How can I vastly improve on my 2k tests?

Question
QUESTION: Currently, I am a sophomore in high school, this is my
first year rowing, I am 6'5, 175lbs, and can only pull a
6:57 on a 2k! We currently have eight people on our novice
team that can break seven minutes, one of which is 6'4, 200
lbs and somewhere around 6:36 or so. I understand that he
is 25 lbs heavier than I am, but what can I do to even come
close to his times? Two days before a 2k I am sure to drink
a lot of water and eat extra-healthfully, so are there any
tips I can get?

ANSWER: Hi Jake: First off, I think you are a little too hard on your self. You are only a novice, yet your time is above both the 50th percentile and average time for 15-to-16 year old male heavyweights.  Out of 352 2K times in the Concept II Database, your time would put you 140th.  

You must have a very good crew if your sub-7:00 time isn't one of the better times.  But rowing is more than erg scores.  Are you in the Novice 8?  Is your on-water technique good?  Are the crews you row in fast or just splashing around?  Look at the big picture and don't obsess over someone else having a better erg score than you.  Rowing is all about making a boat go faster than the other boats -- not how hard you can pull a stationary exercise machine.

I think one big handicap you have is you must pretty lean if your almost 6-and-a-half feet tall and weigh a buck-75.  It is a known fact that a heavier rower of equal experience and conditioning will pull a lower erg time than a lighter rower.  

Though I think it might be a bit late for this spring; but over the summer, I'd put in an aggressive weight training program.  You should emphasize lower reps and heavier weights to build body mass.  Look at your calorie intake and see if you can gain muscle weight (not fat) through a high-protein diet.  At your height, you have to be at least 190 pounds to look and be competitive.

Good Luck/AP

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello, thanks for the fast response. To answer some
questions, no, I am not on the A boat, currently B boat,
and I'm not sure if my on-water technique is good. It's
hard to judge for myself because the people I am competing
with in A boat are either faster than me, or the same speed
on the ergs. From what I know about my flaws on the water,
my back needs to be straighter, and I think I need better
rotation. Regarding your last paragraph, could you tell me
a good calorie intake over the summer as I try to gain 15
lbs or more of muscle?

Answer
Hi Again, Jake: With respect to on-water technique, the following article was around when I first started rowing over 30 years ago and still applies today.  Download, print, read and heed:

http://www.crew.stuorg.iastate.edu/misc/Common_Mistakes.pdf

Not seeing you row, I can tell you a slouched back leads to all kinds of problem in the boat: shooting the tail, trouble feathering (because you have less room between the oarhandle and your thighs), less endurance (your lungs are all compressed).  I'm not sure what you mean by better rotation.  But read "Common Mistakes" and you might be able to correct yourself.

I am always leery of giving diet advice because of the legal implications if something backfires, with respect to your health, because of something I recommended.  I am not a sports nutritionist.  But what I can tell you is that Michael Phelps took in 12,000 calories while training for the Olympics.  That's a lot of food and I don't recommend that.  I think you are looking to target 4000 calories a day to meet your goal.  You want to focus on healthy protein found in things like 2% milk, cheese, lean beef, chicken (grilled/baked and not fried), fish, eggs (they want you to eat the whites, but the yolks are so good).  Beans have a lot of protein and no cholesterol.  If you don't row this summer, you must keep up with your cardiovascular workouts -- or else you will have problems keeping up with the other rowers, because the extra weight will slow you down a bit.

Good Luck/AP