How often to test 2K pace per year?

[gregm]

Hi, I just finished my first ever indoor race, BRIC 2024 (aged 56), and whilst I didn't do myself justice on the day, I'm enthused to try again next year. To that end I'm starting on a training plan that covers 10~12months, rather than 8 weeks...., and starts out with several months of steady state UT1/UT2 type training with rows of 90~120mins. I'd like to get an idea of how my 2K time is developing during the year. How often do you/other people test their 2K time during the year when building up to one major competition? My plan (World Rowing FISA development plan) has no guidance.

[nick rockliff]

When i first started logging workouts in May 2003, my target was BIRC which was Nov the same year. My 2k tests as below but don't think many people train like this any more.

11/15/03 2,000m 6:33.7 BIRC
10/13/03 2,000m 6:40.4
07/29/03 2,000m 6:48.1
07/08/03 2,000m 6:48.6
06/17/03 2,000m 6:48.9
06/05/03 2,000m 6:50.4
06/03/03 2,000m 6:51.6
05/27/03 2,000m 6:55.6
05/22/03 2,000m 6:59.6

[Tsnor]

To that end I'm starting on a training plan that covers 10~12months, rather than 8 weeks...., and starts out with several months of steady state UT1/UT2 type training with rows of 90~120mins.

Mix in a hard workout each week during base. Those long/slow workouts are gold. But they need a hard day mixed in once or twice a week.

The rather limited controlled science data says if a group of people who do base using only long slow are compared to people who do the same total amount of exercise but do 1 hard/week (1) the long/slow only group is slower at the end of base training period and (2) after 8 weeks of race prep the group that only did UT1/UT2 was still slower than the group that mixed in 1 hard/week. The first result is not surprising, it's base training. second result is a killer -- apparently you can't catch up quickly for a UT1/UT2 only base.

There is also a lot of evidence that strength training (weights) during base training helps endurance athletes = faster 2K. There is even more evidence that people 50+ need strength training to maintain bone strength, muscle mass etc.

If you do your 2K trials at 95% max then you can do them weekly if you want. If you do frequent 2K tests absolute flat out then recovery is an issue. Everyone recovers different, so you'll need to monitor that yourself. If you find your resting heart rate rising, HRV falling, you start feeling like not working out, you start getting sick a lot, your 2K time starts falling, you can't hit your normal max HR, etc. then you are seeing early symptoms of not enough recovery. If you have a sports watch this is when it starts calling workouts "unproductive" and giving you "strained" status. No symptoms, have at it.

[gregm]

@Tsnor That's great advice, thank you

[iain]

There are only 2 reasons for doing 2k tests I can think of:

1) To know your ability / progress and set a race plan and
2) To provide motivation for the rest of your training.

The second is the only really important one until you are 6-8 weeks from your race date. So if you need to show that you are progressing it is the gold standard for a 2k race centred training program. Personally I find all out interval sessions achieve this satisfactorily for me. Also "2kphobia" could make the last 6-8 weeks unpleasant if you do not have the mindset to push through the pain. 4x1k is a pretty good substitute but doesn't replicate the doubt at 800M when your body screams slow down and the monitor shows 1200M left! So you might want an occassional one. We are all different, but most people do limited 2k tests they do not require!