A shocking session on Tuesday resulting in a HD half way through a 4x2k session.
I had come out of ‘double up day Monday’ feeling shattered and something wasn’t quite right. I couldn’t put my finger on it back then but proceeded into Tuesdays row as any other day with a 5k warm up with bursts and then settled down for the intervals HR capped at 85%.
Now I had to row in the sweat box due to the rain and set off with a hard target to beat or match and because of the HR cap the pace was compromised immediately especially being rate 24.
Out of no where a HD. Quite literally I finished the second set and with out a thought just got up and walked off without looking back.
So an afternoon was spent mulling around with lots on my mind and thoughts pinging backwards and forwards via e mail. The Boss intervened in the evening and it was time to talk on the phone. We had a long chat and established a few facts and addressed lots of my problems.
A very wise man is Q who highlighted many of my insecurities and traits, some which are a positive for an athlete, some which are a negative.
We established that I will simply drive myself into the ground at the rate I am going. I am not resting mentally, I am exhausted. Obsessiveness, intensity – basically worrying about things too much and looking into everything in detail – mental exhaustion is setting in, I can’t switch off out of the gym and it is killing me.
So Letting the coach take the brunt and worry about training, performance etc. All I need to do is row, eat, recover, sleep and row.
I went to bed Tuesday with much to think about and absorb. I spent a while lying on my bed in deep thought and spent much of the night tossing and turning finding it hard to switch off.
Wednesday was a new day – a positive day and my first training session under Q-Power.
Ignore the splits, worry about yourself not others, work off HR when required, push on when needed.
So Wednesday was a great place to start – Q-Powers traditional 30r20. I went with no goals or targets – I was to row and see how it felt. I was also to enjoy it. (hmm hard to enjoy a 30r20!) I set off on a modest split and held it with my HR climbing slowly as i kept the pace. Working hard but not flat out I wound in the last 3-4 minutes and finished with a few minutes of solid strokes.
30r20 average split 1.48.1
A pleasing session working hard but not to the extent of exhaustion and finishing faster than expected. A huge weight lifted and finally realising that training is not racing and it is ok to not always be fast.
Today was a simple 60 minute row split into 3 sets (3x5k). After a morning of lessons, lectures and meetings (and with the sun out increasing the temperature) I set up in the shade feeling no pressure and rowed a low rate (18) piece slowing in sets 2-3 to keep the HR in the cap.
Do you know what? I think I have finally worked out what this is all about!
Intervals tomorrow – what will be will be.
Rest hard – train easy.
