my pb for 2.5k was 8:01. we always reckoned that 2k was around 1s split faster than 2.5k.

I was (am!) a hwt – 6’5″, 14.5 – 15 stone.

Under 7:30 and under 11st (lightweight). Never managed a sub 7 minute. It’s only when you ramp up to 10K that we smaller rowers can get a look in. Watching some of the gorillas pulling on 10 is brutal and there is no chance of me getting there. Cycling is no different. I need a hill for my power to weight ratio to kick in.

First time back on the ergo in 7 or 8years (because of this post and the rain) – 5000m in 18.39min – 20-22spm.

Yep it hurt.

Something else that hurts is doing 4x500m intervals with a 1 minute rest. Really easy to program in and the 1 minute rest counts down on the clock. If you get a bit bored with a straight 2k try it.

2k is 6.57.4 which was done a while ago, not close to that at the moment, not sure I ever will be.

Used to follow a training plan on the C2 website which split intervals with endurance. 10k is 38:26.

I think anyone can enter Birc, you don’t need a sub7 time.

I’ve been angling after a sub 7 min time for a while, managed to knock 15s off my previous best with 7:02 today which I am pleased with. Will defo get it next time!

Oh dear. Joined a gym last night. First session tonight…

Erm. 8m 22s for 2000m. First time on a rower in about 5 yrs. Upper body seriously lacking in power, strength, endurance….

Short & overweight doesn’t help.

What am i doing wrong then, usally have it on level 10, am just around the 8min mark (though not tried for a whille) and the rower usally ends up moving all over the place.

What am i doing wrong then, usally have it on level 10

that

and the rower usally ends up moving all over the place.

Crap technique too.

There was a great tip posted here on one of the other erg threads. Unless you are going for it, don’t use the foot straps. You should be able to row exactly the same without them up to about mid 20s stroke rate. And yes, the machine itself should not be moving about, that’s just wasted effort. Try to get smoother.

Upper body seriously lacking in power, strength, endurance….

Whilst upper body strength does help a lot, the drive should come from the legs.

Tried this tonight to see how i’d do.

Never really use the rower but used to do the occasional 1000m effort so thought i’d try a 2000m.

Took it fairly easy until the last 400m and pulled a 7:13 so with a bit of practise that should come down to a sub 7. Thought that was ok for a 40 yr old. May try it a few more times as tonights effort was an hour after a 20 mile road ride.

Often wished i’d joined a club when i lived in London, used to cycle past the Putney clubs but never wandered in.

Wow at some of them times.

I think i’m pretty handy on the rower and win the works gym competitions. I’m a 7.00 man though for the 2k which i thought was pretty bloody good hahaha.

I did 1.92k in 8mins as part of an indoor sprint triathlon. I’d probably been on a rowing macine twice before in my life and it was the last event. I’d already run 1.9k in 8mins and did 4.55k on the bike in 8min (slow compared to the others). A very painful 24mins, I wouldn’t opt to it again.

6.46 when I was 17. I started using it a bit due to a torn ankle ligament playing rugby and couldn’t go out for my regular runs any more. I’m sure I could better that now though at 31 (possibly)??!!

How are peoples 5k times looking? I’m a member of a gym now and need to start getting on the rower again- it’s painful but quite addictive I seem to remember

Never tried a PB on a 2k

Just started using 2k rowing as a warmup before going to a Trixter Cycling class or a normal Gym session.

So long as I keep it steady & it’s under 10 mins for 2k, I’m happy enough … but im also late 40’s and pretty unfit & I know for sure that I’m going to get beasted in the trixter class so am not going to go stupid before i go in.

Chris

5km best of 18m 34. These days anything under 19m00 is good for me.

5km test – 16min 40sec for me. It hurt.

pjm84 – Member
5km test – 16min 40sec for me. It hurt.

That’s got to be about a 1min 40 average ?

I’ve just passed your details on to the GB Olympic Team pjm84, they’ll be in touch shortly.

7:08 for me. Pretty pleased with that, but I think I could break the 7:00 with a bit of training.

seba560 – Member
I’ve just passed your details on to the GB Olympic Team pjm84, they’ll be in touch shortly.

He’d be 2nd in the 40+ concept2 race series LOL

He’d also be 2nd in the 30+ concept 2 race series.

http://concept2.co.uk/challengeseries/results?cat=4&sex=m

The leader, Ollie Osbourne was in the world championships 😉 and finished 6t

Folk are making that incorrect assumption that the folk who are at the top of whatever leaderboards are the best at that particular event. They’re just the best out of the people who entered the event.

glupton1976 – Member
Folk are making that incorrect assumption that the folk who are at the top of whatever leaderboards are the best at that particular event. They’re just the best out of the people who entered the event.

He finished 6th in the indoor world championships, he’s hardly a fat munter from Croydon is he ?

I’m not saying that he is. Merely pointing out that there will be people out there who dont compete but are every bit as good on a rowing machine. So while someone may finish 6th at the world championships, it doesnt always follow that they’re the 6th best person at that particular thing on the planet.

pjm84 – Member
5km test – 16min 40sec for me. It hurt.

Good work – 8s better than my pb. I still have a scar from doing that where I fell off after and smacked my head on the concrete floor…

But as I said above, I was never much good on the erg compared to my on-water competition so it’s hardly a GB-level score. Breaking into the mid 15s would be…

86kg: managed a PB of 7:01 last night.

Aiming for sub 6:50, as would love to see an “Excellent” on the VO2max Calculator someone posted the link to above. Although I have my doubts as to the accuracy of this measure!

Breaking into the mid 15s would be…

Just out of interest. I was looking at the record time for various age groups on the concept website. There are only 3 times that dip below 16 minutes:

Event – Category-Name ——— Gender — Weight — Age — Country — Record —- Season
5000 – 30-39 – Rob Waddell —– M —— Hwt —– 32 —- NZL —– 14:58.3 —- 2008
5000 – 19-29 – Matthew Pinsent – M —— Hwt —– 25 —- GBR —– 15:11.0 —- 2000
5000 – 40-49 – Nik Fleming —– M —— Hwt —— 40 —- GBR —– 15:57.6 —- 2009

Now, I’ve not heard of two of them but I seem to remember the middle one was a bit handy in his prime, so yeah I reckon sub 16 minutes would be pretty tidy.

Only times that are published. Times from inside the international teams tend not to be publicised other than by word of mouth.

are we still doing this?

First opportunity to have a crack this lunchtime, having not looked at an ergo for a year or more – 6:41 went out too fast and blew up in the last 3-400m 🙁

Just cranked out 7:14 @ 95kg or so.

Quite happy with that given the amount of training I’ve done on the rower of late.

Did 7.25 last night – first time on rower for weeks. I’m 80kgs and in my early 50s and was suffering from the after-effects of the previous evening’s rather brutal circuits class, so reasonably pleased. I reckon I could knock 10-15 seconds off if I did it more regularly but not sure about getting under 7 mins.

Bad! Had another bash at it on Monday, gone.8:22 again. Going hard, while conscious of another 40mins cardio to do. Reckon I could have only knocked a few seconds off that at best though!
I’ll be happy just to hit 8 mins..!

7:43.3 now @ 61kg. May have sicked up a little bit afterwards and can’t walk today. 🙂

I’ve tried a couple more times now and seem to have hit a wall. 7:05 & 7:08. Will try and break 7mins but simply don’t have the stamina to sustain the effort at the moment.

Was going to have a little challenge with the gym instructor until he told me his PB is 6:05………! He is 17yrs younger than me though.

I won’t be challenging anyone in my gym, it’s full of Cambridge Uni Rowing squads training…..

Cracked it tonight 🙂

6:57.6 Wasn’t as hard as i’d expected, i just had to start off a tad faster and then keep up a steady pace. That’s not to say i wasn’t slightly gasping at the end though…..

I busted my ribs shortly after starting this thread so getting out of bed and sneezing are the only challenges i will be facing for a while 🙁