Day 49 - Back on it :)

A fresh start of sorts today, 2 lots of 30', 3R - 2:27 for Anita, 2:03 for me.

Anita found this all very easy, completing the distance at 18 spm and 15(!)spm respectively, the strong slow stroke rate a way to get her heart rate up a little bit :)

I also found this OK apart from the numb bum again (I'm using a big towel on the longer rows), and on the second interval did the first 12 minutes sub 1:52 @ 22spm; a small test after the fail last Wednesday.

We both felt remarkably excited about getting back into the rowing routine today, which can only bode well for the future, and Anita said she got quite animated discussing erging with a work colleague earlier, and was worried about becoming a rowing bore :) As if that's possible :)

Anita: 12249m
Andy: 14637m

Cumulative: 1558827m (968.8 miles)

The Journey:
Start - Topnotch Gym Colchester, CO4 9ES
Finish - Feldkirch, Vorarlberg, Austria http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feldkirch,_Vorarlberg

Day 39 - A little test for Sunday :)

A repeat of Tuesday today - 4 lots of 15 mins, 6'/9' split, 2:15/2:25 for Anita, 1:52/2:01 for Me, 4R.

Much of a muchness tonight for the first 3 intervals; Anita wasn't feeling particularly well but she stuck to the task brilliantly.

Then the 4th Interval - I think we both thought he same thing - use it as a bit of a tester for the 6344m Concept2.co.uk Challenge Series November piece.

Anita ended up with a 2:14 average for the 15 mins, First 6 minutes near 2:12, down to 2:25-2:20 for the next 5, then racked it down towards 2:10 over the last 4 minutes, into the 1:57 region for the last 30 secs - Again she is showing how strong she is now, and at 5"9' she is blessed with long levers leading to a lovely technique.

I ended up with a 1:50.7 average, and like Anita did the 2nd furthest distance ever in a 15 minute piece I've ever done, but with some large pace changes.

For the first 6 minutes I was alternating 1:47 minutes with 1:52 minutes, went down to 2:00 for 3 minutes, then from 5 minutes out went down to 1:47, towards 1:45 with 2 minutes left, then into the low 1:30's for the last minute - 4062m in 15 mins for me, 3358m for Anita :) I think we're both ready for the Challenge Series now - If we can do what we did during rowing minutes 45 to 60, then after a Warm Up she should be able to sustain a really good pace for the whole 23/28 minutes :)

Anita: 13110m
Andy: 15653m

Cumulative: 1215572m (755.5 miles)

The Journey:

Start: Topnotch Gym, Colchester CO4 9ES
Finish: Mazembroz, Valais, Switzerland http://www.alltravels.com/switzerland/valais/mazembroz-577306

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 7 - Interval Torture

4 lots of 15 minutes today, 7 at 5k pace (Anita 2:16/500m, Andy 1:53/500m) and 8 at Marathon Pace (Anita 2:26, Andy 2:02)

Anita again did really well, and only just missed the target on the 4th interval. I again struggled in  the 3rd and 4th intervals with the 1:53 pace - Just didn't have it in the arms again to pull the low stroke rate.

Anita - 12756m
Andy - 15236m

Total Combined - 199209m (123.8 miles)

As a Journey:

Start - Topnotch Gym Colchester CO4 9ES
Finish - 10km into the Channel (Dover to Calais)

Day 2 - 15 Min Interval Training

4 Lots of 15 minutes (6 minutes at 5k pace, 9 minutes at Marathon Pace) with 4 minutes breaks in between today.

Anita rowed superbly, rowing 12698 metres compared to a plan of 12691

Andy - 15134 metres out of 15224, with the last 5k Pace 6 minutes (1:53) really hurting.............

3 Lots of 20 minutes tomorrow...................................

Total Rowed Distance Since Start of Training - 54.314km

Start Topnotch Gym CO4 9ES

Finish J13 A12 - Ingatestone Bypass