Breaking 7 min in 2K

Dreadnought · Post by **Dreadnought** » December 28th, 2006, 11:58 pm

Here's my first attempt at a hard interval workout:

10 min @ 1:52.4 pace (sub 7:30 for a 2k)
1000m in 3:37.8
1000m in 3:41.3
500m in 141.7
followed by 28 min easy rowing

I think that the first long interval (10 min) took to much out of me, nad I was unable to go on with my original objective, which was to to at least 4x1000m intervals.

On my next interval session I'll omit the long 10 min interval, and hopefully do better on the 1000m intervals.

chgoss · Post by **chgoss** » December 29th, 2006, 12:37 pm

Hi Dreadnought
I am Male, 44 years old, 200 lb, 6'2". Started erging Feb 2006.
My experience with trying to crack 7min 2K(current PB is 7:03) has been this:
At first, the times drop almost daily, then at some point they start levelling out. Mine levelled out at about 7:15, and it start's getting really frustrating..

The best, and most interesting way to keep the times dropping, IMHO is:
1. work on technique: get one of Xeno's DVD's, it's worth the $$, believe me ( I have #4, it's great http://www.gorow.com/indoor_rowing_DVD.htm)

2. get on a plan and STICK TO IT, Wolverine or Pete's

3. get RowPro
(http://www.digitalrowing.com/default.aspx?ItemId=42
$30 - daily races. There is a free demo version),
or Supercanoa(free-less racing http://www.supercanoa.com/ ),
and start racing! You are competitive, you will really enjoy this

One last thing, you probably have tons of endurance, I would focus on the interval training.. just a thought.

Dreadnought · Post by **Dreadnought** » January 4th, 2007, 3:55 pm

New PB:

2K in 7:16 (1:49 pace).

Damper set on 3, as recommended by the local rowing coach. I am interested in hearing what damper setting other people are using.

I am now aiming for 7:00 one month from now at the Southern Sprints in Melbourne, FL

RowtheRockies · Post by **RowtheRockies** » January 4th, 2007, 5:32 pm

Dreadnought,

Good job on your PR!

Rich

Dreadnought · Post by **Dreadnought** » January 24th, 2007, 3:14 pm

here is an update on my training for the sub 7min 2K. I feel confident that I will be able to do it.

Most recent interval workout:
4 x 1000m progressively faster
3:41.9
3:36.0
3:33.2
3:31.1
Should i aim to do them faster next time?

Most recent time trial:
5K in 18:53.8 (1:53.4 pace)

Next time trial will be a 6K with the goal of maintaining close to the same pace.

Yankeerunner · Post by **Yankeerunner** » January 24th, 2007, 3:57 pm

Dreadnought wrote:here is an update on my training for the sub 7min 2K. I feel confident that I will be able to do it.

Most recent interval workout:
4 x 1000m progressively faster
3:41.9
3:36.0
3:33.2
3:31.1
Should i aim to do them faster next time?

Most recent time trial:
5K in 18:53.8 (1:53.4 pace)

Next time trial will be a 6K with the goal of maintaining close to the same pace.

Good progress Dreadnaught. Not to be pessimistic, but to keep you from a possible fly & die, I'll throw out a few cautions.

Mike Caviston (Wolverine Plan, and world record holder of 40+ lightweights at 6:18.2) finds that what he can do for 4 X 1000m (max effort with about 6:40-6:50 rests) pretty accurately predits the pace he can hold in a 2km race. If your 4 X 1000m was the best you could do then it points to more like 7:10.

When I could do 18:38 for a 5km PB I was only doing 7:07 for 2km.

I don't mean to discourage you, but maybe keep you realistic about how fast you might get from 7:16 to 6:59.9.

Best wishes at the Southern Sprints.

Rick

Dreadnought · Post by **Dreadnought** » January 24th, 2007, 4:17 pm

Yankeerunner wrote:5K in 18:53.8 (1:53.4 pace)

Mike Caviston (Wolverine Plan, and world record holder of 40+ lightweights at 6:18.2) finds that what he can do for 4 X 1000m (max effort with about 6:40-6:50 rests) pretty accurately predits the pace he can hold in a 2km race. If your 4 X 1000m was the best you could do then it points to more like 7:10.

Rick

Thanks for putting things in perspective. My first interval was relatively easy, and I can probably do them somewhat faster overall. I'm sure I can do at leat one sub 3:30 interval, but I'm not sure i can do all four at that pace. I didn't time the rest periods, but I don't think they were that long.

PaulS · Post by **PaulS** » January 24th, 2007, 4:27 pm

Dreadnought wrote:here is an update on my training for the sub 7min 2K. I feel confident that I will be able to do it.

Most recent interval workout:
4 x 1000m progressively faster
3:41.9
3:36.0
3:33.2
3:31.1
Should i aim to do them faster next time?

Most recent time trial:
5K in 18:53.8 (1:53.4 pace)

Next time trial will be a 6K with the goal of maintaining close to the same pace.

5k is about 2k + 6.25, or 2k is about 5k - 7, depending on which direction you want to work from, so best case scenario, IMO, leaves you with a 2k @ 1:46.4 Avg. Perhaps a plan of 1:48, 1:47, 1:46, 1:45 negative split 500's. Might even leave enough in the tank for a power 10-15 to finish, but if you go out at 1:45 steady, it's going to be some very tough going in the 3rd 500m.

Just a humble suggestion.

Dreadnought · Post by **Dreadnought** » January 29th, 2007, 8:04 pm

PaulS wrote:
Dreadnought wrote:Most recent time trial:
5K in 18:53.8 (1:53.4 pace)

Next time trial will be a 6K with the goal of maintaining close to the same pace.
5k is about 2k + 6.25, or 2k is about 5k - 7, depending on which direction you want to work from,
.

PaulS,

Here is my most recent time trial

6K in 22:51.6 which is 500m @ 1:54.3 pace

how does your conversion work for a 6K?

Nosmo · Post by **Nosmo** » January 29th, 2007, 8:44 pm

Dreadnought wrote:
PaulS,

Here is my most recent time trial

6K in 22:51.6 which is 500m @ 1:54.3 pace

how does your conversion work for a 6K?

2K should be 7.9 seconds faster then 6K.

There was discussion on this a little while ago. (Search content for "Paul's Formula)
The formula for the pace is 5 seconds slower for each doubling of the distance.
So 1000m should be 5 seconds faster then 2K and 10 seconds faster then 4K.
Or in math: pace difference = 5 * log(d1/d2) / log(2)
If you put in 6k for d1 and 2K for d2 you get 7.9
(and if you put in 2K for d1 and 6K for d2 you get -7.9 )

Nosmo

trailrunner · Post by **trailrunner** » February 7th, 2007, 8:58 pm

I have two long term goals:
1. sub 7:00 2k
2. sub 3 hr marathon (running)

Tonight I did 8x500/2:00 rec @ 301 watts. Near term goal for 2k in 2 weeks is 7:10[/list]

MarcWB · Post by **MarcWB** » February 8th, 2007, 8:59 am

I started erging in June last year and started off on 7:58 2k. i platuea'd on 7:20 and then 7:11 a couple of months later.

I found that i lacked any raw power (1:29 MP) so i cut out erging completely for a couple of weeks and concentrated on weight training and then started doing intervals (8x500, 10x250, 14x1min etc..) and my 2k time recently went to 6:57 and the pb's are rolling in.
personally i find it much easier to build my endurance up than my power. So im planning to carry on with the power work and then up the endurance later in march or something.
You seem to be good with your endurance but less so with your power, so maybe try doing some speed intervals so you get used to holding low splits.

Dreadnought · Post by **Dreadnought** » February 8th, 2007, 10:34 pm

MarcWB wrote:I started erging in June last year and started off on 7:58 2k. i platuea'd on 7:20 and then 7:11 a couple of months later.

I found that i lacked any raw power (1:29 MP) so i cut out erging completely for a couple of weeks and concentrated on weight training and then started doing intervals (8x500, 10x250, 14x1min etc..) and my 2k time recently went to 6:57 and the pb's are rolling in.
personally i find it much easier to build my endurance up than my power. So im planning to carry on with the power work and then up the endurance later in march or something.
You seem to be good with your endurance but less so with your power, so maybe try doing some speed intervals so you get used to holding low splits.

That is a very impressive increase in your raw power output. Going from 1:29 to 1:18 is an increase in watts from 496 to 737 (nearly 50% increase!) My MP so far is 1:22, and I find it very hard to improve.
Do you attribute most of this increase to your weight training? What is your lifting routine?

MarcWB · Post by **MarcWB** » February 12th, 2007, 12:01 am

Yeah i think it was all down to the extra strength. As for a weight lifting routine i just like to keep things simple.
4 sets of 8-12. Bench pulls, pull-ups, deadlifts, squats and bench press. Work on those and you'll be laughing.

Dreadnought · Post by **Dreadnought** » February 13th, 2007, 11:24 pm

MarcWB wrote:Yeah i think it was all down to the extra strength. As for a weight lifting routine i just like to keep things simple.
4 sets of 8-12. Bench pulls, pull-ups, deadlifts, squats and bench press. Work on those and you'll be laughing.

That looks like a very complete routine. Do you do all of them in one session. How many days a week? Many powerlifters do squats or deadlifts no more than 1x/week to allow for adequate recovery.