How to get better at cardio/endurance?

[karolina.newgard]

Hi! I am a 6'5", 195 lb female junior. I started rowing about 8 months ago, and really enjoy the sport. However, before I started rowing I was very unathletic, to the point that I could not jog for five-ish consecutive minutes, and this hasn't really improved. Right now (on an erg) my 1k time is at 3:50 and my 5k time is at 22:10 (or a 2:15 split). I am trying to get to a 7:20 2k in the next year and a half, and right now (on the erg) my biggest obstacle is that I run out of breath a lot. What should I do to get better?

[Ripples]

Reading this thread should help. Especially Tip No. 2 as it relates to aerobic conditioning.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=185257

"Row at a pace you can maintain for long periods without you ending up gasping for breath and getting fatigued. This feels all wrong when you're just starting out as it feels too easy and a waste of time but trust me, it stops being easy once you're 3 or 4 mins into it. By doing this you'll naturally grow your stamina and endurance which will prepare you for doing time trials like 2k."

[jamesg]

If you row, presumably you have coaches. Your times are not bad, so maybe their advice has been good to date. They'll know what they want from you.

To improve, there are two main aspects: boat speed is given by strength and technique; and endurance which will let you maintain that speed. If in doubt, start with technique, that trains us too.

[lindsayh]

it is good that you are looking at an achievable goal with a good timeline of 18 months so you can certainly do it I reckon. too often we are impatient for huge improvement in a short time frame.
Cardio fitness is the key once your technique is sorted so get good advice on that first and then set out a plan where there is a lot of long steady meters as described above - that link is gold - there is a great deal of information to help on the training sub forum.
Don't race the training
Do 3 or 4 sessions a week of 40/60 minutes of pace limited stuff (think around 2k+15" or 70% of 2k watts) - either as single long piece or say 18'/2'R or 13'/2'R or 8'/2'R to make it more user friendly without losing the training effect. Then start adding in shorter hard intervals at faster than 2k pace.