What are the "ingredients" that make up a personal best performance? Whether it's on the rowing machine or on the water, there are elements which you can learn, combine and refine to deliver yoiur best possible perfgormance. And who can want more than that?
Before diving into the detail, understand that the ladder of learning is real you will not become an elite performer without first going through all the intermediate steps from where you are now. Learning each element and then being able to string them together in a pressurised racing situation takes practice. And everyone can learn how to do it.
Elements of PR results
Personal best times, PBs, PRs, whatever you call them happen when you can reduce the difference between the fastest and slowest quarter of your race. For a 1k this is the 500m split you achieve for each of the four 250 meter sections. This differential reduction applies regardless of the distance you are racing - 5k, 1k, whatever. Your goal is to have the smallest variation in performance over the whole race.
The core elements are:
- The start sequence - the series of strokes that take your boat from stationary (or a flying start) and onto your race pace. Within 7 strokes you need to have hit your target rate and boat speed.
- Know your pinch points - Some are physiological e.g. around 90 seconds to 2 minutes into the race where your body crosses over from using the aerobic energy system to the lactic system HURTS. This is a key area to know about and practice (it may not hurt any less) yet once you're through it, your body feels OK again. Other pinch points my be distance markers or when you get tired your technique begins to break down. Know where these are.
- At half way - this is where fatigue starts. At this point check the distance you have covered and select a small distance future horizon e.g. "For the next 100 meters I will...." and choose a technique focus which you can count yourself through to hit that next distance marker. Then pick another one... and another.
- For the finishing sprint your goal is to still maintain flat splits. Your last quarter of the race should NOT be your fastest quarter. Having said that, you should go faster in the fourth quarter than the third quarter. If you can drop your splits by 5 seconds or more, you should have started sprinting earlier, or chosen a faster mid-race split target. If you get your pacing correct, you may drop your split by 1 or 2 seconds in the final quarter.
Further Resources
- How to set erg target splits
- Ways to raise your average boat speed
- Erg Intensive - get a 3 month coached program through to indoor rowing races
