Thoughts on pulling a 2000m erg piece

Thoughts on a 2000-meter erg piece:

1. A timed 2000-meter erg pull is a standard benchmark for comparing rowers’ strength and endurance. Team selection will be determined by your 2000-meter time.
2. If I decide you technique is okay I will ask you to pull a 2000-meter piece the last week of February. If you are ill, or not feeling well, please tell me so that I can allow you to pull the piece on a later date. I want your best effort.
3. If your technique is still too sloppy, you will need to improve the technique before I will let you pull this workout.
4. You will not be linked to a second rower. You may pull at whatever rate you feel comfortable. You will not have anyone call a cadence. You will have to decide at what rate to pull. I would suggest a rate between 20 and 26 strokes per minute, with higher bursts of up to 36 strokes per minute. Few people can pull hard at 36 strokes per minute for an entire 2000 meters. If your average stroke rate is too high, you often exert energy sliding back and forth and not getting the flywheel to spin. Remember, the objective is to get the wheel spinning!
5. Expect to have the 2000-meter workout last between 7 minutes (guys) and 10 minutes (girls). You will want to be exhausted at the end of the piece. Don’t save any energy for additional time. Since you may have been doing 20-minute workouts so far, for a 10 minute piece you should pull twice as hard in half the time to use the same amount of energy.
6. You will want to start the workout at full power. Therefore, make sure you are stretched out and warmed up before you get on the rower. I suggest a light jog around the gym to warm up your body, then a few minutes of gentle stretching before you row.
7. As you approach the last 50 meters, pull as hard as you can. “Sprint” the last little bit to zero.
8. The results of last year’s erg pull for local high school athletes are posted below. You do not need to be the best in the area. Just do the best you can do.