500m test (Some advice required)

[Edward4492]

Anthony we're about the same size....but I have 30 years on you. In September I pulled a season best 500m @ 1:34.0 at age 59LWT. I used a very specific strategy to prepare. I picked a target pace which coincidentaly was to break 1:34. I break the 500m down into three segments. The first 30s or so I'm looking to get the average down to my target or slightly below. The middle 30-40s try and sit on the pace. Then hang on or sprint the final 150m . My daily training consisted of the following. I was targeting 1:33. On day one I set the monitor up for 30s. That's it. One session, one interval. Next day I set it for 35 seconds. Same thing. Then 40s...and so on. Something of a Shawn Baker approach with no rate target, although I do the 500m at around a 40r. So on day one I got down to 1:32. At that point I decided to stay on sub 1:33 and see where it took me. I would do this session every day or every other day along with my usual rowing. I got up to 75s at 1:32 and change when I decided my next session would be the test. When I did the test I made it to around the 100m mark when the wheels came off. I still finished with 1:34.0, but lost a lot of ground at the end. It's possible I would have picked up a few 1/10's with a very slightly more conservative middle, but who knows. I felt like I came very close to my current max, it also coincides with my 2k pace of 1:49, so about a 16s difference there. I just checked my records, I had also logged a 324m 1:32.5 one minute piece a week before the 500m as part of the progression.

It goes to the point, every effort of more than about 10s (pure sprint) requires some sort of pacing. Either deliberate or through failure, you will slow down.

[G-dub]

Kind of agree with Remi too. Warm up, sit down and give it a thrash. You will be an expert on what to work on next after you do. I think that giving yourself more than one chance like LWR says makes sense too since it is so short and time and or energy can be lost at the start in particular that is hard to make up. You are more fit and stronger than when you last did one, so no worries.

[Cyclist2]

You've probably done it by now, so I bet it was better than you thought! Good job, Anth!

Lots of questions about pacing over and over. I have a pacing chart in Word and PDF format that C2 had in a newsletter years ago that can predict, fairly accurately, what your pace for any piece will be. You do two pieces to establish two points for a line (or know your paces already), then your predicted pace for all of the other pieces fall near that line. It goes from 50 meters up to 60:00 with a few times for a half marathon. I find my line has slowly been moving downward over the years, it's that age thing .

I tried up upload the document, but the forum wouldn't allow it. If someone can give me a clue I'll upload it. I can send it via email to anyone, too. My email is mju55 (at) wavecable (dot) com or send a PM with your email.

[Anth_F]

Thanks very much for taking a time out to offer up all this sound advice for me guys!! I sure am taking it all onboard and it's going to help me a lot.

You lot are all really fit older folk.

[Gammmmo]

@Anth - and there's me thinking you weren't bothered about testing yourself on the erg

[left coaster]

I'm looking forward to seeing your time, Anf!

Personally, I like to count down my strokes and usually start doing this with around 250m left.

I saw another post about not blasting out the gait with a max low pull, I also think this is important with a 500m effort. A 100m is basically a low pull, 250 a low pull with a bit of suffering tacked on the end. Like you've experienced, it's a great way to hd around 300m.

I like to get a bit ahead of my pace initially. When aiming for 1:30 I'll usually be at around 1:25 at 200m and then start easing up a tiny bit and focusing on full strokes. I'll almost always die in the last 50-75m so being a bit ahead of my target pace at that point seems to make sense.

Blasting that start sprint down to 1:15 or so does something counter productive to the energy systems in my muscles and the 'die' part at the end gets rather brutal.

[Anth_F]

@Anth - and there's me thinking you weren't bothered about testing yourself on the erg

Nope, i am on some things, Paul.

You can even re-check the goals for 2017 thread page 1. where i posted right after you in there, with all of my target goals for 2017. One of which is the 500m

I'm looking forward to seeing your time, Anf!

Personally, I like to count down my strokes and usually start doing this with around 250m left.

I saw another post about not blasting out the gait with a max low pull, I also think this is important with a 500m effort. A 100m is basically a low pull, 250 a low pull with a bit of suffering tacked on the end. Like you've experienced, it's a great way to hd around 300m.



I like to get a bit ahead of my pace initially. When aiming for 1:30 I'll usually be at around 1:25 at 200m and then start easing up a tiny bit and focusing on full strokes. I'll almost always die in the last 50-75m so being a bit ahead of my target pace at that point seems to make sense.

Blasting that start sprint down to 1:15 or so does something counter productive to the energy systems in my muscles and the 'die' part at the end gets rather brutal.

Now i like the idea of that strategy, Lefty. Trying various methods of approach over the course of doing several attempts, to find out what works best for me. Everyone has their own ways i guess, and some ways won't work, and some ways just actually might work really well for me.

[GJS]

My advice: do it before rather than after your customary 300 squats, 100 chin ups, 200 press ups etc etc

Good luck, chum

[Anth_F]

My advice: do it before rather than after your customary 300 squats, 100 chin ups, 200 press ups etc etc

Good luck, chum

Hahaha... yeah defo mate. Done a 5k today, and still was feeling the after effects of my past couple days of heavier legwork exercises for sure.

Thanks, Gary.

[jackarabit]

Wait, I'm getting something. Becoming clearer. There it is. I see it. 1:38.3.

[aussieluke]

500m is 50 strokes, give or take.

Pull 20 hard strokes and see what your pace is. Pull 10 hard strokes then count down from 20!

That's kindve how I approach the last of 8 x 500m.

Maybe do one or two of those sessions and you'll know what pace you can do for 7 intervals. And how much more you have to give in the last. Then you'll know how hard you can really go in a single 500m test.

Then like I said above hold that pace for 20 strokes and then after that break it down a little more. The last 10 go nuts.

[hjs]

500m is 50 strokes, give or take.

Pull 20 hard strokes and see what your pace is. Pull 10 hard strokes then count down from 20!

That's kindve how I approach the last of 8 x 500m.

Maybe do one or two of those sessions and you'll know what pace you can do for 7 intervals. And how much more you have to give in the last. Then you'll know how hard you can really go in a single 500m test.

Then like I said above hold that pace for 20 strokes and then after that break it down a little more. The last 10 go nuts.

Rate 40 at 1.30 plus pace is more. Later you rate up even. Thinking every stroke is 10 meters will give a cold shower.
The very fast guys often rate higher. Only a low rate/power 500 is 50 strokes ish.

[Griparn]

Will be interesting to hear how you did and what strategy you used. We seem to be quite the same with build and fitness level.

If you said you did 300m just under 1:35 I would start out at around 1:37 and see give everythibg left the last 150-200m.

Which df will you use for this distance?

[aussieluke]

500m is 50 strokes, give or take.

Pull 20 hard strokes and see what your pace is. Pull 10 hard strokes then count down from 20!

That's kindve how I approach the last of 8 x 500m.

Maybe do one or two of those sessions and you'll know what pace you can do for 7 intervals. And how much more you have to give in the last. Then you'll know how hard you can really go in a single 500m test.

Then like I said above hold that pace for 20 strokes and then after that break it down a little more. The last 10 go nuts.

Rate 40 at 1.30 plus pace is more. Later you rate up even. Thinking every stroke is 10 meters will give a cold shower.
The very fast guys often rate higher. Only a low rate/power 500 is 50 strokes ish.

I said give or take. At around 30 spm it is. If you count 50 strokes and haven't reached 500m it won't be many more.

I can't see Anth suddenly rating up to 40 spm all of a sudden

[Anth_F]

Actually, 40 spm was my avg rate for the last 300m i done.

With the 500m, i'm looking to hold 35r avg for 300m then see if i can rate up more toward the end with sprint strokes.