Wanting to go Sub7 2K for the first time - anybody onboard?

[SaBhava]

Hi there,

I have been rowing with the Concept2 since 2012 now. In the first year very intensely but then I got into paddling and biking again and have been rowing less now. Due to COVID19 by 40k/d bike commute has been cancelled and so I am rowing more again and would like to hit that sound barrier. I have come close in the past: 7:07 sec but that is 8 years ago.

So, is there somebody in this forum who also feels close to Sub7 2K and wants to join in? I figure, it is more motivating when one does the challenge with others....

I basically want to train in the next 4 weeks and then have a go at the 2K. Haven't done a test run yet to see how far away I am, but it shouldn't be too much as I am in good shape from the other activities I am doing.

[KeithT]

Hi there,

I have been rowing with the Concept2 since 2012 now. In the first year very intensely but then I got into paddling and biking again and have been rowing less now. Due to COVID19 by 40k/d bike commute has been cancelled and so I am rowing more again and would like to hit that sound barrier. I have come close in the past: 7:07 sec but that is 8 years ago.

So, is there somebody in this forum who also feels close to Sub7 2K and wants to join in? I figure, it is more motivating when one does the challenge with others....

I basically want to train in the next 4 weeks and then have a go at the 2K. Haven't done a test run yet to see how far away I am, but it shouldn't be too much as I am in good shape from the other activities I am doing.

I am sure you will find some others chasing the magic sub 7:00 - its a great goal and milestone. Reducing 7 seconds is a decent amount but if training specifically for it I think you can do it but is your 1K time older than 2K time as its at a slower pace than the 2K making the goal seem much harder.

[lancecampeau]

I've been sub 7 three times since I started rowing in 2017, but not since Feb 2019.

My last decent 2K was a 7:08 in Feb... I'd love to try and get back there but I've really rolled off my training and have been too chicken s--t to give it a cold attempt.

[boomingaway]

That's my next big goal! My PB was from June on a bad day, I think I should be around 7:10 now. I'm hoping to go sub 7 in a couple of months.

[SaBhava]

Great to hear that some of you want to join! Please post your progress!

My 1k time is in fact older than the 2k time. As a matter of fact, all the times are pretty old except the 10k time. I have been doing a lot of interval training on the erg, though, and I am feeling quite fit for trying the Sub7 2K. It's been one of those goals...

[ampire]

I am close to it, an easy 7:17 was in December, and I am much more fit now with an additional million or so meters on top. My PR 5K 18:52 was in February. However, I have not done any "sharpening" since that time just lots of UT2/UT1. I was hoping to get around 2:05 at 150BPM for an hour before I start doing more sprint work. I am around 2:12/500 for 1 hour at ~150BPM.

[SaBhava]

Have been doing 750m intervals today. Went great! Was able to hold the 1:45 pace for two intervals. I did notice, however, that my ability to linger in the anaerobic zones has suffered while biking and paddling.

Incidentally, the August is the dog day's challenge. This seems to be a great month for vamping up the intensity! Haven't taken part in too many C2 challenges but always thought they were fun.

[gisborne]

I'll try. I don't think I can do it and I'm not changing my current training plan (mainly because I have other goals as well), but I'll row a 2k at the same time and post my score. I'll be happy if I can break 7:20 as I haven't rowed a 2k in 18 months and when I did it was 7:07ish and I was in better shape (I think...looking through my logbook I can't find any 2k score at all over the last 3 years).

What is the target date for this 2k?

[SaBhava]

Hi Gisborne,

nice to hear from you!

I kind of planned to take a shot at the Sub7 2K after the Dog Day Challenge which I decided to as a training. I am doing a lot of rowing session the last weeks roughly following the Pete plan which has worked wonders for me before. I reckon, that a full month of full training sessions will bring me a lot closer to the goal.

Also, in September, the weather is somewhat more welcoming for setting a PB. Presently, we have 34 Celsius in the afternoon...

What do you think?

[gisborne]

After the DD Challenge is a good idea. Sometime in the first week of September?

How's your first week or 2 of progress coming?

[SaBhava]

First week of September would be perfect.

Training goes well:
I did 2k with a 1:55 pace, as a warm-up and then 8 x 500 m and 1k for "cool-down" (as if in this weather...). The first 4 of these I wanted to do with a 1:45 pace which was possible. The other 4 with 1:50 with 2 min rest in between. I am not a training expert but I was pretty happy to be able to pull a 1:45 pace for the 500m four times in a row. If it wouldn't have been that hot and humid, I'd gone for more but didn't want to stretch it at this point.

And what were you doing?

[mromero680]

I'm working on the same goal as of a couple weeks ago. I usually switch to the bike from March to September or so but stayed on the rower this year so I have a decent base. Did a 2k on a whim in February I think and did a fairly painless 7:18. Lungs are good but working on strength with lots of low spm interval work. Plan on doing 2 or 3 x 2k this weekend so that'll tell me if I'm close.

[Wakefield_Guy]

Nice target. I’m on the same journey but starting from a bit further back & aiming for pre-Xmas!
That said I’ve progressed from 7:40 to 7:24 over last 8 weeks & getting a lot fitter. Benchmarks for me (from experience 15 yrs ago) for sub 7 are:
8x500/3’ rec average 1:42ish (current 1:48)
4x1k/5’ rec av 1:46ish (current 1:51)
& 4x2k/7’ rec av 1:52 (current 1:56).
Looking forward to following people’s progress!
Guy

[SaBhava]

Hi Guy,
Thanks a lot for the targets. Seems like, I am bit more off than I thought...

In 2012 I have pursued the same goal and there was this great bloke who posted a vid of him breaking this sound barrier. He basically went for the 1.000 m and then went all out and somehow survived.

[hjs]

You guys roughly need for 7 min.

500 reps 8x

On 1 rest, 1.45, on 2 rest 143, on 3 143.

1k reps, 4x
On 5 rest, 146.. this one is the most telling.

5k roughly 151/52, non sprinters a bit less, sprinter dan get away with a tad slower.

5x1500 on 5 rest. Think 150/51