CTC - just missed a PB!

So, the plan was to attack a 6,000m piece after my gentle preparation yesterday. An average split of 1:50 was my stretch target so I set up a RowPro pace boat at that speed. I should have been more optimistic and set up my PB as a second pace boat since in the end I missed it by less than three seconds!

I got home early and realised that I could slip the row in before MBH and the kids got home. I rushed through a 1,000m warm up with just two 10 stroke bursts at 1:50.

I then set off and pulled relatively hard in the first 10 strokes. The average split started at the psychologically helpful 1:47 and I settled to 1:50/1:49. I felt very comfortable here and perhaps should have had more confidence. The race plan opened up in front of me.

"Hold this for 2,000m, hang on through the next 3,000m and push for home"

And that is what I did! My fifth 1,000m was not as soft as I thought it would be and perhaps I should have gone for home earlier. I concentrated on rowing long and accelerating smoothly through the stroke. The rate seemed to take care of itself. The last 150 was purgatory. My technique failed completely as I gathered myself for each stroke and pulled each stroke for all I was worth. The split for those last few strokes was 1:45. I felt a bit dizzy with about 1,000m to go and had slight chest pain with 500m to go, but these were temporary (thankfully).

I think if I'd known how close my PB was I would have gone for home a little earlier. In the end I rowed a 21:51.8 (my PB is 21:49.2). A sign of how much the standard has improved within Free Spirits was that this was only just good enough for Free Spirits III on the CTC! (I did beat Petr though, which is always nice ).

I am very pleased with today. Real progress in the mental (confidence) side which is so important! My confidence must have been up anyway because I entered the Evesham Golden mile yesterday. Gulp.

Distance	Time (s)	Pace (/500m)	SPM	HR
500	01:48.8	108.76	24	160
1000	03:38.3	109.56	24	169
1500	05:27.9	109.57	24	170
2000	07:17.5	109.62	24	175
2500	09:07.3	109.84	23	175
3000	10:57.4	110.01	24	177
3500	12:47.4	110.08	24	180
4000	14:36.9	109.48	24	183
4500	16:26.5	109.58	24	185
5000	18:16.2	109.67	25	186
5500	20:05.1	108.96	24	190
6000	21:51.8	106.72	24	192

Metres today: 8,457