There was a thread a couple of weeks ago about warmups before XC races that got me thinking. Never having raced my idea of a warmup would be 5-10 mins of light work to “get the blood pumping”. However more experienced people were recommending more like 20 mins hard work, including full-effort intervals. This all makes sense now that I think about it.

How would you apply this to a 2k rowing time trial? Bearing in mind I’m looking at giving 100% effort for less than 7 mins. What would be the best warmup for optimum performance? A couple of minutes hard intervals? Or am I overthinking this?!

Why doesn’t it matter how the resistance is set?

Is it because the higher resistance – the further you move on each stroke? If so there must be an optimum resistance?

zilog – people will vary but I used to do 30 minutes steady road riding before – enough to get warm and a bit of a sweat on but not tiring as such – followed by about 5-10 minutes on the erg at a steady pace (starting to get a bit breathy – say I was doing 1:33 average for my test, I’d probably be at around 1:50 – 1:55 for the warmup) with two or three 15-30 second bursts flat out.

tiggs – the computer constantly works out how fast the fan slows down between strokes and then uses that to calculate how hard the fan is set. It then adjusts the score accordingly – so if you want to get a good score at a low resistance setting, you have to really move the handle very fast (it’s a good technical exercise, actually) or conversely, you don’t have to move it so fast at a higher resistance setting.

Resistance that feels closest to a rowing boat (ish because even that is very variable depending on conditions and type/size of boat) is usually around 4 or 5 (135ish drag factor) – that’s a good balance between it being like lifting heavy weights (less aerobic) and being too light.

Thanks, for that clubber, might have a go tomorrow with a “proper” warmup like you suggest, hopefully get a PB!

re: drag factor – yes, I think there is an optimum level but it is different for everyone depending on your level of strength/endurance/etc. Probably worth some experimentation. For 2k I seem to be fastest at the moment around the 135 mark as clubber suggests. If I set it higher I’m probably a bit faster for the first k but then can’t sustain it for the second!

I managed 7.20 after a five mile run and with my arm in cast cause ive broke my wrist.

then nearly threw up

I’m still on 5000m (Too many bad memories at 2k).

Second one tonight and now at 18min 9sec (30sec quicker). SPM capped at 22. At 45 years old it’s getting hard.

I love the C2, but cannot do the short fast stuff, 10K @ 39:15 is my PB.

Dead chuffed right now as I just beat my above PB – managed 10k in 39:09, and I didn’t collapse in a ragged heap at the end.

😀