This isn’t meant to be a journal of my workouts. So I don’t want you to think that I report on every one. I don’t. I have a pen/paper journal where I record everything, and I mean everything. Each erg workout, cardio workout, lifting workout and each practice. Which means it’s also quite obvious when I haven’t been working out, as the dates get further apart on each page. Here, I tend to report on workouts that stick on me. Days when I’m so frustrated or so elated that I feel the need to get it down in words.
Yesterday morning I lifted (another circuit-like workout focusing on pull-ups (assisted); dead lifts; push ups and Yates rows. And then of abs/core (crunches; side-to-side rotations w/a 10 lb medicine ball; leg lifts). Which meant that this morning I woke up slightly sore. Generally after dead lifts, my hamstrings are tight. I’m also feeling it in my abs, and a little bit in my pecs. Where it should be. I never think a circuit is going to be hard, but I was sweating the entire way.
Anyway, this leads to this morning’s practice: Kate put out 2 even 8s, and we did 3 – 4 minute pieces against the Martha’s Moms at varying rates, specifically vs. their Charles boat. Pieces weren’t great. Water was rough until we hit the Canal, and rowing 6 across in the Canal is a terrible idea, thus tension mounted and oars crashed.
Our final piece, 3 minutes at a 34, ended well, which made me feel better about some poorer pieces earlier. I, personally, was having problems getting my hands away. I have scratches and red marks on my legs, which is an obvious indicator that my legs were coming up way early. Bad bad bad.
The Moms are tough cookies. Lynn mentioned afterwards as we were waiting in line at Peet’s for coffee that they appreciate having us sit next to them and put the pressure on. They are racing (I suspect) a 50+ boat, and while we certainly did put on the pressure I had hoped we could have walked through them more quickly and consistently, considering we were several years younger. On the other hand, our boat lineups were not race lineups, but more mixed, meaning the more advanced racers were combined with the less-experienced. So, we held our own against what is potentially the best and brightest of the Moms. So, in all, decent, but wished it was better.
Bad practice or good, the coffee talk following a Saturday morning practice is always worth going all out on the last piece. See Mr. Ginn’s post on a very similar ritual.