Start as you mean to go on – 10km PB

1 January 2013

What were we saying about the toughest distance you have ever rowed? This one is a right bugger!

I did a negative split piece back in the summer but only really pushed the last 3-4km. Before that, I did my 10k PB back in Jan 2011 pre Worlds – today I remembered why I have not done this distance TT more often!

I put a proposition to Q last week about switching todays red session to a 10km TT to get a score on the board for the Challenge Series. For the majority of today’s row I regretted this idea being approved.

On waking this morning I felt like I had a carbohydrate hangover from last nights pizza, chips and chocolate (how professional I know). I spent the morning tidying up the house and pottering in an attempt to keep busy with some pre TT nerves lingering.

Not feeling to great and with aching legs still from last week I set of on a warm up still unsure if I would go ahead with the piece. I had 3 options:-

1) Go back to the original programme of 9×1 minute and do the 10k another day

2) Set off and see how I felt half way with the option of easing off and just taking a solid training piece.

3) Do the TT so I don’t need to do it again in the build up to the Worlds.

I warmed up with a 3.5km piece then set off with option 2-3 in mind.

I had a Q target to hold 1.44.5 until half way ish and then see what was available in the final 3-4km. The message was to take a decent time playing slightly more safe in the first 6km rather than push too early and risk coming unstuck.

To be honest I found today hard. After last weeks 30 minute at 1.43.0, which had a storming last 3km in full control, I felt this was an achievable target and was actually aiming slightly faster. Problem was today my body and mind just wasn’t playing.

At 6km to go I was starting to have some HD demons floating around and the half way point just wouldn’t appear. When it did I wasn’t feeling in great shape and was starting to slump.

Q once said to us ‘The art of a good 10km is to do 2x5km’s, the first nice and fluid and be in good shape ready for the second’ – like I said, I wasn’t feeling in good shape after the first 5km.

With 4km to go I knew my target was a tough ask and it was a case of getting to PB pace (1.43.8) and then seeing how much I could eat away. Problem is it takes along time to chip away at the 0.1’s and is agonisingly slow. By this point I had resorted to rowing blind and only looked at the screen every few strokes.

2km to go and the HD demons reappeared but I managed to shake them off by the mile point using the WIM factor. From the 1km point it was a case of staying strong and long and just see out the piece.

With lack of speed work, the suffocation feeling was over whelming (hr only reaching 184 from 193) as apposed to lactic pain in legs and arms as I crossed the line.

Although I missed the target I set last week I am content with the result. It was the best time I could have produced on the day and should mean I don’t need to row it again for the Challenge Series this season. It won’t be the fastest but should give enough points to keep a slight advantage at the top of the table with 3 favourable distances for me still to come.

10km 34.25.0

ave/500m 1.43.2

1km splits:-

1.44.6 r27
1.44.3 r26
1.44.5 r26
1.44.1 r27
1.44.1 r27
1.44.3 r26
1.43.5 r26
1.42.9 r26
1.41.8 r28
1.38.3 r30

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