Concept2 Forum

I pulled a 5K PB of 19:19.5 at 28 SPM.
I started out just doing a normal 5k workout after a 1k warmup. I was consistemtly pulling 1:55- 1:56 and felt good so just maintained that pace. My SPM have been consistently coming down on different distances which I assume means that my technique is improving.

Good job! Your technique probably is improving; that happens! Your fitness is likely getting better too, which will affect the stroke rate. I find that my stroke rate, when I'm going for a long hard piece or PB, settles in to match my breathing pattern. That is typically around 27-28 spm for most of the row. If the music I happen to be listening to has a beat around that, + or - a few SPM, I row to match the music, which makes that 3 or 4 minutes go by fast and smooth. Near the end, I double my breathing pattern and up the rate to 30+ to finish it off. In short, you'll find what works for you.

Great progress Tim. Your times are making you very competitive in the 60+ lwts. Keep up the good work. Never hurts to have another good 60+ lwt in the fray.

Mark and Rick thanks for the encouragement. Mark, I have started biking more so my rowing is taking a back seat to my cycling to work which is 28 miles roundtrip and also weekend rides. It seems to be a fine balancing act between the two. Mark do you cycle and row on the same day or alternate between the two?
Tim

Tim, like you, I get more into the cycling as the weather improves. I did get my boat down and cleaned up for a row on the water the other day, though. Nice! Erging will (already has) tapered off. And, the lousy economy and two kids in college forced me to give up the bike racing (can't afford a crash) so now I ride hard by myself or with the group on the days I can, and take a day or two off between. Definitely not a training regimen, just trying to stay in some sort of condition.

Sounds like you're fairly new to the erging scene, so stick with it. It is by far the best form of exercise I've ever found, but not quite as much fun as rowing OTW or riding your bike.

My 5K's are still avg 22mins with a 500m split of 2.18 avg and spm 32-35 what am I doing wrong with 3mins more and higher stroke rate?
thanks bob

Bob,

You're rate is way too high. While some can row effectively at high rates, it has to be coupled with effective technique. Otherwise you are just moving back and forth on the slide without putting power into the stroke. First of all, realize that rowing is not an upper-body sport. So focus on driving with your legs. Do it at a low controlled rate and try to keep the chain very level without any bobbing up and down. Later on you can try bringing your rate back up to around 28-30.

Good luck!

-Trevor

Trevor thanks for the info. Always hard to bring that ego down appreciate the info will try it today....Bob

Cyclist2 wrote:Tim, like you, I get more into the cycling as the weather improves. I did get my boat down and cleaned up for a row on the water the other day, though. .......Definitely not a training regimen, just trying to stay in some sort of condition.
Sounds like you're fairly new to the erging scene, so stick with it. It is by far the best form of exercise I've ever found, but not quite as much fun as rowing OTW or riding your bike.

Mark, I am new to erging compared to many of the people here. I did just manage to hit the 2 million meter mark but far from an experienced erger...I started training to stay in shape last year as described at this web page click here. I have never been on the water but plan to change that this summer. I can only imagine how much harder that is since one needs to think about a lot more stuff. My son who is graduating this year rowed crew in college and has a single so he can get me started. I also agree about rowing being the best form of exercise but as you say not quite as fun as cycling.
Tim

tdekoekkoek wrote:Bob,

You're rate is way too high. While some can row effectively at high rates, it has to be coupled with effective technique. .... Do it at a low controlled rate and try to keep the chain very level without any bobbing up and down. Later on you can try bringing your rate back up to around 28-30.

Good luck!

-Trevor

Trevor is right on with his guidance. I know it is hard to do since when I started I had the lever set at 7 and thought that the faster the SPM the faster one would go. I guess that is right to some degree but I have found that as my times improved my SPM have come down and I have also reduced my drag factor...I was rowing beside a heavy weight co-worker today who is in pretty good shape (he is a cyclist) but has just started erging. His best time to date was 20:50 with the lever at around 10. I talked to him about drag factor and a little about technique. He then reduced his drag factor to 142 and pulled a 5k in 19:44 at 32 SPM...I was rowing right beside him and pulled a 19:20 with a drag factor of 118 and 28 SPM. Note: he is about 6'4" so I can only imagine what he will do if he keeps at this and improves his technique.

Hi Tim. Congratulations on an excellent 5K that puts you right up there amongst the top 60+ lightweights. I'm sure you've got faster times to come. Your drag factor is probably about right for you and indicates a good technique - you've got to have good technique to make an effective catch at a low drag factor. (High drag factors are favoured by novices as they make the catch easier.) As for the rate, that might be something you could experiment with. I personally find that I do all my serious 5Ks at about 30-31 spm - I don't know why but they seem less tiring that way. However, optimum rate is a very individual thing and varies from person to person. 28 may be right for you. Best wishes, William

Thanks again for the info, tried other day with slowing my SPM and focusing more on my Technique especially the Finish and found myself getting same distance as the higher rate but found more strenous. Like anything getting muscles etc used to more stress put on them. Definately looking forward to bringing my times down...Thanks,

konarzewski wrote: I personally find that I do all my serious 5Ks at about 30-31 spm - I don't know why but they seem less tiring that way. However, optimum rate is a very individual thing and varies from person to person. 28 may be right for you. Best wishes, William

William,
Thanks for the advice...next time I am shooting for a 5k PB I will see if increasing the SPM near the end of the piece will help to pull down my time. I have not actually set out to do a PB in the 5k for quite awhile. They just appear to creep up on me depending on how I am feeling that day.