Plateau breaking/ need help with training

no_Payno_gain · Post by **no_Payno_gain** » May 31st, 2009, 8:47 pm

Well, hey everybody! i have recently joined this forum, mostly because i have found a lot of amazing advice towards a whole lot of questions regarding nutrition, and really good erg workouts.
I have seen many people ask these sorts of questions, but I feel i have reached a certain plateau where my rowing once a day+ rowing 4 times a week is not making me improve my times.. And i don't want to waste my time rowing junk miles (although to loose weight for certain regattas it was my only choice).

Now! towards my problem.
I'm 17, 160 pounds, 6'0 and im currently pulling a 2k time of 6:56.6 (that was my winter time.. so i might be faster) and today i tried doing a 6k time of 22:15.3.
I have seen a lot of different interval training I can do to improve my 2k score, i was thinking maybe if asking more specific questions, it would lead to more specific training that will benefit me the most.
My 2k rate is usually around a 34-37, while my 6k pace was a 31-32.. I usually benefit from higher rates.

I was wondering,

1) What could be the best way for me to improve my 2k and 6k times, so I can be more competitive towards getting into a varsity team in University?

2) What would be good goals to set myself (i.e. good erg scores for LWT men 2k, 6k)

3) What would be good workouts to eliminate my "hitting the wall" that I get when doing 2k's around the 900-1300 mark... it really makes my times drop 2 or 3 seconds..

I really love rowing, its an amazing sport.. and unlike most crewmates I like erging, because i feel i can push myself harder than in a boat (unless im stroke)

Oh.. and i would rather keep being a lightweight, so.. would weight training hinder me in the long run?

Anyways, to anybody that read my post, thank you very very very much. I know its kind of legthy, and it asks a lot of things, but I know that this forum has a lot of great people with even better advice, and any advice at all would be imensly Appreciated.
Sincerely,
Alan Payno

jamesg · Post by **jamesg** » June 1st, 2009, 12:11 am

You're doing very well already, at 4W/kg and 9W'/stroke @34.
LWs get most benefit from technique, because this lets them uprate without loss of stroke quality; not by chance very fast LWs rate 40 and more in a 2k.

Try the Wolverine L4 type WOs. At your 2k pace 200W@20 would be required, with similar ratio at other ratings. If you can maintain this sort of work, which effectively puts a heavy accent on stroke quality, you're on your way. There certainly won't be any junk miles and you may get some feeling for walls and how to deal with them (via good pacing). At 17 tho', don't be in any hurry; burning out and/or injury will stop you dead.

Nosmo · Post by **Nosmo** » June 1st, 2009, 3:38 pm

The way to avoid hitting the wall during the 2k is to properly pace yourself. No matter what your conditioning if you die during the peice you went too fast so start slower.
Even an olympic champion would die if they started out several seconds faster then they are capable of.

You may need a lot more endurance training but any one with some rowing experience who is healthy can finish 2k if they don't go too fast.

If you want to get better you have to train either more training or more intelligent training. If you are only doing 4 day's a week then you are not likely to be burnt out, so you should probably increase the total training load. Read the whole Wolverine Plan, not just the L4 workouts. See the first post in this thread: http://www.c2forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=8295

no_Payno_gain · Post by **no_Payno_gain** » June 3rd, 2009, 2:17 pm

Thanks a lot for the help, I had read the Wolverine plan already.. and i guess I need to follow it dilligently now.
i actually went to do an erg workout recently, and by freak weather conditions.. i catched pneumonia.. :S so i will be taking it easy for a couple of days.
Anyways, thanks again for the thoughtfull advice, hopefully soon I'll be on my way to breaking 6:50