Why am I getting slower?

[Keepongoin]

So here's the thing. I am 17, 6ft 1", 160lbs. Rowing for 3 years. Had an injury last fall and missed the Fall season, missing Spring season too now due to this COVID-19 thing. I'm determined to get back on track but my 5 x 500 erg times are getting worse, not better. My goal is a 1:49 split by September. 2 years ago I was achieving 1:52. Today I was over 2 minutes. Getting to the point where I'm stressing about getting back on the erg and I can feel my confidence is low. I feel that I need a proper training schedule with achievable goals - not just fixating on "the number" and then feeling disappointed with my performance. How often should I be on the erg, compared to running, lifting and resting? Any and all suggestions to help me get back in the game will be much appreciated!

[Dangerscouse]

You need to take one step back to take two steps forward.

Are you just doing short intervals? Start doing longer and slower sessions, ideally if you've got a HR monitor at 70% of max HR and build up your base fitness.

Maybe look at doing the Pete Plan as this has got all of the types of sessions that you need to do.

Remove your ego from the target paces and forget about what you used to do be able to do. If your confidence is low you need to rebuild your progress with slower progress across a variety of sessions, and stop doing the 500 intervals: you will just keep lowering your confidence if you can't progress with it.

I find there's no better way than getting better at erging than doing lots and lots of metres. Running probably won't help much and keep lifting to twice a week if you can.

Resting is all about knowing when you need to do it, as there's no ideal for everyone. Try and identify when you're being lazy and when you genuinely feel tired. I know some people who row every day but I probably row four days a week.

[jamesg]

Take a rest then start from scratch with a progressive race plan.

From now to September is 20 weeks, so you have plenty of time to go through a complete schedule.

This is a typical plan, Level 3, 26 week, 5 day, from the Interactives that disappeared from the web some years ago. There's lots of others.
UT means rating 18-23, AT is below race pace at around 28, TR and AN are faster than race pace. Test is 2k.

Paces (and ratings, to some extent) in the various training bands are based on 2k test Watts as follows:
UT2 up to 60%
UT1 60 - 70%
AT 70 - 80%
TR 105%
AN 115%

Week
1 TEST 1x20'UT1 2x12'UT1 2x15'UT1 2x10'UT1
2 40'UT2 2x14'UT1 2x16'UT1 2x18'UT1 2x15'UT1
3 45'UT2 2x17'UT1 2x19'UT1 4x10'UT1 2x18'UT1

4 30'UT2 2x7'AT 2x10'UT1 2x7'AT 2x12'UT1
5 45'UT2 2x8'AT 2x14'UT1 2x8'AT 2x16'UT1
6 50'UT2 2x9'AT 3x13'UT1 3x7'AT 3x15'UT1

7 30'UT2 2x7'AT 2x12'UT1 2x7'AT 3x12'UT1
8 2x14'UT1 2x8'AT 4x2'TR 2x7'AT 2x4'TR
9 3x13'UT1 2x9'AT 2x3'TR 2x9'AT 6x2'TR

10 20'UT1 2x8'AT 2x2'TR 2x7'AT 3x2'TR
11 2x12'UT1 2x10'AT 4x2'TR 2x7'AT 2x4'TR
12 3x12'UT1 3x7'AT 5x2'TR 2x9'AT 3x3'TR

13 TEST 2x9'AT 2x2'TR 2x8'AT 3x2'TR
14 2x16'UT1 3x7'AT 4x2'TR 2x8'AT 2x4'TR
15 2x18'UT1 4x6'AT 5x2'TR 2x10'AT 3x3'TR

16 50'UT2 2x10'AT 2x3'TR 2x12'AT 2x4'TR
17 3x12'UT1 3x8'AT 3x3'TR 3x8'AT 3x4'TR
18 2x20'UT1 4x1.5'AN 4x3'TR 3x10'AT 4x4'TR

19 50'UT2 10x1'AN 2x4'TR 2x12'AT 2x3'TR
20 3x13'UT1 5x1'AN 3x4'TR 2x15'AT 3x3'TR
21 3x14'UT1 8x45s'AN 4x4'TR 3x13'AT 4x3'TR

22 50'UT2 6x1.5'AN 4x2'TR 3x8'AT 2x5'TR
23 2x16'UT1 6x1'AN 3x3'TR 3x10'AT 3x5'TR
24 2x18'UT1 8x45sAN 4x3'TR 3x12'AT 3x6'TR

25 2x15UT1 6x1.5'AN 2x5'TR 2x8'AT 4x2'TR
26 25'UT2 1x3'TR 3x1.5'AN 3x45s AN RACE

[sonoronos]

What other training are you doing besides the 5x500 workout on the ergo? Are you doing 5k and 10k rows? How are your times on those?

[mitchel674]

Is something different in your form or technique after your injury? With good technique, a 17 year old at your height should be pulling with more power. Your current pace of 1:52 is 249W. You should have more power on those 500m pieces. Perhaps post a video of your technique for critique. What does your coach say?

[Gammmmo]

So here's the thing. I am 17, 6ft 1", 160lbs. Rowing for 3 years. Had an injury last fall and missed the Fall season, missing Spring season too now due to this COVID-19 thing. I'm determined to get back on track but my 5 x 500 erg times are getting worse, not better. My goal is a 1:49 split by September. 2 years ago I was achieving 1:52. Today I was over 2 minutes. Getting to the point where I'm stressing about getting back on the erg and I can feel my confidence is low. I feel that I need a proper training schedule with achievable goals - not just fixating on "the number" and then feeling disappointed with my performance. How often should I be on the erg, compared to running, lifting and resting? Any and all suggestions to help me get back in the game will be much appreciated!

Well.....you're not getting any younger.

Seriously though...u say you've missed seasons...what does that mean? Sum up the kind of sessions you would've been doing and what u had to do instead.....is this aerobic degredation just down to a reduction in volume? Also...blood test?