Realistic goals?

[nycbone]

Reading a good bit of the drivel in the 6:28 thread makes me curious...

What are your realistic short-/long-term goals for erging/rowing? Looking to beat a WR? Trying to row 10k in 40 min?

Based on my progress with the Pete Plan so far, my primary goals by June 1:

1) Be able to complete (from week to week) all Pete Plan workouts at a sub-2:00min/500m pace - keeping in mind Pete's suggestions for relative pacing between speed intervals, endurance intervals and steady distance.

2) Row two out of my three steady distance pieces per week as 1/2 marathons (the other 15k+).

3) I've signed up for sculling lessons at a local club for June, so I'm also working on eliminating as many bad habits as possible (possibly a greater challenge than either #1 or #2).

[Bob S.]

Reading a good bit of the drivel in the 6:28 thread makes me curious...

What are your realistic short-/long-term goals for erging/rowing? Looking to beat a WR? Trying to row 10k in 40 min?

Since entering a new age group 4 months ago, I have bested both the 2K WRs for that group 6 times. Admittedly it is a new, i.e. 5 year group, so the current WRs are soft. My goal is to do it once more - but at a venue where it will count. Another goal is to improve my nonathlon standing, but the 2K won't help that. It is my lowest or next to lowest nonathlon score - a candidate for the one that would be dropped if I complete all 10 events.

Bob S.

[chgoss]

Bob: WELL DONE!!

my goal, as previously stated, is to establish the HW 95-100 age group WR.

lol

Realistically? Go sub 7 every year for the next 10. Continue to see even larger crowds on RowPro, squat 300lbs.

[aharmer]

Good question, looking forward to hearing responses of the more tenured ergers. Just started rowing and am doing a lot of high end 'sharpening' in hopes of rowing as fast as possible in a February race. Thinking 6:50 might be realistic. After the race I'll do more strength training and move back to distance and power rowing in hopes of building a larger foundation to sharpen next time. I have no idea what to think of ranger and his goals, but as a former runner I'm a big believer in building a larger foundation from the ground up if you want to achieve a higher peak.

[gobrian77]

My short-term goal is to hit 1,000,000m in the January Virtual Team Challenge.

[Bob S.]

My short-term goal is to hit 1,000,000m in the January Virtual Team Challenge.

Almost 24 marathons in 31 days. Wow! That's a real chore! How far along are you? Nevermind - I think that I spotted you on the list in 6th place and almost half way there already. Good Going!

Bob S.

[jamesg]

Carpe diem. That's a tough enough goal for me.

[gobrian77]

My short-term goal is to hit 1,000,000m in the January Virtual Team Challenge.

Almost 24 marathons in 31 days. Wow! That's a real chore! How far along are you? Nevermind - I think that I spotted you on the list in 6th place and almost half way there already. Good Going!

Bob S.

Thanks.

My biggest hurdle is not what I expected (back-strain) but rather a very literal pain-in-my-ass.

I'm working on making my seat more comfortable (I have a Concept2 foam pad but it's not doing the job)- my glutes are really aching.

[KevJGK]

What to set as a realistic erging goal is an interesting question. It took me nearly 4 years to go sub 7 (BIRC 09) and many times during my training I thought that goal was totally and utterly beyond me. It actually took me 12 months of disciplined effort and structured training just to knock off the last 11.6 seconds. Having finally achieved sub 7 (by 0.5 seconds) it is only natural to set another goal but how on earth do I know my potential? It may be that I have already reached it? Anyway, I have set 06:50 as my target for BIRC 2010 and I am 100% committed to achieving it but I have no idea if that time is possible for me or not. I thoroughly love the competition with myself but that time is really just plucked out of thin air.

As far as long term goals are concerned I will be eligible for the BIRC 55–59 HWT category in November 2013 and I have been doing a little research. Over the last 5 years the average Gold Medal time has been 06:32.9 so clearly I can forget about that, HOWEVER……………. the average Bronze Medal time has been 06:48.6.

We can all dream.

[nycbone]

A few people have mentioned foundation(al rowing) and sharpening. Can someone provide definitions of those terms and how they relate to various workout pieces?

Thanks, Dave

[ranger]

What to set as a realistic erging goal is an interesting question. It took me nearly 4 years to go sub 7 (BIRC 09) and many times during my training I thought that goal was totally and utterly beyond me. It actually took me 12 months of disciplined effort and structured training just to knock off the last 11.6 seconds. Having finally achieved sub 7 (by 0.5 seconds) it is only natural to set another goal but how on earth do I know my potential? It may be that I have already reached it? Anyway, I have set 06:50 as my target for BIRC 2010 and I am 100% committed to achieving it but I have no idea if that time is possible for me or not. I thoroughly love the competition with myself but that time is really just plucked out of thin air.

As far as long term goals are concerned I will be eligible for the BIRC 55–59 HWT category in November 2013 and I have been doing a little research. Over the last 5 years the average Gold Medal time has been 06:32.9 so clearly I can forget about that, HOWEVER……………. the average Bronze Medal time has been 06:48.6.

We can all dream.

Kev--

You can read your 2K right off of your UT2 and UT1 rowing.

No need to do sharpening and racing to discover what you can do for 2K.

UT2 (70% HRR) is 2K + 15.

UT1 is 2K + 10.

For me, the standard test for top-end UT1 is a 60min trial.

Want a training plan?

Here's one.

Just row a continuous hour, twice a day, negative splitting to some sort of max effort over the last couple of Ks.

Keep the rate up to at least 26 spm.

Over the weeks and months you are doing this, keep bringing your time down slowly until you get to a 1:50 average for the row (16.3K).

When you do, sharpen, and you'll be able to do a 6:40 2K.

ranger

[Byron Drachman]

A few people have mentioned foundation(al rowing) and sharpening. Can someone provide definitions of those terms and how they relate to various workout pieces?

Thanks, Dave

Hi Dave,

This is my guess: foundational rowing would be like base miles in cycling, or a lot of long, slow distance rides that prepares you for high intensity intervals. You would be less likely to get injured during higher intensity workouts if you have done lots of meters at lower paces first.

Another guess: sharpening means doing high intensity intervals, the kind you would do right before tapering before a race.

I hadn't heard those terms before coming to the forum either. They might be made-up words similar to sequenced levers, rowing gesturing, the crankshaft on the C2, etc.

Byron

[chgoss]

A few people have mentioned foundation(al rowing) and sharpening. Can someone provide definitions of those terms and how they relate to various workout pieces?

Thanks, Dave

Hi Dave,

This is my guess: foundational rowing would be like base miles in cycling, or a lot of long, slow distance rides that prepares you for high intensity intervals. You would be less likely to get injured during higher intensity workouts if you have done lots of meters at lower paces first.

Another guess: sharpening means doing high intensity intervals, the kind you would do right before tapering before a race.

I hadn't heard those terms before coming to the forum either. They might be made-up words similar to sequenced levers, rowing gesturing, the crankshaft on the C2, etc.

Byron

Byron, you crack me up....
you forgot "rhythmicity"

in all seriousness though I think that "foundation" and "sharpening" are very well established phases/concepts in yearly training cycles..
Cyclists for example do long distances, building up the "base", fixed gear and road races in early spring. Followed by more intervals, criteriums in the summer.

[Byron Drachman]

n all seriousness though I think that "foundation" and "sharpening" are very well established phases/concepts in yearly training cycles..
Cyclists for example do long distances, building up the "base", fixed gear and road races in early spring. Followed by more intervals, criteriums in the summer.
_________________

Hi Chad,

Yes, absolutely. We used to do our LSD (long, slow distance) during the winter and early spring on fixed gear bikes. And we had training programs that included high intensity intervals, time trials, and long recovery rides. We talked about our base miles and we did step up the interval training before races. It was the terminology I didn't recognize. Foundational cycling? It doesn't ring a bell. But maybe terminology in cycling has changed.

The one important part of training that Ranger has missed is that he doesn't believe in tapering.

Now to get to the topic in the thread, my goals are very simple: When the river is not frozen start the day sculling, and stay healthy. Exercising every day is my formula for staying healthy with some days going into the higher training bands, and some days doing long, easy recovery rows. I include cycling as part of the exercise regime. Cycling with friends or sculling with others, sometimes all in singles, other times in doubles or quads, make the exercise lots of fun.

Byron

[Nosmo]

The one important part of training that Ranger has missed is that he doesn't believe in tapering.

MIke Caviston doesn't place much emphasis on it either. But really who knows what Ranger really believes?