Sub 6 minute Row journal

[Gettingold]

For the other side of the coin....Perhaps the OP was simply unaware of the requirements. Raw power / talent gets you so far and its sheer determination that gets you the rest. I am hoping to be below 6:20 in the coming event with 6:15 (possibly just a pipe dream) the goal for the Crash Bs. It has been an interesting journey that has been made easier by the help and interaction I have received from you guys. This guy who, for whatever reason asked for advice and was pretty much scoffed at. Granted his goal is probably out of reach but I put this down to a lack of knowledge and a wealth of enthusiasm. Still if he was encouraged to shoot for 6:40 first and work his way down from there he may still be talking to us.
Terry

[Cyclingman1]

G.O., I agree there is always the chance that I'm not giving the guy a break; it certainly is true that an inexperienced rower cannot possibly know that difference between 6:5x and 6:00 is vast. We all have to read into these kinds of posts as whether someone really wants information or is just wasting everyone's time. The lack of back and forth is not a good sign to me. If I have misread this person, then I do apologize.

Also, to state the obvious, of course, it is possible for an athlete just starting in rowing to quickly row sub 7:00 and to gobble up time every month, such that low 6's is not out of the question. But I have yet to see such a person post in this forum in the 2.5 yrs that I have monitoring it.

[KevJGK]

The OP is only 25 so based and his current improvement a faster time is almost inevitable. As for how fast – who knows?

I know it took me a solid year of hard training to break 7 minutes when I was 51 and I was absolutely convinced back then that 6:50 was my potential. It’s now almost 5 years later and I would be delighted to approach 7 minutes again.

[Bob S.]

Height is an important factor in rowing, even on the erg. At 5'10", the OP has a big handicap in that respect. On the water, the 6 footers are the little guys.

Bob S.

[wittengenstein]

I'm a 24 year old female and a member since about a year, and I managed to knock about half a minute off my 2k time (from 8 min.to 7.28). I know that going to 7.20 will take at least another year of 4 times otw, 2 -3 times (additionally) and lifting once or twice a week. You should therefore notice that it is going to take at least 9 sessions a week just to make decent progress. Sub 7 is beyond my reach forever I'm afraid.....I'm really good at the 30 Minute Erg distance though. As a small person (1.70) I habe much better chances here as well i suppose, because it's more aerobic work.

[Cyclingman1]

I'm a 24 year old female and a member since about a year, and I managed to knock about half a minute off my 2k time (from 8 min.to 7.28).

That is pretty dog gone good. Do you row in an organization? Do you have coaching? Also, I do not see your times in the C2 rankings. If you are willing to talk about your times in the forum, you might as well post them.

[wittengenstein]

Yeah, I row for a club otw and I have a pretty good coach that I constantly work on my erg technique with because I had troubles with my lower back recently. Ok! I will start to post my pieces in the logbook then. Do I have to use the same username?

[Cyclingman1]

Forum and logbook are separate entities. Each has a distinct user name and password. First one puts the rowing in the logbook and then if the distance is one of about ten or so exact distances it can then be "ranked." The entry into the logbook can be done through log cards or manually. When one rows, the exact distance can be entered. When over, the exact distance data will either be on a log card on in the rower memory. And there is a 16 digit validation code in the rower that can then be entered in the logbook to certify the time for a given distance. All of this info is on the C2 website in various places.

I'm sure working with a coach has greatly aided your progress.

[ArmandoChavezUNC]

FWIW I just have to say that I think some of the responses could have been phrased in a different (i.e. nicer) tone/context. As has been mentioned, maybe the OP has no clue what it takes to row 6:00 minutes - if so, quasi-rudely informing him that he has no chance of doing it is not the best way to respond.

Perhaps letting him know how difficult it can be, then offering suggestions on how to get faster, even if not 6:00 fast. Anyway, I don't want to sound like I'm accusing anyone particularly, and the OP probably isn't going to post again, but I thought some of the responses could have been more encouraging while still being realistic.

[Cyclingman1]

Point taken.

[wittengenstein]

Forum and logbook are separate entities. Each has a distinct user name and password. First one puts the rowing in the logbook and then if the distance is one of about ten or so exact distances it can then be "ranked." The entry into the logbook can be done through log cards or manually. When one rows, the exact distance can be entered. When over, the exact distance data will either be on a log card on in the rower memory. And there is a 16 digit validation code in the rower that can then be entered in the logbook to certify the time for a given distance. All of this info is on the C2 website in various places.

I'm sure working with a coach has greatly aided your progress.

Thank you for the info, I wan never sure whether you needed an extra device or something to create the code.

Yes it has, she's incredibly meticolous and was a very successful rower herself.

[Ralph Earle]

A while ago on the UK forum, 25 people contributed their "first real 2K" and their 2K PB. Not counting my outlying self, In terms of percentage improvement in watts, the first quartile was 28%; the median, 36%; the third quartile, 45%. For the OP's 6:57, these percentages would correspond to about 6:24, 6:16 and 6:08. To break 6:00 he would need a 56% improvement, which is not out of the question.

Erger First 2K W PB 2K W delta Improvement
R Earle 09:46.0 111 07:46.1 221 110 99%
S Young 09:45.0 112 07:55.8 208 96 86%
Tinpusher 07:48.9 217 06:22.2 401 184 85%
yankeerun 08:26.0 173 06:55.7 312 139 80%
Hewitt... 07:43.6 225 06:22.4 401 176 78%
NavHaz 07:30.0 246 06:18.8 412 166 68%
Rocky.... 07:15.0 272 06:16.4 420 148 54%
Jeffrow.. 07:24.6 255 06:33.0 369 114 45%
Mad 40... 06:39.7 351 05:54.1 505 154 44%
MPx.. 07:37.7 234 06:49.6 326 92 40%
Paul45... 08:12.0 188 07:20.3 262 74 40%
Dickie... 07:33.6 240 06:46.4 334 94 39%
Meerkats. 07:49.6 216 07:03.7 294 78 36%
gusher83. 07:22.0 259 06:40.0 350 91 35%
goughsi.. 06:45.0 337 06:07.6 451 114 34%
J Goodall 06:59.6 303 06:22.6 400 97 32%
Neil Little 07:38.0 233 06:59.2 304 71 30%
rjw...... 07:16.0 270 06:39.1 352 82 30%
joe80.... 07:52.8 212 07:15.5 271 59 28%
Bags. 07:06.0 290 06:33.0 369 79 27%
Pete M... 06:42.0 345 06:11.8 436 91 26%
Hjs...... 06:39.3 352 06:14.7 426 74 21%
J...1979 06:19.0 411 05:57.0 492 81 20%
Jef...... 07:11.3 279 06:48.0 330 51 18%
Beowulf.. 06:20.4 407 06:06.2 456 49 12%

[Cyclingman1]

A while ago on the UK forum, 25 people contributed their "first real 2K" and their 2K PB.

The problem that I have with all this data are all of the circumstances of the first 2K. Were these rows done soon after couch potato status? How months/years elapsed between the first and last 2K rows?
If one is already pretty fit, when a 2K is first attempted, I would find it pretty amazing to see 50%-plus improvement.

My personal experience is a 7:12 2K after only a few erg sessions. About 100 days later after some pretty intensive training, I managed 6:40.7. I calculate an improvement of 26% in Watts from 278W to 350W at age 66. Of course, I had an extensive cycling and running background. In any event, I've never gotten better over the last 2.5 yrs, although I have stayed injured or sick over a good bit of that time. I'm not necessarily saying that because I could only improve by 26%, that others could not do better. But 75-80% improvement does puzzle me. Again, it must be much different circumstances. The OP is already pretty active. I really doubt that 56% improvement is at all possible.

[hjs]

A while ago on the UK forum, 25 people contributed their "first real 2K" and their 2K PB.

The problem that I have with all this data are all of the circumstances of the first 2K. Were these rows done soon after couch potato status? How months/years elapsed between the first and last 2K rows?
If one is already pretty fit, when a 2K is first attempted, I would find it pretty amazing to see 50%-plus improvement.

My personal experience is a 7:12 2K after only a few erg sessions. About 100 days later after some pretty intensive training, I managed 6:40.7. I calculate an improvement of 26% in Watts from 278W to 350W at age 66. Of course, I had an extensive cycling and running background. In any event, I've never gotten better over the last 2.5 yrs, although I have stayed injured or sick over a good bit of that time. I'm not necessarily saying that because I could only improve by 26%, that others could not do better. But 75-80% improvement does puzzle me. Again, it must be much different circumstances. The OP is already pretty active. I really doubt that 56% improvement is at all possible.

Mine Hjs, was done pretty fit, but for a very first row, 100% effort. 6.38,9 a few years later pulled 6.14.7

Most people at first pull a far from max first go, often also pretty unfit, often they improve in jumps at first. After that first period the really gains are not big anymore.
Also look the people who pulled sub 7 right away, they did not improve very much.

[ArmandoChavezUNC]

I think there's a pretty low correlation with "first real 2k" and "PB 2k".

Just thinking back to try-outs in my college rowing days I think I pulled a 7:14 or somewhere in that range. By end of first year I was at 6:40, by end of second year I was at 6:27. Fellow teammates started well over 8 minutes, one or two even over 9 minutes and all made substantial gains. None of us had prior rowing experience though.