After deciding that the whole game this year is to seriously step up the strokes per minute, I've embarked on a foolish method probably guaranteed not to work, but what the heck - it's easier that actually training!  This week I did 1K at a high rate, rested five minutes, then did 300M at a high rate AND a low split time - my target is 1:40.  Here are the results:

                Distance            Actual Time        Rate/500m        Date                Comments

300m	00:59.9	01:39.8	1/14/2010	@34spm
1,000m	03:59.0	01:59.5	1/14/2010	around 34spm
300m	01:00.3	01:40.5	1/13/2010	@32spm
1,000m	03:53.5	01:56.7	1/13/2010	around 30spm
300m	01:00.0	01:40.0	1/12/2010	@33spm
1,000m	03:59.6	01:59.8	1/12/2010	above 30spm
300m	00:59.6	01:39.3	1/11/2010	@34spm
1,000m	04:05.6	02:02.8	1/11/2010	always above 30spm
326m	01:09.0	01:45.8	1/10/2010	34spm, full bore...
1,019m	04:27.9	02:11.4	1/10/2010	30SPM. Starting to train for Armageddon

I'll take two days off and then start with a harder routine - 1K / 450m / 1K.  I'll add 30 seconds of high rate/low split each week to the fast piece and more distance to the strength pieces.  Within four weeks - if this works - I'll be rowing nearly an entire race each session.  ...Or my legs will fall off, my heart will give out, or my head will finally tell the rest of me that I'm an old man and don't have to do this crap!