5k Training: Erging Edition.

The men's rowing captain for next year emailed out a regimen for a 5k training plan for the summer. Our varsity tryouts always include a 5k erg tryout, which is brutal but is a great benchmark/decider for boat lineups during headrace season. I tried out for varsity last fall and received a seat as bow (my favorite) in the varsity women's four. I think that my 5k went very well, and I prepared all through at least the month leading up to my tryout. However, there are a few key things that I know could help it go better this year. Last year, I had made a PR the weekend before my tryout, but missed that PR for a few seconds at my tryout due to what I think was poor nutrition that week and dehydration (though the 85-degree erg station didn't help either). I quickly learned that you can not be a strong athlete just from lettuce and sugar! Protein and carbs are essential too. I spend most of my time as a vegetarian, but I hesitate to label it because I do eat turkey/chicken/fish on occasion too (particularly now that I'm home and I eat the dinner that my mom makes the family). I also have recently felt that I needed some more protein, so I don't have a problem with adding back in a little bit more protein.

Diet isn't the only thing that makes for a good 5k time; conditioning is key. Here are some of the routines that our men's captain sent out. Last summer I did a lot of 6ks, butt-busters, and 5k benchmarks in the four weeks leading up to my tryout. These are the best ways that I was taught to prepare for a 5k test (which I wasn't new too, following four years of high school rowing). I think that that method worked for me in combination with a lot of running and sculling throughout the entirety of a summer. I don't think it's necessary to erg for 12 weeks in preparation, though it certainly doesn't hurt! Here's on example regimen that we received.

(I couldn't screen-shot the whole thing because he wrote it out for ever single day for about 12 weeks)

I certainly think that this is a great starting place. However, it's not always practical to plan to be on an erg everyday for weeks (they're hard to access). There's some cross-training options that you can take advantage of too.

Click to read, it's a little small!

While Cals are important, I think that core and cardio take the cake. Running (I swear this is not just bias) really is the ultimate preparation for a long erg test. I can't tell you how many rowers fail or flop at these tests simply because they weren't prepared for 3.1 miles on the erg. This translates to the water too; I know my boat in the fall last year was poorly prepared as far as cardio. Winning boats can run. Or if you have the chance, swim! Swimming works a lot of the same muscle groups as rowing, too, so that's probably the ultimate win, though the most challenging and difficult to access. Core work will really improve your stroke mechanics, too, so that's definitely important and is often overlooked.

Can't wait until my partner in crime comes back from China for some sculling!

Safe travels!