn't as horrible as I thought it could have been.

26 spm and neg splits

[strider77]

Well done on the 2k SB Dave

That's exactly 2 seconds quicker than my 8:18.2 SB.

Thanks for the inspiration, I'm going to have to do another 2k TT before the World Erg Challenge starts on Saturday !

[plummy]

First time since May 2023 that I've got to 30 minutes without a HD so a new SB by default at 6737m. Also gets me an additional Nonathlon score. Big question is could I get to 10km - not managed one of those since August 2022!

[JonT]

First time since May 2023 that I've got to 30 minutes without a HD so a new SB by default at 6737m. Also gets me an additional Nonathlon score. Big question is could I get to 10km - not managed one of those since August 2022!

Great progress Mr P. I’m sure that 10k isn’t far away.


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[Mike Channin]

Go Plummy! The 10k is yours!!!!

[strider77]

That's a great 30' there Dave

[duffyoz]

Some great efforts going on around the world, well done everyone. I do check the forum from time to time and do try to get the ctc done. But finally getting some success of late. Missed a few months after Prague and WRIC 24, changed coaches by mutual agreement. Have taken some time to settle in with Tony Larkman. It takes time to build a 2 way understanding. Results helped by levelling up before WRIC25 to the 60 to 64 group.

WRIC25 silver medal, 2k 7.47.5, silly online format
Aus record 30 min 7201m also = pb, coach wants a repeat
Aus record 6k and a new pb, 24.55.9
Season best results for
100m, 500m, 1000m and 5000m but not pb's by a long way.

Onwards to get a mark for 10k, HM, and 4min

[Mike Channin]

Fantastic results there, Lesley.

(Loving the 'levelling up' comment - brilliant way to describe it!!)

[strider77]

Lesley,

Absolutely brilliant rowing you are a World star and Tony Larkman is a legend as an indoor rower so you're in good hands !

[strider77]

First and last full marathon as a 73 year old in a
depressingly slow 3hrs 47 mins 49.8 secs done at DF83 and r19.

Wasn't sure I was going to finish and as someone with a generous posterior it hurt like never before. Perhaps with all the meterage I've been doing I've worn it down to the bone-it definitely felt like it.

First FM since 30 September 2017 before my stroke, which was 3hr 9 mins 56.7 secs.

That's definitely my last FM, definitely!