A decent days training today and the last tough piece before the English Championships on Sunday. Even with last Sunday off and a relatively low cost power session yesterday, today I felt a bit rough around the edges. Various people commented how knackered I look (to put it politely).
Session 1 went through around 0930 in the privacy of the re-hab gym, just a steady 15km at 65%.
15k (3x5k) @18 65%HRR (2 min rests)
ave/500m 1.57.3 r19
In the afternoon it was into another new one. I spent the day pretty nervous about this one as it was to be similar to last weeks, however I went with a slightly different approach.
Remember me saying the different between sort of 98% and 100%? Well today I wanted to work hard, very hard but without pushing it over the edge – otherwise it would seem pointless doing the session and gaining the benefit it is meant to provide.
I set off on the usual 5km warm up with bursts and steadied myself ready to go. The plan was for a mere 3 sets of 750m with a monstrous 15 minute holiday in between. The only catch was each set had to be rowed hard – bloody hard.
Set one I felt I could have and should have rowed it a tad quicker, but in the interval I had a glitch of that all over body sickness with the shakes and heavy breathing even some 5-6 minutes after finishing. I paddles for a few minutes then hopped on the bike to keep my legs moving. Happy that it was indeed rather uncomfortable, not just in the legs but arms, back and breathing I set up to go again content that set one had been rowed hard enough.
Set 2 was much the same. Targets sensibly lowered and pretty much held the predicted split with a small squeeze at the end. Again in the interval felt rough, the feeling in the heaviness of the body was similar to the sprint or last 200m of a 2km when everything is locking up and damn heavy. This discomfort ensured me I was working hard enough but not to the point of destruction.
Much the same in the final set. Targets wisely lowered and rowed to a good average as apposed to a huge start or a fly and die experience. Kept moving well at the end and paddled and cycled to cool down.
On paper this session looks fine with such a big rest, but if you go hard enough each time it leaves you feeling pretty rough in between the sets. Glad there was only 3 of them!
Tonight feeling very tired writing this but now we go into a small taper for the rest of the week.
Lets hope the weather clears up for the drive to Manchester on Saturday.
Cheers.
3x750m (15 rest)
- 1.26.5 r36
- 1.28.0 r35
- 1.29.7 r34
