mikvan52 wrote:How can someone who trains "10 million meters a year, year-in year-out, be said to have not prepared to erg at or near peak for his capability?
To do your best 2K, you need to do a lot of AT, TR, and AN work.
You need to bring up your anaeorbic capacities, not to mention get used to rowing at high rates (35-40 spm).
Everyone gets about a dozen seconds over 2K from hard sharpening.
This is race preparation.
You are right, though.
This race preparation is only worth three seconds per 500m.
It is not everything.
In fact, it isn't most of the issue.
Last year, I pulled WR pace for 2K without even preparing for it.
How so?
I did it on the basis on my foundational, UT training, which in the end, is much more significant than sharpening.
The difference between the UT/physical capacities of a 20-year-old and a 60-year-old amounts to 15 seconds per 500m, which overwhelms any advantage that can be gained from hard sharpening.
Nonetheless, if you want to row your best, sharpening has a role to play.
3 seconds per 500m is not inconsiderable.
It is about the difference between WR times in two adjacent age divisions (e.g., 50s lwts and 55s lwts, 6:25 and 6:38).
ranger
Rich Cureton M 72 5'11" 165 lbs. 2K pbs: 6:27.5 (hwt), 6:28 (lwt)