Lactic Kamikaze Death Session (minus 13 days)
Simply put; today was bloody outrageous.
Rather than go on about how hard this was and bore you with words like pain, suffering etc I will try and explain the purpose of this session.
You may recall Beowulf doing this session (and coming up with the name) the same time last year and reporting back his findings. I did take a sneak preview on his blog before training, not to get an idea of times (more about that in a minute) but just to help prepare myself. The crazy thing is even now I look at this on paper and struggle to come to terms with what all the fuss is about – it looks straight forward with bags of rest time in between sets.
This session has been on the back of my mind since the programme came out nearly 5 weeks ago. Truth be told, -Q- had changed the name of the session to just the sets and reps rather then the hideous title that it holds. To be fair the other sessions I have been doing with massive rest periods are exactly the same in principle of desired outcome (e.g. 3x1k (10r) or 3 x750’s (15r) etc) and are there to provide the same effect.
The idea
The idea is that you row each piece as a single TT with complete disregard to any other set. With this in mind the first set should be rapid and then the fun begins. The idea being that you completely flood your body with lactic acid and then let it cope with getting rid of it whilst you continue the onslaught of rowing again. Of course the pace will be agonisingly slow by mid session but that’s the whole point. Split/pace is irrelevant, it is the intensity we are after. Also this session is cleverly placed when the body is at its most fatigued in the programme and is struggling like hell to pull anything worth shouting about. This all adds to the principles of training ‘overload’.
Without sounding defensive, like I said this really doesn’t look bad on paper but with the current fatigue levels I am carrying and no zip it’s just horrible horrible horrible.
However, I spoke to -Q- on Sunday and expressed one or two concerns regarding fatigue levels – simply put, I am in the bucket! We now know (we did a long way back) what my race plan and ‘cruise’ pace is, so with any speed work sessions now the pace is somewhat irrelevant, we are now just after serious adaptations which will come in the taper. We also came to a compromise that the sets wont be rowed as hard as physically possible but to find the line and just work ‘pretty damn hard’!
So it began ….
The first set went through not as well as expected and I found a drop in pace after just a minute. The power broke early and I literally had nothing and was hauling anchor for the entire second minute with nothing to show for it. Like I said, my body is knackered.
The second set was much the same and simple numbers were so so heavy.
Not much to say about the middle sets apart from it was really hard work. Before each set I re evaluated and tried to set realistic targets as opposed to fly and die. None had sprint finishes and were all pretty evenly paced even though it felt like I was sprinting at the end but with nothing happening.
The last sets – yep it was hard.
The worst bit is almost the waiting, the sickness, the shakes, the wanting to lye down curl up and die feeling – it is truly horrible. I really tried to keep rowing and moving but the rests got shorter and shorter, it was seriously unpleasant and mustering the energy from somewhere to re introduce the suffering into the body took something special.
On finishing it took me an age to stagger back to the changing room and was out of breath just lifting my legs which just seemed to get heavier and heavier. This type of training is seriously tough going and I can honestly say since I started this sport in 2010 I have never felt so knackered and fatigued. It’s not the pain or the lactic burn – I kind of get used to that. It’s something else that I can’t quite nail, something else that just hurts and makes me suffer, something that really makes the training harsh. However I keep going, I keep fighting and I keep trying to improve.
The rest of the week has a few more belters lined up and then the taper starts Sunday – I will never moan that I am bored rowing an 18km 70% again!
6x2min (8 rest) r33-36
• 1.27.8
• 1.28.6
• 1.30.0
• 1.31.7
• 1.34.0
• 1.34.3
Training today in the bag early on (minus 12 days)
2 sessions today – got them done ASAP rather than wait until late afternoon. Eating and resting is the priority tonight.
1) This morning peak power reps x20. Max was first set was only 917 watts and the session average 876 watts. One set was under the required 90% but I think that was down to poor technique and simply not applying myself enough
2) Lunch time a 30 min at 70% rate 18 1.56.3
Simples
Achievement – 8x500m (90r) (minus 11 days)
I saw this in the gym today:-
Achievement – Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered you will never grow.
Although today was not set out to be a PB attempt (1.31.5) it actually ended up being pretty damn close. Target pace of +1/500m turned out to be a bit tame although I still worked bloody hard – you can see below where I started to wind it in.
Maybe my legs aren’t so tired after all …..
8x500m (1.30r)
ave/500m 1.31.7
- 1.32.3 (r32-34)
- 1.32.1
- 1.32.5
- 1.32.2
- 1.32.2
- 1.31.6
- 1.31.3
- 1.29.9
Power cut and some short pain (minus 10 days)
This morning it was time to get in a quick double session.
First up some power training hitting an average of 873 watts over 10 sets. Maximum set was only 896 watts today.
A short rest then into session number 2.
A new session 2x10x(20secs on 40 secs off). No idea on pacing so decided to just pull hard! Took 8 minutes in between the 2 sets. Hurt more than I thought it would but only 20 seconds so nothing to get excited about.
Spent the afternoon at my sponsor.
2x10x20s (40 sec rest) (8 min rest)
1st set ave/500m 1.21.3 rate 42
2nd set ave/500m 1.22.0 rate 42
I can’t think of a blog title (minus 9 days)
Went to work, took a lesson, went training, went home, went to sleep.
3x2k (5r) 85% r24-26
ave/500m 1.43.3
