I must be doing something wrong

So the Masters rowers of our club want to go to the Masters Worlds in Bled this year, and I am one of the guys who has been urging everyone to train hard this winter. I even put up a list on the notice board where people are supposed to write their 6k and 2k erg scores (fall, spring and summer values).

Today, there is an erg race in Pardubice, where I was supposed to compete. However, our boys have been sick. They are recovered now, but we decided that it is better I stay at home with them, a day before we go to the mountains.

The instructions of our coach were clear: “Masters compete in Pardubice. Who cannot make it, rows a 2k on Saturday and sends me the score.”

So at the end of the morning I headed down to the basement and started doing the Fletcher warming up for 1:44 pace. I thought I was in shape for a PB attempt. Actually, I had difficulty not going faster than the paces prescribed by Fletcher, at his prescribed rates. Here is the warming up:


Workout Summary - media/20170128-1025200o.csv
--|Total|-Total-|--Avg--|-Avg-|Avg-|-Avg-|-Max-|-Avg
--|Dist-|-Time--|-Pace--|-Pwr-|SPM-|-HR--|-HR--|-DPS
--|04786|20:09.0|02:06.3|184.3|20.9|160.2|177.0|11.3
W-|04790|20:09.0|02:06.2|179.6|20.6|159.6|177.0|11.7
R-|00000|00:00.0|00:00.0|000.0|00.0|000.0|177.0|00.0
Workout Details
#-|SDist|-Split-|-SPace-|-Pwr-|SPM-|AvgHR|MaxHR|DPS-
00|00932|04:00.0|02:08.8|161.1|18.3|140.1|157.0|12.8 "18spm 2:11"
01|00949|04:00.0|02:06.4|173.3|19.3|159.2|164.0|12.3 "20spm 2:07"
02|00724|03:00.0|02:04.3|181.7|21.0|162.9|166.0|11.5 "22spm 2:05"
03|00248|01:00.0|02:01.2|196.2|23.0|165.5|168.0|10.8 "24spm 2:03"
04|00136|00:30.0|01:50.5|257.3|26.8|168.1|172.0|10.1 "26-28spm 1:52"
05|00467|02:00.0|02:08.6|167.9|19.9|167.9|173.0|11.7 "18spm 2:11"
06|00211|00:45.0|01:46.6|285.4|28.4|171.0|177.0|09.9 "28-30spm 1:47"
07|00523|02:15.0|02:09.0|165.3|20.0|169.0|177.0|11.6 "18spm 2:11"
08|00147|00:30.0|01:41.9|330.6|31.3|171.0|177.0|09.4 "30-34spm 1:41"
09|00454|02:09.2|02:22.3|151.2|20.1|162.9|177.0|10.5 "18spm 2:11"


In the last interval, my son came down to ask me something, so I stopped and answered.

And here are the metrics charts:

Then I did some stretching and set up the PM for a 2000m. Here are the stats:


Workout Summary - media/20170128-1025190o.csv
--|Total|-Total-|--Avg--|-Avg-|Avg-|-Avg-|-Max-|-Avg
--|Dist-|-Time--|-Pace--|-Pwr-|SPM-|-HR--|-HR--|-DPS
--|02000|07:08.0|01:47.0|285.6|29.9|179.8|184.0|09.4
W-|02000|07:08.0|01:47.1|284.9|29.9|179.9|184.0|09.4
R-|00000|00:00.0|00:00.0|000.0|00.0|000.0|184.0|00.0
Workout Details
#-|SDist|-Split-|-SPace-|-Pwr-|SPM-|AvgHR|MaxHR|DPS-
00|00250|00:50.5|01:41.1|322.8|31.2|164.8|178.0|09.5 - start and first 10
01|00250|00:52.3|01:44.6|306.1|30.4|180.5|183.0|09.4 - settle for 1:45 pace
02|00250|00:52.5|01:45.0|302.0|30.1|183.3|184.0|09.5 - keep 1:45
03|00250|00:52.7|01:45.4|299.6|30.2|183.6|184.0|09.4 - keep 1:45
04|00250|00:52.9|01:45.7|297.8|30.5|183.6|184.0|09.3 - power 10??
05|00250|00:55.2|01:50.3|262.3|29.2|182.3|183.0|09.3 - crisis 1
06|00250|00:54.7|01:49.4|266.7|29.6|181.1|182.0|09.3 - trying to save it
07|00250|00:57.7|01:55.5|230.6|28.5|179.5|181.0|09.1 - crisis 2


The story is simple. I set off at 1:44 pace. In the second 500m I retreated to 1:45 pace, seeing the occasional stroke at 1:46. At 1000m to go I did a power 10, hoping that would give me motivation to get through the dreaded third 500m. After the “power 10” I had difficulty finding the 1:45 pace again. Actually, pace slipped to 1:48 and I wasn’t able to react.

With 500m to go I told myself that all is not lost and with a strong final 500m I could at least set a decent time.

No way.

I sped up slightly, but that only brought me back to a terrible 1:48 pace. Then I let the pace slip back to 1:50 and worse …

Here are the metrics charts:

After the row, I sent the score to the coach.

I guess I will not be going to Bled, unless I drastically improve something.

The problem is that I am not sure what I am doing wrong. I need to look at my training load of November and December, and compare it to the 2015/16 season. I need to find what I am doing wrong. There must be something.