My pace predictor suggested that I am capable of a 5:16.4. I did a 2k warm up that was a little disrupted by fiddling around with the PC trying to get Channel 4 On-Demand installed. The PC did not have internet explorer OR windows media player 10 on it so I was a bit stuffed. The room was also cold so I was waiting for it to warm up a little.
My plan was to row 1:38 for the first 500, hold the middle with no strokes below 1:40 and hold on through the last 500m.
The start was good - at 500m my split was 1:37.7 and I felt pretty good, but the next 109m seemed to take for ever and by 1000m to go I was feeling the pain. I dug in and probably had my first 1:4x stroke in the next 100m. I was really struggling now and slowed for a stroke or two. I nearly handled down again before 500m to go. I felt awful. At 500m to go I thought I would hold on for a bit - and rowed this at around 1:42 or something. All the time my PB pace boat was nowhere to be seen, and this gave me hope. Without that I don't think I would have made it - the thought of "a pb is better than no pb". I knew by this time that 5:16 was not on!
I only dragged up the pace for the last 150m and dipped under 5:20 with 5:19.4. This is three seconds faster than I have ever done before but with all the wimping out it could have been faster. I think that 5:16 is a possibility if I tough it out.
Great excitement today - my youngest's 2nd birthday and the scaffolding went up for the chimney lining. We have been desperate to use our second chimney as an open fire, and it has only taken 10 years to sort it out! I took my vertigo in my hands and climbed to the top for some high up views of the village.
There was also a handsome view of the garden. I could see how wrecked the middle lawn was by the scarifying but it doesn't show in the photo.
The scaffolding
Looking North
Looking South
The garden
Metres today: 6,520
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