Introduction:
The goal is to row your 2000 meter test exactly as you have trained to do. It does not take a superhuman effort to PR on your 2k. Instead, those who are most successful on race day are the ones who are able to focus, block out variables andistractions, and row within themselves from the first stroke to the finish. At any point in the piece, the only stroke that matters is the one you are on. Row each stroke to completion. Row each stroke as efficiently as you can. When the erg starts asking the question (usually around 1200-1300 meters in) “Do you want to keep going?” answer with a firm “Yes” and keep pushing forward. Come off the machine having given it your all and having no regrets. Embrace the 2k erg test as your chance to display all the hard work you’ve put into your rowing fitness over the previous weeks and months.
Drag Factor:
The very first thing you do when you sit down for your 2k erg test is check your drag factor. You should have a drag factor that you consistently use in training and testing. Fan setting is not accurate enough to guarantee the ergometer will feel and respond the way you want it to. Only drag factor ensures the machine is set exactly how you want.
Warm Up (20 min. approximately):
7-10 min: Light steady state, gradually increasing pressure as your body warms up. In the initial strokes of the warm up, it is not about how hard you are rowing, but how well. Focus on posture, sequencing, connection, the catch and the finish, as your body gradually warms and allows you to drive harder and harder. Don’t focus on power and speed before you are warm. 5-10 min: Once you feel warm from the steady state, execute a series of 10s and 20s, increasing rating and intensity as you go. Rower Academy suggests 3 x 10 strokes at 24,28,32 spm (with at least 20 strokes easy in between each stroke rating change). Then one final 20 stroke piece at race pace and rhythm. We are all built differently. This warm-up is a recommendation. Feel free to add or subtract from this template to design the warm-up that makes you feel confident. The key to a successful 2k warm-up: you want to be warm at the start of the test, but you don’t want to have lost any energy by doing too many high rating, hard strokes before going off the line. Adjust accordingly.
The 2k Test:
See the test as an opportunity and attack it as such
1st 500:
Start Strong. 5-15 hard/high strokes are really all you need to get off the line, create a little cushion below your goal split, and keep from wasting the energy you’ll need in the final meters of the test. As you come off the start, lengthen out and focus on breathing, rowing efficiently, and competing each stroke. Move athletically and keep the load light. Settle into race pace, rhythm, and stroke rating 300-350 meters into the piece. It’s common for the split and rating to bounce around a bit in the first 200-250 meters as you are coming off your start. By 350 meters in, you should feel that each stroke is strong and consistent, and that you are right on your goal split. Hold goal split as you move toward the 2nd 500.
2nd 500:
Stay Consistent. The goal is to be right on race pace, rhythm, and stroke rate throughout the entire 2nd 500 meters. Get lost in your work. The only stroke that matters is the one you are on. Focus on completing each stroke before taking the next one. Stay away from doing math in your head and attempting to project split averages and/or finish times. Just row your goal split, dead on, through the entirety of this 500. Hold goal split as you move toward the 3rd 500.
3rd 500: Stay Headstrong. Once you cross the thousand, the erg will start pushing back. Your goal is to arrive at the 1000 meter mark feeling ready to handle the erg questioning your strength and resolve. Remain steady. Remain efficient. Remain long. Remain relaxed. It is not uncommon for the split for this 500 to be .5 to 1.0 seconds slower than the other splits of the piece. Accept it, and do not panic if your pace strays a bit in this 500. The 3rd 500 is all about split management and mental management.
The “Phantom” 500 (from 800 meters to go to 300 meters to go):
Mental Management. Although not one of the four formal 500s in a 2k, it is in the 500 meter stretch from 800 to go to 300 to go – “over halfway done, but not quite close enough to the finish” – that 2k PRs are made and lost. It is within this section that it feels like the erg is pushing back, as if the resistance somehow got harder. This is the section where the erg asks, with every single stroke, “Do you want to keep going?.” You need to answer “Yes” every time. You need to keep pushing toward and through the 4th 500. Manage this section with efficiency and a cool head, and you will put yourself in position for success in the final meters of the test.
4th 500:
Finish Strong. Cross the 1500 meter mark and continue to carry the determination from the 3rd 500. Focus on managing your splits. Work to hit your goal split but have the mental flexibility to stay relaxed if you are a split or two slower than your goal split for short periods of time. Remain as efficient, long, and strong as possible. The Sprint. Once you have crossed 300 to go, decide when to take up the power and stroke rating. Somewhere between the 300 to go mark and 150 to go mark, start your sprint. Only sprint when you are confident you can cover the remaining distance at full intensity and power. Time it, go for it, and hang on. Get inspired and watch the tenths of seconds fall off your overall split as you close out the piece.