500 metres training plan

[tonycotton]

I find 500 metres difficult. Is there a training plan anywhere on the internet?

[plummy]

I'm not sure there is but it is massively more about technique than perhaps the metres covered. Being light years away from my area of expertise I would hesitate to take any strong advice from me but I would stick to lots of short interval training sets e.g.

10 x 1 min with 1 min rest
8 x 500 with 3 mins rest
12 x 250 with 90 seconds rest

A fast 500 needs you to up the rate considerably. For example a race 2k may be somewhere 30~35SPM but for a flat out 500 you need to be up around 45 SPM or more if you can hold it (and your technique). Short strokes will help towards this i.e. three quarter or even half slide.

Watch your back!

[strider77]

Tony like Dave I am NO expert.

However I would suggest 10 x 100m with maybe 3 mins recovery between reps several times a week after a long warm up.

In fact all the sessions below should be after at least 20 mins warm up rowing slowly.

Another idea is to try 100m flat out then 200m flat out.

In a couple of days try 300m flat out.

After a week try 350m flat out and keep up with the 10 x 100m sessions then try 400m and so on up to 500m

Just my thoughts, a similar approach has worked for me in the past but I keep well away these days -IT HURTS TOO MUCH

[gregsmith01748]

Hi,

You should check out a thread over on the Concept2 forum. It is all about sprint training. Prepare yourself, there are 43 pages of it.

http://www.c2forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=111430

Here are my thoughts about how to get better at 500s. Take them with a grain of salt.

I think it is worthwhile to break it down into different parts.

1. Improve peak power. The best way I've found to improve peak power is here: https://peakcentre.wordpress.com/2009/0 ... rformance/

2. Improve strength. The best way to do this is focus strength training (lifting weights: especially squats, deadlifts and cleans)

3. Improve your technique at high rates. The suggestion of 10x100 is good for this. So are 1' reps. You should try them as a rate pyramid. An all out 500m should probably be done at or above 40spm, so doing some of the reps in those sessions up above 40spm will help to improve technique

4. Get used to rowing with higher drag factors. Not for all sessions, but certainly for the sprint reps and peak power stuff.

[tonycotton]

Thank you, Free Spirits Rowers. By chance I have been rowing 100's, 200's, 300's and multiple 500's over the last week or two.
At 78 years, 140 lbs and 68 inches I guess I am not well suited to 500 metres. I will persevere and hope to improve
on yesterday's 1:57.6, now proudly posted on Nonathlon, Ha ha! That was a 0.5 seconds faster than previously. I realise today that recovery days are essential.

[gregsmith01748]

Still good enough for 14th in the concept2 rankings I see.
And only 0.6 behind lucky number 13! Go get him!

[evanmarcus]

Is there any diet plan too to do 500 meter race? I am new and I want to start as slow as possible to avoid any possible injury to my body.