The difficulty to go again on rowerg after a little break

[gilles13006]

Hey,

At 34 yo i feel many difficulties to go back on the tracks after a 2 weeks break. Each time i did a break, it took me like 2 or 3 weeks to go back at my previous performances.

Training are very painful, i sweat so much more, my perf are really really bad (one time i couldn’t even finish a 2k and a 5k is like impossible for me).

Do you people experiment the same kind of thing? I began rowing on may 21. I would make a break of 2-3 weeks to celebrate the end of the 22 season, but know i feel totally out of energy and non motivated.

Sorry for my English,
Gilles

[JaapvanE]

At 34 yo i feel many difficulties to go back on the tracks after a 2 weeks break. Each time i did a break, it took me like 2 or 3 weeks to go back at my previous performances.

That sounds about right. My trainer used to tell me that each week you don't train, you need another week to get back to where you where.

Training are very painful, i sweat so much more, my perf are really really bad (one time i couldn’t even finish a 2k and a 5k is like impossible for me).

You have to accept that after a couple of weeks downtime, you can't just pick up where you left off. Some buildup must occur somehow. You probably started too fast (above what your current condition allows, and probably near where you left off) and ran out of steam too early because of it. First excersise in a couple of days should start slow. Mentally it is extremely challenging as you know you are capable of much more, but holding back is really necessary to build up your speed again.

Do you people experiment the same kind of thing? I began rowing on may 21. I would make a break of 2-3 weeks to celebrate the end of the 22 season, but know i feel totally out of energy and non motivated.

I'm building up after an injury. My physiotherapist made me start with extreme low drag, low speed, low SPM and low Heartrate. Part to prevent stress on my injured biceps, part to gradually become active again. Then, I focussed on perfecting technique, like rowing strapless and making nice powercurves. Now in buildup, I slowly start to look at times. I try to shave of seconds on the total time per training while staying in HR Zone 3. I break a season record weekly, although I'm not anywhere close to my old times (I got injured a month before the season ended, so all my season times are post injury) as the drag still is too low. But it is progress with respect to last week. That's what keeps my motivation....

[Dangerscouse]

Yeah. I use a rough rule of double the amount of time that I have had off to get back to where I was.

The body is very efficient, and approximately three days after no activity your fitness starts to drop as it comes at quite a cost to the body to maintain. After two weeks you'll notice quite a significant change in fitness, this is why professional sportspeople have to train for so long before making a comeback following a notable injury.

The other problem you'll have is you assume that you can do what you used to, and mentally it comes as a big shock to you when you can't. When the frustration, and slight fear, subsides and you do about 3 or 4 sessions you'll start to progress again.

It's important that you accept that it's going to be harder than you want it to be, so then it doesn't derail you when it happens. A good comment to remind yourself that nothing worth having comes easily.

[YamR1Rider]

Agree with the others that yes, any sort of break is a set back. But on the bright side quite honestly, at age 34 a couple of weeks is nothing.... as you rightly say, couple of weeks to get back to where you were... Is no big deal in the grand scheme of things. When I was 34, job necessities forced me to take a few months off at times - but it was all totally recoverable (in less time than I took off) and then some. Try doing the same approaching 50... I find it's a whole other magnitude of setback. So basically IMO the only thing you've got holding you right now is a motivational set back....if you can get over the slump I think you are still well within the bracket of lifetime PBs at your age! I say make the best of it as in my experience your real uphill battle will probably start a decade or so from now

[Tsnor]

... 34 yo and rowing since may 2021
... Training is very painful
...(one time i couldn’t even finish a 2k and a 5k is like impossible for me).
...i feel totally out of energy and non motivated.

Something is not right. After a year of rowing a slow easy 2K or 5K should be something you can do even after a month off.

How hard are you rowing and how often ? Guessing you are doing either way too little or way too much. Maybe give a typical weeks worth of workouts. Include any non-rowing or weights or other heavy work you might be doing.

[Holly62]

Something wrong here, you're way too young to not be able to complete an easy and steady 2k or with some effort 5k.

If it's not something obvious like weight or lifestyle, or too high a drag factor, I would recommend seeing your doctor and discussing it with them, before continuing.
Is it being out of breath, pain or lack of motivation that makes you stop mid session?
You mentioned pain, muscular or elsewhere?

[gilles13006]

Thanks for all your replies.

When i said it was hard/impossible for me to do a 2k or 5k it was in comparison with before the break. I just couldn’t make a 2k or 5k in the same perf than before.

Last season (my very first season) i rowed my million meters, and my 2k PB is at 7:23 currently. So i am still at my beginnings in the indoor rowing world.

I think indeed i have a be smoother on my come back on rower since i am not a full accomplished athlete. I have to accord myself some time to go up again to my old perfs. Maybe i should maintain some easy running sessions just to maintain my corpse activation during the break.

[Dangerscouse]

Thanks for all your replies.

When i said it was hard/impossible for me to do a 2k or 5k it was in comparison with before the break. I just couldn’t make a 2k or 5k in the same perf than before.

Last season (my very first season) i rowed my million meters, and my 2k PB is at 7:23 currently. So i am still at my beginnings in the indoor rowing world.

I think indeed i have a be smoother on my come back on rower since i am not a full accomplished athlete. I have to accord myself some time to go up again to my old perfs. Maybe i should maintain some easy running sessions just to maintain my corpse activation during the break.

Don't overthink it, and it will come back soon enough, and quickly too. It's natural to be concerned that you feel like everything has been lost, but you do get prepared for the issue when you get more experienced.

I'm certain, with proper training, that in a couple of weeks you'll be thinking differently. Running may, or may not, be useful, as it usually doesn't have much carry over to rowing but it might do for you.

[JaapvanE]

When i said it was hard/impossible for me to do a 2k or 5k it was in comparison with before the break. I just couldn’t make a 2k or 5k in the same perf than before.

That isn't surprising. After a week or so, your muscle mass degrades and each week of degradation takes a week to return. Start slow and humble, and within three weeks you are back to where you were. Make the most of these moments by focussing on technique so the trainings don't feel as "lost" opportunities.

[Captain Darling]

I first got into erging through the Beginner Pete Plan and Pete Plan which tend to be the foundation of my training now too. Pete's advice for short breaks is to back off 1 split for each week you've missed. For interval work I find that very useful. Especially from a recovery perspective.

Shorter intervals such as 8x500m I wouldn't need to back off my targets by 2 splits after 2 weeks off to finish a session for instance. But if I don't back off my targets by those 2 splits I will tend to find that I take more time to recover than I should from 500m intervals as I get through the session by muscling through without the best technique.

For SS after a break I will often row monitor-less in one way or another. These days by covering everything but stroke rate and HR with masking tape so I just hold a reasonable rate in the correct HRZ. When I very first got back on the erg after surgery last year I actually just pushed the monitor up so it was facing the ceiling for my first few sessions back. I set a timer on my phone for the duration I wanted to row, went on feel and took it easy.

The best thing about the erg is that if you take one bad stroke it lets you know. The worst things about the erg is that if you take one bad stroke it lets you know. Sometimes the toughest thing about getting back at it is seeing worse splits than you're used too.

[Cant Climb]

To the original poster - start slow if need be. Add a little each day. The silver lining is this is a great time to work on form from the ground up.

But like someone else said. Concerned about the level of difficulty your experiencing. Maybe there is a health issue.

[jamesg]

When the racing season ends, take a month or two off, then start again, if still interested. But start from the beginning: no one's perfect.