In 1997, I was part of a team that set one of the early 100k indoor rowing records for Heavyweights. We did sets of 500m all the way through and did 5.39.
In January 2007, I was part of the Riptide Rowers LWT team that set the world record at 4.39 doing the 10 stroke method.
However, having adventure raced around the world, done numerous 100mile time trials, 13 Ironman races and 1 double Ironman race, I certainly thought I had the minerals to have a crack at the 100k solo LWT record.
I started back rowing on 1st December 2009, and in 2 months I have rowed over 1 million metres, including a British marathon record of 2.36.43.8. So of course, a little more training the attempt was on.
On Sunday 7th Feb, 6 days before I get married, I rallied around to get member of Rugby Triathlon club to race in teams of 3 against me. So the challenge was set. My race plan was simple. Hold 1.55/500m pace for the first 50k, considering I can do 42k at 1.51, this was going to be easy. I would evaluate a rest break and toilet stop then schedule another at 75k then go through to the finish. Simple in theory.
So onto the row. Conscious of not going off too fast, I started at 1.53 pace….which felt very easy and tried to back off, but could not. Went through the marathon distance in an uneventful 2.40 and onwards to 50k in 3.11. I was having thoughts about the Heavyweight record too but being sensible, I took my break at 55k. BIG mistake.
Getting back on the erg I was bloated from energy drink, started burping and coughing. My back seized up from standing up too quickly to run out and I was now in trouble. I could not sustain 1.55 pace and hovered around 1.57/1.58 until 65k when I went BANG. Dizzy, irritated by everything, dry skin, dry mouth and burping fluids. Hip flexors began to seize, biceps aching and I was not in a happy place. I put the handle down every 2500m but was aiming for breaks every 10k. I had lost it. 75k to 80k was even worse. Pace dropped to 2.05 pace and eyes were closed, head down. I was intending to look up and see 3000m or so had passed but often it was not even 300m. Friends were coming over to see what I wanted and I was either being rude of speaking some Russian dialect that I could not understand. I could not speak, make sense or even tell someone how long a kilometre would take. I was losing it.
At 80 I worked out that I had 1 hour and 25 mins left to break the record. 2 x 10k in 40 mins was not possible and I was feeling a little anxious. Having been on target to beat it by 20 minutes, it was now a possibility that I would not do it and for the first time in a long time, I actually felt like giving up.
Never in all my ironman races, double race or adventure race had I ever felt this bad, that there was a chance I could just pass out and stop. I could barely pull the handle let alone at any pace. I battled through the next 5k but then with 15k to go I worked out that an hour left is nothing in training, but now it was going to be a maximal effort. So be it. If it was easy, everyone could do it. Calling on my reserves of energy, motivation, experience and training I powered on without stopping and held a low 2.00 pace through to the finish.
Collapsing off the erg my back crunched worryingly as I lay on the floor but in the comfort of knowing I had taken 7 mins off the world record.
I was hoping for more and expected it to be much easier, much faster and much more enjoyable. That was hard…harder than anything. Knocking on the door of failure with 2 hours still to go is not a happy place, but it has been conquered, its done and now I can rest.
Not sure how many rowers out there hold both the individual and the team world record, but I do. That, I am happy with.
The experience sounds absolutely frightening 
Did you weigh in afterword to assess how dehydrated you were at the end ?
