I must say it’s been quite the past few weeks. Testing always gets on my nerves. With the lack of racing or any form of competition, it really is the only way to keep me in check. It might just be 4 days, but when spread over 2 weeks, it’s the perfect way of simulating week long regattas, when maintain optimal performance levels is vital. That was followed by the dreaded 7x4min step test, which provides much more detail, important for a situation which I am. I have to rely a lot on whatever information I can get my hands on, to make sure I always aim to be fitter and faster.
My last 7×4 was more than a year ago. 4min efforts are challenging to manage. On paper it’s just slightly over a 1000m. Half the race distance yes, but if you’re not up for it, it’s when most people die off. Some say races are won in the 1000 – 1500m. There’s some truth, but ultimately it depends on how you’re built and the strategy you’ve been working on. But majority would agree it’s mentally the hardest part of the race. I was more concern about my lactates throughout the stages than my absolute VO2max. I’ll be sitting down to look through those numbers in detail, but at first glance it’s looking more like an endurance athlete. The importance of a super strong aerobic base is something many here do not understand and refuse to grasp, even those who claim they are in high performance sport. Yes it’s a long tedious path, but it’s sustainable and it’s showing in my times. Maybe it’s because of the ‘shortcut for success’, ‘no room for error’, the desire for ‘ready backed cakes’ culture and attitude in Singapore sports. And I thought corporate loves the word sustainability.
The athletes who understand the importance are sticking it out, along with me, knowing they WILL succeed, like the cyclists. It’s amazing to be around these people. Not only because they love what they are doing, but also because they are actually putting in the hard and smart yards to get there. There are some who will only talk the talk, unfortunately.
Believe 