Help! How do I train for BIRC

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Gooner Neil
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Help! How do I train for BIRC

Post by Gooner Neil »

Help.

BIRC round the corner and beginning to worry.

My goal is to finish the 2k before they close the doors that evening.

I would like to go sub 7, 6.59.9 will suffice tried yesterday to do 1k at 1.45 pace and failed.

What training could I do from now till race day that could assist?

Other factors are trying to average 15k a day, is this detrimental to the above goal.

last point if I row 1.36ish for a 500m with crap technique what pace should I row 30min/40 min that would compliment my 2k time or reverse of the question is poodling along at say 2.08 doing fack all.

Last last point does anyone know the race order for the day or is this published nearer the day??

In the words of princess Leia 'help me Obi Wan Kenobi you're my only hope'..................
Neil 40 LWT (in both senses) 74k 5'08" former British record holder 100km 35-39lwt
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Mike Channin
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Post by Mike Channin »

First piece of advice is to get a Heart Rate Monitor. Without it, it is very difficult to tell how effective your training is, and how hard you can train without overtraining.

Next thing is to work out how many days a week you can train, and devise a plan based around this.

Looking at your PB times, and assuming they're all set fairly recently (i.e. they represent your current form), your 2k time is soft compared to the others. In fact they follow the same pattern as mine currently of fast at short and long distances and slower in the middle (which just happen to be the race distances). This makes sense, as the 2k is the 'worst' distance in some ways because it is a sustained sprint.

However, using your current times, I'd guess you should probably be able to manage a 7:15 on current form. Your higher distance times indicate a possibility of a 7:10, but that may be unfair as lightweights tend to be relatively better at longer distances and relatively disadvantaged at shorter sprints because of lack of power. (Although your 500m time supports a 7:10 2k as well).

To go from 7:15 down to 7:00 (or 6:59.9) is quite a long way, but if you train hard and effectively there is a good chance you could manage it.

To reach 7:00 you need to be looking at (roughly)

1:34.5 for 500m
1:40 for 1k (3:20)
1:52.5 for 5k (18:45)
1:57.5 for 10k (39:10)
2:03.1 for HM (1:26:36)
1:56.0 for 30min (7750)
2:01.2 for 60min (14850)

So what you need to do is progressively work your times down until they reach this level of form - at that point you are on form for sub 7 (just). Then you need to specific sharpening for the 2k distance for the last 3-4 weeks to make sure you can apply your form to the 2k. This involves working on your lactate threshold and energy supply to make sure you can hold 1:45 for 2k.

I find shorter sprint work good for raising the overall power (the recent 8 x 500m (2min rest) was a killer, but good for raising power), which then applies to the longer distances (where you become able to sit at lower and lower splits without suffering as much, hence my recent 60min PB).

Close to the race, you want to use a selection of sprint intervals 8 x 500m, 4 x 1k, 4 x 1500m, 4 x 2k, etc. plus a set of longer distance stuff (6k, 5k, 4k, 3k, 2.5k) at maximal rate. This should convince you that you have the power to do the 2k at the pace you want to.

Then see the other thread on recommended pacing strategies for the actual race.

And if all else fails, "Use the force, Luke". (or given the demands of the 2k, should that be "Use the force. (then) puke!")
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Gooner Neil
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Post by Gooner Neil »

Cheers Mike.

Depending on work will look to do 5-7 sessions a week.

7.15 I'll have people tutting and tapping their feet, looking at watches etc etc, and that'll just be the over 60s!!! :cry:
Neil 40 LWT (in both senses) 74k 5'08" former British record holder 100km 35-39lwt
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Mike Channin
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Post by Mike Channin »

7:15 is not too bad a time for a lightweight, and certainly wouldn't be an embarassement.

Don't think I ever went faster than 7:07 when I was lightweight.

Also, bear in mind that you're theoretically capable of that time already, 2 months before BIRC.

But if you want to go faster, you've got to train for it.

Looking at your diary, you ALREADY have a HRM. You also seem to do a lot of pieces with low Av HR but high Max - would this be a sprint finish on every workout type approach? My favourite book (Heart Rate Training for the Compleat Idiot) explains why this is not a good training plan, long term.

For 6 workouts a week, do Hard, Easy, Hard, Easy, Hard, Easy. (If you want to do a 7th, either do an extra Easy, or an extra Hard/Easy on a 2 weeek cycle). Hard = over 85% WHRR, Easy (or Recovery) = LESS THAN 70% WHRR. (See HR Thread for details of all this)

This is what I use, and it has worked wonders for me.

Also, clocking high distances per day is fine (I'm currently clocking 21k+ almost every training day), but make sure most of it is at or below recovery rate. Once you get up to HM distances, unless you are trained for it, even recovery rate rowing can take over 24 hours to recover from, and therefore isn't really recovery anymore.

Hope this all makes sense.

Thomas - would you recommend the C2 Interactive Plan?
Anyone doing the Wolverine or Pete Plans care to comment?
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Gooner Neil
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Post by Gooner Neil »

I have historically tended to set off quick over an hour try and hold a pace then lose heart and slip back or go for a bit of a paddle then blast the last two minutes.

However will try in future to do smaller distances at faster pace with recovery rows or a slow end row to pick up the meters (as in todays session).

My problem, I have rowed for too long at around 2.10-15 pace so although fitter I think I have suffered from complacency
Neil 40 LWT (in both senses) 74k 5'08" former British record holder 100km 35-39lwt
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Post by Thomas W-P »

The concept programme has been good for me. I can tell the difference between a light week, a medium week and a hard week, that's for sure.

I feel pretty fit - but the proof of the pudding is in the eating I guess. My PB is now down to 7:00.4 from 7:08, and I don't feel knackered the whole time so it is probably working.
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Post by johnglynn »

I would think that if getting a sub 1:45 pace 1K is a problem, that you have no real chance of getting sub 1:45 pace over 2K in 2 months, unless your doing something very wrong at the moment, which I don't think you are.

Due to all your long distance rowing your probably a bit low on the power side . Intervals are a good way to improve this . My thinking of the main intervals would be

8*500m -- Faster then race pace. Good for pure sprint but you can't get too used to going at this pace or you will fly and die.

4*1000m / 5*1000m -- race pace +0 / +1, these will get you used to going at about race pace, at pacing yourself (first intervals) . Unfortunatly because these are only 1K, you can do a very fast first 250 and fast 250 and go slow the rest of the thing, and most of the lactic acid will be out of your muscles by the next interval

3*2000m -- race pace +5/6, these will get you used to going reasonably fast and going 2K (making you less scared of the distance), but of course your going quite slow to manage the 3 iterations

I'm reading the same book as Mike and it's very good, but I think you really need a lot of intervals to improve your power and start sharpening up. The concept2 training guide that Thomas uses is good also and has a good number of Intervals in it.
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