Why do one need so much endurance training?

[NorwegianRower]

Why do one have to do so much long distance training to get a good time at a 2K distance?

I have looked at The Pete Plan and a week could beWeek 1:

8 x 500m / 3min30 rest

Steady distance (~8 to 15k)

5 x 1500m / 5min rest

Steady distance (~8 to 15k)

Hard distance (~5k+)

Steady distance (~8 to 15k)

Rest

http://thepeteplan.wordpress.com/the-pete-plan/

But why is it not better to do more interval training?

Second question is why the rest time between the intervals are so long, at least compared to the rest time I use when i do running intervals(one interval can be 4 min running 2 minutes rest)

[rowingdude]

If you disagree with a plan, you're more than welcome to do whatever you want.

Generally, long steady rows are included into speed plans for general fitness and to better condition the musculature.

[NorwegianRower]

If you disagree with a plan, you're more than welcome to do whatever you want.

Generally, long steady rows are included into speed plans for general fitness and to better condition the musculature.

there is a difference between asking why and disagreeing, just want to know why 4 out of 6 days are used to steady distance, where the distance is between 4 and 7,5 times the distance you train for.

[rowingdude]

Well, I do two a days typically, I do a long row in the AM and I do sprints in the afternoon.

The plans are good, but one you cited is specifically for healthy people, new to rowing, who want to use it for cross training. I based my plan off the Pete plan, but it's by no means a tailored plan for optimal 2k times.

If you're interested solely in your 2k time, you might design a plan that used 2k "hard" rows as the principle workout, with a pyramid of 250m -> 500m sprints at a high SPM for good measure.

[NorwegianRower]

Well, I do two a days typically, I do a long row in the AM and I do sprints in the afternoon.

The plans are good, but one you cited is specifically for healthy people, new to rowing, who want to use it for cross training. I based my plan off the Pete plan, but it's by no means a tailored plan for optimal 2k times.

If you're interested solely in your 2k time, you might design a plan that used 2k "hard" rows as the principle workout, with a pyramid of 250m -> 500m sprints at a high SPM for good measure.

Thanks, I am soley interestet in the 2k time and it is only a single race( A bet with a friend if I can beat him). But what does "2k "hard" rows as a principle" mean?

[lindsayh]

Have to disagree a little with rowing dude. The pete Plan is focussed on a fast 2km and not just general fitness - he does have a beginner that is more attuned to that but the serious plan will get you a good 2km time but is pretty opened ended rather than time limited. If you want to develop a good 2km over a period of time and continue to get better then the PP will do that. (He also has a 5k program as well) If you want to do a good 2km then you need to develop cardio vascular/aerobic fitness and the best way to do that is by rowing aerobically for longer periods of time. 5-10km though is not really "endurance" but in erg terms is a middle distance designed to get your 2 k faster. Maybe 70-80% of a 2km is aerobic and the longer steady pieces help keep your there and stronger. Hard intervals help a lot with training as well but are only part of it. It is all about keeping a good proportion of your training in UT1/UT2 range and there are a lot of good physiological reasons for it - OTW rowers do a huge amount of longer/slower and rate restricted stuff.

If you have a specific one off goal at a known point then the Interactive Plan on the UK ISS website makes more sense. You just plug in current figures, number of sessions and finishing date and goal and it will give you a plan - mainly built around intervals of varying length and intensity. Have a look at it - it really works if you follow the rules.
Good Luck
http://indoorsportservices.co.uk/training/interactive

[rowingdude]

Basically, you run a training program that centers around the 2k. You will have to row longer rows to help your "base," and to help ingrain the proper rowing form in your nervous system, but you will want plenty of sprints... I'd even go so far as to say you should set up some fast pyramids at a high SPM.

@Lindsayh

The plan that snippet was pulled from was tailored to improving general fitness. If there's another plan by the same author that is 2k centric, that maybe what you were referring to.

Edit: Lindsay brought up a good point, but understand please all my perspective comes from an OTW background. I use the C2 for rowing fitness, not competition on it myself.

[Edward4492]

Figured I'd get my .02c worth in. I have been erging for about a year and have made steady progress. My sole and only focus is 2k erg racing and CRASH B's. As I have tried different work out plans I seem to make progress for 4 to 6 weeks and then plateau. At each point I have made some sort of major change. I'm currently doing long (15k) rate capped (20r)work outs. Working at the low rate and a decently hard wattage (180 - 200w, lightweight) makes each pull a focused effort. The hour long work outs train the body to develop an efficient stroke to generate the required power as one continues to tire. i tend to be very focused and my goal is to maintain power with the least amount of effort.
Short hard intervals seem to have a half life to them, you get to a nice fast peak and stall. I dropped my times the fastest when I was doing those types of work outs, but then progress stalled. I'm thinking (hoping!) that after six weeks of the long hard stuff I'll see another performance increase when I start the speed work again. There's probably a lot more science to it (see the Q-Power website and their article on 30m/20r training; those guys are into the particulars). I take a low brow approach, if i do a lot of it for a long time and it hurts , it's probably working.

So, to address the original question, I think it's a matter of building a strong efficient stroke that will stand up at the higher ratings required for PR's and races.

[NorwegianRower]

Thanks, but the long rest time between each repetition on the interval is that also standard in rowing?

[rowingdude]

The only standard in rowing is the form/technique, the training plan you were looking at was aptly called "Beginner Training." If you have never rowed, you might find the breaks helpful. There's no reason you can't cut them down.

[jamesg]

Thanks, but the long rest time between each repetition on the interval is that also standard in rowing?

Yes, on the erg, but it's not a good way to train: you have to warm up after each interval, and they're usually done at AT level, so not much use for either aerobic training (too short) or for anaerobic (too slow). Not for nothing professionals (who rowed all day long) were barred from amateur racing.

Rowing is about making boats go fast, nothing else, and to do this you need to pull a long hard stroke. This can be learnt and trained for by pulling thousands of them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20rSoTo8fQA

When you can do that for an hour or so, a 2k race is usually easy, because most of your competitors will blow up well before the end and/or be slow anyway.

Some shorter work at higher ratings than race rate is useful to learn how to coordinate and pull effectively at such ratings, and also offers a rest. There's far less work in six 2-minute TR or AN intervals than in an hours rowing at high boat speed, even if we count in the necessary warm-up.

The point is that 2000 m races are long, 6 minutes if you are very good. Anaerobic work sources last only 2 minutes at most. We want to use these at the end of the race, and then only if needed to get an inch or so ahead; this is done by pacing the first 1500 right, going fast but aerobic.

[hjs]

Why do one have to do so much long distance training to get a good time at a 2K distance?

I have looked at The Pete Plan and a week could beWeek 1:

8 x 500m / 3min30 rest

Steady distance (~8 to 15k)

5 x 1500m / 5min rest

Steady distance (~8 to 15k)

Hard distance (~5k+)

Steady distance (~8 to 15k)

Rest

http://thepeteplan.wordpress.com/the-pete-plan/

But why is it not better to do more interval training?

Second question is why the rest time between the intervals are so long, at least compared to the rest time I use when i do running intervals(one interval can be 4 min running 2 minutes rest)

Every sport taking above 1/2 minutes, running, swimming etc is very dependend on aerobic fitness. Therefore a lot of long work is done.
Erging is a bir different though, in most sports getting bigger/stronger does not help, in erging is does, the extra weight is not much of a penalty.
If you do interval training, taking long rest makes its possible to do the work faster.

If you only race one and don,t have a long time to prepare, specific work is the most usefull.

If myself do hardly any work above 20/30 minutes. And focus a lot on strenghttraining. I do no longer easy work at all, and certainly no low rate work. Most meters strapless and rate 24.

[lindsayh]

Thanks, but the long rest time between each repetition on the interval is that also standard in rowing?

As you can see there is a lot of interval training OTE but not on the water I guess. The length of the rest can be varied depending on what training you are doing and how long the intervals are. It is a good way of tricking the body into staying aerobic for longer than otherwise and to keep up the stroke rate (aiming for 30+ for a really fast 2km). Henry doesn't like them but we use them a lot at our gym in various ways with longer and shorter rests. For example you can do 3' on 1', 2', 3' rests and get a different training effect and you can do 5, 10 or 15 intervals of exercise for example. 15x 3'/1'r is also a good way of spending an hour compared to a 1 hour session and you get a similar if not superior training effect. Today we did 10x 3'/2'r @ 1:50, tomorrow we might do 30x 30"/30"r @ 1:36 say.

It all makes less sense though if you are just looking for a one off 2km soon. Do some longer pieces at 20-30 minutes though and harder intervals to get your speed up to sub your 2k goal at 30 sr with rests equal to the intervals.

[NavigationHazard]

Interval training on the water has a great deal to do with venue, i.e. how much rowable water you have to work with and how much of what kinds of traffic might be on it.

Sudbury RC in Britain, for example, has just a 1500m stretch of the River Stour on which to row. They've been managing there (since 1874) on nothing but interval pieces, dictated by having to spin the boat and reverse direction all the time. If you train at a dedicated Olympic facility like Dorney Lake (also in Britain) or the Montreal Olympic Basin, you probably have something like 2250m or so before you have to reverse direction. You don't necessarily need to stop altogether in spinning a boat, but it's generally not done without at least some interruption of the work rate. That discontinuity is the essence of interval training, whether or not OTW rowers realize it....

[hjs]

Thanks, but the long rest time between each repetition on the interval is that also standard in rowing?

As you can see there is a lot of interval training OTE but not on the water I guess. The length of the rest can be varied depending on what training you are doing and how long the intervals are. It is a good way of tricking the body into staying aerobic for longer than otherwise and to keep up the stroke rate (aiming for 30+ for a really fast 2km). Henry doesn't like them but we use them a lot at our gym in various ways with longer and shorter rests. For example you can do 3' on 1', 2', 3' rests and get a different training effect and you can do 5, 10 or 15 intervals of exercise for example. 15x 3'/1'r is also a good way of spending an hour compared to a 1 hour session and you get a similar if not superior training effect. Today we did 10x 3'/2'r @ 1:50, tomorrow we might do 30x 30"/30"r @ 1:36 say.

It all makes less sense though if you are just looking for a one off 2km soon. Do some longer pieces at 20-30 minutes though and harder intervals to get your speed up to sub your 2k goal at 30 sr with rests equal to the intervals.

A few reasons Lindsay, for me, long rests make the sessions very long.

It also makes for very hard sessions, not perse so, but if you do the work hard its very tough.

The reason I don,t do much work like you guys do is twofold, keeping short rests during aerobic work, kicks in the alactic system a lot. This recovers rapidly, so the sessions can be done pretty fast. Because they can be done fast, those are hard to recover from.
I myself don,t do well on training hard, the mind is willing, but the flesh is weak . I don,t recover from them. The same goes for low rate work. To hard on my body.
I do best on low volume and pace in the high aerobic regions. Those sessions are pretty tough but not balls out, within a few minutes I recover well. Hard interval work leaves me often tired for a long time.