Day 76 - A tale of two PB's...

A planned 3 x 30' 4R tonight.

Anita and I both did a nice warm up for the first interval (Yes, a 30' warm up :)), with Anita at 2:18.6/500m, me at 1:57, both feeling fresh after an impromptu day off yesterday.

Then the middle interval (For Anita) and my last interval of the evening.

Anita started nice and strong - I looked over after about 6 minutes and saw her at 2:16av, which I knew to be her PB. I was at 1:57, planning to do a 1:58 (And a 1:59 final interval) but felt really good, and as some good music came on (System of a Down, Fear Factory, Pitchshifter and a few others) I started to push on a bit.

I got to half way at 1:53.3 - I at this point decided to get the party started, with averages down in the 1:47 region, knowing I had to pull a high 1:49 to get near my PB (1:51.5, 8074m). I felt completely in control at 27/28spm at a pace I could barely hold for 2K a few months back, this after a decently paced first 30' interval, and with 5' left passed the 1:51.5 PB pace, and really turned the pace on, down into the low 1:40's, with 1:30's for the last 90".

Anita finished with a beautifully paced 2:15.1 6663m (PB by 43m), with a last minute mainly below 2:00/500m, I finished bang on 1:50 8183m, PB by 107m.

Extrapolating out the 1:53.3 at 15' left to the finish I did the last 15' at 1:46.7, which is almost 5K PB pace, put between 45' and 60' of a session. I definitely feel 8400m is possible for me now, and 8500m in a month or two (Pete Plan in April to hit the sprint PB's hard (http://thepeteplan.wordpress.com/the-pete-plan/)) which is Top 20 in the world 30-39 HWT material :)

I decided to do a 30' Cross-Trainer Fat Burn @ 122bpm, which is almost restful for me now. Anita finished off with a nice 2:21 pace cool-down(!) - Again, rest allows for a better quality workout.

Anita - 19541m
Andy - 15876m
Cumulative - 2656325m (1650.9 miles)

The Journey
Start - Topnotch Gym Colchester CO4 9ES
Finish - Važec, Slovakia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Va%C5%BEec

Day 74 - Put your hands up for Dirk Kuyt....

4 Planned Intervals today to end the week - 30', 1hr, 1hr, 30' with approx 5R.

We got to the gym at about 1ish, and as such Liverpool - Man Utd was on in the gym. I lost myself in the game, so much so the first two intervals were gone before I knew it, both at 1:59/500m. This was except for the Agger and Kuyt goals, where I went into the 1:40's without knowing it. I think everybody in the gym (And there weren't many today) knew I was a Liverpool fan after the match :)!!!

I then decided to go for a PB for the hour. It was one of my PB's that had a bit of fat in it now (15330m @ 1:57.4) and I was feeling good so set out at 1:57 pace, with the intention of dragging it down a bit. This one hurt!! Feeling fresh after 90 minutes rowing doesn't mean anything when it hurts with 40' left :) I tried to lose myself in my music, which happened upon Metal track after Metal, and I was at 1:56.8 average with 30' left. I continued to drag it down until 20' left, where I started to hang on a bit. With 5' left I was still around 1:56.6ish, then with my last vestiges of strength pulled sub 1:50's, with sub 1:40' for the last minute to finish at 15506m (1:56.1), a PB by 176m :) I then tried about a minute of the last 30' interval but had nothing left, so did a 25' piece on the X-Trainer to warm-down properly, and apart from a dicky tummy (Think the Gels we take during the session don't really agree with me) I feel pretty good now, 5 hours on.

Anita yet again was a beast, 2:20, 2 x 2:23 and 2:21.3/500m to finish. She is however starting to suffer from PITA after the row now, which although its better than during is still a bit worrying. I wonder if she is going through a physiological change I went through about 2 months ago - the redistribution of muscle (and loss of fat) around the sitting bones. This is something to watch.

104k for Anita this week, 115k for me :)

Anita - 37941m - 1195430m cumulative since 3rd October
Andy - 38201m - 1383391m cumulative since 3rd October

Cumulative total - 2578821m (1602.75 miles)

The Journey:

Start - Topnotch Gym Colchester CO4 9ES
Finish - Kraľovany, Slovakia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kra%C4%BEovany

P.S we may have to be rowing at home next week if the current weather forecasts come to fruition!!!! http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=news;storyid=971;sess=

Day 68 - Controlled PB's

Just a short one tonight, a 30' controlled PB attempt before the Full Marathon timed attempt tomorrow AM.

This was controlled as we were just interested in breaking our what-are-now pretty soft PB times as a warm-up, we didn't want to do too much before the FM.

Anita stayed nicely on her 2:16/500m average for the majority, sometimes pulling the pace down towards 2:15, then letting it bleed back towards 2:16, in a controlled fashion :)  She finished with 6620m, previous best was 6572.

I did much the same, starting down near 1:51, then letting the pace hover at 1:51.5, where it stayed for the last 15 minutes. I felt like <1.48 is a definite possibility now at 30' for me. I finished at 8074m, previous best was 7883.

Full Marathon tomorrow, full report tomorrow afternoon :)