Free Spirits Rowing

It’s been a while since I’ve rowed properly. I was on here about thirteen or fourteen years ago but for various reasons fell off the erg so to speak.

I got a nudge to get back into the habit when I was loaned a model D back in march. My parents had had one for years which was largely gathering dust, so we took it apart and crammed it into the back of the car for the trip back from wales.

Since then I’ve been rowing about three times a week. Largely doing thirty minute workouts on apple fitness+. I wasn’t that sure about them at first but as I’ve got used to them I’ve found them really good. Nice motivation and good to see a progression in my average pace.

My previous 2k PB was 7:07 but that was nearly fifteen years ago so I think it’ll take me a while to get that back. Having lost a good amount of weight during 2019/20 I’d piled a fair bit on during lockdown, I started the year at a touch under 115kg so needed to do something about shifting a bit of timber.

We go on holiday this week so I set myself two targets - I wanted to get my weight down to under 105kg and I wanted to do a 2k in under 7:30. This weekend I managed to achieve both of those (by a hair!), I posted a 7:29.2 and tipped the scales at 104.9kg.

Really pleased I’ve managed to hit those milestones but honestly I’m just delighted to have got the bug back again - I’m really loving rowing and actually look forward to getting on the erg. I’ve done some longer pierces - a few 10k’s and even a half marathon a couple of weeks ago. I guess I’m going to need to do some more of these longer rows if I want to make the next steps with my 2k time. Ideally I’d love to get down sub 7 but will probably have to work up to that, it feels a long way off at the moment!

Just checked and the hotel we’re staying at has some concept2s

Welcome to the group. Have a great holiday and feel free to ask anything about the group and the tools and competitions etc that we have and are involved in.

Welcome back.

Like you I'm rowing to lose some weight and get a little fitter.

Unlike you a 2k in under 8 minutes is unlikely.

Keep the faith.,

Welcome back. Looking forward to seeing your progress in future

Thanks guys - I’m thinking when I get back from hols I might need to start upping the amount of easier longer rows I do. The thirty minute blasts are great but suspect I might end up regretting it if I don’t start putting in some slower longer ones. Thoughts?

Got an appointment at my practice tomorrow for some blood tests - be very interesting what this diet has done to my lipids/hba1c.

Welcome back Android and good luck on your road to sub7 and weight loss

There is weight loss thread on this forum which you might find interesting: http://www.freespiritsrowing.com/forum/ ... php?t=3877

Hi Android

At 6'3" and 100kg, aged mid-forties you are ideally set up to go sub-7 - just put in the miles and you will get there - consistency is the key.
Best of luck going forward.

Paul G

Thanks Paul and Grobi. I’m really excited about getting on this journey again

Do you think adding a longer 10k (or more) piece once a week would be a good thing for getting my 2k time down? I do struggle a bit with time pressures and attention span but am guessing this is going to have to happen if I want to progress?

I'm never going to be a sub 7 2k rower so the following may be totally irrelevant.

When I first started rowing, I managed to collect a full set of bad habits.

Too close to the gate at the catch; hunching over; starting the arm pull too early; shuffling the seat toward the gate instead of full leg extension; hands too low at the end of the stroke; etc and etc.

I watched lots of instructional videos and managed to eliminate most of the faults with the consequence that my times improved but the mental and physical effort increased proportionately and only by getting fitter could further time improvement happen.

For a long while I had to concentrate hard on technique otherwise I'd start to fall back into poor habits with the consequent loss of form (and time).

I decided that the technique had to be thoughtless, i.e. I had to be able to get it pretty much right every time without thought.

I did this by embarking on a long series of hour long rows where the focus was upon technique and not speed. I did at least three a week for perhaps 4 months before I was happy that I was as efficient as I was ever going to be. I also had a timer every 90 seconds which reminded me to check hand position, catch position, etc.

I did go further and further in that hour as the sessions progressed and the lessons I learned stay with me today.

So I would say a series of longer pieces to set the technique etc would be sensible.

Thanks webberg, I really like that 90 second timer as a reminder. One of the things I’ve found really helpful with the apple workouts is the semi regular instruction to focus on a certain aspect of form - it’s forever catching me slouching, with a corresponding improvement in stroke power when I sit up and focus on my technique.

Agreed - I've never tried the apple workouts but a buzzer every 90 seconds over an hour was useful.

I also had a list of faults pinned up next to my rower and as each alarm went, I'd work down that list.

Aside from giving me a technique that a professional coach described as "adequate - for the moment", I also learnt how to "cheat" the monitor.

For example, try your normal stroke in terms of cruising power and pace but accelerate the hands to the chest over the last 3/4 inches and then fast out again over the same distance. Guarantee that your split as displayed will fall by between 2 and 4 seconds.

Not that I recommend cheating because it will never give long lasting results.

&roid wrote:Thanks webberg, I really like that 90 second timer as a reminder. One of the things I’ve found really helpful with the apple workouts is the semi regular instruction to focus on a certain aspect of form - it’s forever catching me slouching, with a corresponding improvement in stroke power when I sit up and focus on my technique.

Some great workouts for both improving performance in “set piece” distances like the 2K and also constant reminders about different aspects of technique and form as you row a piece are John Stevenson’s RowAlong sessions. I found them really valuable and I really should revisit them.


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Are there any workouts for a mid 60's, overweight, short man who has modest ambitions?

I'm anticipating more efforts on the C2 over the autumn and winter but have set few targets.

I'd like to do a "regular" 10k, 3 or 4 times a week and hope to get that down to perhaps sub 43 minutes.

I'd like to get close to 7k over 30 minutes.

As for a 2k in a competitive time? Nah.

webberg wrote:Are there any workouts for a mid 60's, overweight, short man who has modest ambitions?

As for a 2k in a competitive time? Nah.

In the main, the RowAlong workouts are geared towards 2K and 5K training, so probably not what you are after Graham.


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webberg wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 1:34 pm Are there any workouts for a mid 60's, overweight, short man who has modest ambitions?

I'd like to get close to 7k over 30 minutes..

Funnily enough that was one of my targets with the apple fitness+ workouts - they have plenty of 30 minute sessions and when I first picked up the handle again I was doing around 6.1k in that time. Four months in and my current record is 7,219m. They’re a good mix of hard/all out intervals so might add a bit of interest if you have access to an apple device

webberg wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 1:34 pm Are there any workouts for a mid 60's, overweight, short man who has modest ambitions?

I'm anticipating more efforts on the C2 over the autumn and winter but have set few targets.

I'd like to do a "regular" 10k, 3 or 4 times a week and hope to get that down to perhaps sub 43 minutes.

I'd like to get close to 7k over 30 minutes.

As for a 2k in a competitive time? Nah.

Just keep it simple Graham - 5-10km 5-6 times per week will do the trick - consistency is the key.

Paul G

paulgould wrote: ↑Tue Aug 02, 2022 8:11 am
Just keep it simple Graham - 5-10km 5-6 times per week will do the trick - consistency is the key.

Paul G

^ This is basically it - I "feel" ready for longer distances after a week of steady rows. More so in fact than in the course of the actual 10k plan from rowalong (currently airing my results in the Pete Plan thread for week 8 of the plan - it's rather taxing in places....).