Another newbie

[Kerry1960]

Male age 62, 6ft 2 14st 8lbs (204)
I'm a total newbie to the Concept 2. Significant injuries to my ankle and knee, which have both required surgery, have hampered my physical activity in recent years. I resolved to get fitter on Jan 1 and joined a gym for a 3 month stint .I'm going to the gym 6/7 days and row every time. I do 25 mins on the cross trainer after rowing. As a sports fan I'd heard about the Concwpt 2 and 2K records but never tried it
When I first tried the Concept 2 I couldn't break 10 mins for 2K but after 6 weeks I'm down to 8:40. I try the 2k twice a week and have longer 20 min rows on the other days. I,ve watched a lot of YouTube and my technique has certainly improved.

Given my age and experience do you think 8 mins is possible by the end of March? If yes what training will help me get there?

[Kerry1960]

I should have added, I'm 6ft 2 with a background in running and squash though not for quite a few years

[Vcweiss346]

Male age 62, 6ft 2 14st 8lbs (204)
I'm a total newbie to the Concept 2. Significant injuries to my ankle and knee, which have both required surgery, have hampered my physical activity in recent years. I resolved to get fitter on Jan 1 and joined a gym for a 3 month stint .I'm going to the gym 6/7 days and row every time. I do 25 mins on the cross trainer after rowing. As a sports fan I'd heard about the Concwpt 2 and 2K records but never tried it
When I first tried the Concept 2 I couldn't break 10 mins for 2K but after 6 weeks I'm down to 8:40. I try the 2k twice a week and have longer 20 min rows on the other days. I,ve watched a lot of YouTube and my technique has certainly improved.

Given my age and experience do you think 8 mins is possible by the end of March? If yes what training will help me get there?

Total newbie here too. Good luck. Im going to guess the prevailing thought is that you can make it to 8:00 if you work hard on technique. Probably will see as much or more improvement with technique than fitness.

My opinion is testing twice a week isn’t going to get there. Better to do a combination of longer steady aerobic rowing for the majority of workouts and throw in some specific interval work once a week.

I have found posting on the training thread motivating and keeps me working toward rowing more.

[KeithT]

You make big gains when first starting as you have experienced and they can last a while. The main thing it to get form as good as it can be and get as many meters in a possible. I would venture to guess you could get to 8:00 by end of March but there are so many variables. I would not keep testing so much and instead do some interval training once a week closer to your target pace (2:00). We could prob give more insight if you shared the data of a recent 2K test to see pacing and SPM.

[Sakly]

And it would be good to know how you felt after the 8:40. Took it all from you (then you couldn't do another 2k attempt 2 or 3 days later) or was it exhausting, but the next day or even some hours after you were fine. Did you feel you lost the power to go on/harder or the stamina?

[Dangerscouse]

Welcome to the forum, and I agree with Keith. Try to break up the 2k into smaller chunks at your target pace, or ideally a bit faster.

For example, try doing 750m x 4 with 3:30 or 4 minutes rest, and aim for 1:59 pace. Getting used to the general feeling of discomfort is important, as the mental battle can be a big obstacle.

If you can do 750m at under your target pace, increase the distance and reduce the rest period until you find your tipping point. You might not be able to go 1:59 or faster, if so, aim at 2:02 pace.

[mitchel674]

Look at the gains you've already made and enjoy them. 10 minutes down to 8:40 in just 6 weeks is a significant improvement. 8:40 to 8:00 will be much harder. What is happening at the end of March that you feel you must make 8:00 at that time?

Best advice is to do more steady state rowing. Your longest rows now are only 20 minutes. Get up to 30-40 minutes 2-3 days per week. Throw in a few interval days as already suggested to test your progress.

Your first goal should be sub 8:30.

[Tsnor]

Male age 62, 6ft 2 14st 8lbs (204)
...
I'm going to the gym 6/7 days and row every time. I do 25 mins on the cross trainer after rowing
....
Given my age and experience do you think 8 mins is possible by the end of March? If yes what training will help me get there?

You have the raw material to get very strong quickly.

2K is an excellent target. 2K power comes 80% from your aerobic engine and 20% from your strength/anaerobic system.

An 8:40 2K (2:05 split) is 180 watts. 8:00 2K (2:00 split) is 200 watts. So you need a 20 watt gain. Aerobic gains come slowly, but are the majority of 2K time improvement. When you start periodic training 50 watts/year aerobic gains are very doable. The 20% anaerobic/strength component of the 2K trains very quickly -- you can see excellent results from strength training / hard intervals / hard longer pieces in 4-6 weeks. Rowing technique improvements give you free power. The combination of strength, aerobic and technique delivering 20 watts in a month to meet your March target is very possible, you may even substantially beat an 8:00 2K.

Build a training plan with adequate recovery between hard workouts. Example, if you lift don't do the same muscle groups every day. If you run, don't do sprints every day. If you row, don't row hard every day.

Here is background on training plans. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MALsI0mJ09I Post if you get interested, there is a next level down of details. Key take away is people who train hard 6 days a week do worse than people who train hard 3 days a week and train easy the other days, which is pretty strange, but well documented.

Since you train 6 times/week your training plan for 2K might have 2-3 hard rows a week plus 2-4 longer, much slower rows a week and 1 or 2 rest days. The hard rows are never back to back. Mix/match any activity (elliptical, bike, hike, swim, etc. ) with rowing for the long/slow days. Staying rowing specific for the hard days will get your rowing split lower/faster. The rest/recovery days are when you get the gains, not the work days. Work hard enough to trigger a body adaptation, then use a rest day to let your body make necessary changes. Long/slow days are done slow enough that your body can also use them to rebuild following a hard day. Long/slow rowing also builds your aerobic engine which is 80% of your 2K.

At 50+ years old, you really want to be lifting minimum once/week to build bone density, etc. Strength training will also help your rowing splits. Since you are at a gym you likely have access to weights. Use weights on your hard rowing days so you have several hard activities stacked on 1 day followed by a rest/recovery day or long/slow day following. Don't end up with some hard activities each day.

If you start hurting (back, arms, elbows, etc.) back off a bit to let thing heal. Your body will strengthen the weak parts if you let it. Don't push through. As you get stronger your ability to hurt yourself increases. Good Luck.

[Kerry1960]

Some great tips here. I,ll try 30-40 min rows for sure and also some intervals. I,ll post what progress I make). I actully don't think I'm fast enough or strong enough yet I can't break 2 mins for 500m by much. So maybe I should work on my speed as much as endurance. Many thanks

[Sakly]

An 8:40 2K (2:05 split) is 180 watts. 8:00 2K (2:00 split) is 200 watts. So you need a 20 watt gain.

8:40 is 2:10 split, around 160w, so 40W to gain, which is quite a bit. But nevertheless I agree to all written (as usual)

[Tsnor]

An 8:40 2K (2:05 split) is 180 watts. 8:00 2K (2:00 split) is 200 watts. So you need a 20 watt gain.

8:40 is 2:10 split, around 160w, so 40W to gain, which is quite a bit. But nevertheless I agree to all written (as usual)

OMG, as bad as a my tax forms.... 40 / 4 = 5.

[Dangerscouse]

I can't break 2 mins for 500m by much.

There's nothing wrong with that, as rowing is hard work, especially for a newbie. Find your baseline, whatever that is, and build from there.

Always remind yourself it's not going to be easy, but you don't want it to be easy.

[Sakly]

An 8:40 2K (2:05 split) is 180 watts. 8:00 2K (2:00 split) is 200 watts. So you need a 20 watt gain.

8:40 is 2:10 split, around 160w, so 40W to gain, which is quite a bit. But nevertheless I agree to all written (as usual)

OMG, as bad as a my tax forms.... 40 / 4 = 5.

If it's the calculation of the tax you have to pay, that's fine

[jackarabit]

I will go against the grain saying that some of us need to stay away from the clock and preserve functional fitness. You’re young enuf and tall enuf and fit enuf from the lingering CV status of an x-runner to go sub 8’ in 3-4 months. But the injury/corrective surgery nexus suggests that a cautious approach might start with an extended prehab period of low to moderate intensity rowing. You don’t need to get on the DL again. I recommend a lot of MIT organised around 4 to 10k with endurance interval or continuous execution. The need for speed will survive your 63rd birthday. Your choice of course.

[Ombrax]

I agree with Jack - unless there's something super-important happening in March, don't push yourself too far too fast. If you were 25 years old and didn't have injury issues, then by all means, I'd say go for it. But given your history I'd take my time and work up to it more gradually.

What's the rush?