61-year old needs training advice

[Andre Hilhorst]

Hello all,
Thank you for accepting me here. I have been training 3-4 days a week for the last half year after a long break, and am looking for a structure in my training, thats will get me in shape for a nice 2k end of the year. Who would not like that ?

Some info: I am rowing OTW 2 times a week, UT3 90 minutes per outing. I am a novice, so it's more study than exertion. Still, it's rowing movement and it gives me a better technique each time.... I hope to be doing UT2 outings starting September when I graduate from the beginners' class.

Al least three times a week I erg. Mostly UT2 with UT1, 60 minutes per session, or 45 minutes with added deadlifts ( 8 x 5 at 80 kgs) and general strength. I walk 1-2 hours a day and am generally healthy. My weight is 99 kgs, 20 % fat.

My stats are few: 100 meters 16.3 seconds, and a Step Test I did this morning that gave me a prediction of 1:52.8 for 2k.

My questions for you:
- how can I build up my endurance without blowing myself up (I quite like to do longish sessions on the erg)?
- what do my stats tell you? I would have liked to attach the entire steptest with a graph, but I got a message that the board had reached its quota.

I hope I am not presumptuous asking this, I am just an old guy enjoying my training who is looking for wisdom from this community. Thanks in advance, row on!

Andre Hilhorst
Haarlem
The Netherlands

[hjs]

You are already doing a lot. And your 100m is already pretty strong, so enough potention.

What you do lack is specific work. Otw work is usefull as your technique is good enough. Beginners who start otw often get slower on the erg. But given otw work is less in winter you can erg more in erg season.

In general, keep your rating low when you do long endurance work. Think r18/22 paces roughly 2k plus 18/22. If yours is now 1.52, you should aim for 2.10/15 right now.

Closer to winter you need 2k paced and rated work. Think 4x1k on 5 rest, or 8x500.

During the year do some time trials over ranking distances. 5/6/10k 30 min. Etc.

For 2k pure sprint stuff is not really needed. Doing 100m stuff won,t help you. Its just fun, or usefull for pure sprintwork.

Read around a bit in the pete plan thread, will give you more info. But on the end make your own plan, build it around your complete week. Listen to your body!

[Dangerscouse]

Andre, welcome to the forum and there's no need to apologise for asking for help...we are a very helpful bunch

I'm not the best person to advise, and I'm sure other people will help out, but how far do you currently row for in 60 mins and how far would you like to row? 60 mins is a good length of time to row for, so your endurance sounds good already.

A 1:52.8 pace for a 61 year old fairly new rower is a great time

[mitchel674]

Welcome, Andre. You've provided some interesting information. Is there any reason you haven't tried a 2k TT now? It would be interesting for you to have a starting point to compare with your efforts as you train and repeat your 2k TT in a few months.

[Andre Hilhorst]

You are already doing a lot. And your 100m is already pretty strong, so enough potention.

What you do lack is specific work. Otw work is usefull as your technique is good enough. Beginners who start otw often get slower on the erg. But given otw work is less in winter you can erg more in erg season.

In general, keep your rating low when you do long endurance work. Think r18/22 paces roughly 2k plus 18/22. If yours is now 1.52, you should aim for 2.10/15 right now.

Closer to winter you need 2k paced and rated work. Think 4x1k on 5 rest, or 8x500.

During the year do some time trials over ranking distances. 5/6/10k 30 min. Etc.

For 2k pure sprint stuff is not really needed. Doing 100m stuff won,t help you. Its just fun, or usefull for pure sprintwork.

Read around a bit in the pete plan thread, will give you more info. But on the end make your own plan, build it around your complete week. Listen to your body!

Thank you! I do the UT2 at SR 18-20 at 2:08 -2:12, so that would be within the range you would advise, nice. And I will start doing 500's after a OTW UT3 session to get a feel for it. And the 100 meters is just fun, although it's nice to know there is some power in the engine deep down .

[Andre Hilhorst]

Andre, welcome to the forum and there's no need to apologise for asking for help...we are a very helpful bunch

I'm not the best person to advise, and I'm sure other people will help out, but how far do you currently row for in 60 mins and how far would you like to row? 60 mins is a good length of time to row for, so your endurance sounds good already.

A 1:52.8 pace for a 61 year old fairly new rower is a great time

Good to hear, thanks! I do my 60 minutes as 2 *30 with a two-minute break for drinking, in total it's about 13800 meters now. That has come down quite a bit. I started out being very happy with holding 2:28 for half an hour. Now, if it will be just the one half hour I aim for 2:08.

[Andre Hilhorst]

Welcome, Andre. You've provided some interesting information. Is there any reason you haven't tried a 2k TT now? It would be interesting for you to have a starting point to compare with your efforts as you train and repeat your 2k TT in a few months.

I'll be honest with you..... I am afraid of the 2k. The Steptest for me is a way of getting data without doing a full 2k. My plan is to repeat the Steptest each month and try a 2k when I feel more confident. When I looked at the data for the last 4 minutes I noticed that I started out at 1:55, and the last minute was about 1:45. So I might be able to go out more aggressively. What do you think, aim for 1:52 flat next time and see what I can do in the last minute?

[hjs]

Welcome, Andre. You've provided some interesting information. Is there any reason you haven't tried a 2k TT now? It would be interesting for you to have a starting point to compare with your efforts as you train and repeat your 2k TT in a few months.

I'll be honest with you..... I am afraid of the 2k. The Steptest for me is a way of getting data without doing a full 2k. My plan is to repeat the Steptest each month and try a 2k when I feel more confident. When I looked at the data for the last 4 minutes I noticed that I started out at 1:55, and the last minute was about 1:45. So I might be able to go out more aggressively. What do you think, aim for 1:52 flat next time and see what I can do in the last minute?

The more you avoid doing a 2k the bigger the hurtle will become. Simple doing a few will help. Start a first one a bit conservative and you will do fine.

[JerekKruger]

I haven't got anything useful to add that hasn't already been said, but welcome Andre!

I'll be honest with you..... I am afraid of the 2k. The Steptest for me is a way of getting data without doing a full 2k. My plan is to repeat the Steptest each month and try a 2k when I feel more confident. When I looked at the data for the last 4 minutes I noticed that I started out at 1:55, and the last minute was about 1:45. So I might be able to go out more aggressively. What do you think, aim for 1:52 flat next time and see what I can do in the last minute?

Funnily I find the idea of doing a proper step test more anxiety inducing than a 2k, but perhaps that's because I don't do step tests whereas I do (occasionally) do 2ks. I agree with Henry: the more you avoid it the more the worry will build up. Better to get it out of the way at a slightly conservative pace to show your body that it's not all that bad.

[Andre Hilhorst]

Welcome, Andre. You've provided some interesting information. Is there any reason you haven't tried a 2k TT now? It would be interesting for you to have a starting point to compare with your efforts as you train and repeat your 2k TT in a few months.

I'll be honest with you..... I am afraid of the 2k. The Steptest for me is a way of getting data without doing a full 2k. My plan is to repeat the Steptest each month and try a 2k when I feel more confident. When I looked at the data for the last 4 minutes I noticed that I started out at 1:55, and the last minute was about 1:45. So I might be able to go out more aggressively. What do you think, aim for 1:52 flat next time and see what I can do in the last minute?

The more you avoid doing a 2k the bigger the hurtle will become. Simple doing a few will help. Start a first one a bit conservative and you will do fine.

I'll give it a go, faint heart ne'er won fair prizes !

[mitchel674]

I'll give it a go, faint heart ne'er won fair prizes !

At the very least you will have a benchmark to compare as you train. Give it a go!

[RWAGR]

For sure give it a go. And as you have been advised, do the first one really conservatively. TBH when doing pieces "properly", in my experience, they all hurt equally. There's nothing magic about a 2k- as you will see when you do it. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

[sdr2017]

I agree with the others: just try a 2K and do not make a big deal of it. I would suggest picking a pace you think you can do reliably and just hold the pace for 2K to get a feel for it. I would suggest 2:00 because it is a nice round number and in the range of what should be able to do. Go for it. If that is easy, next week try another one (after a warm-up) but drop the pace by 2 seconds.

I am far from the most experienced person here, but I would start doing an occasional 2K just so that it is not some big mental barrier you have put up for yourself.

Good luck.

Scott

[hjs]

I agree with the others: just try a 2K and do not make a big deal of it. I would suggest picking a pace you think you can do reliably and just hold the pace for 2K to get a feel for it. I would suggest 2:00 because it is a nice round number and in the range of what should be able to do. Go for it. If that is easy, next week try another one (after a warm-up) but drop the pace by 2 seconds.

I am far from the most experienced person here, but I would start doing an occasional 2K just so that it is not some big mental barrier you have put up for yourself.

Good luck.

Scott

Scott, doing a 2k for time is twofold, its not just do one, but do one and learn at what pace you can one. If you go really easy, and 2.00 would be very easy, you still now not much. It should hurt but after 5/10 min you will fine again. That will teach you how you react, both body and mind.

[jackarabit]

“Hurtle” now or hurt more later, Henry? An intentional fly&die will tell you how much you can suffer without achieving much at all. Afterwards, you will be much more interested in how you can as well as what!