Rowing challenge - update

So, a few more detail have emerged on this rowing challenge, which my mate's evil personal trainer has decided is a suitable end of session 'metabolic booster' (He sounds pretty evil if you ask me!) (Just for the record, the task is to perform x6 250m spints on the rowing machine (ergometer) at a pace faster than 1:30/500m - it's a bloody tough challenge in it's own right, never mind one that follows a fast paced, personal training circuit with weights). My first few attempts have been miserable failures, but Ian posted a picture of the stats for him completing 1 set in 41 seconds... and I'm nowehere near that pace. The picture led to some interesting comments on facebook. An interesting development on the thread was this bit:

1.25/500m is FAST. For people who don't know - the 2000m WR is a 1.22/500 pace. (Albeit for 4x longer). And that guy is obviously a professional rower. So for Ian to be close to that pace, even for a 250m is fantastic.

1:24.6/500 average for a 5:38 2000m is the record (Rob Waddell from NZ back in 1999 n the man was a monster.) My PB is 5:48 - about 20 years ago (christ I am getting old!) Full respect for an amatur 1:25/500 split!

And for reference on the age thing, Rob in 2008 broke the 30-39 age record age 32 in 5:38.6, only 0.3 seconds slower than his row 9 years prior.

I bloody knew it was a difficult challenge! Anyway! Resistance (drag) set to ten. Loins girded, strategy decided (High stroke rate at expense of length), position assumed... and they're off.

Predicted Finish time....	Elapsed time
41 sec	5 sec	... ya beauty!
43 sec	10 sec	... keep it together Jimmy, keep it together.
45 sec	15 sec	... awwwww feck!!!!!
45 sec	20 sec	...Yes! Yes!...

"This is the engine room Cap'n... she cannae take it anymore!!!"

Predicted Finish time....	Elapsed time
48 sec	48 sec	...och well, getting better...

just need to shave 3 seconds off my best time, repeat it 5 more times then slip in a heavy weights session before hand, but I'm getting there.