How to drop 30 seconds off your 2k this winter!
I know what you’re thinking… 30 seconds off my 2k?! The magic formula is below! I gotta check this out.
I’m sure that title spoke to many of you… and I hope it worked :)
Because, will you drop 30 seconds off your 2000 meter score this winter?
The reality is, I GUARANTEE some of you reading this page will…
But most won’t. And here’s why.
Because first off, that’s a RIDICULOUS amount of time! If you’re a moderately competitive rower, 5 to 10 seconds can be challenging, let alone 20 to 30.
But the real reality is that most athletes won’t put in the work to drop that kind of time.
They wish for it. But they won’t work for it.
And that’s fine, because everyone has different priorities in the winter off-season. And in many ways, some athlete’s priorities are WAY MORE IMPORTANT than a faster erg time.
But the issue lies in the expectation we (or others…) put on ourselves…
We expect it to come easy.
But the reality is, rowing is hard. And the winter is harder. Ask anyone who’s been through a truly competitive winter training program.
You gotta work for it.
But rowing, more than any other sport (I guarantee this too!) is an input, output game. The work you put in will be seen on the other side at some point.
So the real questions I would be asking myself are these… Is rowing at a high level something I want to pursue? And am I willing to work for it?
Because that’s the beauty of rowing… anyone can change their trajectory in one good winter season.
Now, you clicked on this for a reason… so here you go.
Here are three tips to best position yourself for a big 2k improvement this winter…
1) Focus on becoming a better rower, and even better endurance athlete.
This should come first. Does your stroke still stand out from the riverbanks? If it does, prioritize quality rowing and technique. Take advantage of the early parts of the winter season to develop a technical foundation that is stable enough to build on. Warmups, steady state, cooldowns, if intentional, these are where technical changes can occur. Not at race pace. Prioritize technique now, and it will set you up even better long term.
Bridging off technique, take this time to develop the skillset of proper pacing, body awareness, and ratio. Do you still struggle to hold a rate 18 and lock in one split for 15, 20, or even 40 minutes straight? If you do, prioritize low rates and steady state. Get comfortable with the boring stuff that sets the foundation. Elite rowers know how to “own the boring” because they understand that’s where the true base fitness is developed.
2) Work harder than you are today.
The reality is, we get better on the erg by being on the erg. Five practices per week, two of which are weights, another one is running, and only two are erging, is probably not enough work to move the needle forward... Aim for 7 to 9 purposeful sessions per week, with 4-5 being *real* erg workouts.
Have balance in your training, but make the erg the center piece. If you master point #1 (see above), the erg won’t feel as daunting as you thought it was previously. It’s the best tool for developing rowing-specific fitness (By far, hands down.) Get comfortable with it… and even better… learn how to enjoy it!
3) Be Athletic… and not just through rowing.
Like I said above… winter training is tough. And guess what defeats 2k progress more than anything… a lack of motivation, or a feeling of burnout. Play other sports, have balance in your training (contrary to point #2 but who’s counting…), and be athletic and competitive in different ways. It will make the winter fly by, have a massive impact on your rowing long term (we are *athletes* by the way…), and keep that fire lit for longer!
There’s a reason why multi-sport athletes come back in the spring after a basketball or swim season and completely dominate the erg room… they’ve developed new athletic skills while also walking in fresh and energized come March. You can do the same whether you’re part of a winter training group or not. Stay athletic, even as a “rower”. It will pay off long term.
The 2k score should be a by-product of the three points above. Not the primary motivation. If all you’re chasing is a result, you may get there… but at what cost?
There is no quick fix formula for rowing success. Be a student of the sport, work harder than you are right now, and get comfortable with the process.
Keep Steppin’ Into It.
Kevin
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