hit the wall this semester...what is wrong with me?

sergeant_81 · Post by **sergeant_81** » December 4th, 2007, 6:04 pm

Hello all,

I currently row for a university club team. I am 26 (in college late due to military service), 5'10, and around 160 pounds.

Last year was my first year, and I was completely out of shape when I began (first 6k test was around 2:01 pace, a later 2k was around 1:51). Winter training was marked by vast improvement, with a final 2k test of 6:59 (not great by any means, I know, but a 14-second improvement overall). I ended the season on a high note, racing the first varsity boat as a novice (another rower came down with pneumonia, and although my erg scores sucked, I was selected to seat his place due to technique and my aggression when in the boat).

This season, all that progress stopped. Completely. I am one of the weakest on the team erg-wise, with a 6k pace of 1:56 (we have not tested 2k yet). I wake up every morning completely dreading the coming workout, a feeling I very seldom had last year. A week of progress is followed by a week of regression, sometimes past the point I was at (for example, I pulled a 15k hour of power two weeks ago...the next week, only pulled a 14.5k, and damn near killed myself doing it). I am having a hell of a time holding consistent paces and stroke ratings.

I'm convinced the issue is a mental one. It's embarassing to say it...especially being a former Marine, for goodness' sake...but I feel fear when I sit on the erg. An anxiety attack, if you will. Last year I hardly felt such things...I was always ready to get down to business.

I know I've rambled, and for that I apologize. We have the last 6k test of the fall tomorrow, and as usual for this season I'm a nervous wreck. I should be able to pull harder than I am...there are lightweights much smaller than me out there who could leave me a thousand meters behind.

Have any other rowers experienced this sort of mental/physical slump, and how did you break through it? Thanks for your time.

-sgt-

philrow · Post by **philrow** » December 4th, 2007, 6:33 pm

Hey,

Well I wouldn't say I've had problems exactly like yours, but I have experienced some similarities.

About 2.5 months ago, I had this problem for a few weeks that I simply couldn't finish pieces almost regardless of intensity. I decided that a few factors were involved. First, the attempted pieces were consistently quite intense, with most being 80% of 2k pace or better. After a lot of reading, talking, and just analysis of my training routine, I discovered that such is a very bad a approach to training. I've recently changed to a decidedly volume-based approach, rather than an intensity-based one. Perhaps your problem is you always pull with such intensity, perhaps more than is appropriate for the workout? If so, than you're just tiring yourself out and not getting the full benefits of training. That's what I did. I know something was wrong when I couldn't hold a 1:52 pace for an 11 minute AT piece. After a tough week of intense training and a day off, I only managed a 7:15 2k which was completely unexpected and disappointing. After adjusting intensity so that I could complete all my of training pieces, I gained a great deal of confidence as well as the augmented physical benefits. Accordingly, I pulled PBs in 6k, 5k, and a few weeks ago, a 2k PB at 6:49.

I would trying tuning down the intensity for most of your workouts and then completing them with confidence, regardless of whether you think you're pulling with too much intensity or not.

Phil

johnlvs2run · Post by **johnlvs2run** » December 4th, 2007, 6:57 pm

There's an axiom in running that you're not going to train hard and race your fastest at the same time, as you need to recover from your training to race well.

It sounds like you're trying to do everything at maximum effort - a mistake.

I'd focus on pacing yourself through your sessions, through each week, through the season, and make sure you are well recovered, rested and fresh for your races.

Nosmo · Post by **Nosmo** » December 4th, 2007, 8:37 pm

Agree with the others sounds like your way over trained. You need to take a week off and come back slowly.
The other possibility is you have some sort of low level illness.

Jamie Pfeffer · Post by **Jamie Pfeffer** » December 6th, 2007, 7:40 pm

I understand how you feel. Every rower has been there; all of us. I had a teammate who broke six minutes for a 2K. That's very fast for a heavyweight -- except we were lightweights. Pound for pound, he was the best on the ergometer that I've ever seen. But even he used to suffer anxiety about the erg. His stress was so bad that, when he tested, we used to put tape on the monitor. Then with 800 meters to go, we would remove it. This method allowed him to concentrate on the piece, rather than contemplating how much pulling a 1:30 split invariably caused agony.

Phil's post about focusing on longer pieces seems exactly right to me. That way you can improve your fitness without having to swim in a lactic acid pool every time you row. And Nosmo raises an important point. Check with your doctor.

Remember something, though. Absolutely anything that an erg can do to you, you learned how to overcome at Paris Island. People throw around the term "warrior" far too often. But in your case, the name fits. You will beat this. That's what you do. You're a United States Marine.

Best,
Jamie

Rowan11088 · Post by **Rowan11088** » December 7th, 2007, 8:44 am

A very understandable problem, and not something to worry yourself over. My advice to you is threefold...First, you will have to tone down your intensity slightly, just for now, so you can get your confidence back. Second, find someone to compete with, who's around your level. The drive of competition is usually more powerful than "can I finish this piece" anxiety. And third, try negative splitting more than you do right now. That way you can still pull a decent score, but you'll know for sure that you can handle the first portion of the piece, and by the time you really start to hurt it'll be too late to turn back

And just as an aside...
"I had a teammate who broke six minutes for a 2K."
Well tell your teammate he's the world record holder for lwt then. You sure you mean 6 minutes?

Jamie Pfeffer · Post by **Jamie Pfeffer** » December 7th, 2007, 11:35 am

Hi, Rowan. Yes. I absolutely mean sub 6. For a world record, one has to pull the score in a race. I've seen him pull around 6:10 in races. But about 10 of us were there at Potomac boat club in February 1995 when he went 5:57(ish). And at Georgetown, one day in February or March 1995, we had to go 3x2K. Conal pulled three 6:12s. No one wanted to be his partner, because then you got the least rest.

Google: "Conal Groom Erg machine." He rowed for the United States in Sydney.

Until the day that I die, I will defend Conal Groom's prowess on the erg (and in the water). He is the mentally and physically strongest athlete that I've ever seen. He was also the best boatmate a person could ever have.

johnlvs2run · Post by **johnlvs2run** » December 7th, 2007, 11:54 am

Jamie Pfeffer wrote:Google: "Conal Groom Erg machine."

Nothing shows up for that.

Here's an interview for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
http://www.usatoday.com/community/chat/0901groom.htm

There are a lot of hits for cycling, so maybe he was a cyclist too.
He says his best erg time was 6:05, but it doesn't say where that was.

trap_star · Post by **trap_star** » December 7th, 2007, 1:25 pm

Was the erg test done on slides? Because I've heard sliders will drop a some time off your splits. I'm not doubting his time, because chances are he a few pounds above weight and would be able to perform better without the cut. I think its believable, the Danish lightweight Stephansson(sp?) pulled 1997 metres on a 6 minute VO2 test, maybe 3/4 of a second more and he would have hit 2k, which would break a record, and he's only 19!

Nosmo · Post by **Nosmo** » December 7th, 2007, 2:03 pm

trap_star wrote:...on a 6 minute VO2 test....

that means he did it with one of those breathing masks and tubes attached!!?

trap_star · Post by **trap_star** » December 7th, 2007, 3:57 pm

Nosmo wrote:
trap_star wrote:...on a 6 minute VO2 test....
that means he did it with one of those breathing masks and tubes attached!!?

Actually, don't quote me on that. It may have just been a 6 minute test (but when you are at that level I guess its just a nice way to say 2k). So I'm not 100% sure if it was a V02 test or not.

johnlvs2run · Post by **johnlvs2run** » December 7th, 2007, 3:58 pm

trap_star wrote:Was the erg test done on slides? Because I've heard sliders will drop a some time off your splits. I'm not doubting his time, because chances are he a few pounds above weight and would be able to perform better without the cut.

Good point and probably why he couldn't break 6:10 in a race.

the Danish lightweight Stephansen pulled 1997 metres on a 6 minute VO2 test, maybe 3/4 of a second more and he would have hit 2k, which would break a record, and he's only 19!

It's been reported that Stephansen has bettered 6 on the slides for a 2k.

philrow · Post by **philrow** » December 7th, 2007, 10:19 pm

"My 2k time this year is 6:05 but I can and have gone faster. My 6k averages about 1:37."

Now that's elite. That would pretty much mean a 5k well below 16'?

Jamie Pfeffer · Post by **Jamie Pfeffer** » December 7th, 2007, 11:29 pm

Thanks for the quote, Phil.

I appreciate your finding the interview, John, but if you're going to comment on Conal's erg score, please note that he said in the interview that he went faster than 6:05.

And his 6K is probably even more impressive.

johnlvs2run · Post by **johnlvs2run** » December 8th, 2007, 1:49 am

Detroit, Michigan: What is your 2k erg time?

Conal Groom: Most people would respond by reminding you ergs don't float. But they are wrong in my opinion. I went 6:05 this year, but I am capable of more.

I must have missed it. Where does he say he went 6:05 as a lightweight.

Or was it 5:57 as a lightweight.