Help me go sub-7:00 for the 2k

[jackarabit]

Larry, you set the height of the hurdle but don't appear inclined to believe you will get over it. You want somebody to cast the bones and give you odds. You raise objections to training regimens which induce fatigue or may result in injury. The question behind the question is whether you should invest in an enterprise with a high cost to benefit ratio? I initially thought you should do but this isn't a game of double dog dare, is it? 30' a day low aerobic pace erging is enuf to preserve cardiac fitness and function--a modest investment with a high return in quality of life. Your running career is not a perfect analogy to erging but close enuf to allow you to make the decision what you want in your portfolio. Some folks like playing dice--some don't. If you do exactly as little or as much as you please and continue to measure your progress by reference to 2k time, I believe you'll see improvement in the coming year.

[LarryRow]

Larry, you set the height of the hurdle but don't appear inclined to believe you will get over it. You want somebody to cast the bones and give you odds. You raise objections to training regimens which induce fatigue or may result in injury. The question behind the question is whether you should invest in an enterprise with a high cost to benefit ratio? I initially thought you should do but this isn't a game of double dog dare, is it? 30' a day low aerobic pace erging is enuf to preserve cardiac fitness and function--a modest investment with a high return in quality of life. Your running career is not a perfect analogy to erging but close enuf to allow you to make the decision what you want in your portfolio. Some folks like playing dice--some don't. If you do exactly as little or as much as you please and continue to measure your progress by reference to 2k time, I believe you'll see improvement in the coming year.

I've learned a lot in this thread. I've learned about various workouts that will increase my power and others that will increase my endurance. I just want to be careful to balance intensity and volume so as to avoid injury. I have a tendency to overdo things, so I'm just trying to be careful. I don't recover like I did when I was twenty five years old so I need to take that into account. The old runner's joke that you're always injured after 50 isn't far from the truth.

I think I'll improve a lot in the coming year. Rowing agrees with me, I like it a lot.

There is a study that shows that lack of aerobic fitness is only slightly behind smoking in reducing lifespan:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/07/2 ... s-smoking/

I'm happy to have found something that replaces running because I was just tired of struggling with running injuries.

[Anth_F]

That study is an interesting read.

Especially this part!!! "Poor fitness turned out to be unhealthier even than high blood pressure or poor cholesterol profiles, the researchers found. Highly fit men with elevated blood pressure or relatively unhealthy cholesterol profiles tended to live longer than out-of-shape men with good blood pressure and cholesterol levels"

[Tim K.]

That is because with respect to at least cholesterol levels in fit individuals "poor profiles" are a farce.

[LarryRow]

That is because with respect to at least cholesterol levels in fit individuals "poor profiles" are a farce.

I certainly hope so because after hard rowing workouts I like to have three eggs for breakfast!

I saw a story about an Olympic rower who was training in Princeton and her host family said she had four eggs for breakfast, so I figured I was safe.

[hjs]

That is because with respect to at least cholesterol levels in fit individuals "poor profiles" are a farce.

I certainly hope so because after hard rowing workouts I like to have three eggs for breakfast!

I saw a story about an Olympic rower who was training in Princeton and her host family said she had four eggs for breakfast, so I figured I was safe.

http://www.ditchthecarbs.com/the-cholesterol-myth/

[Anth_F]

Nothing wrong with having eggs at all. Eggs are a great way to start any morning, and packed full of nutrients (especially the free range organic variety)

Steak and eggs are a great breakfast combo! Might seem odd to some having steak for breakfast, but it provides lots of protein, and is a massive testosterone booster.

Great post workouts meal as well.

[ArmandoChavezUNC]

Eggs are the absolute best food per unit weight that you can find.

The ONLY people who should be concerned about their egg intake are those with existing cholesterol problems who are what is termed "hyper-responders" to dietary cholesterol intake. If you are not both of those, then you can eat as many eggs as you'd like.

[LarryRow]

Ok, so I tried the peak power test outlined in the article posted above.

First, I could only get the drag to 178 because the gym never cleans their ergs.

With that said, I tried the 10 second trial twice, full slide, and hit 347 watts.

Sad? Pathetic? Ridiculous? Grandma watts, I'm sure.

What do I need for a 7:00 2k, 550 watts?

[G-dub]

Look at it this way...you will need to hold 307 watts for 6:59.9
Edit- it should have been 303.2 watts

[ArmandoChavezUNC]

Look at it this way...you will need to hold 307 watts for 6:59.9

302.3 watts

I think your issues with the max wattage test aren't physiological but rather technical.

[Anth_F]

Ouch Sounds like tough going for sure to break 7:00 on a 2K.

[MarkEg]

After 140 odd posts on this thread, I'll say what I said at the outset: I wouldn't even think about a sub-7 2K at the moment. As it stands, today, it's miles away. However, if you pick out all the great advice in these comments, many of them who know far more about this than me, then you'll have access to the kind of info that'll get you moving in that direction. But it's a progression, takes a long time and may have many false peaks and hideous troughs. I don't even think about 2K anymore -- far less test it. I just do my meters according to what I'm trying to achieve and I'm sure it'll be there soon. Personally, just as an aside, I'm more excited about improving my 5, particularly 6 and also 10k times!

[LarryRow]

Look at it this way...you will need to hold 307 watts for 6:59.9

302.3 watts

I think your issues with the max wattage test aren't physiological but rather technical.

Not sure why you think that. I believe I lack physical strength, I don't think improved technique will yield that many more watts, especially after having worked on my form with a coach for two months.

So, if I need to hold 302.5 watts then 550 is a good goal because 302.5 is 55% of 550. The article states that this is goal for holding a certain wattage.

I'm just getting started. I could be the aerobic monster of the world but without power, I'll never get there.

It's ok if other people have goals for longer distances, I'm just not that excited to pull that hard for that long.

[MarkEg]

That study is an interesting read.

Especially this part!!! "Poor fitness turned out to be unhealthier even than high blood pressure or poor cholesterol profiles, the researchers found. Highly fit men with elevated blood pressure or relatively unhealthy cholesterol profiles tended to live longer than out-of-shape men with good blood pressure and cholesterol levels"

Question though: How out of shape can you really be with 'good blood pressure and cholesterol levels?'