The Value of Training

A recent trip to Royal Roads Univeristy to watch the Hatley Castle 8k running race I spotted an interesting "motivational message" posted on a huge billboard in the old military college gym. In my mind, it describes the process and benefit of everyday consistency in training.... and that is the true victory to carry forth into the future. It keeps my head up during the long hours of training that goes into the dark and wet times of the year.
Our training schedule was set out before us and we have to follow through with confidence that this will get us in shape for the summer racing series. A big part of this winter work is keeping the motivation and positive atmosphere going.  The past two weeks our coach(s) have gone to a training camp in California and we were given planned workouts each day but it is our own ambition to complete it with vigor.  To the most part the work was completed with excellence due to the fact the group of athletes I train with are very individually motivated personalities.
 I have felt after some long hard and wet workouts like I just want to crawl up in a ball and sleep for three months. I, however, often realize I need to quickly shower and go to work because I have patients booked long into the evening. At the end of these long days when I get home from work I realize I'm f#%*ing exhausted that I have a smile on my face for all the things I was able to accomplish. Luckily, I thoroughly enjoy my job!  So, in the end of it all, I hope I'm getting faster and more technically proficient at rowing.

The next important time-frame to work towards is the third week of March with the RADAR erg testing sessions and an on-water time-trial in early April. Till then, we will get true value for our training.

Shawnigan Sessions

I spent a few days last week at a mini-training camp up at Shawnigan lake as a heavyweight. I was in the bow seat of the "heavy hudson" 8+ and trying to hold on. I think it was a dual purpose trip; I got more experience on starboard side and the other guys were able to head out in a full 8+. See map below of the logged course using my garmin GPS watch for one row (of 3) during the day.

See some shots below of the times between rows.  Other than rowing or talking about rowing, time is spent eating, sleeping, stretching, texting, and more eating. 

Walking to lunch at "hogwarts" cafeteria

Post-lunch siesta 

"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." Albert Einstein 

Over the course of the past year I have tried to put down a solid effort. This is both physical and mental and I find those long days of grinding out the sweat, blood and tears builds up confidence in my strength and conditioning for the next round of training. This can be similar to a periodized training plan with a rowing twist on it.

Every once in a while an opportunity arises that allows everything come together and creates a synchronized symphony of opportunity and productivity.  It makes my whole body tingle all over when it happens - everything I have been working towards comes together exactly as planned.  To date, it has only happened five times in my life.  The first experience was more of a coming-of-age story and  I was 16 years old.

 I really wanted to repair my fathers' old Saab 900 that was parked out back behind the house under a large evergreen for the previous 10 years.  When I had my learners license (at the time it was only took one month) I begged my Dad to let me drive the Saab as my first vehicle. We pulled it into the garage and had to do some repairs due to a decade of sitting had taken its toll.  After we changed the oil, spark plugs, fan belt, air filters, stereo etc. all it needed was a new muffler.  So, I spent one afternoon driving to Cranbrook to get a new exhaust system put on.  I waited for the muffler man to finish up and I paced the waiting room with anticipation.  I got the keys and drove back on the highway towards Fernie and in the first minute of driving it happened. I turned the volume up on the new stereo and I felt the smooth rumble of the finely tuned engine  and my whole body just melted in a waterfall of emotion. I was so happy, a smile ear to ear - I was tingling all over. In my 16 year old mind, I felt that I had really made it. Everything I wanted had come together and I was driving my own personal freedom in the direction I wanted it.

The second and third time were with other exceptional life experiences. I received the letter that I was accepted into UBC for my undergraduate degree. The third is when I made (the right) decision to hold-off attending Chiropractic college for a year to see about a girl, who is now my fiance.  The fourth time was in July 2011 when I called my Dad after finding out I was invited to train at the VTC leading up to the Pan-Am Games.

This last time was just a few days ago. I'm not sure why this was a feeling of things coming together for opportunity but it happened. It felt like I had stepped up the game and ready for the next challenge in rowing. I was invited to train with the heavyweight 8+'s Olympic group at Shawnigan Lake for Friday and Saturday. They needed a fill-in to have a complete boat and for some reason I was their guy.  It was an opportunity to get some feedback from Mike Spracklen and also get some experience rowing with the decades worth of experience that the other guys bring to the boat.   So after I found out I was driving home and one of my favorite songs came on Over the Hills and Far Away, by Led Zeppelin.   It started small and then I couldn't contain it. I had a giant smile and I felt like the past 4-5 months of hard work were paying off. Even though there is no real benefit or selections from going to Shawnigan Lake to me, in my mind, it is a step forward.

Shawnigan Lake Sessions

On Thursdays we are now heading up to Shawnigan Lake to utilize the 7km long lake for the "extended" rowing sessions without having to turn around. This past week was my first time to the location at the Shawnigan Lake private school boathouse. What an experience!  It is a fully stocked boathouse with excellent views of the lake.  Along with showers, erg/meeting room and large deck to lounge in the sun there are 4 boathouse bays and two long docks.  There are many years of alumni making rowing history coming out of Shawnigan, and many Olympians learned how to row at this location.

After three long rowing sessions I was fully exhausted but excited for the next visit. 

January Testing Revealed

The week of testing revealed a few interesting aspects of training that I didn't expect.   First, it gave me some objective training heart rate (HR) zones to hit for different training sessions.  Next, it gave me quality data that I could compare between this time and the last times. And thirdly, and most important, it gave me the confidence that I had the training effects from the previous 6 months of hard work to show that I have (in theory) the ability to pull off a top-level test.
The first session this past week we completed was the simple heart-rate step test à la Kenny Wu. With a step wise incremental increasing of intensity for a 1000m distance on the erg we are able to compare HR from the previous sessions (Dec and Jan).  We recorded our HR at the end of each 1000m. Starting at 2:05 min/500m split on the erg and increasing to 2:00 Split, then 1:55, 1:50, 1:45, and finishing with 1:40. We then could see how at least our HR has decreased over the past few months with rigorous training. There is more information to be read into this test but the instant look is that my HR had reduced by 5-10 bpm for each intensity since the first session 2 months ago.

The second session was Lactate step-testing. With the use of the sport-physiology lab we were monitored every 3min on the erg (progressing intensity) with HR and blood lactate levels. Comparing the results from last time in a direct lactate threshold curve I have become more efficient at lower intensities before lactate shoots up.

*Image by CSC Pacific 

Within this lactate step-testing session the physiologists were able to reccommend training intensities with HR where optimum training effect can take effect. This will help out with future training goals. See below:

*Image by CSC Pacific

With the results from the HR and lactate step-tests I felt confident I could (again, in theory) complete the 2k and 6k erg tests with real improvements. Turns out that is exactly what happened. At least in the 6km I improved 20 seconds on my last attempt and 8 seconds off my last previous personal best. The 2km test stayed exactly the same at 6:16. I'm happy with both of them but I know they can still improve.

The next step was bringing this quality physiological and psychological training to the water this week with a double session of time-trails; the 2x2km in the single (1x) and the 2x2km in the pair (2-) with John Sasi.  And, in my mind, they were both a success! More on this later