5K Row - part one

Last night I scheduled a 5 km row.  This was the first attempt to row 5 km and my goal time was under 25 minutes.  This time broke down into 5 minutes for each 1000 m.  A time which was very realistic due to the fact that my 1000 m time is under 4 minutes.  So I spent some time warming up with my travel roller. Loosened up my gluts, quads and my back in preparation for the new experience.


I arrived late to the gym and basically had the place to myself.  "Great! this was an opportunity to push hard, breathe hard and scream a bit without offending anyone."

So I set my ipod to some heavy music, put the ear buds in and set the rower to 5000 m.  My pace seemed a bit slow after a few hundred metres so I decided to pick up the pace. This could have been my down fall.  After completing the first 1000 m in 4 minutes I felt gassed already.

This is where I needed my first break.  I caught my breathe quickly then it was off again. This time I paced the next 1000 m in 5 minutes.  This slow pace allowed time for recovery.

Everything was going fine; the lungs were strong, back and arms had a little fatigue, but I could still push relatively hard. The one thing I didn't count on was the pain on my tailbone.  OUCH!!!  After 3000 m I had to get up off the seat and walk a few steps to relieve my tight butt.

After 5K, recovering

Back in the seat the numbers kept declining and I felt awesome.  My intention at this point was to keep a steady pace with a full stride until the last 500 m and then go full tilt to the finish line.  This was relatively easy to maintain and my pace seemed pretty close to my goal time.  At 1000 m I picked up the pace slightly and my back became tight, the lactic acid began pumping through my body.  Time again for a break.  After a quick break of only a few seconds it was time to push the last stretch.

500 m was on the screen and it was time to push hard.  My stride was long and steady and the numbers came down quickly, at this point I felt like I couldn't push any harder and I wanted to stop.  With only a few 100 m left this was not an option! So I pushed hard and managed to finish strong.

5000 M time

I stopped rowing and pulled out the ear buds and sweat was pouring out of all my pours. The digital readout was 23:25 which was slightly below my original goal. That was awesome!!

That was a great experience and I look forward to completing my next 5 K in under 20 minutes.