Ergloo

For the past month I have spent four sessions a week training in the new Erg Centre at the Pacific Institute for Sports Excellence. Travis dubbed it the Ergloo due directly to the fact that the average morning temperature has hovered around 0.7*C. After the frost melts off the inside surface of the tent, the moisture starts to drip down on us erging away on the cement pad below. Warm-up for the workout usually is a team of toque and mitten fully-clothed athletes. I actually really like training there. First, because it is a dedicated centre for national team performance. Second, I feel it is good to have the ambient temperature cooler because then it is less stress for my body to keep internal temperature low and more effort can be attending to performance. And, the third reason I enjoy training in the erg centre, the clinic I work at, LifeMark Sport Medicine, is literally 50 meters across the tarmac. See panorama below.

 

Full Time

Hey, I have taken time away from the posting here, directly due to the fact that I didn't want to hype/psych my testing that occurred this week. I just wanted a regular no-pressure routine for the past 10days to get through the psychological battle that is RADAR testing.

So, as I mentioned before, the tests are as follows:
Erg
Peak Power (10 stroke max watts)
1minute (distance in metres)
2000m (time or split/500m)
6000m (time or split/500m)
60min (distance)

Also, an on-water time-trial is happening on Aug. 27th. (2000m)

Everything, so far, has worked out as planned, except for the 6000m test. There is a chance I may redo the test next Monday, which is the last possible day before the scores are submitted.

Aug. 22nd, Monday, was my first day joining "The Team" - the PanAm group training full time till the Games start in Guadalajara, Mexico on Oct. 15th. So far, I have had so much fun. It feels like summer camp, except for very hard working grown-ups. We joke a bit and tell stories, then go through a few "activites" then stop and joke a bit more and tell crazy stories... I'm having just a blast. I know that there is real physical exertion to be done for me down the road, and I need to work extra hard to catch up to the other guys, but I'm very excited for the possibilities.

The photo below is what Erg tests are like, in the Spracklin Room at the Elk Lake boat house, except all the Ergs are filled with sweaty beasts and a couple lightweights sprinkled here and there. (more on that later)

July thu Aug

Training for the next 4 weeks are the build-up for the most important test so far; Aug. RADAR testing. This will include the Erg machine collection (hour of power, 6km, 1min, peak-power) excluding the 2000m test to be completed during my first week of training with "The Centre" (The national training centre, at Elk Lake, Victoria)

Periodized training has been ongoing with the past 2 weeks included into a 2x 3 wk microcycle, for proper peaking at RADAR and first week of full-time training.


July 18-24th: Build wk 2/Recovery
July 25-31st: Build Wk 1
August 1-7th: Build wk 2
August 8-14th: Taper wk

Interesting article on ICE Bath: Good news!
http://sweatscience.com/ice-baths-for-recovery-15-minutes-at-10-c/