how fast can you row 2000 metres ?

how fast can you row 2000 metres ?

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clonmult

10,529 posts

208 months

Thursday 17th May 2012
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Halb said:
So I am gonna have a crack at 2000m tomorrow. Keep a steady 1.55 (if I am able) to get a good sub 8 time?
Just keep a sub 2 minute pace for the whole distance, you'll get in there.

Halb

53,012 posts

182 months

Thursday 17th May 2012
quotequote all
clonmult said:
Halb said:
So I am gonna have a crack at 2000m tomorrow. Keep a steady 1.55 (if I am able) to get a good sub 8 time?
Just keep a sub 2 minute pace for the whole distance, you'll get in there.
Would have had a crack today if I hadn't dropped a full cup of scolding hot coffee over myself.
Looked like Mr. Robin Red Breast

MacGee

2,513 posts

229 months

Thursday 17th May 2012
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40 mins at 1:58 and then some weights. Gotta start picking up the pace.

Chaz9950

1,128 posts

143 months

Thursday 17th May 2012
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Did mine today (by accident... Will explain in a sec) at 7.45 on level 10, Concept 2

Pretty unhappy with that though - it was at the end of my weight training workout, so was tired. And for the first 500m, I was REALLY chilling out - like, 2:30... Infact, I didn't start pushing until after 1,000m, when I remembered this thread, lol. Next time, I'll go for a 'good time', at the start of my workout.

Sub 7 minutes should be pretty achievable - as far as rowing is concerned, I've got a V8 engine - at about 6'1'', 93kgs and 'powerfully built', and quite CV fit too, I'm hoping I can crack a 6-odd minute time hehe

Halb

53,012 posts

182 months

Thursday 17th May 2012
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All these attempts are at setting 10 yes?

MacGee

2,513 posts

229 months

Thursday 17th May 2012
quotequote all
You don't need level 10.,check the drag factor on the monitor. I use 130 which on a clean erg is approx 6-7. The big guys might only ho up to 7-8. So don't think you're macho at ten.
Sub 7 is looming for you. Set aside a session where you are fresh and do it first. I'm sure you'll crack it!

Chaz9950

1,128 posts

143 months

Thursday 17th May 2012
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Halb said:
All these attempts are at setting 10 yes?
I'd like to think so, but level 7 seems common (I heard it was the best representation of real water resistance (God knows who or how they calculated this...)

And IIRC, someone at the start of the pages said something along the lines of ''any level you want'', but don't quote me on that - it might be a complete lie totally fabricated by my imagination, lol!

Chaz9950

1,128 posts

143 months

Thursday 17th May 2012
quotequote all
MacGee said:
You don't need level 10.,check the drag factor on the monitor. I use 130 which on a clean erg is approx 6-7. The big guys might only ho up to 7-8. So don't think you're macho at ten.
Sub 7 is looming for you. Set aside a session where you are fresh and do it first. I'm sure you'll crack it!
It's not a 'macho' thing - I just though that if everyone did the hardest level, it would be a field leveller (HOW many levels in one sentence - it's like a MF multi-storey up in here! hehe)

And yeah, pretty confident I can crack a sub 7 time, but only one way to find out!




  • Searches for the exhaustion smiley...*

Halb

53,012 posts

182 months

Thursday 17th May 2012
quotequote all
Erm, I am not quite sure why I thought this but I for some reason thought it was easier to get a better time on level 10.

Just had a quick look on google.
http://concept2.co.uk/rower/air_resistance

Thanks for the answers...don't fully understand yours Macgee wink

Chaz9950

1,128 posts

143 months

Thursday 17th May 2012
quotequote all
Halb said:
Erm, I am not quite sure why I thought this but I for some reason thought it was easier to get a better time on level 10.

Just had a quick look on google.
http://concept2.co.uk/rower/air_resistance

Thanks for the answers...don't fully understand yours Macgee wink
In light of this...

It seems that the brain inside the rower calculates your effort, but I don't understand how. It sees how much the flywheel slows down between strokes, the time between strokes, and the length of strokes, but how does it know the resistance? I guess a complicated algorithmic programme, but at best it has to be flawed (I'd imagine). And would probably differ considerably on the different age of rowers.

So, to get a good time on max resistance, you'd need to be stronger, on minimum resistance, you'd need to be fitter? That about the sum of it?

Derek Chevalier

3,942 posts

172 months

Friday 18th May 2012
quotequote all
Chaz9950 said:
Halb said:
Erm, I am not quite sure why I thought this but I for some reason thought it was easier to get a better time on level 10.

Just had a quick look on google.
http://concept2.co.uk/rower/air_resistance

Thanks for the answers...don't fully understand yours Macgee wink
In light of this...

It seems that the brain inside the rower calculates your effort, but I don't understand how. It sees how much the flywheel slows down between strokes, the time between strokes, and the length of strokes, but how does it know the resistance? I guess a complicated algorithmic programme, but at best it has to be flawed (I'd imagine). And would probably differ considerably on the different age of rowers.

So, to get a good time on max resistance, you'd need to be stronger, on minimum resistance, you'd need to be fitter? That about the sum of it?
Chaz9950 said:
but how does it know the resistance?
It knows the speed at which you finished your previous stroke, the time between strokes, and the speed you have started your next stroke - therefore it can work out the drag on the flywheel. I don't see why age would come into it.

Chaz9950 said:
So, to get a good time on max resistance, you'd need to be stronger, on minimum resistance, you'd need to be fitter? That about the sum of it?
I think you will need to be fit irrespective of drag factor! When I did a 500m recently, I used a DF of 150. I started at around 1:13 and slowed to around 1:24. when I was younger (more powerful but less fit) I used a DF of around 200 - I started at around 1:10 but really suffered at the end, and ended up with a slower time.
As long as I have a high enough drag factor that enables me to get enough work done per stroke (the flywheel will have slowed down more between strokes on higher DF), I am happy.

When training, and doing >500m times, I use 135.

Edited by Derek Chevalier on Friday 18th May 07:23

Driller

8,310 posts

277 months

Friday 18th May 2012
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Derek Chevalier said:
I started at around 1:13
yikesweeping

On another note (and I must be a masochist for asking) but do you have a 2000m time you could post up Derek, I think it would be very interesting!



Derek Chevalier

3,942 posts

172 months

Friday 18th May 2012
quotequote all
Driller said:
Derek Chevalier said:
I started at around 1:13
yikesweeping

On another note (and I must be a masochist for asking) but do you have a 2000m time you could post up Derek, I think it would be very interesting!
I think it would only be interesting in that it isn't very good!

louiebaby

10,651 posts

190 months

Friday 18th May 2012
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The drag factor is the only way to reliably compare times between machines. Cleanliness of the machine and wear are the two main factors determining where the lever is between 1 and 10, for a given drag factor.

I always use a drag factor of 140. This what the GB squad used to use for the Heavyweight Men, to allow fair comparison. If I remember rightly, Lightweight Men, (approx<75kgs) used 130, heavyweight women used 130 and lightweight women used 125. (I might be wrong about the rest , but HW Men were definitely 140.)

In the past, using a drag factor of 140 I have had the lever anywhere from about 3-5 on a newish machine to not even getting that drag factor when the lever is jammed up against the 10. (One was only reading 115 on level 10. I complained to the gym manager.)

I hope this provides interesting for someone. Essentially, if you want to compare between machines, only Drag Factor allows you to do this.

clonmult

10,529 posts

208 months

Friday 18th May 2012
quotequote all
louiebaby said:
The drag factor is the only way to reliably compare times between machines. Cleanliness of the machine and wear are the two main factors determining where the lever is between 1 and 10, for a given drag factor.

I always use a drag factor of 140. This what the GB squad used to use for the Heavyweight Men, to allow fair comparison. If I remember rightly, Lightweight Men, (approx<75kgs) used 130, heavyweight women used 130 and lightweight women used 125. (I might be wrong about the rest , but HW Men were definitely 140.)

In the past, using a drag factor of 140 I have had the lever anywhere from about 3-5 on a newish machine to not even getting that drag factor when the lever is jammed up against the 10. (One was only reading 115 on level 10. I complained to the gym manager.)

I hope this provides interesting for someone. Essentially, if you want to compare between machines, only Drag Factor allows you to do this.
Very interesting, and I hadn't considered differences between machines - which is definitely something I've started to notice.

We've got 2 Concept 2s at the gym. One was out of commission for a while, as its PM3 was somewhat borked. So it was sitting there unused while the other machine was getting hammered. PM3 replaced, the unused machine definitely feels tighter - and dare I say it, I actually seem to go a little faster a little easier on that one, at least with both set to "7" (normally right in the middle of the 7).

I'll have to look over the menus and see how I can get it to display the drag factor.

clonmult

10,529 posts

208 months

Friday 18th May 2012
quotequote all
2000m Top Ten:
1) Fergie87 - 6:25.2 (76kg) (24 years)
2) MacGee - 6:47.6 (6'3") (103kg) (50years)
3) samwilliams - 6:53
4) Flook - 7:15.7 (5'10") (70kg) (43 years)
5) Driller - 7.23 (6'3") (82kg)
6) clonmult - 7:25 (6') (100kg)
8) dtmpower - 7:34.1 (6'1") (100kg) (31 years)
7) AJLintern - 7:38 (6') (67Kg)
9) Halb - 8.40 (6'3) (120+kg at the time)
10)

Today is the day I'm going to really give this a go.

Doubt I've got a sub 7 minute in me, but 7:23 is do-able, and reckon I should have Flook in my sights ..... no doubt I'll fail completely, crash, burn and turn myself into a gibbering wreck for absolutely no gain.

MacGee

2,513 posts

229 months

Friday 18th May 2012
quotequote all
Chaz9950 said:
MacGee said:
You don't need level 10.,check the drag factor on the monitor. I use 130 which on a clean erg is approx 6-7. The big guys might only ho up to 7-8. So don't think you're macho at ten.
Sub 7 is looming for you. Set aside a session where you are fresh and do it first. I'm sure you'll crack it!
It's not a 'macho' thing - I just though that if everyone did the hardest level, it would be a field leveller (HOW many levels in one sentence - it's like a MF multi-storey up in here! hehe)

And yeah, pretty confident I can crack a sub 7 time, but only one way to find out!




  • Searches for the exhaustion smiley...*
wasnt trying to be rude re the macho thing...but almost everytime I sit on the erg at the gym the other gym goers automatically flick it up to max, thinking its the only level to get some benefit. Try different levels to see which gives you the best performance. I did test over ten strokes maxing out at different settings and found out my optimum was approx 130-135. We are all different and so will feel comfortable with other DFs. The timings/speeds are all calculated to be equal no matter what the DF.

Driller

8,310 posts

277 months

Friday 18th May 2012
quotequote all
clonmult said:
no doubt I'll fail completely, crash, burn and turn myself into a gibbering wreck for absolutely no gain.
I know, why do we do it to ourselves? biggrin

Derek, what you might call "not very good" would, for us mere mortals, no doubt be impressive.

Go-aaarn, you know you want to, besides it would give us our completed top ten, and you have to be on there smile

MacGee

2,513 posts

229 months

Friday 18th May 2012
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I think DC could have a cupof tea half way round and still be number one!!!

louiebaby

10,651 posts

190 months

Friday 18th May 2012
quotequote all
clonmult said:
Very interesting, and I hadn't considered differences between machines - which is definitely something I've started to notice.
One of the biggest factors is the fluff that builds up inside the fan. Also, the fan unit should be 1 metre from a wall, having it right up against a wall disrupts the airflow, and causes problems too.

Most gyms don't clean the machines, and have them pushed up tight against a
wall. I have had many a discussion with people working in gyms about rowing machines.

(I start off explaining the situation politely, and it only becomes a "frank" discussion if they point it that way. I'm not a complete knob.)