4 x 750’s – Getting back on the horse

3 November 2012

There are two types of Pain in this world: Pain that hurts you, and Pain that changes you.

Thursday

Monday night’s effort gave me a knock. Not just the slow split on the last set but it mentally shook me due to the sheer pain and discomfort I went through. It was and will remain as one of the worst experiences I have been through whilst training on the erg.

Physically I have felt burnt out too, so took 2 days enforced rest both Tuesday and Wednesday. Today it was time to get back on the horse for the last hard interval session before the taper – the good old 4×750’s.

Like I said, with a bit of a confidence knock I wasn’t particularly interested or keen in burying myself again today and was seriously nervous before the session – very psychological but settled into a 20 minute warm up with the usual bursts. As always I broke the sets down one by one, little by little and set about a slightly more modest target from last weeks PB.

First 3 sets were actually well controlled introducing power towards the end of the third but then the rest period flew past and it was time to go again for the fourth. Legs once again hadn’t recovered or shifted the lactic and I was in trouble just 10 strokes in. Immediately I knew the pace wouldn’t be as I wanted and was hitting power strokes early on keeping the rate up, legs on fire and screaming at me to stop the punishment. I accepted a slower pace and tried in vain to remain in control – this is where I made the decision on how to survive the final few minutes.

The difference between say 95% effort and 100% ‘everything you have got like your life depends on it’ is marginal, but the outcome is actually quite large. I hovered around survival pace for most of the set but managed a small squeeze with 150m’s to go but not putting myself in a situation like on Monday when I was all out.

Don’t get me wrong I put the work in and by god did it hurt. Like I said the difference in the last few percent is marginal and makes a big difference.

However, the end result was still agony. I managed to re control my breathing reasonably well and kept moving albeit slightly slumped on the erg for a minute. It was then time to get up and try to engage the legs. This is the worst bit for me; I quite literally couldn’t walk (ever tried walking straight legged up the stairs?) and hobbled over to the nearest bike. ‘Must keep moving must keep moving’ – legs getting worse and in serious pain and building I aborted the bike attempt immediately and headed for the exit. I leant against a fence marching on the spot desperately trying to help my legs until there was only one way this was going.

I haven’t hit the deck in ages and hate doing it but had no choice. I lay in the foetal position for a minute or so doing a side bicycle kind of kick with my legs – it’s the worst pain ever and was moaning and cursing.

A few minutes past (this all took around 4 minutes) and the pain subsided, I got back up and headed back to the bike to cycle for 20 minutes to really try and flush the legs out. Felt pretty nauseas for a while but after showering and eating well I am content.

It really is now time to taper.

4 x 750m on 3 minute rests

Ave/500m 1.32.0

1.32.0 @33
1.31.7 @34
1.31.6 @34
1.32.8 @33

Friday

All I have done of late is smash myself silly. Today I had the luxury of a nice relaxing 10k at 70% rate 18 (well 19).

Heaven, absolute heaven!

Drifted off into my own little world and plodded on through.

Best of all – tomorrow is another rest day.

10km rate 19 at max 70% HRR

Ave/500m 1.54.3

EPOC peak 68ml

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Ollie Osborne

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