Status Reports

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
23 08-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
25 09-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.