yankeerunner's blog

Joe's idea of copying the UK blog onto here 'just in case' seems to be a good one, so here it is. If eventually Jane's Forum becomes the #1, Numero uno, best Erging Forum then so be it. I'm there.

Steady state today.

01727m 08:00.0 2:18.9 20spm (warmup)
10000m 41:09.3 2:03.5 24spm
01651m 08:00.0 2:27.1 19spm (cooldown)

S10MPS with the monitor covered except for meters, 51 degrees, 118df, ribs wrapped, Bryan Adams on the CD player. Felt a little weary during the second half, much as I did the day after the last interval session, but not too bad and now I have an easy day of reading (Marathoner Jim Adler's book Marathon and Chips) and TV ahead to recover for tomorrow morning. I'll be needing to cut back one of these days, but not just yet.
splits:
1000m 2:09.3 23spm
2000m 2:06.4 23spm
3000m 2:06.4 23spm
4000m 2:02.8 24spm
5000m 2:03.5 24spm
6000m 2:03.5 24spm
7000m 2:02.9 25spm
8000m 2:02.1 25spm
9000m 2:00.9 25spm
10000m 1:58.6 25spm

Now wonder you felt a bit weary during the second half of the row; you were getting progressively faster.

Jim Alder was a big inspiration to lots of us running around Northumberland. I remember well the 10 mile training runs from the Morpeth club, run in around 52 minutes, with no mercy for the laggards. He used to turn up at all the local races with a van-full of kit to sell after finishing his run; most harriers would get their gear from him. The way he pulled fifty metres back on Bill Adcocks ,on the track, in the Commonwealth Games marathon of '66, after being sent the wrong way while leading into the stadium, is the stuff of legends.

Enjoy the read.

Regards,

Joe

What an amazing guy Joe. I read about those things just yesterday. Such a great runner, but still doing embarrassing 'guy' things like the rest of us in his regular life. Last year I read Adcock's book, loaned to me by the same guy with the Alder book. Great stuff.

another 5km at 5:30am at the Hard Nock's Gym:

2046m 10:00.0 2:26.6 20spm (warmup)
5000m 22:24.2 2:14.4 22spm
2041m 10:00.0 2:26.9 20spm (cooldown)

S10MPS, 125df, XM Satellite radio blaring away. The morning didn't start well with Wicked Felina's (the Black Thunderbird) doors being frozen shut from the weekend snow & rain followed by a rapid drop in temperature. Fortunately Denise's girly Jetta had been used enough that those doors opened and I borrowed her car. On the erg I felt just blah, but I might have been subconciously holding back for the scheduled hard effort after the workday later.
splits:
1000m 2:16.7 22spm
2000m 2:16.1 22spm
3000m 2:15.1 22spm
4000m 2:12.4 23spm
5000m 2:11.8 23spm

How can you feel anything but blah at 5.30am on the erg?

You're right Pete. Man was not meant to get up that early. (I'd add some joke about how women are meant to get up that early but I get in trouble with the women )

Last night after jogging the 1km home from work and walking Sunny I familiarized myself with the exquisite fatigue of a 2km again, to get it mentally straight and work on such things as lactate tolerance or whatever anyone wants to call it.

2680m 12:00.0 2:14.3 24spm (warmup)
2000m 07:11.8 1:48.0 34spm
2475m 12:00.0 2:27.8 18spm (cooldown)

47 degrees, 130df, George Thorogood & the Destroyers on the CD player ("I walk 47 miles of barbed wire, I use a cobra snake for a necktie, I got a brand new house on the roadside made out of rattlesnake hides."). My intent was to start at the 1:48.7 pace that I averaged in the trial last Thursday, but it seemed a bit harder than expected. Yet I didn't feel any fade as I had been a couple of weeks ago when I'd get halfway, and had an even better kick than usual. Now only 1 second slower than at BIRC last November, although still over 7 seconds slower than last October just prior to ripping the back and rib. Satisfied.
splits:
0500m 1:49.1 34spm
1000m 1:49.0 33spm
1500m 1:49.2 34spm
2000m 1:44.6 36spm

Normally this morning would be my long distance day, but I'm taking off the morning session for the first time in 42 days and delaying it until tomorrow. The hard sessions are getting hard enough to warrant a bit more rest than I've been taking. Better safe than sorry.

Excellent Ricky Baby

It is coming back........

Very good rowing Rick.

I dream about doing a 2k like that.

Regards,

Joe

Great result Rick. You're in a good form for the Crash-Bs.

It is motivating to watch your steady progress back Rick so keep it up (Also to know others are mad enough to row before the sun comes up)

george

Thanks guys. If I needed to qualify for Boston I would have finally nipped under the standard of 7:12 for my age group (and then hope that others in my stellite race weren't better). I noticed this morning that Greg Brock of California did a 6:56 last Sunday in his satellite race in the same age group. I wonder if he will make the trip? He kicked my butt in the 1972 Olympic Trials Marathon in Eugene, Oregon when he got 5th and I dropped out. I don't think that we've ever raced against each other before or since.

And George, I just read your blog on the UK forum. Congratulations! Twenty-six years is some good endurance.

Last night was just ticking over, trying to leave some energy for Wednesday morning:

1703m 08:00.0 2:20.9 20spm (warmup)
5000m 20:12.6 2:01.3 25spm
1668m 08:00.0 2:23.8 19spm (cooldown)

S10MPS with the monitor covered except for meters, 46 degrees, 128df, ribs wrapped, Dwight Yoakam on the CD player. Tried to stay smooth and steady, but put a little extra effort into the end.
splits:
1000m 2:06.4 24spm
2000m 2:01.8 25spm
3000m 2:01.4 25spm
4000m 1:59.9 25spm
5000m 1:56.8 26spm



It snowed overnight, then started sleeting, then raining on it by the time I got out of bed. Started the day by shoveling off 4" of heavy, wet stuff from the sidewaks (so that the little kiddos could walk to school) and the driveway and car (so that Denise could get out and go to work--can't have the woman not working ). Then, and only then, about 45' late, I got on the erg.

01251m 0:06:00.0 2:23.8 20spm (warmup)
21000m 1:28:42.6 2:06.7 24spm
01226m 0:06:00.0 2:26.7 19spm (cooldown)

S10MPS with the monitor covered except for meters, 48 degrees, 111df, ribs wrapped, The Who Live In Boston in the DVD player. Felt a bit weary from the shoveling, so just tried to stay relaxed and feel my way along. Felt fine, and was pleasantly surprized, when I took the cover off the monitor, to see that I'd gone at a faster pace than last Friday. The shoveling apparently warmed me up better than usual.
splits:
03000m 2:12.0 23spm
06000m 2:07.9 23spm
09000m 2:06.3 24spm
12000m 2:05.7 24spm
15000m 2:04.9 24spm
18000m 2:05.9 24spm
21000m 2:04.1 24spm

Rick- I had no idea you were such a good runner (to make it to the olympic trials). I just saw the Prefontaine movie. He must have been around during that trial. Good erg training.
The snow and rain is starting to get old. Bring on the spring.

nice meters there Rick...your well in with a shout in the Flyers intra challenge.
Pete

Excellent meters there... I like 10mps, set me at 9mps and I get confised and spend most of my brain time doing my 9 times table

Neil, if you remember the part where Pre wins the USA Olympic Trials 5000m over George Young, I was watching from the steeplechase pit while cooling my feet after dropping out of the marathon. I got to lean out over the track and see his legs wobbling from the effort of running the second fastest time in history up to then, as he came up the final straight. Some consolation at least for my own disappointment.

Pete, I'll never beat RR at one of thses challenges, but it's nice to stay close for a while.

Kev, I think one of the things that helps me doing S10MPS is that as I tire it keeps me putting some power into the stroke to maintain the discipline, whereas I might just start overstroking to keep the split where I think it should be. Hopefully over time it will build a little much needed strength .

My Magnificent McNally's Memorial 1km was scheduled for after the workday when I tend to be faster, but then I worried that because of the time-zone difference I might not get it posted before midnight UK time. Plus I got psyched reading about those who had already done it and decided to make it my morning workout instead.


2198m 10:00.0 2:16.4 22spm (warmup with accelerations)
2264m 10:00.0 2:12.5 25spm (warmup with faster accelerations)
1000m 03:25.6 1:42.8 39spm
1903m 10:00.0 2:37.6 18spm (cooldown)

49 degrees, 129df, Thompson Brothers Band singing 'Caroline' on the CD player. Based on my 1:48.0 pace from the last 2km test I figured that 1:43.0 was possible if I wasn't a wuss. After a slowish start I chased it down the whole way and finally got to it in the final 100m. Since I've been stricken with the dry heaves ever since, as I cooled down and now sitting at the computer I've got to assume that I gave everything I had to give. CaroleMac deserved nothing less. R.I.P Auntie Carole.
splits:
0200m 1:44.2 39spm
0400m 1:43.0 38spm
0600m 1:43.2 39spm
0800m 1:42.5 40spm
1000m 1:41.0 42spm

Flying kilometre, Rick. Chapeau

Regards,

Joe

Thanks Joe. Happy with that.

Last night I did a 10' warmup, a 5km steady-state that felt good, and a 10' cooldown. Unfortunately I don't know for sure exactly how good the 5km was because as soon as I pulled the last stroke the screen went blank and the memory was erased. Since I had the monitor covered except for the meters I can just assume that it was a fantastic time and not be troubled by reality. I wonder if I need to download some update to the PM4?

This morning is a scheduled session off. I intend to do another steady 5km tonight and take a shot at a steady 7777m on Saturday morning.

Last night my monitor did not go blank as I basically repeated the Thursday night workout.

1737m 08:00.0 2:18.1 20spm (warmup)
5000m 20:17.7 2:01.7 25spm
1642m 08:00.0 2:26.1 18spm (cooldown)

S10MPS with the monitor covered except for meters, 53 degrees, 129df, ribs unwrapped, David Allan Coe on the CD player. It actually felt a bit faster, showing how unreliable feeling can sometimes be. Perfectly utilitarian workout though. Satisfied.
splits:
1000m 2:04.9 24spm
2000m 2:00.8 25spm
3000m 2:02.6 24spm
4000m 2:00.7 25spm
5000m 1:59.7 25spm


This morning was a 10km with the splits set for 1111m in order to extract a CTC 7777m out of it.

01731m 08:00.0 2:18.6 20spm (warmup)
10000m 39:35.1 1:58.8 25spm
01629m 08:00.0 2:27.3 18spm (cooldown)

S10MPS with the monitor covered except for meters, 49 degrees, 122df, ribs wrapped, Dwight Yoakam Live on the CD player. My ribs and back are the best that they have been in months, but I still can't get through a whole day without some twinge or niggle to remind me that it is not at all a well rib/back. After having left the wrap off last night it was feeling a bit spastic so back on it went this morning. Seemed good. I put a little extra oomph into it for the CTC although under the constraints of being strapless and maintaining 10 meters per stroke. Turned out that when I deducted the final 2223m in order to get a CTC time I was a half-second slower than Carla Stein (seat5). Bragging rights remain hers.
splits:
1111m 4:30.2 2:01.6 24spm
2222m 4:24.8 1:59.1 25spm
3333m 4:23.1 1:58.4 25spm
4444m 4:24.5 1:59.0 25spm
5555m 4:23.2 1:58.4 25spm
6666m 4:22.2 1:58.0 25spm
7777m 4:22.5 1:58.1 25spm
8888m 4:22.5 1:58.1 26spm
9999m 4:21.9 1:57.8 25spm
10000m 0:00.2 1:40.0

Excellent going for the bronze today Rick. Inspirational come-back from injury to scoop a podium place.

More to come next year.

Regards,

Joe