How to drop my 2K time?? Is my goal possible?

[dwalk]

Where he is starting from, I believe, those type of gains are possible. If he was already at 6:45 and wanted a 10% increase it would be harder to say for sure, but I wouldn't rule it out. He is still young and the gains you get while maturing can be significant.

[dwalk]

I meant a 10sec time drop, not 10% from 6:45.

[ArmandoChavezUNC]

Yeah I meant per week, not per day. My mistake.

A 42 second drop is very significant, not something you can do with 3 workouts a week at his current weight, IMO.

When you make it a percentage it sounds low, but that's not a good way to look at it. The difference between a 6:10 and a 6:20 is a very small percentage, but takes a HUGE amount of work. Percentages obscure how much work needs to be put in.

[hjs]

Yeah I meant per week, not per day. My mistake.

A 42 second drop is very significant, not something you can do with 3 workouts a week at his current weight, IMO.

When you make it a percentage it sounds low, but that's not a good way to look at it. The difference between a 6:10 and a 6:20 is a very small percentage, but takes a HUGE amount of work. Percentages obscure how much work needs to be put in.

Yes in watts it a lot more than 10% improvement.

[Citroen]

Yeah I meant per week, not per day. My mistake.

A 42 second drop is very significant, not something you can do with 3 workouts a week at his current weight, IMO.

When you make it a percentage it sounds low, but that's not a good way to look at it. The difference between a 6:10 and a 6:20 is a very small percentage, but takes a HUGE amount of work. Percentages obscure how much work needs to be put in.

Yes in watts it a lot more than 10% improvement.

6:10.0 is 442.2W
6:20.0 is 408.2W

So that's an 8.33% increase in wattage

6:45.0 is 377W
6:32.5 is 370W which is a 10% improvement.

There's quite a difference from 6:32.5 or 6:45.0 to 6:10.0 due to the cubic function in the way the PM3/PM4 calculates pace from wattage.

[Bob S.]

6:10.0 is 442.2W
6:20.0 is 408.2W

So that's an 8.33% increase in wattage

6:45.0 is 377W
6:32.5 is 370W which is a 10% (???) improvement.

There's quite a difference from 6:32.5 or 6:45.0 to 6:10.0 due to the cubic function in the way the PM3/PM4 calculates pace from wattage.

For 377/370, I get 1.0189, so about 1.9% - and - it is in the wrong direction, higher wattage for a slower pace.

The 370 is OK, but 6:45 would be 337W. 370/337 = 1.098, i.e. a 9.8% increase.

Also, I don't understand what the point is of comparing a 10s difference with a 12.5s difference.

The easiest way to compare the percent change of watts and time is to multiply the percent change in time by 3 to get the percent change in watts

Bob S.

[hjs]

Hey guys, Im a highschool rower and I am currently a sophomore. I am 5'11" and about 140 pounds right now. My best 2K time was a 7:27.2, and that was about 2 months ago. My best 6K time is a 23:56. Im not focusing on the 6K very much, but I am very motivated in dropping my 2K time a good amount for the coming spring season and the years after also. I will also be attending C.R.A.S.H.-B's. Im hoping to get to about a 7:10 or so in the C.R.A.S.H.-Bs and be 7:10 or below for the beginning of the spring season. Also, a long distance goal would be around a 6:45 2K in probably two years from now. Is this possible? Any off-season workout plans to drop a 2K time? Help or advice is appreciated. Thanks!

About the 10%

From roughly 7.5 min to 6.75 = 0.75 min or 45 seconds.
On the 7.5 min that is indeed 10% in time. Giving 1.1 factor this cubed
Makes it 1.1 x 1.1 x 1.1 = roughly 33% improvement needed powerwise.

In context though, this goes for most sports, a runner, swimmer etc also has to overcome the cube relation.
At a young age, in ones prime improvements can be massive. Certainly when a part of the natural growth still has to come.

[Citroen]

6:10.0 is 442.2W
6:20.0 is 408.2W

So that's an 8.33% increase in wattage

6:45.0 is 377W
6:32.5 is 370W which is a 10% (???) improvement.

There's quite a difference from 6:32.5 or 6:45.0 to 6:10.0 due to the cubic function in the way the PM3/PM4 calculates pace from wattage.

For 377/370, I get 1.0189, so about 1.9% - and - it is in the wrong direction, higher wattage for a slower pace.

The 370 is OK, but 6:45 would be 337W. 370/337 = 1.098, i.e. a 9.8% increase.

Also, I don't understand what the point is of comparing a 10s difference with a 12.5s difference.

The easiest way to compare the percent change of watts and time is to multiply the percent change in time by 3 to get the percent change in watts

Bob S.

I made a typo.

6:45.0 is 337W

[Bob S.]

I made a typo.

6:45.0 is 337W

Figured. But I am still puzzled about the sets of 2k times chosen for comparison.

Bob S.

[dwalk]

7:10 from 7:29 should be easily attainable for him and in two years with some hard work 6:45 should also be. 6:10 and 6:20 don't know where those came from.

[ArmandoChavezUNC]

Not sure why everyone is getting so hung up on some random numbers I decided to use for illustration... there is nothing special about them. My point is that saying "it's only a 10% improvement" masks how much work is needed to make that improvement. At such a low body weight pulling a 6:45, in my opinion, will take a lot more than 3 ergs a week.

[DuffyF56]

And my point was that over 2 years of training a young man who is rapidly maturing it is possible, possibly with the exact training he is doing now given his maturation stage/process. Two years is a relatively long time in my book. Regardless we can debate back and forth repeatedly to no end concerning the topic and neither of us can be proven wrong OR right for that matter. Only the young man can make us prophets or wrong headed. I just hope this "debate" does not dampen the young man's enthusiasm or resolve to reach his goal. @ the young man.......You just GO FOR IT!!!!!! Best of luck and please keep us informed of your progress. Nice to see a young man interested in improving himself and setting goals as opposed to being involved in much of what young people are with these days.

[bwashburn15]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. My crew team trains all winter, every day after school. We do 2 days in the weight room and 3 days erging most weeks. I really want to build some muscle for sprint pieces like a 2K because my endurence is fine, but I dont think the strength is there yet. No one quite answered my question though. Would a drop like that on a 2K test be possible?

At your current weight and with your current training plan? Highly doubtful.

You need to train at least 6 times a day (not counting weights) to make substantial gains. 3 erg sessions a week won't get you very far. I don't know how often you row, but as long as those involve quality meters then those count, obviously.

I row everyday and we do 3 erg sessions a week plus a day in the weight room worked around the on-water time. Im not sure what my winter training is yet. Sorry about the confusion I got that mixed up.

[bwashburn15]

And my point was that over 2 years of training a young man who is rapidly maturing it is possible, possibly with the exact training he is doing now given his maturation stage/process. Two years is a relatively long time in my book. Regardless we can debate back and forth repeatedly to no end concerning the topic and neither of us can be proven wrong OR right for that matter. Only the young man can make us prophets or wrong headed. I just hope this "debate" does not dampen the young man's enthusiasm or resolve to reach his goal. @ the young man.......You just GO FOR IT!!!!!! Best of luck and please keep us informed of your progress. Nice to see a young man interested in improving himself and setting goals as opposed to being involved in much of what young people are with these days.

Thank you so much. I will keep you up-to-date on my winter workout plan and my progress on the erg.

[sayn3ver]

This is just my poor story/experience so take it for what it's worth.
My highschool didn't have or offer crew. I had no idea what it was. I ran a little cross country in highschool. I weighed 155lbs @ 6'1" when I graduated.

I missed the cross country summer practices going into college. I went out for the club men's crew team instead. My first ever 2k with a month of erging was 7:20. By my senior year I dropped it to my personal best 6:36. I am not an incredible athlete nor have "athletic" genes. However I had gone from 155lbs to 175lbs by senior year of college. Muscle and a decrease in metabolism I would attribute. Haha.