Mental Block

[[old] Hoofbeat]

I've been on holiday from University for 5.5weeks and have only erged twice properly during the holidays as I've been spending the time frantically revising for my exams! Anyways, we have 2k trials when I go back (this Saturday) for crew selection. I'm fairly confident that my seat in my crew is safe and when I did a 2k erg the other week I was only 8seconds below my PB, which considering it was only me second time erging in about 5weeks wasn't too bad!<br /><br />But today I went for my final 2k practise before the trials. I started and on the second stroke my hand slipped off handle, so I stopped and started again. But then after 300m, I just couldn't go on and I just stopped. Annoyed with myself, I tried several more times, but everyone time I gave up after 250-400m. I took a break and went on treadmill and had another go, but I've developed a mental block now!<br /><br />Has anyone else experienced a mental block and what did you do about it? I know I'm perfectly capable and fit enough to do a 2k erg and I've rowed that distance several times in competitions on the water. The problem is, when I'm in an VIII I know everyone else is counting on me and I never even think of giving up...but on an erg it's so easy to stop...and now I'm worried I'll give up in my trials and then my seat will certainly not be safe!<br /><br />HELP!

[[old] sharp_rower]

Well this is what I do when I just feel like giving up on the erg. I say to myself: "Alright, no more f---ing around.", and begin to pull a little bit harder. That usually works me up.

[[old] Stevo]

I count each 250m in the 2000 and say to myself<br /><br />"It's too late to turn back now, may as well finish this one off..."<br /><br />I find I really stick on the timed rows, like as far as you can in 60mins, I keep getting it in my head that it doesn't matter how hard I row - I'm still not gettin' off till it hits 60mins. It's not as motivating as watching the metres count down...

[[old] ja34]

You're right in thinking that its all in your head. One thing that I find works is when it gets hard and the pain becomes unbearable is to think about something else - technique, rate, pace, style of stroke etc. After a while of this then suddenly there are fewer metres to go and you can start thinking about the finish.<br /><br />Hope this helps.<br /><br />Jim

[[old] Cran]

I usually go to the pub when that happens

[[old] Hoofbeat]

thanks guys. I think one of my other problems is I have NO idea how to pace myself over the 2k, nor what sort of splits I should be capable of pulling. My best 500m time is 1:54, my best 1k is 4:04 and I somehow got 8:27 when we did out last 2k tests. From the 500m/1Km result, what sort of splits should I be able to pull over 2k? I would say that I'm generally better at sprints than long distances.

[[old] Cran]

8:20

[[old] allapologies916]

yes, 8:20 sounds like a good goal for you... start out with 10 strokes in the 1:50's and then settle into the 2:05 split pace... Just focus on holding that... If you have to, take up the rate. Either way, its going to hurt, and everyone wants to quit, but you have to make yourself do it. Once you get past that first 1000, its easy... heh... not easy, but you know, harder to quit.

[[old] neilb]

<!--QuoteBegin-Hoofbeat+Apr 19 2005, 12:37 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Hoofbeat @ Apr 19 2005, 12:37 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I would say that I'm generally better at sprints than long distances. <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Hoofbeat,<br /><br />There are some good ideas here for beating the mental block and I would add that for me when it happens it is important not to try too hard to force a way past it. This only makes it worse.<br /><br />A couple of other points to think about.<br /><br />1. GET A STRATEGY.<br /><br />If you do not know what splits you can/should do or how to pace the 2k then you are making it harder than it needs to be. You need to be pulling pretty much on the limit but 2k is not a sprint and if you start to go too fast then even an extra second or two off the split will cause you to burn out.<br /><br />There are different ways to pace the 2k but to do this you need an idea of expected splits. One way is to try and maintain expected splits throughout with any energy left towards the end being used to sprint the last 300m or less. Needs a few hard strokes at the start so the average is down below expected split quickly. This may then creep back to average after 500m but then you can "cruise" the middle 1000m at expected split. This will be okay if you have chosen the right split but with 500m to go it starts to hurt but you then grin and bear it with a sprint finish if you think that is possible. <br /><br />If you get the pacing right this should help you get the best from the effort. 2:05 average will see you at 8:20 and a start at 1:50 and perhaps a sprint at the end will lower it further. Do not maintain 1:50 too long though as you will be using up too much of the effort that you need to sustain the 2:05.<br /><br />There are longer and better explanations of 2k strategy posted previously and I would recommend some searching for these.<br /><br />2. LONG TERM IMPROVEMENT<br /><br />What do you call "long distances"? Best way to improve the 2k times is to put the longer distance work in. Build the fitness, endurance, efficiency and mental toughness. If the target is 2:05 for the 2k set a training target for 5k, 6k 10k etc that relates to this (again plenty of posts on the relationship between distance and split times.)<br /><br />I have found that over several months working on 30 min sessions I have been able to reduce the split time for given HR by around 6-7 seconds. This means that I should be building a base from which with specific training for 2k my splits for 2k will be lower than previously.<br /><br />Pacing and mental approach should ensure that you get the 8:20 but to go lower you need that long hard training (and not racing!)<br /><br />Stick with it.<br /><br />Neil

[[old] Hoofbeat]

<!--QuoteBegin-neilb+Apr 20 2005, 02:57 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(neilb @ Apr 20 2005, 02:57 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->What do you call "long distances"? </td></tr></table><br /><br />Thanks that post was really useful...I suppose my biggest problem was not having a clue what sort of splits we should aim for - my coach (who's just an older students) just tells us to keep going! lol.<br /><br />By long distances we use to do 2x20min sessions once a week and our other erg session was always sprint work (5x500m, 4x750m, 10x1min). We only have 2 erg session a week as that's all we can fit in...the rest of the time is spent actually on the river (doing pieces/starts/technique exercises) or doing circuit training. We're training for bumps racing in 5weeks time, and we're ranked pretty low (due to a poor performance by last year's crew) and we're expecting to 'bump' on each of the 4days within about 500-750m mark as at the end of last term we finished as the Top 2nd's Boat on the river and managed to hold off some of the first boats, so this term we're faily confident that we'll be able to bump quickly off the starts as we have some very low 2nd boats above us.<br /><br />I'm not looking to become amazing on an erg, as I just do rowing as a hobbie to have whilst I'm at Uni (at Oxford you kind of get sucked into the 'boatie' world!!!) and am currently in the 4seat in my college's Women's 2nd Boat (or at least I was last term) and am looking to remain in the 2nd boat this term, with possible progression upto the 1st boat at the beginning of next year (during the summer hols I'll erg a lot more regularly, doing 5k's like I did over Xmas and I'm also hoping to row for my local club)....so I'm not necessarily even aiming for 8:20 yet, just around 8:30 would be nice...I just wasn't sure what splits I should be capable of!<br /><br />This post has helped lots...thanks guys!

[[old] TheHagueDragon]

I think i'm in a "mental block" phase too. In the last 6 months i improved my best times everytime i rowed. The last month i was 2 weeks ill and i'm now recovering. I want to do a PB piece when i know my condition is like a few months ago. I know how much pain and effort a 2K cost me and have to make sure for myself it results in a PB. Otherwise i think it's a waste of time to go through about six and a halve minutes of misery and no PB. I've done enough 2k's to know how much pain it causes.<br />Most of my PB's are all rowed in january/february and now i'm too scared to have another try. I think about excuses to not do a PB try, like to PB on the longer distances which can easily improve because my short distances are much better, or that the erg season ends this month (30 april) so i can better save the good times for the new season.<br /><br />Still i like every minute i am on the erg....

[[old] Hoofbeat]

Hi guys, just wanted to say thanks EVER so much for your help. I did my 2k trial this morning and got the following results:<br /><br />2000m = 8:32.4<br />Splits: 2:09.6; 2:10.5; 2:09.6; 2:02.8<br /><br />I know the splits are slower than what people suggested, but I woke up this morning with an aching neck and back, so considering this I'm quite pleased with myself (it's also 2seconds quicker than my last time, and only 5seconds slower than my PB). I went off hard for the first 10stokes or so and even got a ridiculously low split of 1:47 for about 3strokes (I've NEVER got it that low before!). After 600m, I did almost stop and I did lose about 2 proper strokes as my rate suddenly fell and I thought I couldn't go on. However, I got going again and then once I hit the 1k mark, I never looked back.<br /><br />Thanks ever so much for your suggestions, like I said earlier, no-ones ever advised me how I should pace the 2k and what sort of splits I should aim for. Hopefully, my seat in the second boat is safe now...I should be finding out either today or tomorrow!

[[old] sian]

hey Hoofbeat, <br />like you i had a "problem" completing 2km erg tests last season. I would get to not even half way and decide that i just couldnt go on...only it was only my head deciding this and once i had stopped i realised that really my legs felt fine, i was just mentally tired! this happened several times...<br />my coaches solution to this was a stern telling off and a threat to have my bum kicked out of the squad (which of course was just a threat..they needed me ) <br />she also decided to randomly erg test us every 2 or 3 weeks which may sound like h*** (and it was) but trust me it is the best way to overcome the phobia. <br /><br />I myself are now cured so i suggest you have them more reguarly and you're sure to get more confident in the head <br /><br />best of luck <br />~sian~

[[old] H_2O]

Given the pain of a 2K it may sound odd but the best strategy is to tell yourself<br />"relax", not to look at the splits and take the pace down slightly for a couple of strokes.<br /><br />In all of my 2Ks there were a couple of strokes with a pace 3 secs slower than average. Often a couple of strokes is all that is necessary to recover.

[[old] neilb]

<!--QuoteBegin-Hoofbeat+Apr 23 2005, 06:12 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Hoofbeat @ Apr 23 2005, 06:12 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Hi guys, just wanted to say thanks EVER so much for your help. I did my 2k trial this morning and got the following results:<br /><br />2000m = 8:32.4<br />Splits: 2:09.6; 2:10.5; 2:09.6; 2:02.8<br /><br />I know the splits are slower than what people suggested, but I woke up this morning with an aching neck and back, so considering this I'm quite pleased with myself (it's also 2seconds quicker than my last time, and only 5seconds slower than my PB).  I went off hard for the first 10stokes or so and even got a ridiculously low split of 1:47 for about 3strokes (I've NEVER got it that low before!).  After 600m, I did almost stop and I did lose about 2 proper strokes as my rate suddenly fell and I thought I couldn't go on. However, I got going again and then once I hit the 1k mark, I never looked back.<br /><br /> <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Hoofbeat,<br /><br />Great result both in terms of the time and more importantly beating the mental block; you see you can do it and you can now take a very positive approach to the next 2k.<br /><br />By the way the time for the final split is encouraging as there was clearly quite a bit left in the tank with 500m meters to go. You should be able to reduce the splits for the first 3 x 500 meters a bit next time without fear of burn out.<br /><br />Well done.<br /><br />Neil B<br />