Rowing 3x2000 Meters

The challenge in operating a dryland training program with rowers whose skills and abilities vary so much is ensuring that everybody is improving while nobody feels left behind. Accordingly, Niskayuna's rowers train based on a 3 x 2000 meter erg test. From this test, an average split is calculated and it is around this value that most practices are measured. After a few weeks, the 3x2k test is repeated and a new split (if faster) becomes the new measuring stick.

There is nothing easy about this test; it requires the rower to plan ahead more than usual. Rowers must take into consideration their physical strength and endurance, their rate of recovery, and their strategic approach. For the latest 3x2k test, the rowers were asked to give their feedback. Their responses are below. This blog post will continue to be updated as more rowers respond. Enjoy.

(Zack) Today's 3x2k erg piece was extremely challenging. Out of all three pieces the first was the easiest. I cruised right through with a consistent split and didn't sprint at the end. Without the sprint at the end I wasn't so tired, and knew I had enough energy to do the next piece. The second 2k was a lot worse than the first. I felt pretty good through the first 1000m, but when I got to the 900m mark I hit a wall. At the end of the piece I finished a couple tenths of a second faster, but I was a lot more tired than I was after the first piece. On the final 2k I pulled a second higher than my average split for the previous 2ks. I held that until the 1000m mark and then I dropped it back down to the average split of my other pieces. Then at the end of my final piece I sprinted at the 200m and finish with a average split a whole second below my two previous ones. I think that cooling down after everyone of my pieces helped a lot. After each piece I rowed about 150m really slow and with a really high split. This cool down helped me recover by getting my breathing under control after the piece.

(Eli) This workout is brutal because you cannot go your fastest on the first piece and have no energy for the second; but at the same time if you achieve a low split on the first, then you must balance the other two. Going into the pieces you must be physically and psychologically prepared. Physically, you need to know your boundaries and strength in order to be efficient while on the erg. Psychologically, you need to know that at some point on the second piece you will hit a wall, a boundary that will prohibit you from going faster. It is necessary to know this in your mind beforehand so that when you meet this “wall” you have a game plan and the mental sense to smash through it. Personally, I felt pain about a quarter ways through the second piece. It is right after a successful first piece that you realize there is 2 more to go and your morale is drained. The one thing I learned from doing these pieces is persevere no matter what. My second time was a lot slower than my first, but after 750 meters on the third, something clicked. The barrier was broken and ignoring the pain I finished the piece a second under my previous average split.

(Andrew) The 3X2k workout is one of the most important workouts we do. It sets the bar for workouts to come, and as we do them shows our progress from the last time we did them. My basic strategy for all three was to come up with a split that I would hold consistently. I found this strategy possible for the entire first one because I was not tired yet, I was well stretched and warmed up. Going into the second piece I had the same sort of plan, but at exactly 850 meters into it I hit a wall. This was a wall that I had to overcome by re-evaluating my strategy. My new plan was to hold the rest of the piece at a 1:47 or under which was two seconds higher than my original plan. At the end of both my first and second pieces I did not sprint, I held the same rating (if not slower) and held a split just under where the average had been. After I got off the erg on the first two pieces I was not completely dead, just sore mostly in my quads and of course I was sweating like crazy. Going into the third piece I hit the same sort of wall that I hit about half way through the second before I even started the piece. I was sitting on the erg getting ready to pull the last piece and all of the physical exhaustion suddenly hit me. I was not able to recover from this exhaustion until almost halfway through the last piece, and when I did recover I believe that those last 1000 meters of the last piece were my favorite meters out of all 6000 pulled. On the final 250m I sprinted, it was one of those all out, kya type of sprints. It felt good. I find this work out to be one of the most painful we do, but I felt great after it. My fastest was the first (the easiest) my second was the slowest (the hardest) and the last was the second fastest (my favorite).