Day 22 - Time for reflection......

4 lots of 15 minutes today, 6 mins/9 mins split, 2:15 & 2:25 for Anita, 1:52 and 2:01 for me, with 4 minute rest periods between intervals.

Apart from slight fatigue in the last minute of the 6 fast minutes in last 2 intervals it was quite easy fo both of us, and got me thinking back to 3 years ago, when for the Charity Week at work a number of us rowed over 500km in the 40 working hours of the week, each taking 15 minute intervals, with some of us taking 3 intervals per day.

I wasn't much heavier then than I am now, but my best interval for the week was 3823m, with most of them in 3600m region. It was the first time for me on a Concept 2 rower.

Tonight my lowest 15 minutes was 3850 metres (following the Eddie Fletcher plan), and my highest 3902, rowing 4 intervals with only 4 minutes rest between them!!!

Anita only rowed a couple of intervals that week, and both rows were in the 2800/2900m region.

Tonight she rowed 4 intervals with the lowest at 3208m, which would have been the furthest rowed in 15 minutes by any woman doing the challenge 3 years ago!!!!!!

We've both come some way, but I'm under no illusions that we've got the hard miles yet to come to get ready for the 100km in March.

Anita: 12898m
Andy: 15465m

Cumulative: 668899m (415.7 miles)

Journey:

Start: Topnotch Gym, Colchester CO4 9ES
Finish: Éguilly-sous-Bois, Aube, France, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89guilly-sous-Bois

Day 21 - Halloween Horror?????

To put it bluntly, no!!

2 lots of 30 minutes today, starting the 2nd 4-week rotation of the Eddie Fletcher Marathon Plan, Anita at 2:28 and 2:04 for me.

The Monday and Saturday rows now seem like a bit of a cheat, which is all to the good as we will be planning to be rowing close to this pace for 8.5 (for Anita) and 7 (for me) times as long in March for the 100km

Anita - 12166m
Andy - 14521m

Cumulative - 640536m (398.1 miles) - Inc. both 1609m runs from yesterday.

Journey:

Start: Topnotch Gym, Colchester CO4 9ES
Finish: Saint-Parres-lès-Vaudes, Aube, France http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Parres-l%C3%A8s-Vaudes

Day 20 - 1 Rotation done!!!!

2 lots of 30 minutes today to finish the first 4 week rotation, 2:29 for Anita, 2:05 for me.

The sense of improvement is very strong after today - It was really very easy, and both Anita and I are happy that 2:26/2:02 will be possible for the full Marathon in January.

We've both got the mile tomorrow (1609m) for the challenge series, so being able to blast a time out will be very interesting. Anita is going to try and stick at 2:00 for as long as possible, me at 1:40

Anita: 12084m
Andy: 14405m

Cumulative:
Anita: 277893m (172.7 miles)
Andy: 332738m (206.8 miles)
Overall: 610631m (379.5 miles)

The Journey:
Start: Topnotch Gym, Colchester, CO4 9ES
Finish: Luyères, Aube, France http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luy%C3%A8res