Category: Ergs

Coxing Ergs Q&A Racing Rowing

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When do you call power 10s, both on the erg and the water? Would it be like when you see a girl’s split dropping and staying down on a 2k or during a race if you’re close and want to pass another boat? Or could it be any time just for a burst of energy? I don’t really know the strategy, I just know at some point I’ll have to sound like I know what I’m doing and call a few.

On the erg, I don’t call a power 10 unless the rower has asked me to beforehand. A lot of rowers don’t like to be bothered during 2ks so they can get/stay in their zone and randomly popping up behind them to give a power 10 can sometimes do more harm than good. When they’ve asked me to give them one, they usually say to do it whenever it looks like they need one or they’ll say “I want a 10 at 1500m, 20 at 1000, 10 at 750m, 10 at 500m, and 10 at 150m.” If they say to call it whenever I’ll try and do one at each of the major meter marks and/or within the last 100m. In between there if it looks like they’re falling off a little I’ll give them a quick 5 instead of a 10 to get them to refocus.

On the water, I always have a strategy ahead of time that I try and stick to. Nearly every burst I call is called with a purpose – I very rarely call a burst just for power but if I do it’s usually because I’m not feeling the power or because I want to get up with or past another crew. During sprint races in high school I was always trying to listen to the other coxswains and when I’d hear them take a 10 or 20, I’d wait for them to get about halfway through it before I’d start my own burst. Not only would that counteract their move nearly every time but it’d also put us a little bit more ahead at the end of it. Sometimes those spontaneous calls would interfere with my planned calls so I’d either go straight into the planned call or I’d skip it if we were far enough ahead that I could afford to do that. For head races, using the course map to find the landmarks, mile markers, etc. will help you a lot in figuring out where to make calls.

Related: HOCR: Landmarks along the course

In sprint races, I don’t deviate too much from “the plan” each week since 1500m or 2000m courses are the same everywhere. They’ve all got 1500m, 1000m, 500m, and 100m to go marked along the course and since those are major points where I tend to call strategic bursts, I don’t change it up very much.

Normally my crew would also have a “special move” thrown in outside of my usual spots, usually to counteract another team’s move or to just open some water on the other crews. This was typically a 20 where we’d build for three, bump the rate up a beat or two for 15-18, then settle back into our regular pace over the remaining couple of strokes. These moves always had code words associated with them so that the other crews wouldn’t know we were making a move. “POWER 10” is really, really obvious (and easy to exploit by other coxswains), especially when you’re yelling it into your mic, so we’d talk during practice the week before and figure out what they wanted me to say. Usually it was something simple like “fire ’em up” and they would just know, without me saying it, that the move starts on the next stroke. They’d make the move and I’d cox them as normal. Even though I wasn’t calling it I could see it happening because we’d either be walking on or away from a crew and I could see the stroke rate change on my cox box. (We practiced this a lot to ensure everyone knew when to bring the rate up and when to bring it down too. Doing it on the fly I think would have been a mess.)

Related: How to survive winter training, pt. 4: 2k strategy

At bigger regattas where sprints were a bigger deal we’d take 5 to build into the last 250 but before that burst we’d take a build into the build that was purely for power. My senior year when I used the build-into-the-build nearly every race, I’m convinced that it’s what put our bow ball ahead in the few races we didn’t win by open water. I don’t remember what I’d say to start that build but it was always something synonymous with “power”. I think one of the things I said most often was “bend ’em”, meaning to hang on the oars so hard that you’re bending them as they go through the water. Going into the 5 to build into the sprint, the call was always “light ’em up” and then the start of the sprint was “afterburners”.

The best thing you can do is to sit down with your coach, your crew, and a course map. Figure strategic spots along the course to make a call then figure out what that call is going to be for. If you’re going to use a code word, discuss that with your crew. Make sure everyone knows what the word is and what means. Once you’ve got the strategy down, figure out your “special” move, what it’s going to be, where you’d ideally like to call it, and then make sure you practice it throughout the week so the crew gets used to hearing and feeling it.

Ergs Q&A

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I am a little wary of doing a 2k soon, since I really haven’t done one since May of last year. We are starting to move into sprinting pieces, so I assume that the 2000m is coming within a week or two. Would it be smart to do a “pre-2k” where I go in on my own and try to hit just my PR from last year and see how it feels? Or should I just train super hard the next few weeks and hope that the test pops up on a good day? I don’t really mind doing 2ks but I just want to do the best I can. Thanks!

I think doing a base 2k or a 2k-predictor workout like 8x500m with equal amounts of work and rest would be a good measuring tool to to see where you’re at. I’d keep in mind what your PR was from last season but also when you achieved it. Was it in the middle, at the end, during winter training, etc. Go out and do this practice one and obviously go at it like it’s a real one but use it just to see how your time compares and to get your mind and body back into the swing of things. Don’t specifically go out with the goal of hitting your PR because if you don’t you’ll just unnecessarily beat yourself up for it. If it happens naturally, great. If not, it’s only February. There’s plenty of time for a PR to happen this season.

Related: 2k test strategy

I don’t like when people “hope” they have a good test … hope isn’t a strategy. The goal with winter training is so that by the time the first 2k rolls around you aren’t hoping for a good test, you know you’re going to have a good test because of all the work you put in during the winter (and building upon previous seasons if you’re an experienced rower). Don’t hope for it, just do it.

College Ergs Q&A

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My team only ergs once a week but we are still an extremely well known competitive team. I am wondering if this is normal as most people seem to erg multiple times a week. And also will going from a once-a-week erg to a multiple times a week erg in university be a hard transition? Thanks!

I wouldn’t say it’s totally abnormal. In the winter my team would erg every day but once spring season rolled around we’d only erg once every two weeks for their 2k test. If you’re only erging once a week during winter training that’s definitely unorthodox but if your team isn’t suffering any ill effects (I assume because you’re rowing the rest of the time?)  I wouldn’t worry about it.

Regarding making the switch in college I would say this: just because your team right now only ergs once a week doesn’t mean you only have to erg once a week. You can erg as many times a week as you want. It might be an adjustment switching to a more “normal” erg schedule in college but I don’t think it will be that difficult. It’s like when the semesters switch and your class schedule changes – it’s weird for the first few days but then you get used to it after the first week and that becomes the new normal.

Ergs Q&A Racing Technique Training & Nutrition

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During 2k tests, I have the most difficulty sprinting. I’m generally better at long distance pieces (both running and erging) and can usually work with that to my advantage but I think that if I worked on my sprint I could chop off a second or two. Basically what’s your advice about sprinting in general? Where should I start the sprint? How many splits lower should it be than the rest of the 2k? Sorry there’s a lot of questions within this, sprinting is just one big clusterfuck for me

Sprinting is the definition of controlled chaos. By the time you reach that point, your body has entered a whole new circle of hell and you have no choice but to keep it together and continue rowing. It’s definitely something that takes practice and a lot of mental stamina to be able to execute effectively.

When I’m coxing I typically call 5 to build at 350m and then at 300m(ish), we go. When I see most people doing a 2k, that’s about where they start their sprint too. Any more than that tends to be too long and unsustainable and any less is usually not enough to produce any measurable gains. As your stamina and strength increases you’ll be able to start your sprint sooner but 250m is usually a good starting spot. The difference between your “sprint splits” and your average split time will depend on you, really. The goal of sprinting is to empty the tanks and go all out, as fast as you can, and even harder than you thought you could. As your body gets stronger and more used to rowing at those higher rates, your splits will fall. I’d say 2ish seconds below your average 2k split would probably be a good.

Related: On a lot of rowing blogs I hear people mention “negative splits”, especially when discussing 2k’s. What exactly are they and can it be beneficial to know how to properly use them?

Before you try and jump straight into an all-out sprint though, practice. Don’t practice when you’re alert and have a full tank of gas in your system either, practice it when you’re tired.  Practice keeping your head in the game – close your eyes, take a few deep breaths – and controlling your body. Sit up tall, relax your shoulders, tighten your core … these are all things you might think you’re already doing until you actually do them and realize you weren’t. Also, have someone watch and/or record you for a few strokes so you can watch the footage later and see how you looked.

Ergs Teammates & Coaches

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Our coach wants us to be pulling miracle splits but that doesn’t happen most of the time! And even though we all work hard, we don’t impress her enough. What can we be doing better on the erg?

At this point, instead of focusing on what you can do better, I’d first try to talk with your coach, either individually or with the rest of your team. As always, approach the situation maturely and respectfully. Don’t be accusatory but make your feelings known. Explain how you feel as though you’re working hard and pulling good times but you don’t feel like she agrees since she is always unimpressed with your scores. Get some feedback from her on why she expects you to be pulling the splits that she does. Is she trying to motivate you to constantly do better or is she just randomly picking out numbers that she thinks you should be able to pull? The latter sometimes happen with new coaches who aren’t sure of their rowers abilities yet – I know I’ve been guilty of it until I’ve gotten to know my rowers and seen what’s realistic to expect of them.

If she’s trying to be motivational, which I can understand in a way if that’s her intent, I’d explain that it’s not really working. Ask for feedback on your individual technique and what you can do better so that you can work towards pulling the splits that she’s looking for. Take that into consideration and try to implement her suggestions the next time you hop on the erg.

If you and your team truly are working hard and performing well on the ergs, there’s really no reason why she shouldn’t be impressed with your efforts thus far. There’s nothing wrong with expecting more of your team and continually raising your expectations as improvements are made, but those expectations need to be realistic based on your age, skill level, fitness, etc.

Technique: Good and bad technique on the erg

Ergs Technique

Technique: Good and bad technique on the erg

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I got a question last week that asked if I had any videos that showed good vs. poor erg technique. Below are some I’ve found on YouTube (that for the sake of brevity I’ll avoid breaking down) that should give you a clear idea of what proper technique looks like.

GOOD ROWING TECHNIQUE

BAD ROWING TECHNIQUE

 Image via // @ruben_markiewicz

Ergs Q&A Training & Nutrition

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Do you have any advice on tackling a verrrrry long steady state erg piece without music?

Focus and concentration. Take each stroke one at a time and focus on making each one a little better than the last one. Try not to pay too much attention to the overall meters – when you’re tired and sore, the number of meters you have left just looks like a black hole. If you can, just put the screen up so you don’t have to look at it for awhile. Otherwise, break the piece down in chunks and give yourself a “technical focus” for each 500m or 1000m. For example, the first set’s focus is connection with the feet, second set’s is sitting up tall on the recovery and keeping your core tight, 3rd set’s is a quick turnaround with the hands, 4th set’s is visualizing the stokes your taking on the erg as stokes in the boat, 5th set’s is controlling your breathing, etc. This will give you something to direct your mind towards OTHER than the number of meters you have left.

If you know what you need to work on, spend some time doing that now. Have your coach or coxswain come watch you so that when you’re finished, not only will you have gotten a workout but you’ve also gotten some feedback out of it too. I talked a bit about negative splitting the other day, which is something you can also utilize in situations like this. Instead of bringing your split down every 500m, bring it down every 1500m or something similar. If your steady state is doubling as a test, negative splits are a good strategy to utilize. It gives you something else to focus on, especially as you get closer to the end of the piece. As you get more fatigued, the amount of power your body can produce will start to fall off, which you don’t want, so focusing on staying within a +/- 2-3 second range is another way to keep your mind occupied as you near the finish line.

Related: On a lot of rowing blogs I hear people mention “negative splits”, especially when discussing 2k’s. What exactly are they and can it be beneficial to know how to properly use them?

The one thing you don’t want to do though, like I said, is just focus on the meters. The only thing longer than microwave minute is an erg minute, and when you’re doing steady state pieces, erg minutes last ten times longer than microwave minutes. If you spend your time watching the meters tick down, you’re going to eventually get frustrated because, even though you see them decreasing, it doesn’t feel like you’re going anywhere. Frustration leads to waning focus which leads to mental blocks which can lead to you getting off the erg before you’re ready. Take a couple closed-eyed deep breath before you start and remember: one stroke at a time.

Ergs Q&A

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On a lot of rowing blogs I hear people mention “negative splits”, especially when discussing 2k’s. What exactly are they and can it be beneficial to know how to properly use them?

Negative splitting when you row the second half of a race faster than the first. Each progressive 500m should be rowed at a lower split than the previous one – for example, if you start out rowing a 2:02 split, your second 500m would speed up to 2:01, 3rd 500 to a 2:00, and the final 500 to a 1:59. It’s “marketed”, for lack of a better term, as the opposite of flying and dying.

The theory is if you’re going to fade at the end of a piece, why not just start off slower and build into the end? Meaning that instead of fading on strokes 8, 9, and 10, you go “easier” on strokes 1, 2, 3 so you can go harder on 8, 9, and 10. If you pulled the splits I listed a few sentences ago, you would pull an 8:00 2k, which is the same as pulling a 2:00/500m. Trying to pull a consistent 2:00 split gets more difficult as your body becomes more fatigued and you typically end up seeing your splits go up as you get near the end of the piece, whereas with negative splitting the splits start out high (2:02) and finish low (1:59).

There’s also a mental aspect to negative splitting too – if you see yourself going faster and the splits coming down, you can avoid the mental block you experience when you’re trying to hold one split and instead see the numbers go up.

I do think that it would be beneficial to know how to use them although from what I’ve read, their effectiveness varies amongst everyone. Some people just find it easier to stick with one target split throughout the piece whereas other people perform better when they focus on the negative splits. I would recommend trying it and comparing your time to your average 2k time to see what the difference was and how well it worked for you. Negative splitting doesn’t just apply to 2ks either. You can use it for any distance, 2ks are just where they are most commonly used.

How to Survive Winter Training: Solidarity

College Ergs High School Teammates & Coaches Training & Nutrition

How to Survive Winter Training: Solidarity

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Previously: Rowers || Coxswains || Music + TV || The light at the end of the tunnel

Winter training undeniably has its downsides, especially for those of us in the Northeast or Midwest where the cold, snow, ice, etc. can keep us inside for 4-5 months but it’s … comforting, I guess? … to know that we’re not the only ones.

Some of us might experience better weather or milder winters than others but regardless, something to keep in mind is that no one is doing anything different than you are right now. We’re all doing the same erg workouts, we’re all spending time in in the weight room, we’re all biding our time until we can escape to warm weather for a week … bottom line is we’re all putting in the work. The only difference is the quality of that work.

Below are some winter training videos from various crews that show how they spend the winter months. If you’re starting to feel burned out, watch these for some motivation and remember that we’re all in the same boat (…pun maybe intended?).

 Image via // @washingtonrowing