Today’s main session was to do 10K on SkiErg, for the Concept 2 February challenge. This certificate was the reward.
Today was the the day before the deadline to do 10K on the SkiErg, for the Concept 2 February 2019 challenge. I wasn’t looking forward to it, because I’d not done any SkiErg distance over 5K and didn’t know what pace or drag factor would be best. So I decided to simply be satisfied to do the distance at any pace and then use resulting average pace as a target next time.
A complication was this very poor reading from EliteHRV this morning. But since the HRV session heart rate graph had an artifact and it appeared not to have compensated correctly, I decided to ignore it.
Sleep logged by the SleepWatch app was good, at 7 hours.
Finish screen for today’s 10K on the SkiErg.
At the start of today’s 10K, the pace I had in mind was about 2:21. But after the first 1,000 meters I decided to just do the distance at an easy pace, with some variation in pace and a few intervals of 100 meters or more once in a while. It worked out well. I sweated a LOT, as evidenced by the large wet spot on the towel that covered the SkiErg platform. So I rated it at RPE Level 7 even though I was breathing easy most of the time. The RPE chart (it is in the Terms and Abbreviations area of this blog) is not an exact science gauge.
Report for today’s 10K on the SkiErg.RowPro graphs for today’s 10K on the SkiErg.
Though Atrial Fibrillation wasn’t really wanted, it was definitely given an invitation with today’s rowing session, because I pushed harder in this session than in the session on Feb 24th when it crashed the party. Needless to say, I’m happy it declined the invitation.
Today’s main workout was 30 minutes at a target pace of 2 minutes 6 seconds/500 meters. It was another experiment, like yesterday’s, to see if atrial fibrillation would develop. It didn’t show up and the session went smoothly, with plenty to spare at the end for a little bit of a sprint.
Total calorie burn today, including warmups and warmdowns, was 790 calories. All of it was on the rowing machine except for 51 calories on the SkiErg during a preliminary warm-up. If you are logged in to concept2.com online logbook, you can look at them all in my log, which is open to all logged-in viewers. But I’m only going to post screenshots for the 30 minute session in this blog post.
The 30 minute session was done at RPE Level 7. All the rest were done at RPE Level 1 or 2.
Today’s EliteHRV morning readiness was a green light for no speed-limit rowing.
Last night’s sleep logged by SleepWatch app was more than enough, at 7 hours 45 minutes, even though there was a large interruption in the middle of the night.
Finish screen for today’s 30 minute session.
RowPro report for today’s 30 minute session.
RowPro graphs for today’s 30 minute session.
Concept 2 online logbook chart for today’s 30 minute session.
Today’s EliteHRV analysis said that any level of effort would be okay.
Last night’s SleepWatch-logged sleep was adequate, at 6 hours 55 minutes.
Today’s workout was 30 minutes online with 5 other guys who were in Europe and North America. Unlike those with whom I rowed yesterday, today’s rowers were all rowing at a faster pace than my target pace.
My target pace was exactly the same as yesterday, 2:07. I wanted to see if any Afib would develop again today like it did yesterday at that same pace. Everything behaved well. Perhaps it helped, that I warmed up for 10 minutes before today’s session?
Finish screen for today’s 30 minutes online.
Report for today’s 30 minutes online.
RowPro graphs for today’s 30 minutes online.
Concept 2 online logbook chart for today’s 30 minutes online.
Today’s 2K on the SkiErg was done at RPE Level 9. If you play the session screen recording, you will be able to hear me quite out-of-breath when talking after the end of the 2K.
Today’s HRV reading gave a green light to race or workout as hard as I wanted.
Though last night’s sleep had a huge interruption, I managed to get enough sleep at 7 hours 35 minutes to still have a good HRV reading.
The main workout today was the shortest, a 2,000 meter session on the SkiErg. It might correctly be called a “time trial,” because though it was solo, I was trying to go as fast as possible for that distance. It felt like RPE level 9 but I’m new to the SkiErg, so there is lots of room for improvement.
A screen recording was made of the SkiErg 2k and it can be found at this link: SkiErg 2K 02162019
The longest workout session today was 8,000 meters on the rowing machine. It was done as a warmup for the SkiErg 2K and was done with a target heart rate zone of 133 to 158 and it felt like RPE Level 5. Heart rate was allowed to rise above 158 near the end because it felt good, I was barely perspiring and was breathing easy.
Finish screen for SkiErg 2K.
Report for SkiErg 2K.
RowPro graphs for SkiErg 2K.
Concept 2 online logbook chart for SkiErg 2K.
Finish screen for today’s 8K warmup.
RowPro report for today’s 8K warmup.
RowPro graphs for today’s 8K warmup.
Concept 2 online logbook chart for today’s 8K warmup.
This morning’s EliteHRV morning readiness reading helped me decide to avoid doing any intervals or sprints today.
Today’s workout was a total of about 10,000 meters. First there was a warmup of 1,018 meters and then the main session was 8995 meters.
There was plenty of sleep last night at 7 hours 15 minutes but heart rate was unusually high during the night, so that was another reason I took it easy today.
Finish screen for today’s main rowing session.
RowPro report for today’s main rowing session.
RowPro graphs for today’s main rowing session.
Concept 2 online logbook chart for today’s main rowing session.
Today’s workouts consisted of first a 10 minute warmup on the rowing machine at RPE Level 1, followed by ten intervals on the SkiErg at RPE Levels 7 to 9. There was a 2 minute RPE Level 1 period of active rest after each interval.
The SkiErg intervals were arranged as 5 minutes at 40 SPM, 4 minutes at 42 SPM, 3 minutes at 44 SPM, 2 minutes at 46 SPM and 1 minute at 48 SPM. Each was followed immediately by the 2 minute active rest. The entire sequence was then repeated one more time.
It was VERY challenging, to achieve the target stroke ratings of 40, 42, 44, 46 and 48 SPM for each of the five intervals. I only managed to achieve the exact average for the target SPM for 3 of the 10 intervals.
For the first 5 minute interval I had the drag factor too high with the damper set at 7. For the next interval I reduced the drag factor by moving the damper to 6. After each subsequent interval, I moved the damper a bit lower until it was at 3 by the time the first 5 intervals were completed.
For the second 5 intervals, I left the damper at 3.
Today’s heart rate variability reading with EliteHRV was a green light for any kind of workout.
Last night’s sleep was good with 7 hours 10 minutes logged.
Finish screen for the 10 intervals done today on the SkiErg.
Report for the 10 intervals done today on the SkiErg.
RowPro graphical overview for the 10 intervals done today on the SkiErg.
Concept 2 online logbook chart for the first of 10 intervals done today on the SkiErg. You can see how heart rate kept rising even though my effort level was fading… that’s why I kept adjusting the damper level lower, looking for a drag factor that was sustainable for the entire interval. If you want to see charts for each of the rest of them, you can do so by logging in to your Concept 2 logbook account, finding me in the RowPro Rowers virtual club and clicking on my profile, then clicking to view my log, which is accessible to anybody who is logged in. Then click on the + sign to the right of today’s log entry for this session. On the next screen, you will see a line for each interval and a line for each rest. If you click on the line for each interval, you will be able to see the chart for each respective interval. There are no charts to see for the rests.
Today’s sleep was good quality but a bit short again at 6 hours 35 minutes.
Today’s aerobic workout was limited to less than 40 minutes. It consisted of 2 sessions done on the SkiErg. First was a 5K at RPE Level 3. Next, was 5 minutes at RPE Level 5.
The 5K SkiErg session was done without connecting to RowPro so there are not the usual screen shots. Above is a summary of the session.
Today’s Morning Readiness reading with the EliteHRV app shows me to be “readier” than yesterday or the day before. I think what’s happening is that the app is forming a new baseline in reaction to my HRV score becoming slightly higher. I hope so. That would be very nice.
Atrial fibrillation started and interfered with my sleep last night. It began at about 2 AM. I couldn’t sleep with it happening, so I got out of bed and sat on the living room sofa for about 3 hours. Heart rhythm returned to normal at about 5 AM. So I went back to bed and slept until an alarm clock woke me at about 10 AM, for a total of 6 hours 20 minutes sleep.
Today’s main session was 5K done at an easy pace on the SkiErg, but slightly faster than yesterday’s 5K SkiErg pace. It was done mostly at RPE Level 2, except for slight pickup in pace during part of the last 500 meters. I’m trying to get a feel for the “alien” body involvement with the SkiErg. It is alien, compared to what I’ve become so used to on the rowing machine. I’m liking the SkiErg more and more, as a supplement to rowing – it’s nice to be using some upper body muscles that aren’t used when rowing.
A screen recording was made of the SkiErg 5K, for those of you who’d like to row-along or ski-along with it. It is at this link on YouTube: Indoor Workout 5K SkiErg Easy 01272019
Finish screen for the 5,000 meter SkiErg session.
Report for the 5,000 meter SkiErg session.
RowPro graphs for the 5,000 meter SkiErg session.
Concept 2 online logbook chartfor the 5,000 meter SkiErg session.
After the 5K SkiErg piece, this rowing session was done. It was done at RPE Level 2. Its distance was 8995 meters.
RowPro graphs for the rowing session of 8995 meters.
Today’s EliteHRV Morning Readiness reading was done at the right time, in the morning. It indicated caution, but I interpret that differently – I’ve been doing “deep breathing” sessions daily for a while, which is supposed to have many benefits, including an increase in HRV. So my opinion is that while my HRV is increasing in response to my new habit of the breathing sessions, EliteHRV needs to establish a new baseline, which may take a while.
Three interruptions of sleep last night but other than that it was good quality sleep and sufficient quantity at 7 hours 55 minutes.
Today’s main rowing session was 8995 meters with the goal of staying ahead of my most recent session of the same distance by about 10 meters and then going a faster pace a few hundred meters from the finish until calories burned added up to 545. Once reaching 545 calories, I eased up for the few remaining meters of warm down. It was done at RPE level 5. A screen recording was made for those who’d like to row along with it. The screen recording is on YouTube at this link: Indoor Rowing 547 Calories 01262019
There was another 2K done very slowly on the rowing machine at RPE Level 1 and a few kilometers on the SkiErg at an easy effort level of RPE Level 2. All totaled, the distance on rower and SkiErg today came to 16177 meters.
Finish screenfor today’s 8995 meters.
Report for today’s 8995 meters.
RowPro graphs for today’s 8995 meters.
Concept 2 online logbook chart for today’s 8995 meters.
One of the sessions done on the SkiErg today was a very easy 5K. This is a screenshot of the Apple Watch heart rate graph for that particular session.
Today’s EliteHRV Morning Readiness analysis was very low. But I had problems going to sleep and staying that way last night which resulted in staying in bed until a little past NOON(!) today. Therefore, the EliteHRV reading was several hours late. The readings are supposed to be taken about the same time every day. I decided to disregard today’s reading, since it was taken much later than it should have been.Last night’s sleep was more than enough at 9hours 10minutes but it was poor quality due to an interruption of wide-awakeness and some Atrial fibrillation.
Today’s main rowing session was 30 minutes online. It wasn’t a race, because there was an agreement between the other guy and me that we’d aim for a pace of 2:10 and I would pace him. I enjoy pacing another rower. I also enjoy racing, which might be why thoughts, cognition and imaginations of racing came to mind during the session. In the midst of that cloud of race-themed neuron activity, entered the thought that both the other guy and me are each in a race against the fictional figure, “Father Time”. We row daily and do other workouts, to avoid being ravaged by some of the effects of passing time which can be mitigated or avoided through aerobic activity.
The 30 minute online session was done at RPE Level 5 and it’s available as a screen recording for those who’d like to row-along. It’s link is: Indoor Rowing Online 30 mins 01252018
Like last night’s sleep was bothered by atrial fibrillation, today’s 30 minute session was also visited by Afib. However it wasn’t the kind of Afib that changes into tachycardia – it just manifested itself with occasional feelings of fluttering and causing the heart strap to lose track of its count which caused the heart rate display to go blank. After about 15 minutes it settled down and went steady again.
The Afib did not reappear after that first 30 minute session. I did 8 more sessions after the 30 minute piece, some on the rowing machine and the rest of them on the SkiErg and there was no more Afib with any of those.
The RPE Levels for the sessions after the 30 minute session were: RPE Level 2 for the 2K warm down, RPE Level 3 for the 3,000 meter piece, RPE Level 10 for the 100 meter sprint and all the rest of them were done at RPE Level 4.
Finish screen for the main 30 minute session.
Report for the main 30 minute session.
The atrial fibrillation was during the first part of the 30 minutes, where heart rate kept disappearing.
Concept 2 online logbook chart for the main 30 minute session.
Chart of the session following the 30 minutes – a 2K warm down with no Atrial fibrillation.
Chart of the 3rd of nine sessions today. This was a 3K and there was no atrial fibrillation.
This is a listing of all nine of today’s sessions on rowing machine and SkiErg. The one that was the most fun was also the shortest – the 100 meter sprint on SkiErg.
