Whether you call it a “rower” or an “erg”, racing 2000 meters on that machine can be intimidating.
The 2000 meter row, or 2k erg test, is a daunting mental challenge for many. There’s something special about the pain of a 2K test that can strike fear (or at least some anxiety) into the heart of those who choose to undertake it. This distance is known well as encompassing all of the pain of a sprint , while also requiring the mental tenacity of an endurance race.
However, it is possible to face a 2k without fear. Here are five secrets to winning the mental game of the 2000 meter row.
#1- 20-Minute Non-rowing Warmup
The first few minutes of exercise can feel awful. This can be a cause for a bit of mental panic and can be an opportunity for doubt to take hold. If you are beginning your warmup on the rowing machine and your body screams, “what are you doing to us???”, it can cause some anxiety about the upcoming 2k. If the warmup strokes feel awful, then you KNOW that the rest of the time is going to feel awful. You may wonder if you can make it through the entire 2000 meters at a challenging pace. Then when the 2k starts ticking down, it is easy to mentally spiral into I-can’t-do-this-it’s-too-hard territory.
Combat this by doing a non-rowing warmup. I recommend doing an EASY 20 minute run that ends ~45-60 minutes before the erg test. (You can substitute time spent on the elliptical, bike, or doing other calisthenics at a steady-state pace if needed.) This run is the opportunity for the “awful” feeling to arise and be associated with running and not rowing. Keeping the perceived effort easy makes it mentally feasible (“I can go easy for twenty minutes.”).
After completing the twenty minutes, take a break, then do a short erg warmup to drill the body positions. Next, take another break, then complete the 2k row. Warming up will make all the difference in the first part of the race to reduce the mental panic at the start.
#2- Floor It For 45, Then Steady Swing Send
I heard something from a coach, and I’m not sure how scientific it is, but it seems to be true based on my experience. In essence, the first forty-five seconds of a race are the window of opportunity to go as hard as you possibly can without risk of burning out. (If you continue beyond forty-five seconds at max sprint pace, though, you DO risk burning out.) What the coach said was that it didn’t matter if you went all out or really easy for that first bit, that it would have the same impact on your body. I have found it to be true, and using this can set you up well from a mental perspective.
Go all-out for the first forty-five seconds in the “golden window”, then make sure you settle. Your average split will look good, too, which can help with motivation. Once you have settled, your perceived effort feel easier than the initial push. The focus at this point should be on continuing with a steady swing at race stroke rate. If you have been in a boat, you may know the feeling of “send” – the glide that each rhythmic stroke produces. When you are on the rower, imagine that you are in the boat and strive for that glide.
#3- 1K to go is “time to go”
Many a novice crew has slowed to a crawl at the mid-race mark. Many a rower has rowed a solid first half of a 2k, only to fall apart and suffer slowly as they struggle to complete the second 1000. Some rowers quit a 2k test halfway, when the mental struggles mount and seem unconquerable.
It can seem like a painful eternity to get to the 1k mark, and when you get there, you know it’s only half completed. It may feel like you’ve already given your all at that point in time. Many people approach the 2k test by pulling with everything they have in the first part, seeking to hold as blistering pace as long as possible. One of my coaches called this the “fly and die” approach.
Instead of giving everything in the first half, settle in to a steady pace after the initial power strokes. While this steady pace will feel challenging, is not “everything you’ve got”. What you are doing is biding your time until the 1000 meter mark. Once you pass 1000 meters, then increase intensity and/or stroke rate for a power 20. Then settle again, but stay steady. This is the point where others’ effort peters out, but it is “go time” for you. After the power 20 and settle strokes, you know you are well on your way to the finish line.
#4- Mantra (and Music)
Reciting a mantra is something often suggested for athletes during competition, and I have found it to be helpful myself. It is especially useful as something to focus on during the mental churn that can happen during a challenging erg test. Choose your mantra (word or words) ahead of time, and have it ready on test day. Bring it to mind during the point in the race where you’ve passed the halfway mark, but it seems like there’s still way too many painful meters left before the end.
When choosing a mantra, don’t pick something vague. Don’t pick something that is meaningful to someone else but not to you. It is important to pick something specific and something that is very personal. Pick something that evokes a visceral reaction and makes you want to stand up and cheer or stand up and fight hard!
I mention music as a side note to the mantra, because I recognize that not all test situations will allow for music. Also, sometimes music might be present but not chosen by you. However, if you can have choose the music, this is an opportunity to use the lyric or instrumental statements from music as a mantra. If you are using your own music, think about songs that will help you push through. This song choice can be especially crucial for the second half of the 2k. I suggest creating a playlist with a duration that is longer than your 2k goal time, then listen to it during a steady-state piece prior to your test. Pick out the songs that have the strongest “mantras” for you, then put them into a final playlist to use during your 2k test.
#5- Passing the Grandstand
When I have rowed in a race that has a grandstand for spectators, the edge of the grandstand has been at approximately the 300-meters-to-go mark. Obviously, this is not the case for every course, but it can be helpful in terms of visualization. When you are on the rower and you see the meters click to 300, picture rowing by a grandstand full of spectators who are all watching you and cheering you on. When you start to pass a grandstand, you know that the finish line is close, and it is time to give it everything you have and go as hard as you can, and taking the stroke rate up if it helps to bring your split down.
Conclusion
The 2000 meter erg test, or 2k row, can be very mentally daunting. Many athletes succumb to mental doubt and churn and quit partway through, and many others start in a blaze only to limp to the finish at a crawl. While physical endurance is key, this test also has a huge mental component and even well-conditioned athletes can mentally falter. Using the five mental keys of a non-rowing warmup, maximizing the 45 second window of opportunity, stepping up the pace at the 1k marker, using a mantra, and visualizing the grandstand can assist in combating mental challenges for the 2000 meter distance on the rower.