Things that go thru your mind when trying a PB/SB etc

[Gammmmo]

The erg is hugely mental IMO especially when you've been doing it while. So, as a light hearted thing, list here the things that go through your head, good or bad, when really pushing a session. Perhaps also mention if you have the same ones. I'll get the ball rolling:

"these splits should be easier than this"
"I'll just truncate the session to a 5K, 10K, HM etc and call it a day....it'll still be pretty good"
"if I can just get the average down to a "lower second" figure so the average ends in .8 or .9 then that'll LOOK better"
"right....really concentrte on catching the flywheel on this stroke. Yep, that worked well. Would it be possible to do that everytime?"
"ok, try using body swing for a bit"
"push with the heels to really emphasise the legs...ok it works but can't do that EVERYTIME"
"that's annoying - a few slower strokes are creeping in...I'll get those 'back' in a minute with an almighty stroke"
"increase the rate, increase the rate! feels unnatural.... "
"ok...I'll 'start really going' in another 200m. Allright....maybe in another 100m"
"whoops, you might've gone too early - that pain the chest feeling is really building now"
"don't get so stressed...look around the room a bit"
"I can't possibly keep this up (2K)...wow, I can...for a bit longer at least"
"if I can just do XYZ then that'll be faster than someone I've never met on the forum "


...this sort of thing - don't be shy

[RWAGR]

haha love this thread Paul.

Many of yours are ones that go through my head. I also frequently have:

"I'll go to the end of this song... next song..."
"don't start to pick up the pace early... you will always lower your average split"
"I'm not going to HD... I am going to HD... I'm not going to HD... I am going to HD..." repeated until either I get over it or HD.

[Erik A]

LOL

Mine is most of those and also
Dying must be easier and less painful.

Although after you are done it's " see you tomorrow erg"
Or "after my weights I might do another 10 mins"

[mickyduck]

Not specfically trying anything special just my normal row:

try to keep the stroke length over 1m
harder.. I will then get the average power up to ???
start quick.. you never make the time up
HR is alreday 160 slow down,, (but you never do)
stop counting the strokes ... stop counting the strokes... stop counting the strokes...
just another ??? m to round up my log book
the list is probaly endless which how rowing sometimes feels

[sekitori]

This goes counter to the general thinking in this group--who are serious ergers that occasionally try for PBs. Many years ago, I set a PB which I was very proud of. The problem was that the competitive side of me was wondering if I could improve on it quickly. The net result was instead of erging to get into better shape, much of the time I got on the rower I was now "racing" to improve that PB. The primary result of that kind of training (I wouldn't even call it "training") was extremely negative. It only got me tired and frustrated.

After I realized that was getting me nowhere, I went in an opposite direction. I now erg without any thought of setting personal records. I don't really care about the distance I cover either. I'm only interested in knowing that when I'm working out, I'm doing something good for myself. My mind is no longer concerned with speed. My only concerns are keeping decent form with a reasonable stroke rate for an extended period of time. I try to work hard enough so that I feel it benefits me. That feeling can also be counterproductive because in that type of training, there can be a tendency to exert oneself to a lesser instead of a greater degree. The effort has to be present or else the workout loses much of its benefit.

I no longer use a heart rate monitor. I realize it can benefit many, maybe most people, but I'm not one of them. The 220-age formula or any other formulas for that matter, don't apply to me and I understand probably to many others. If I exercised at 80 to 90% of my maximal theoretical heart rate using them, I would get very little if any aerobic benefit. I usually work out at 30 to 40 BPM over it and I feel perfectly okay--no shortness of breath, pain, or any other distress. I don't need numbers on my PM5 to tell me that.

I doubt that very few if people in this group think the way I do. Possibly none of you do. I know that PBs can be seen as indicators of progress and in that respect, they can be of great value. They certainly are a source of pride and I see absolutely nothing wrong with letting others know what they are. But when trying to set them gets in the way of achieving overall fitness, as it was in my case, I will pass.

I have one question. I know what a PB is but not an SB. Can someone explain what that is?

[Erik A]

not 100% sure but probably Season Best

[lancecampeau]

"I'll just truncate the session to a 5K, 10K, HM etc and call it a day....it'll still be pretty good"

yup...

I've seen too many of these this season.... argh.

[Neorticros]

Sometimes when I'm halfway carrying a good time so far I think, well so far so good but I also think ... If I fail now I'll lose an incredible chance to beat my time and god knows when I'm going to have such a good chance in the future. Maybe I won't EVER get halfway with such good expectations... I can't ruin it now.

[Dangerscouse]

Hahaha, love it!! I don't very often try for a PB so this is more applicable to most training days unless they are properly in the UT2 zone

I always break it down into percentages; at halfway I always tell myself I have done more the I have to do. I also envisage friends and family stood behind me encouraging me. I mentally close down and just watch the metres drop off from each stroke. I always count down from 500m, it helps distract the mind. I also focus on the music I'm listening too which also helps putme in a semi trance.

On a bad day...I have got a lot on today don't injure yourself; don't wear yourself out; that twinge in your back is only getting worse; I can't breathe properly; and a few of the ones above.

[Gammmmo]

Sometimes when I'm halfway carrying a good time so far I think, well so far so good but I also think ... If I fail now I'll lose an incredible chance to beat my time and god knows when I'm going to have such a good chance in the future. Maybe I won't EVER get halfway with such good expectations... I can't ruin it now.

Yeah, I get that too. When the RPE for a given split is low, I know "it is on" and then that brings anxiety of a different kind. I'm not sure why but I find this "internal dialogue" much louder than when I used to race bikes in TTs.

[hjs]

Being a long time erger, I know at forhand the outcome. Its a matter of being in the right mindframe, simply meaning, willing to accept a lot of pain. If I get to around 70% of the distance I know I can bring it home.

The point nowadays is more, that I can,t find the motivation to train really focussed. Just the idea of a time trial is miles away. Haven,t even done a ctc in half a year. Just put in a result from a training.
Training and building a peak on your base is like day and night. Plenty of ergers, never get in a peak state, which is much more relax.

[JerekKruger]

Something I've found very helpful with tests is to think of a shorter distance that you've rowed at a faster pace. In my relatively recent 30mins PB I kept reminding myself that I'd previously rowed 5k at 1:47.5, so I had no excuse to even think about stopping before I reached the 5k mark given I was rowing at 1:51. This allows me to get through the bulk of the row, and I find the remainder mentally manageable.

[bisqeet]

wish i kept up m y guitar playing...
or why oh why wasn'T i given the super fitness gene

[mdpfirrman]

"Figures they would play this Metallica crap for the 40 somethings... If they played some Stones I'd be doing much better!..."

Literally went through my head last race when I set my current 2K. They played great music on a loud speaker during the races. I though, "this is awesome". Then we get up there and they have the 40 year olds and the old guys (me) together and they start playing this heavy metal garbage. I was like, "really??". Some old Aerosmith, Stones, many other things would have been so much more welcome. Strange how the mind thinks keeping itself off the pain your body if feeling!

[lwtguy]

I like to test very infrequently, so when I'm doing it I'm constantly reminding myself about all the times i've done X distance at this pace.

Like if I'm doing a 2K test, I remind myself about all the 500's and 750's I've done and how they were all harder than this test.