Concept2 Forum

Hi, i know this may be a difficult question to answer, but i`m just wondered what people think that i would be capable of bringing my 2k time down to. I`m an 18 year old guy, a member of my uni rowing club. I`m about 5 foot 8/ 5 foot 9 and weigh 60kg. When i joined at the start of term my initial 2k was 8:21, just before christmas it was down to 7:56. I try and erg 5 or 6 days a week and do circuits twice a week. I`ve been doing one or two 10k rows a week lately, which seem to be helping a lot with my stamina and strength. <br /><br />I know that my possible time will be subjective, so if you know anyone with similar stats to me that would give me a rough idea!<br /><br />Thanks in advance<br /><br />Tom

<!--QuoteBegin-medic tom+Feb 4 2006, 06:08 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(medic tom @ Feb 4 2006, 06:08 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Hi, I know this may be a difficult question to answer, but I'm just wondered what people think that I would be capable of bringing my 2k time down to. I'm an 18 year old guy, a member of my uni rowing club. I'm about 5 foot 8/ 5 foot 9 and weigh 60kg. When I joined at the start of term my initial 2k was 8:21, just before christmas it was down to 7:56. I try and erg 5 or 6 days a week and do circuits twice a week. I've been doing one or two 10k rows a week lately, which seem to be helping a lot with my stamina and strength. <br /><br />I know that my possible time will be subjective, so if you know anyone with similar stats to me that would give me a rough idea!<br /><br />Thanks in advance<br /><br />Tom <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />I'm a just bit older than you (42), I'm ½in shorter. I've done a 6:59.0 2K.<br /><br />If you want a six day a week plan have a look at: <a href='http://www.concept2.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5409' target='_blank'>http://www.concept2.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... 409</a><br />and the summary at: <a href='http://www.machars.net/peteplan.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.machars.net/peteplan.htm</a><br />

I am also in the same boat as Dougie, so to speak, regarding age, height, weight and time.<br /><br />If I can give one piece of advise, it would be to work on endurance. But that takes time and dedication. <br /><br />Take also a look at the <a href='http://www.concept2.com/forums/wolverine_plan.htm' target='_blank'>Wolverine Plan</a>, by Mike Caviston, especially the Level 4 workouts.<br /><br />Happy training!<br /><br />Francois

Hi Tom,<br /><br />If you want to compete well, think of going out for distance running or else swimming.<br /><br />Rowing is very heavily weight dependent.

<!--QuoteBegin-John Rupp+Feb 4 2006, 07:21 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(John Rupp @ Feb 4 2006, 07:21 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Hi Tom,<br /><br />If you want to compete well, think of going out for distance running or else swimming.<br /><br />Rowing is very heavily weight dependent. <br /> </td></tr></table><br />Forget about competitive swimming. You need to be a least 6' tall and 170 lbs, preferably 6' 4" and 185 lbs. Plus, at 18 years old, you are already too old to start and have a chance of excelling at it. I know it is brutal, but that is the truth.<br /><br />John, what do you know about competitive swimming ?

cheers for all of the replies guys. I`m not really interested in competition, just breaking my own P.B.`s!! I`m coxing this year, which i`m really enjoying, with the intention of doing some sculling next year. The "Pete plan" looks like it could really knock quite a bit off my P.B.!<br />tom

<!--QuoteBegin-FrancoisA+Feb 4 2006, 12:07 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(FrancoisA @ Feb 4 2006, 12:07 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Forget about competitive swimming. You need to be a least 6' tall and 170 lbs, preferably 6' 4" and 185 lbs. Plus, at 18 years old, you are already too old to start and have a chance of excelling at it. I know it is brutal, but that is the truth. </td></tr></table><br />Janet Evans swam 400 meters in 4:03.85, at 5'4 and weighing 105 pounds. That's about the same build for a world class distance runner. She swam her record some 20 years ago and it's still standing today.<br /><br />Francois, what is your time for 400 meters?<br /><br />Are you saying that Tom has a better chance of rowing a 5:37.0 for the 2k weighing 132 pounds?<br /><br /><!--QuoteBegin--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->John, what do you know about competitive swimming ?  </td></tr></table><br /> <br />

<!--QuoteBegin-medic tom+Feb 4 2006, 12:29 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(medic tom @ Feb 4 2006, 12:29 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->cheers for all of the replies guys. I`m not really interested in competition, just breaking my own P.B.`s!! I`m coxing this year, which i`m really enjoying, with the intention of doing some sculling next year.  The "Pete plan" looks like it could really knock quite a bit off my P.B.!<br />tom </td></tr></table><br />Hi Tom,<br /><br />That sounds great. Have fun! <br />

<!--QuoteBegin-John Rupp+Feb 4 2006, 09:08 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(John Rupp @ Feb 4 2006, 09:08 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-FrancoisA+Feb 4 2006, 12:07 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(FrancoisA @ Feb 4 2006, 12:07 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Forget about competitive swimming. You need to be a least 6' tall and 170 lbs, preferably 6' 4" and 185 lbs. Plus, at 18 years old, you are already too old to start and have a chance of excelling at it. I know it is brutal, but that is the truth. </td></tr></table><br />Janet Evans swam 400 meters in 4:03.85, at 5'4 and weighing 105 pounds. That's about the same build for a world class distance runner. She swam her record some 20 years ago and it's still standing today.<br /><br />Francois, what is your time for 400 meters?<br /><br />Are you saying that Tom has a better chance of rowing a 5:37.0 for the 2k weighing 132 pounds?<br /><br /><!--QuoteBegin--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->John, what do you know about competitive swimming ?  </td></tr></table><br /> <br /> </td></tr></table><br />John,<br /><br />Do your homework, find one <b>male</b> swimmer on the US or Australian Olympic team who is 5' 9'' or under. Or find one who started swimming at 18 no mater his height.<br /><br />Good luck!<br /><br />P.S. My 400 m free is 4:55 (done 2 months ago). What is yours ?

Francois,<br /><br />Are you saying no male swimmer, who starts after age 18, can swim faster than 4:55 for 400 meters?<br /><br /><br />

Francois,<br /><br />Are 5' 4", 99 pound women swimmers faster than 6'4, 185 pound men swimmers?

John,<br /><br />You are off on a tangent and haven't answered any of my questions.<br />Please reread my post above!

Francois,<br /><br />If you don't understand it by now, then further explanation won't help you.

Hey Tom.<br /><br />I'm about your size (5'6" or so, 60 kg), and I've had a lot of fun erging despite the knowledge that I'll never set the world afire due to my small stature.<br /><br />My PBs are mostly in my sig. You can get <i>really</i> good at long distance work (I can hold sub-2:00 for over 100 minutes) and you'll find your size is less of a handicap there. When I was coxing and later coaching I took great pleasure in torching most of my rowers on power hours, just because I (<b>a</b>) had done so many of them (<b>b</b>) was really fit and (<b>c</b>) wanted it more.<br /><br />All about willpower once you get over the 20k mark.<br /><br />If you want to get good, the best thing to do is <i>mileage</i>. The summer after my first year in college, when I was about your age, I asked a sculling alum from my high school who I respected a lot what I should do to get fit. He told me to do 70 minute ergs as many days a week as I could stand.<br /><br />Doing essentially only that plus a little distance running for variety, my power hour split dropped from 2:08 to 2:00, and my 2k from 7:50 to 7:08 in about eight months.

And as to the question of some kind of "upper limit" on 2k speed for a coxswain-sized person (say 60kg to be generous)... I'd think that someone out there could quite certainly pull a 6:40 or high 6:30s at that size.<br /><br />Anyone know what kind of number's Malta's Chris Dry had for 2k ergs? I remember him winning the 135lb single at Canadian Henley in the late 1990s.<br /><br />Just for comparison, mighty-mite Steve Tucker competed at about 154 or so, and he's perhaps two inches taller than me. I think his PR 2k was something like 6:12. He's a freakin' specimen, though.