01 18-Apr-2008 3:19.8 @ 1:40.0 HR183 02 19-Apr-2008 3:19.8 @ 1:39.9 HR182 03 20-Apr-2008 3:19.5 @ 1:39.8 HR180 04 21-Apr-2008 3:19.6 @ 1:39.8 HR179 05 22-Apr-2008 3:19.8 @ 1:39.9 HR177 - hard mentally 06 23-Apr-2008 3:19.4 @ 1:39.7 HR180 07 24-Apr-2008 3:19.4 @ 1:39.7 HR179 and on the same day... 08 24-Apr-2008 3:19.3 @ 1:39.7 HR183 09 25-Apr-2008 3:19.1 @ 1:39.6 HR175 - agonizing legs/lungs after 10 26-Apr-2008 3:19.1 @ 1:39.6 HR176 - v tough morning row 11 27-Apr-2008 3:19.2 @ 1:39.6 HR174 - painful fly and die 12 28-Apr-2008 3:19.0 @ 1:39.5 HR171 - no warm up - ow 13 29-Apr-2008 3:19.0 @ 1:39.5 HR174 - good row, and on the same day 14 29-Apr-2008 3:18.9 @ 1:39.5 HR180 - hurt but doable - 3 next time? 15 30-Apr-2008 3:18.6 @ 1:39.3 HR175 - too fast! 16 01-May-2008 3:18.8 @ 1:39.4 HR173 - good row 17 02-May-2008 3:18.5 @ 1:39.3 HR175 - long, long way 18 03-May-2008 3:18.6 @ 1:39.3 HR174 - OK, and on the same day... 19 03-May-2008 3:18.5 @ 1:39.2 HR182 - hard, and on the same day... 20 03-May-2008 3:18.6 @ 1:39.3 HR184 - very very tough 04-May-2008 - too ill to row 05-May-2008 - too ill to row but feeling much better 21 06-May-2008 3:18.5 @ 1:39.3 HR175 - easing back in 22 07-May-2008 3:18.4 @ 1:39.2 HR174 - harder to get faster now 2308-May-2008 3:18.2 @ 1:39.1 HR175 - good internet row 24 09-May-2008 3:18.1 @ 1:39.0 HR177 - hard and a long way, but on same day 2509-May-2008 3:17.8 @ 1:38.9 HR182 - hardest yet, nearly stopped 26 10-May-2008 3:17.4 @ 1:38.7 HR175 - struggle at the end but OK 27 11-May-2008 3:17.2 @ 1:38.6 HR176 - lung busting and tough 28 12-May-2008 3:16.9 @ 1:38.5 HR173 - power row, felt good 29 13-May-2008 3:16.7 @ 1:38.4 HR173 - hard but steady 30 14-May-2008 3:16.5 @ 1:38.3 HR177 - faster 2nd half, OK getting fit now! 31 15-May-2008 3:19.6 @ 1:39.8 HR172 - shattered all day, demotivated 32 15-May-2008 3:19.5 @ 1:39.8 HR181 - felt guilty about a slow one so matched it - strangely easier 33 17-May-2008 3:19.5 @ 1:39.8 HR178 - rest day helped greatly 34 17-May-2008 3:19.4 @ 1:39.7 HR182 - first half of a 2k! 35 18-May-2008 3:19.3 @ 1:39.7 HR178 - paid for yesterday 36 20-May-2008 3:19.5 @ 1:39.8 HR177 - day of rest not enough to make doing a 5k with the first 1k @ 1:40 anything less than agony. 37 21-May-2008 3:16.1 @ 1:38.1 HR178 - hard row, but mentally OK 38 22-May-2008 3:16.5 @ 1:39.8 HR173 - Crushingly hard row - nearly didn't make it. Calves very sore, body complaining a lot at the moment. 39 24-May-2008 3:16.5 @ 1:39.8 HR175 - can't believe I am coming to the end. Very gentle row yesterday helped today with a first half very quick to prepare for PB attempt on last one.
40 27-May-2008 3:07.8 @ 1:33.9 HR177 - massive pb that was agony but very pleasing
If you are new to this page, here is what I first posted...
I am a lucky person, I have my health, a great job and a loving family. I am 40 on 28th May and it is time to give something back.
Some great friends of mine have been through the mill through no fault of their own more than once. They were supported by the charity Family Care. Family care helped them through the dark times and they are now giving something back with Project 40. They are looking to raise £40,000 in 2008 and this is my small attempt to help by being one of their 40 "stars" who raises £1,000 (my ultimate target).
I got to know them through the great sport of rowing. It seemed sensible to raise money in a similar vein. My aim is to row 1,000m 40 times in 40 days, each one at the speed we rowed 20 years ago. This equates to doing the 1,000m in 3 minutes 20 seconds, or each half in 1 minute 40 seconds. So, 40 at 1:40 before I am 40.
I started on Friday 18th April. You can read about my progress on my blog, and the summary of how I am doing is at the top of this page (more detail here):
My self imposed rules: 1) The "split" for the row must show an average of 1:40.0 or better or it does not count. 2) Days off are allowed, but only if there are 1,000m rows "in the bank".
Reasons why this is going to be hard: 1) Whilst I am pretty fit, I am still at least 10kg over weight and have not been "in condition" for this sort of rowing for at least a month. In January I rowed 2,000m at 1:40! (video here) and I have hardly trained since then - and that was after months of hard training. 2) 3:20 for 1,000m is only 10 seconds slower than my best ever time; 3) This period coincides with the busiest time of year in my job with lots of after hours work; 4) I have not managed to row for even 7 days in a row for well over a year; 5) Doing 1,000m at this pace raises my heart rate to over 180 and hurts a lot as my friends at Free Spirits rowing will confirm.
So, thank you for visiting my fundraising page. Please dig deep and sponsor me online.
Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Family Care will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.
So please sponsor me now!
Many thanks for your support.
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