September stairway challenge

[webberg]

I've had a look at the September challenge and because I don't have the software/gadget I need, I'll be unable to join.

I've therefore decided to do my own.

I've been doing long rows, negative splitting but nonetheless only gradually increasing distance or quickening pace.

For the first two weeks of September, I'm going to pick a piece, perhaps 400 with 30 sec active rest x 5, and seek to do the active parts quicker each time I do it.

Then the latter two weeks, will be 10k going quicker each time.

I think I should get around 6 to 8 attempts at each.

That'll do me.

[Iain]

Best of luck with that, challenge will be to start at the right pace and then not to go too fast too soon as 3 and certainly 4 hard sessions a week would take their toll on me.

[webberg]

You're correct Iain that pacing is the key.

I know however that if I try to do the benchmark piece too slow, I'll lose discipline and patience and post something that will be a challenge in later pieces.

Also got me thinking about what happens then.

If I'm a little slower in say piece six or seven, does that reset the bar or is a "fail" and the standard remains the quicker piece?

Hmmm - one to think on.

[Mike Channin]

Um, what *is* the September Stairway challenge?

[webberg]

It's just one piece done several times but getting quicker/going further each time.

Started yesterday for me.

Did 10k in 44:12 (which I was pleased with).

I'll do it again next week aiming at sub 44.

[Mike Channin]

Ah, OK - makes sense.

[Iain]

Personally I try and limit all out efforts. I like PP as it means just pushing on the last one. I believe that Pete's maxim that you should doubt your ability to maintain the pace by 40% through when doing a flat paced TT is fair. As a result any TT beyond about a minute is a serious climb into the pain cave with a significant likelihood of failure. The idea of redoing something of that sort more than once in a month (and often in a year!) is too often! ISTM that the only alternative is to either do sub-maximally, in which case it would not give the same satisfaction and call for a requirement to repeat (and so devalue the session), there is a case for that for a CTC or any other completion challenge or maybe for a pre-run of something I have not done before, but not for an self imposed challenge such as this.