The November Challenge Series piece today - A torturous 6344m one-off piece.
Prior to this challenge Anita's best 6K time ever was 2:16.1 average (Actually faster than her 5k split), mine was 1:51.9.
Anita did a 10 min WU row beforehand, then this was what followed (Sped up to x64 speed)
Absolutely amazing!!! 27:39 (2:10.8 - 5.3s/500m better than her 6K PB!!!!, and 21s better than her targeted 28 minutes!!) The 572km rowing done since 3rd October on the Eddie Fletcher plan has really payed dividends already!!!
Then I stepped up (Or is that sat down :)) with the unenviable task of trying to match what Anita had just done. After a quick 5 min WU I got to it.
22:46.0 (1:47.6), 4.3s better than my 6K PB split (1:51.9) - Ecstatic isn't the word!!!! This is at a current 127kg as well (184cm, just over 6ft).
The rowing is really changing my body - I can for instance comfortably get into a UK Large T-Shirt now, yet I'm 19st 13lb!!! It would be very interesting to do a body-fat test now, as my vital stats are now far smaller than most people of my weight. I've always been a sporty type (Played county/area level at Soccer & cricket in my youth, as well as holding throwing records still) so I think I've always had the potential to do this, just needed a Concept2 and a training plan to do it, plus an amazing fiancee to train with :)
Anita (5"9') has an ideal build for a rower; tall with long, strong limbs, and this training is really bringing out the athlete in her, but she is seeing the same sort of changes I am (Not too much weight loss, but decent inch loss), and is easily a UK size 14 at 84kg!! Think we'll start cross-training after Christmas on the lead up to the 100km, and it will be interesting to see if we maintain weight on what is a very moderate calorie regime (1800 for Anita, about 3k for me)
Showing posts with label Challenge Series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Challenge Series. Show all posts
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Day 32 - Sprints after a day of databases.............
4 lots of 15 mins tonight, 9' 2:15 and 6' 2:25 for Anita, 9' 1:52 and 6' 2:01 for me, 4R.
Went over to St. Ives in Cambs today to go through the new database/client system schema, and got back to Colchester mid-afternoon, so it wasn't too bad a day considering.
In the first 15' I suffered again from the pressure-point issues in my left glute that I had last night, sapping strength in my left leg again. For my second piece onwards I sat on my towel, which was a quick remedy. I hit all the targets and more though, so it wasn't anywhere near as big an issue as it was last night over the 90 minutes.
It's getting a bit boring re. Anita - She yet again stormed it, getting faster with every interval, finishing with 3350m (2:14.3) - I think 2:14 av for her 6344m Challenge Series piece is more than doable, if not a bit conservative :)
The biggy tomorrow - 3 lots of 30', including what will be both our fastest 30' of the season so far (2:18 for Anita, 1:55 for me)
Anita: 13228m
Andy: 15752m
Cumulative: 986346m (613 miles) - 1MM cumulative tomorrow, in 32.5 sessions :)
The Journey:
Start: Topnotch Gym, Colchester CO4 9ES
Finish: Pont D'Ain, Ain,. France http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pont-d'Ain
Went over to St. Ives in Cambs today to go through the new database/client system schema, and got back to Colchester mid-afternoon, so it wasn't too bad a day considering.
In the first 15' I suffered again from the pressure-point issues in my left glute that I had last night, sapping strength in my left leg again. For my second piece onwards I sat on my towel, which was a quick remedy. I hit all the targets and more though, so it wasn't anywhere near as big an issue as it was last night over the 90 minutes.
It's getting a bit boring re. Anita - She yet again stormed it, getting faster with every interval, finishing with 3350m (2:14.3) - I think 2:14 av for her 6344m Challenge Series piece is more than doable, if not a bit conservative :)
The biggy tomorrow - 3 lots of 30', including what will be both our fastest 30' of the season so far (2:18 for Anita, 1:55 for me)
Anita: 13228m
Andy: 15752m
Cumulative: 986346m (613 miles) - 1MM cumulative tomorrow, in 32.5 sessions :)
The Journey:
Start: Topnotch Gym, Colchester CO4 9ES
Finish: Pont D'Ain, Ain,. France http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pont-d'Ain
Friday, 4 November 2011
Day 24 - Bicep Buster :)
4 lots of 15 mins tonight, 2:15 6' 2:25 9' DF 150 for Anita, 1:52 6' 2:01 9' DF 155 for me, 4' Rest between intervals.
Really felt it in the arms tonight, but put that down to a low-carb lunch (Chopped Salad) meaning lower energy levels than normal. As such I had to up the stroke rate a bit (27/28) to maintain the 1:52 pace (though in reality this was nearer 1:51). The 1st rest was a bit longer than it should have been due to a work phone-call, and because of that I found the 2nd interval the hardest (as my heart rate had dropped to normal)
Anita again completed everything asked of her, declaring the first interval felt like a warm-up :) She is now immensely strong in her arms, and I'm confident in her maintaining 2:14 (28:20 Total) for the November Challenge Series 6344m (I'll be looking at 1:48/1:49, 23 mins Total)
Anita: 12933m
Andy: 15464m
Cumulative: 725342m (450.8 miles)
The Journey:
Start: Topnotch Gym Colchester, Essex, CO4 9ES
Finish: Bugnieres, Haute-Marne, France http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugni%C3%A8res
Really felt it in the arms tonight, but put that down to a low-carb lunch (Chopped Salad) meaning lower energy levels than normal. As such I had to up the stroke rate a bit (27/28) to maintain the 1:52 pace (though in reality this was nearer 1:51). The 1st rest was a bit longer than it should have been due to a work phone-call, and because of that I found the 2nd interval the hardest (as my heart rate had dropped to normal)
Anita again completed everything asked of her, declaring the first interval felt like a warm-up :) She is now immensely strong in her arms, and I'm confident in her maintaining 2:14 (28:20 Total) for the November Challenge Series 6344m (I'll be looking at 1:48/1:49, 23 mins Total)
Anita: 12933m
Andy: 15464m
Cumulative: 725342m (450.8 miles)
The Journey:
Start: Topnotch Gym Colchester, Essex, CO4 9ES
Finish: Bugnieres, Haute-Marne, France http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugni%C3%A8res
Sunday, 30 October 2011
Rest Day - The Mile!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We both completed the Mile today for Round 2 of the Concept2 Challenge Series, with some interesting results.
Anita completed hers in 6:41.3 (2:04.7 average). She clocked 3:10 (1:58.8) at half-way, which at that point had me worried as her best 2k time (Set a couple of years ago) was at 2:08.8 average. She hit the wall at 900m (Breath and heart-rate) and struggled home, but in a very respectable time.
Unfortunately she was distraught, and I had to drum it into her that she would have broken her best 2k ever if she'd kept going, and to look at where she had come from; a complete lack of cardio exercise until she was 38. I am very very proud of her, and I hope next time she listens to me when I suggest the right pace to go at (2:01/2:02) - Next time we do this she'll go sub 6:30 :)
I started off quite quick (1:36/7) for the first minute, then settled down at 28 strokes/min, touched 1:45 once in the 4th minute and finished at 5:21.9 (1:40.0 Average) - Not bad for someone who's best 2k is at 1:44.5 Average and still sits at 128.1kg!!!! I feel fitter than I have in a long while, and with 335km rowed this month I'd hope so :)
2 Lots of 30 minutes tomorrow, 2:28 for Anita, 2:04 for me :) :)
Anita completed hers in 6:41.3 (2:04.7 average). She clocked 3:10 (1:58.8) at half-way, which at that point had me worried as her best 2k time (Set a couple of years ago) was at 2:08.8 average. She hit the wall at 900m (Breath and heart-rate) and struggled home, but in a very respectable time.
Unfortunately she was distraught, and I had to drum it into her that she would have broken her best 2k ever if she'd kept going, and to look at where she had come from; a complete lack of cardio exercise until she was 38. I am very very proud of her, and I hope next time she listens to me when I suggest the right pace to go at (2:01/2:02) - Next time we do this she'll go sub 6:30 :)
I started off quite quick (1:36/7) for the first minute, then settled down at 28 strokes/min, touched 1:45 once in the 4th minute and finished at 5:21.9 (1:40.0 Average) - Not bad for someone who's best 2k is at 1:44.5 Average and still sits at 128.1kg!!!! I feel fitter than I have in a long while, and with 335km rowed this month I'd hope so :)
2 Lots of 30 minutes tomorrow, 2:28 for Anita, 2:04 for me :) :)
Saturday, 29 October 2011
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
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
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