I have never done an erging marathon before, but I wanted to know from people who have: what is the toughest part about it? I know that the pace maintained (unless you are going for a record or something) is not too challenging (people I know have done it at 2:20 or 2:30), but is the tough part holding this seemingly easy pace for multiple hours, or is it having to sit on a seat for 4 hours, or is it just getting extremely bored? Is a marathon as physically winding as short, intense erging, if you are holding a really high split (even 3:00)??
Thanks in advance for the info!
Marathon
For me the biggest problem was a lack of preparation in the last month before the marathon meaning I went off at what I thought I could maintain and got a nasty shock a way in!
I did my first one back in April. I followed one of the marathon training plans for a while until I got bored with it, then just did longer and longer rows at the pace I wanted to sustain for the marathon. I'd got up to 2 hours at predicted marathon pace without too many problems about a month before then things went downhill. Work trips meant I had a couple of weeks off the rowing machine and when I got back on it I only did one row longer than 30 minutes and that was 3 days before the marathon and was only a 10k. This meant that when I started the marathon I started dropping below my predicted pace about 45 minutes in and couldn't get it back. I did eventually finish (after putting the handle down and contemplating stopping a few times) but it was about 20 minutes slower than I had predicted. The two reasons I kept going were that I was doing it on rowpro and friends knew I was doing it so I didn't want to have to admit giving up (they have no concept of whether 1:45 or 2:30 is a good pace for a marathon so speed wasn't an issue!).
There are many others who can offer better advice but I'd recommend doing longer and longer rows in the lead up so you know what to expect. Make sure you have music and liquid available (although everyone has different opinions on the best liquid and how to drink).
Music stops the boredom (rowpro also helps if people are at a similar pace to you, as long as you don't end up going too fast to stay up with them and burning out). Muscle aches and blisters were my biggest worry but by increasing the rows each week you get used to them and they lessen anyway.
I will do another one at some point but if I need to take a could of weeks off in the last month, I'll delay the marathon rather than carrying on regardless.
Hope that helps in some way.
I did my first one back in April. I followed one of the marathon training plans for a while until I got bored with it, then just did longer and longer rows at the pace I wanted to sustain for the marathon. I'd got up to 2 hours at predicted marathon pace without too many problems about a month before then things went downhill. Work trips meant I had a couple of weeks off the rowing machine and when I got back on it I only did one row longer than 30 minutes and that was 3 days before the marathon and was only a 10k. This meant that when I started the marathon I started dropping below my predicted pace about 45 minutes in and couldn't get it back. I did eventually finish (after putting the handle down and contemplating stopping a few times) but it was about 20 minutes slower than I had predicted. The two reasons I kept going were that I was doing it on rowpro and friends knew I was doing it so I didn't want to have to admit giving up (they have no concept of whether 1:45 or 2:30 is a good pace for a marathon so speed wasn't an issue!).
There are many others who can offer better advice but I'd recommend doing longer and longer rows in the lead up so you know what to expect. Make sure you have music and liquid available (although everyone has different opinions on the best liquid and how to drink).
Music stops the boredom (rowpro also helps if people are at a similar pace to you, as long as you don't end up going too fast to stay up with them and burning out). Muscle aches and blisters were my biggest worry but by increasing the rows each week you get used to them and they lessen anyway.
I will do another one at some point but if I need to take a could of weeks off in the last month, I'll delay the marathon rather than carrying on regardless.
Hope that helps in some way.
I have only done 1 FM which was at 2k pace +30S then. I had only done 1 row >75mins in preparation. I followed all the advice about seat padding (I have had several ebrassions there on shorter rows) and drank a lot coupled with an industrial fan and a C-breeze despite being in a (partially) airconditioned setting (we were away from the air conditioning vents). I had sufferred from dehydration without the fans (a personal thing, but I sweat more than most and cannot replenish as fast as I lose it without the fans).
As you are not supporting your weight, at a slow enough pace I would say boredom/motivation would be the hardest obstacle. But at the more moderate pace I did, i did have some unexpected muscle aches (one glute and 1 arm). Be aware that technique is likely to deteriorate (reason for arm ache) which makes the pace harder to maintain and will change the load on your muscles from training.
Hope this helps.
Best of luck and let us know how you find it.
- Iain
As you are not supporting your weight, at a slow enough pace I would say boredom/motivation would be the hardest obstacle. But at the more moderate pace I did, i did have some unexpected muscle aches (one glute and 1 arm). Be aware that technique is likely to deteriorate (reason for arm ache) which makes the pace harder to maintain and will change the load on your muscles from training.
Hope this helps.
Best of luck and let us know how you find it.
- Iain
56, lightweight in pace and by gravity. Currently training 3-4 times a week after a break to slowly regain the pitiful fitness I achieved a few years ago. Free Spirit, come join us http://www.freespiritsrowing.com/forum/