Training towards a 6:20 2k

[flatlander]

Best of luck on the CTC Erik

Good going on the 5k and 10k Mikkel, great training.

Hurt my back last weekend running, so not been able to do much. Did a 30' at 1:50 and a steady 30r20.

My bluetooth headphones broke, so that's my excuse for crap rowing of late! Plus the injury of course...


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[Liefcat]

Some good steady 5, 7 and 10ks, Mikkel =D> =D> =D> Looks like you´re in great shape

A couple of very convincing excuses, Andrew, nonetheless, a couple of powerful erging sessions =D> =D>

My excuses A lot of work lately - and very little erging - meaning that my shape is awful. After a HD on the ctc today, went for a sub 5´ 1500m and barely made it: 4:56.5 1:38.8 33spm. My 2k this weekend can very well prove to be my slowest ever - think I should be "happy" with a sub 6:40...

[Wolfmiester]

Nice work Mikkel

keep pluigging away Andrew, Erik and Jon...

[Shang-Chi]

Thanks mates

And today, no resting day, I did another 10K in pace 1:53.6, r23, DF120. held 1:54.0 all the way, and did some sprinting at the end

[Liefcat]

Another solid 10k, Mikkel =D>

Thanx for your comments, Wolfie, I´m afraid there has been more "unplugging" than plugging from my point.

Attended the Zeeland Champs yesterday. Nice to meet Thomas J and Howard B face to face once again Howard asked me before the race where my confidence level was before the 2k race on a scale from 1 to 10... I answered 3-4... Went very much according to that - struggled to get sub 6:40 - had forgotten how hard a 2 k is: 6:37.9. Thomas J was also in bad shape - as we had talked about it before - he came in 1st in 6:24.8. It has been quite a while since I have been this "close" to him. As we mentioned afterwards - we both sxcked, and Thomas J added that he sxcked the most...

Went a little better in the 200m sprint: barely made a sub 32 in 31.9.

All results here: http://ergometertider.dk/?regatta=sm2014&loeb=alle.

Anyways - things can only get better from here... Inspired a bit by the 31 days of Christmas from last year, began with 11 minutes today, plan is to add 1 minute if split is sub 1:45 and subtract 1 minute if split is above. Result: 3164m 1:44.2 30spm. A hard first step - but also satisfactory to feel I´m back on track...

[flatlander]

Still a decent 2k Erik, and we all know what you can do if all the planets are lined up!

Admiration for doing a 2k at all in my view

Good luck with your 31 days - not sure I follow what the idea is, but will be interested to follow progress.

Rest day yesterday for me. On Saturday I did a 6k run over sand dunes. Great fun but very tiring. Got a lifting session later, and another 10k calls tomorrow now I have a new set of headphones


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[Liefcat]

That´s an admirable variety of training elements, Andrew I remember it´s very tough to run in sand. Did this many years ago, but stopped when I "didn´t care" about twisting my ankles - that is, one day I actually counted it and the result came to 3... Yes, and we know you do serious weights and also your trade mark - the 10ks - are always interesting reading =D> =D>

Thanks for your comments on the 2k, Andrew Yes, it was a terrible shock that I was in such terrible erging shape - still I think I´m probably faster than the majority here in Denmark... And it´s a social event, kind of, you get to see a lot of other ergers, and then at least I need one or two competitions in the beginning of the season to get used to the race environment and get up in gear - so to speak - even though my gear was exceptionally low this time around...

The 31 days of Christmas was a Challenge one year ago. I think the original idea was proposed by Stewart Wyllie, and was to row the date in minutes, that is 1 minute on December 1, 2 minutes on December 2 and so on - and preferably rows on all 31 days. And there was made a certain lag, that is if you missed some of the rows you could do them later in the month...

It´s very admirable how a lot of you guys manage to work a lot and also travel a lot - and still doing some excellent erging. I think I´m more the grinding type, trying to get some small advances day after day...

Today 12´: 3452m 1:44.2 30spm

[flatlander]

Ah, now I get it Erik.

Today's effort was 8x4' no rest r24. Stepped up speed from 1:58 to 1:44 in 2s/500 blocks.

32:00 8660m 1:50.8 r24



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[Shang-Chi]

1 x 10K @1:49.8, 36:36.0, r27, DF130 SB

[strider77]

Fantastic rowing Mikkel you are in great shape =D>

[Shang-Chi]

Especially when my lung-capacity is only 89% of the normal. Still got slime coming from my openings!

[Paul Victory]

Great row Mikkel. Astounding when you have a bad head cold.

[Shang-Chi]

Thanks Paul, I even beat H.Brammer with half a second, knowing that I'm 8 kg. lighter and only 2 years younger, with a lame back! LOL

[Paul Victory]

Thanks Paul, I even beat H.Brammer with half a second, knowing that I'm 8 kg. lighter and only 2 years younger, with a lame back! LOL

And of course, Howard KNOWS that age doesn't make any difference to your times.

[Shang-Chi]

Thanks Paul, I even beat H.Brammer with half a second, knowing that I'm 8 kg. lighter and only 2 years younger, with a lame back! LOL

And of course, Howard KNOWS that age doesn't make any difference to your times.

Yeah right! but weight does and him being about 94 kg. and I only about 86-87, so I not only guess that I'm much faster than he is, I know it for a fact now, that I'm much faster and stronger than he will ever get!

[flatlander]

I am sure that was particularly satisfying Milkkel!


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[Shang-Chi]

I am sure that was particularly satisfying Milkkel!

Excactly! Actually I'm not fighting H.B. but a danish guy rowing very fast, he is 50 and lightheavyweight (only 82 kg.) He is from a wellknown rowing club, so I suspect that he is some kind of eliterower just starting on C2. Well he can't be a beginner with sub 36:30. On 10K, so It smells like big time otw.!

[Liefcat]

Yes, it must be very satisfying with a seasons best, Mikkel

After a couple of days with running in stead of erging, it was time to get back on track today 13´ 3758m 1:43.7 30spm, felt better today than in last 2 weeks...

[Liefcat]

Decided for the ctc today: 2:52.7 1:19.7 51 - hope it´s enough for Boat 1 at the end of the month... Can probably still squeeze some extra out the reps...

[flatlander]

Nice going Erik - I see you getting into the groove

Kettlebells yesterday and a wierd row today: just sat on the erg in my ordinary clothes and rowed a 2k with no warmup at a comfortable pace. 6:53 - too much else to do, so better than nothing )


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[Recess]

Please excuse me if this has already been discussed - but with 4000+ replies in this thread, it's a bit cumbersome to trawl through to see if it's already been covered.

How feasible is a 6:20 row? What I mean is, is 6:20 something a normal mortal can train for? (whereas a <6:00 is something you need to be made for I assume). I just PB'd with a 6:40.7 - with enough training and commitment (in and around work and family), is a 6:20 achievable (especially retaining my lightweight status)? Or just a dream?

After the bizzare result in my race yesterday, I've decided that next year, the best thing to do is just to beat everyone in the open and in the university open race too. The fastest was 6:25, so if I can spend a year training to get sub 6:25... you see where I'm aiming with this.

I'll look at how the Pete Plan can fit into my schedule, and adopt that as much as I can - but my plan b is just to go for an accumulative row. Last I tried it, I could row about 700m at 1:35 before I needed to back off. So if I do that today - then two days later, I should aim for 720m, +2 days, 740m etc etc etc.

Or is this the naivety of someone who's only erg'd for a year?

Even if I made it every four days, or a week - In my head, nibbling away at longevity would work wouldn't it? Or is there a terminal limit to that approach?

Just a thought...

John

[flatlander]

I really like your idea of 'nibbling' John. I can't see why it would not work if you are pulling 6:40 now and still young. Others who actually attempt a 2k more than one every couple of years would be better able to respond. Good luck, I may even try it myself...


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[Wolfmiester]

Hi John,
you can, apparently, work it out.
It's all to do with VO2 max, max HR etc etc.
Eddie Fletcher, in Evesham, used to offer a service to do just that. Measure where you are now, and give a good indication of possible peak performance.
I'm sure there will be others around the country who offer the same (Eddie is somewhat an Erg expert though)

[Recess]

That's an interesting approach to it! Thanks!

Just using the Concept2 website VO2Max calculator is seems feasible. I had a VO2Max test a couple of months ago, and it was 71 - plugging in 6:20 at 75Kg would require a VO2Max of 74 - not far off. So maybe I can train enough to manage it...

Or I could just eat cake and drink Jack Daniels...

John

[Rodger]

Obviously I'm not in the position to offer insight, what with my 2k of 7:20+. But a while ago I came across an alternative method of getting your 2k time down and I was wondering if it is doable. Basically, you do 4x500m with 5 min rest at the pace you aim for your 2k. You repeat this the next week, but with a slightly shorter rest between intervals, say 4:45. The week after that, it's 4x500/4:30. If you can keep this going, you would 'arrive' at your desired 2k in 20 weeks time. That is, assuming it's within the physical capabilities of the rower in question in the first place. In my case, I could aim for 1:47 or 1:48 pace.

What do you think, fiction or worth a shot?