Mile High Sprints

Crap, let me dispense with the excuse and the qualification to the excuse first.

Since Thursday I have had a Paleo cold. A Paleo cold is when you notice your Twinkie eating friends disappear for a week and come back talking about the deadly flu they have had, and then you notice that yes, in fact, you do have a small but still irritating case of the sniffles. On race day I was never able to clear my sinuses to my satisfaction nor could I alleviate a cotton mouth feeling. Talking to other competitors, I found that they thought the climate at the Colorado Athletic Club was hot and dry, so in truth a good part of what I thought was a fever and a sore throat was probably experienced by everyone there.

While a Paleo cold is annoying, it hardly stops one from performing, so I duly set off for the Denver Rowing Club Boathouse. Fortunately I arrived early, so when I realized I was at the wrong location I was able to phone Margaret, Keith G., and Eric for assistance. The CAC is close to the boathouse, and with Eric's navigation skills, I quickly arrived at the right location still early.

I warmed up about twenty minutes before my 2,000m race, and felt horrible as if rowing under a 2:00 split time would be impossible. I'm fully aware that I hate warming up at least as much as anyone and probably even more, so I didn't panic and figured I'd come alive during the race. As I've written, I knew I had already blown my training, and I decided the smart thing to do would be to row a 1:50 split and try to decrease at 1,000 meters.

I got off to a great start, but had trouble backing down to 1:50. I had practiced the start repeatedly and become successful at hitting race pace in 12 if not the recommended 10 strokes, but I found myself way over 10 still rowing a 1:36. I was at least smart enough to know that I was digging myself a hole, and with coxswain Mike D's help I was able to settle at 1:50 before too much damage had been done.

As has tended to happen, I faded badly in the third 500. I recovered at the oar and did a decent job of pushing the final 500, but I had already lost the race by a comfortable margin and finished at 7:28. I thought the worst thing that would happen was that I would PR the 2,000, but I fell well short of that.

Mike D raced immediately after me, and while he did all the work, I'd like to think I gave him that extra impetus which left him with a PR at 7:26.

After Mike was done, I set about recovering for the 500. I slavishly followed VP's recovery regimen which worked so well I'll only share it with the people paying me.

After my horrible 2,000 I was sufficiently angry to destroy the 500 as I thought I would be. My pre-race plan was to row a 1:28 pace and finish with a power 10, but with the fresh memory of my struggle in the 2,000 I lost confidence in myself and decided at the last minute to hold a 1:30 pace with a power 10 finish.

At my level of rowing competence, I can only hold a pace within a three second range, so while a 1:28 would be a 1:27-1:30, the 1:30 is 1:29-132. I did a good job of holding 1:30 for 250 meters, and then I started floating around 1:31. I can't say that I had any rational thought during the race, but I sensed I was fucking up and determined to right myself. At 350 meters I unleashed the power 10 and dipped to a 1:24 split which I was able to hold, and I finished at 1:30.2. In hindsight and looking at the ferocity of the power 10, I think it would have been correct to have tried the 1:28 pace. I believe I would have broken 1:29 at least.

The 500 turned out to be an open event without age divisions, and I finished eleventh of 21. I'll have to wait for official results to be posted, but I suspect my placing would have been high if adjusted for age.

In all, I thought I did the best I could with the 2,000 on that particular day. I'm mad that I lost faith in myself and didn't make a serious attempt at breaking 1:29 in the 500. Still I had a great time. Front Range CrossFit is considering hosting an erg race in fall, and if so I'll be there as well as back at the Mile High Sprints next year. I'm also reasonably sure I'll get on the water this year and try sculling with the Longmont club.

I haven't exactly figured out what a twelve month macro-cycle should be for me, but I know it will include rowing.

As is usual after I compete, I'm hungry. I've learned a lot about how to train rowing, and I'll be back in 2012.