No broken boats this week

Well, none that were my fault, anyway. The training for this week has been as follows:

13/11 - Coached M2 and was lazy - no erg.
14/11 - M1 outing. 15k @17, feet out. 1h02:20.9
15/11 - 15k @19, feet out with Paul. 59:57.6 - Paul beat me by about 10 seconds.
16/11 - 40' on the running machine. Took a while to get used to it, but did 5.03 miles in the end. Was doing 7 minute miles at the end.
17/11 - Long M1 outing over the lock.
18/11 - Cross-country cuppers. it was a 10.1k course, and I did it in 42:36. I came 51st out of 80-odd runners, and King's 11th out of 24. Was pleased with the time - sub 7 minute mile pace.
19/11 - The Tancock Sunday Madness, Take II. Cycled to Ely and back. Took 1h05 to get there, had 5 minutes admiring the cathedral and then cycled back. Dawning realisation about 5 minutes in that the headwind wasn't going to give up for the rest of the ride. Total time (Silver Street junction to King's back gate) was 2h31:54. Total distance about 35mi/56km. I made the stupid mistake of thinking it was quite warm. Went out in t-shirt, shorts and sweatshirt and froze in that headwind on the way back!

Am feeling very tired both physically and mentally. I will drive on, much as I did this afternoon into that headwind. I will be as fit as possible for Fairbairns.

Oops

OK, so the sculling outing on Sunday didn't quite go to plan. Generally speaking it is good practice to bring a boat back in the same condition it left in, rather than split it into two parts. Oh well. Let the repercussions begin. I've got to be big enough to go hands up when I have made an error. On the plus side (well not really, looking at it), training this week:

6/8 and 8/8 - Long M1 outings.
9/8 - Gave up 4k into a 15k. It wasn't going well and I needed to save myself for Saturday.
10/8 - Shorter M1 outing.
11/8 - Winter Head. The first one felt really tough (I admit, I rowed poorly), the effort in the 4 afterwards less so. Although it is easier to push yourself coming up to your second overtake! I think it is the switch back into the 8 that was the issue, along with the wind. I felt much more comfortable in the 4, which is strange.
12/8 - Decided to do my long UT2 session in the scull. It wasn't a bad outing, I picked it up again very quickly and was doing a double lock run before the unfortunate incident with the men's novices. I'd like to carry on sculling, but even if we get a new boat I can't imagine they'll let me out in it.

Didn't do much this week, but I am hoping that I can pick it up again this week and that I've got over the week 5 bug I've had recently.

Training

Outings: 2 long outings over the lock, one shorter one, winter head race
Ergs: 3 x 15k (not one after the other :P), splits were 2:00.7, 1:59.7 (i think?), 1:57.6, started a 4th but was rudely interrupted by ivan ringing me about novices, 7500m or so at 1:59
Rugby match

Training this week

• Monday; Over the lock with M1, circuits at Fenners
• Tuesday: Day off
• Wednesday: Over the lock with M1
• Thursday: Group bike ride, 31 miles @19mph
• Friday: Outing with M1
• Saturday: race in the eight, then CUCC ride 41 miles at 18mph, including some good riding up a longish hill.
• Sunday: CUCC ride, 40 miles @19.5mph.

So, come on, who really believed?

Did anyone really think we could beat Christ's in the semi-final and then go on to win Uni 4s? In truth, I don't think I did. I just wasn't going to let us go down without a fight, and we pulled it off.

30/10 - Outing in the IV. Much better after my 17k technical effort.
31/10 - Uni 4s, round 1. The marshal started it before we were ready but we still beat Fitz by 10 seconds.
1/11 - Uni 4s Quarter Finals. Beat LMBC by 13s, of which about 8s were due to the sprint at the end.
2/11 - Uni 4s Semi Finals. Probably the best race I have ever had the pleasure to be a part of. We knew we needed the race of our lives, and we pulled it off. Beat Christ's by 14s.
3/11 - Uni 4s Final. The nerves got to me and I didn't row that well. However, we beat Emma by 4s. Wonderful.
4/11 - 15k @20 - 1h00:57.4.
5/11 - 15k @20 - 1h01:35.8. Neither was particularly good, but I wasn't feeling too good. The important thing was that I finished them both.

Right, Winter Head next.