Can I improve?

[Allyokeefe]

I have been rowing for 9 months, I am 17 years old and I'm 5'2" and weigh 105 pounds. My 2k time is 9:09 and it has improved by 6 seconds but I'm wondering if I can ever break 9 and is it worth it to continue this sport since I am so small and no college will want be as a rower.

[jadomatis]

Reckon it all depends on WHY you want to row... Do you enjoy it for its own sake? Would seem a shame to give up on something you enjoy doing just because someone else may or may not be pleased by your performance. Even at your size, I'd expect that you could improve quite a bit on a 9:09 2k. Especially since you're only 17yrs old, you still have some growth in you.. if not vertically then at least the potential for muscle mass/density. Make sure you're eating plenty of protein and add some weight work into your training schedule.

Looking at the records placed on by folks around here on the forums, I personally will never be one of the "greats". But I choose erging as my primary means of burning calories and building/maintaining basic fitness. I have personal goals I want to achieve.. like being able to do a sub 3hr Full Marathon... and I work towards them.

If you enjoy erging / otw rowing for its own sake.. then screw the teams and coaches and do it for yourself... lay out some long term goals and work with folks around here to put together plans and milestones to help you achieve them. Personal victories are always the sweetest because you know so well what it took to achieve them.

[Hanzo]

Put in very simple terms, I started rowing because it's a great way to keep myself fit, just might be one of the very best ways actually short of swimming, but you need a pool for that

My times are pretty bad compared to most on these boards, but the times I make is just a byproduct of keeping myself fit and healthy, so my goal is reached no matter what time a 2k row takes,

That said, this board has alot of very very knowledgable people who for sure can guide you to better times if your willing to put in the work. You mention nothing on how you train, post more details on how you normal week looks like on the erg, and I'm sure you will get alot of good advice on what you can improve on. Maybe post a video of yourself on the erg, I did and got alot of helpfull advice on what I could do better.

[G-dub]

I would also add that if you are learning on the water too, keeping that up will only make life more fun in later years. I would have loved to been exposed to rowing as a younger person, even though I too am short. Learning to do sports that you can do forever (golf, tennis, skiing, etc.) while you are young is always a good call - you will want to do those things after you can't play team sports anymore.

[jamesg]

Erging will help you stay fit and so ready for anything, it suits any sex, age and size. My guess is you can reach about 8:30 2k, which is 170W and 3.5 W/kg. You're already at almost 3W/kg; try a 500 at 170W to see how it feels.

Afloat in a single you'd be fine, but as crew in 2x or 4x you all need to be more or less the same height, save some jiggery pokery with gate heights and gearing.

The four rowing classes are M/F and HW/LW, with the FLW cutoff at 57 kg average crew and 59 max. Your 48 kg is quite a way off, but there's no reason not to put on another 4-5 kg. If by "rowing" you mean afloat, you've already seen the size and shape of others. If you're prepared for horrid things such as pulling 8-9 minutes hard, why not?

I've heard there are other sports such as cycling. I'd be happy to go up hills with 48 kg rather than my 100 (albeit bike included).

[christopherregisryan]

Any college with a lightweight women's team would take you as a walk on. Almost every college has a coxswain shortage as well. If you love the sport and want to be involved at the college level, you can do it as either a rower or a coxswain. Just bear in mind that it requires a lot of time and effort especially at the D1 level. Best. - Chris

[KevJGK]

My guess is you can reach about 8:30 2k, which is 170W and 3.5 W/kg.

That's interesting.

Where does the 3.5W/kg figure come from James, is it age/gender related or an overall rule of thumb?

I calculated my W/kg output during my own 2K PB 6+ years ago which came out at exactly 3.5 W/kg although I couldn't get near it now.

[jamesg]

Just a guess, based more or less on my own, 3W/kg 2k at age 63.

There are FLW times in the rankings, and thinking the really good LW ladies will be just on the weight limit, it's possible to bracket reasonable performances, using data from the first page.