Losing form in ten weeks: a cautionary tale

General discussion on Training. How to get better on your erg, how to use your erg to get better at another sport, or anything else about improving your abilities.
Post Reply
gcanyon
2k Poster
Posts: 223
Joined: March 16th, 2006, 2:46 pm
Location: Seattle, WA, USA

Losing form in ten weeks: a cautionary tale

Post by gcanyon » November 10th, 2017, 10:51 pm

Three months ago I was rowing daily and looking good to make my year-end goals. I benchmark with three workouts: "easy" is 5000m in 24 minutes; "medium" is 10k in 45 minutes; "hard" is 7000m in 30 minutes. Then I went on a trip where no rowing machine was available. I did multiple forms of workout, including stairs, hill climbs, and half-hour body weight routines that left me breathless, sweaty, and sore. But to paraphrase Rocket Raccoon, it seems "There ain't nothing like rowing, 'cept rowing."

My first time back on the erg, I barely managed an "easy." Three months ago my heart rate wouldn't crack 125 on easy. This time my *average* was 155. For almost a week now I've been trying to do a medium. It's getting better, but I'm still cracking 170bpm at about the 30 minute mark and dying.

Learn from my mistake: never stop erging.

User avatar
Ombrax
10k Poster
Posts: 1828
Joined: April 20th, 2013, 2:05 am
Location: St Louis, MO, USA

Re: Losing form in ten weeks: a cautionary tale

Post by Ombrax » November 11th, 2017, 12:49 am

That's one problem with being in good shape - you loose it so quickly.

One solution: don't bother getting into shape, and don't ever row at a pace faster than 2:30. That way you'll never loose it no matter how much time you take off. ;)

Dangerscouse
Marathon Poster
Posts: 11284
Joined: April 27th, 2014, 11:11 am
Location: Liverpool, England

Re: Losing form in ten weeks: a cautionary tale

Post by Dangerscouse » November 11th, 2017, 7:52 am

Wow, I knew that two weeks off wasn't great for me but I didn't expect 10 weeks to have such an effect.
51 HWT; 6' 4"; 1k= 3:09; 2k= 6:36; 5k= 17:19; 6k= 20:47; 10k= 35:46 30mins= 8,488m 60mins= 16,618m HM= 1:16.47; FM= 2:40:41; 50k= 3:16:09; 100k= 7:52:44; 12hrs = 153km

"You reap what you row"

Instagram: stuwenman

User avatar
hjs
Marathon Poster
Posts: 10076
Joined: March 16th, 2006, 3:18 pm
Location: Amstelveen the netherlands

Re: Losing form in ten weeks: a cautionary tale

Post by hjs » November 11th, 2017, 8:20 am

We have plenty of time to rest.....

After we die, untill then, you can never take time off.

Pie Man
5k Poster
Posts: 569
Joined: May 12th, 2016, 9:35 am
Location: UK

Re: Losing form in ten weeks: a cautionary tale

Post by Pie Man » November 11th, 2017, 8:57 am

Around February I had to stop rowing due to problems with my knees due from having fun skiing. I didn't row again tell may.
I sat down dialed in 20mins and set off at a very gentle pace and this was the result.

Image

I had to stop after ten mins. It took about two months rowing four times a week adding one min to the length of the row most sessions to build back to any sort of pace and endurance. Things are going ok now and i have just done a pb 2k at 7:09.5. But missing those three months certainly cost me a huge amount of rowing fitness even though i was still training at the gym....
Piers 53m was 73Kg 175cm to 2019 now 78kg
500m 1:34 (HW 2020) 2k 7:09.5 (2017 LWT) 10k 39:58.9 (2016 LWT) HM 1:28:26.9 (2017 LWT)

User avatar
Anth_F
Half Marathon Poster
Posts: 2652
Joined: June 29th, 2016, 11:59 am
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Losing form in ten weeks: a cautionary tale

Post by Anth_F » November 11th, 2017, 11:00 am

Yeah wowzers... thats an eye opener. Definitely no substitute for the erg, thats for sure, i found that out myself! I thought some mountain biking might help me for the work on the erg, but in actual fact it was the other way around haha. I get concerned if i have just a couple days break from it. Which also reminds me, i need to crank out a sesh at some point today.
46 yo male 5'10 88kg (Rowing since june 9th 2016) PB's 5k 19:22 30min 7518m

Post Reply