On getting better..

Question
Hi, I am a 16 year old, 50kg/8stone female and I really want to get back into rowing again. I thought I wasn't doing too badly (not amazing either), with a fairly consistant 2:20 split and 10minute 2k, but I realise that is not enough! How do I work on getting much better before I join a club to train? I really don't want to embarrass myself. I also don't have much experience with sculling as opposed to rowing, so do you have any tips on staying calm and not catching crabs? Thank you!

Answer
Hi Anna: I looked at the average 2K times for lightweight girls your age on the Concept II Database.  The average time is around 8:30.  You have already identified that you are not quite there yet.

I don't know how much on-water experience you have.  I'd say you need to maybe work on your strength and cardiovascular base for a few months.  You should be hitting the weight room 2 to 4 times a week, with emphasis on building muscle in your legs, back, chest and upper arms.  See if you can gain 10 pounds of muscle.  That will lower your 2K time.

You also need to do a mix of long distance runs and interval training, such as 6 to 8 400 meter runs at a fairly fast pace and/or running up stairs/hills.  This will give you the endurance you need to maintain a higher stroke rate during the 2K erg piece.  Run about 2 to 3 times a week.

Do this for about a month before going back on the ergometer.  When you can start doing 2:10 splits and a 9:00 2K, then you might be ready to join a rowing club.

Staying calm during a race is gained through hours and hours of practice.  If you don't catch crabs during practice, then you probably won't during a race.  Catching a crab is sometimes due to bad luck more than anything (i.e., you dug a little deep in the water and the boat just happened to be leaning toward that side).  You just can't worry or think about stuff like that during a race or you'll have problems.

Good Luck/AP