Concept2 Forum

Hi all,
Head season is coming up and I need to work on my mental game because I know that I am physically able to do a 5k erg but at around the 2k mark I feel like the pain is too much and I just want to give up. Even with shorter ergs I feel so motivated before I get onto the erg but I really psych myself out whilst doing it.
Any tips on how to get over this?

[deleted]

Striking that you mention onset of "pain" at 2k into the 5k piece. Do you experience pain at 200m into 500 or at 400m into 1k? You say only that you psych yourself out on short efforts. Do you warm up adequately for hard efforts? Same time and intensity on erg as in boat? When I attempt 5k or longer distance at a pace at or above my anaerobic threshold, I warm up for at least 2k prior. If I short the warmup, I experience discomfort and difficulty maintaining pace right around the 2k mark. The physiological changes brought about by warmup should always precede a time trial effort. Don't know that this is your problem but pre-race protocols are easier to fix than headcases.

crabbynov3 wrote:Hi all,
Head season is coming up and I need to work on my mental game because I know that I am physically able to do a 5k erg but at around the 2k mark I feel like the pain is too much and I just want to give up. Even with shorter ergs I feel so motivated before I get onto the erg but I really psych myself out whilst doing it. Any tips on how to get over this?

Maybe this thread above may help
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=158394

Have you tried low rate training, with good strokes? There's no need to go flat out in every piece you do, including racing. Just start slow and wind it up in the last quarter. Otherwise you blow up, as you've seen. It's not mental, it's thought.