PB Thursday

It was the 2k row tonight and I went about it with a steady start. The plan was to take it out with a PB in mind without over cooking it. As I went through 1000m I decided to commit and was rewarded with a time of 07:45.5. An entire second inside my previous mark - not half a second, not point eight of a second, no, it was an entire second quicker - get in! The law of diminishing returns is really kicking in... I finished with the bike but gave the core workout a miss to allow for some recovery.

Weight Off My Shoulders...

I've decided to trim back the rower to every other day. My shoulders and lower neck have been aching for a couple of weeks. I don't think three or four days on the rower in, well, a row, was allowing proper recovery. So I've eased back to every other day and things are almost back to normal - not that anyone has ever accused me of being normal...

I'm not shirking though. I'm still keen. So far I've had no thought's of skipping a session on the grounds of not being arsed. I've managed eight straight days on the bike - including tonight. It's lower intensity and I feel able to keep to the regime. Once I get the treadmill I'm going to start planning things a bit more scientifically. Okay, to be fair, there won't be much science involved in the process but I'm going to try and structure things a little more...

Finished off with some ab-crunches. 112 to be precise, spread across four reps, 10 pull-ups and 26 push-ups. I used to push 50 as a single rep. Being able to do that feels a long way off but I'll get there...

Eight Reps Rowed

And a go on the bike to finish on day 23. I went at it more steadily tonight. I was in danger of getting carried away with it during my first few interval sessions, risking burnout. I focused - and hopefully maintained good form and just about finished the eighth as solidly as the first without much spare. The pace was 1:51/52. It gives me a good solid reference to gradually build on from without risking burnout. My heart rate hit 170 so it really wasn't too shabby a workout.

On other matters, the treadmill isn't going to arrive until next week now which is a little disappointing. If it is delayed any further I shall have no choice but to cancel and go elsewhere. Wasn't exactly the four to five day delivery advertised. At this rate fourteen to fifteen might be optimistic.

The Ebb Of Monday

Have to admit to feeling a little jaded on this, the start of week four. Not that I wasn't straight into the gym after I got home because I was. No, I just felt a little low on energy so I decided on 75 minutes steady on the bike and the core work out by way of an easy session. Perhaps I need to take better stock of the fuel levels... 

Not A Bad Session

Did the bike row bike today and then some core to finish. Was a pretty good 2k row, 7:51.0 in between the 30 minutes and an hour on the bike. Certainly got the heart rate pumping. I'm definitely starting to feel fitter. My fat levels are starting to reduce and I think my resting heart rate is starting to edge downwards although it's a bit early to really see the underlying trends from such a small sample size. Anyway, I feel better so that's what counts.

Hopefully the treadmill should be arriving this week so with my improving fitness, all being well, I will  be taking my first tentative steps on the long road back.

Day twenty one complete.

Couldn't Do It...

No, I couldn't do a full rest day. I'll call it a recovery day instead. An hour on the bike and some ab crunches. Back on it full tilt tomorrow...

Struggled To Maintain It...

A tough one tonight. It's the first full week at work for a while, add that to day nineteen and you have the recipe for fatigue. It was not a great interval on the rower - but I showed some grit. After yesterday's PB I decided on seven reps. After not managing to keep inside 1:50s for the first couple I was struggling to believe I could manage even six as doubt set in. Where would the improvement come if I wimp out at the first sign of troubled water? So I dug in and completed the full seven. Averaged 1:52/500s not great but the heart rate was bang on up so had to count for something. Finished with the bike and abs et al. Rang up a century of ab crunches tonight.

The Eighteenth Day

And another PB on the row, 07:48.5. Feels nice to break 07:50. Was bloody hard effort for a measly 3.5seconds! Guess that's how it is at the sharp end of training - it's been so long I kind of forgot what hard work is. The initial quick gains are gone so from here in I need to consider every single second a solid improvement. Finished with the bike and abs. No rest for the wicked, more up tomorrow...

Back On It Tonight...

And the rest did me good. I went at it on the rower. Seven 1 minute reps off a 1 minute recovery and I managed to keep the pace on the rep inside 1:50/500m pace. That is faster and one more rep than the last interval session. I was only intending six reps but into the final cool down, after the sixth, I thought sod it, I've one more in me tonight. I put that down to the rest day. It felt good to hit out seven consistent sub 1:50s reps. I finished off with an hour on the bike and, of course, the core work. Day seventeen complete...

Full Rest

I battled the demons on the drive home - and I had a lot of time to battle them.... Shall I, shan't I was the question. By the outskirts of Bristol I was all for doing an hour on the bike and the core. By Dursley I was back to a full rest day. By Gloucester I was up to just the core. As I left Gloucester I was back to the bike but then a few more miles on, as I started to yawn, I decided that the full rest should sensibly be the order of the day. I feel a bit guilty which is kind of good because I haven't felt like this for a long time. A good night's sleep should help the muscles repair and then tomorrow it will be full steam ahead. The treadmill should be here back end of next week and then the work will really begin....

PS, I'm still itching to get in the gym tonight but I'm going to be sensible - and that's not easy for me.

Day Fifteen...

And the thirteenth training session is complete. Yet again, no hesitation. I got home. I headed into the gym.

It was back to a straight 2k row and I hit 07:52 again. Felt a bit laboured. Maybe due a rest day tomorrow. Four days on, one day off seems fair... Another hour on the bike to finish and then the now ubiquitous core session. I might still do the core work tomorrow, maybe add a few bicep curls to the mix - living it on the edge....

So I've Done It....

I've order a treadmill. After copious amounts of research - I hope it'll have been worth it - I finally decided to take the plunge. It's not a full on commercial unit but it's a significant jump above the low end stuff. It got good reviews from runners - hope I've not fallen for some of those dodgy fake review sites... With a top speed of 22kph and a 4.0hp motor it should see me okay for any speed interval I'll ever be capable of nowadays. That equates to a 65s for 400m - I should say at this point, I have run a 59s 400m but that was a single, one off lap to see what I could do - and not to mention over ten years ago. So a speed of 65s per 400m should be fine for reps for me these days ;-)

Anyway, more of the same today. Added an extra rep to the row intervals, six by 1 minute. Back to a straight forward 2k row tomorrow. I obviously followed that with the bike, abs etc.. I'm really beginning to feel the habit forming. There's no hint of 'oh well, I suppose I must...' - at least not yet anyway. No, at the moment it's more, 'is it time to hit the gym yet?'....

Rowing Intervals...

Are pretty bloody tough! To be fair I started with a fairly short session to gauge what I was getting myself into. A short warm up and then five reps of 1 minute all out and 1 minute recovery and finished with a cool down. I'm going to increase the reps next time. Moved onto the bike after with abs, pull-ups and push-ups to finish. Everything continues to ache...

Still At It...

Although everything is starting to feel fatigued. The honeymoon is most definitely over. From here it's going to take a lot hard work and commitment.

Despite having a rest day yesterday I began the session feeling tired. I split it bike row bike again. The first bike wasn't too bad but I wasn't long into the row before I was struggling. I pulled hard in the last 500m to the point of feeling a bit faint but also just edging inside eight to finish 7:59.4. Definitely getting tougher. The final bike was a grind but a worthwhile grind as I focus on the goal. Finished with the core workout of course and that was me finished.