Training Log Archive: chitownclark

Half-marathon row. Almost six minutes better than my best time for this distance, set about a year ago. And a couple minutes better than the only other guy for this distance in my age group for the new season. My hands are the most sore parts of my body, but no blisters fortunately.

Included in this session was a 2000m piece @8:05.2...good enough for second place in my age group for the new season. An Italian has me by 1.2 seconds. And about 6 seconds below my time last January, in the previous season. So I have room for improvement. I think tomorrow I'll do a nice, long Sunday-morning row.

The rechargeable battery in the PM-4 computer on my erg will no longer hold a charge for more than a few hours. So I have to begin each session by plugging the unit into my computer for 10-15 minutes and resetting the clock. I may have to switch to disposable batteries.

An hour Irons lesson with Pat Dorgan, and then 90 minutes of practice with my irons....P, #8, #7, #6. Lots of small corrections added up to big improvement in accuracy and distance. The primary problem: not swinging "on plane." The correction: introduce a "waggle" into my set-up routine - partially bring the club back to establish the correct plane of the swing before beginning my backswing.

Back to Winnetka GC. Someone turned in my #7 iron...golfers are great people! So I played 27holes while I was up there collecting my iron.

Contained in this 5000m workout is a 1000m piece @ 3:59.2...another world best (so far) for 2013 in 70-79, over three other guys. Pretty fun setting the pace for the world. I'm expecting a call from the Wheaties folks any time now. :-)

Winnetka GC. By self. Very threatening weather at 8am. But as usual, it all fell apart as the system came east and encountered Lake Michigan. Very nice day...except that on #3 I left my pitching wedge on the edge of the green, discovered the loss on the next hole and jogged back just in time to find a threesome finishing putting. No knowledge of my iron. Couldn't believe it! But I played the round without the P wedge, hung around the pro shop for a while...and the threesome finished, still professing no knowledge of my iron.

Twenty minutes later, after a beer, one of the threesome approached me and told me he "might" know where my club was. Turns out his buddy tossed my club into the rough. So he and I got a cart and chased down the P wedge...and then I had to jog with my bag 1.25mi to the train. Taking Sari to see "Cats" tonight!

First day of the new rowing season. First ranking piece, and I'm No. #1! At the top of the 2013 World Rankings for 70+! Not my best performance...but I think I'll just put up a full slate of times, and then spend the summer trying to better them.

Besides, no matter how ephemeral, being No. #1 is fun.

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