Another round of 2k testing is coming up this week. This time we are doing 2k at R30. I know many of you work hard to make the improvements and I think completing this test with the smart approach is important to get confidence leading towards Beat the Beast event.
If you are available, the testing should be completed anytime within this week. If you do the test on your own, please provide the results to the coach or there will be another Results Sheet hanging in the erg bay where you can write your name and scores. If you can't do it because of health or other reasons, just write it down there or just let me know. As I mentioned last time at the meeting, it is about management and to be ready to perform on the given day and time. But the whole importance of this is to do it as a club and as one big team. It sets a very good overall tone within the club and the confidence for building prepared crews in the upcoming racing season.
Couple tips for the test. I would suggest not approach the test thinking just to do a better split. Your split is a result of a sum of many other factors and that's what I want you to think about. So think what you need to change or maybe approach in a different way from the mental and physical point of view comparing to your last 2k. Think about the way your focus is during the race, how to stay composed, how you are going to maintain that focus in the middle and in the end. Think that higher rate is a faster seat movement as a result of the leg drive. You can come up with your own focus points and check marks along the race but I want you to be ready knowing in your head how you are going to approach the test.
In terms of the workouts this week, here a couple of options depending on how many sessions you will have a chance to do before the test.
If you decide to do the test on Monday, just make sure you have a good warm-up (about 20-25 min) and realistic goal settings. For warm up, you can do 10-12 min of steady states, then do power pieces at rate 18, 22, 24, 28, 32. Each piece is about 8-10 strokes with about a minute and a half of light recovery erging in between those pieces. After that, you can do 1 or, if necessary, 2 pieces of 20 seconds @ R30 at your racing pace to let the body adjust and understand the pace.
If you have a chance to do 1 workout before the test (assuming that the workout is not a day before the test), then:
Warm up for 30min. Rest 3 min, then 1 x 750m at your 2k projected time+ 1 second. Really be focused on your split control, consistency of the drive, maintaining the length and a good form.
Day 2) - 2000m R30.
Day 3) Practice on water. Warm up for 30min. Volume up by 1k from the last week.
1 x 3000m (Pressure ladder - 1k @ 22/1k@24/1k@26). The starting point is at 1000m mark.
2 x 1500m (Starting point is at the seawall). Pressure pyramids - 1st piece - R24/26/28 (rate change every 500m)/ 2nd piece- R26/28/30
