2000 Meter Psychology

The Freshmen Boys on the Niskayuna Rowing team recently pulled 3 x 2000 meters on the erg - not an easy workout. The 2000 meter erg piece is standard in the sport of rowing, the common denominator against which athletes are compared. It is fatiguing both physically and mentally. Below are their reactions to the workout, a further glimpse into the psychology of rowing.

"Before I started the 2k pieces I was kind of nervous because I wasn't sure if I could maintain the high level intensity for all three of the pieces. Once I got into the first 2k i didn't think that it was too hard to maintain the slightly higher split, but once I got to about 650 meters left I started to feel tired and needed to push myself harder to maintain that speed. During all the 2k's, I made little "checkpoints" for myself (every 250 meters) so that I could focus for about one minute on making it through a little bit of the 2k. After the 2k's I feel good mentally because I worked hard and pushed myself; but physically I feel like (alternative language) because I am fatigued." - James

"Before the 1st 2k I was sort of motivated and ready to erg. I started getting tired around the end of the second 2k, this was also around the time I wanted to give up, but I kept telling myself to keep going. My motivation at the finish is the sprint because thats when I just go all out; until then I get worked up about the finish and then I just push myself through it. The sprint at the end is what I always use to bring down my split." - Eric

"Going into the three 2Ks, I was thinking about how stupid I was to make coach think of doing that. Actually, he may have been planning on it anyway, but the feeling that I had inspired it made it seem worse. One 2K was hard, three would be murder. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I did my first one at a decent speed, and found out that I really wasn't that tired. I went harder on the second one, and got near by best time. I was spent by that time though. The third one didn't go so well. I found out though, that I can do two 2Ks pretty quickly, which means I should be able to sprint a 1500 meter race. One thing that really helped me was hitting the midpoint. For the first half, I concentrated on keeping my split where I needed it to be. When I hit the 1000 meter mark, I went faster. Being half way done with the piece made it seem easy. Usually, I want to give up at about 1200 meters to go. That's where my third piece started to sink. If I can force myself to work through the 1200-700 part though, I'm fine for the rest. Now I know where I get tired and when I can sprint, and I know I can go a lot faster on the next one." - Nick

"Regarding the erg piece yesterday, I believe it was a highly helpful exercise, and gruesomely exhilarating. Before the piece I imagined some good music to pump myself up, get that adrenaline going, and prime myself for some hardcore erging. I think the only part I got tired was at the end at the last piece. By then, my energy was gone, and I was relying on the little bit of endurance I had left. Although tired, I did not want to give up on any of the pieces; my motivation, the top boat on the team. There is no secret to erging hard, but there are strategies you can use to motivate yourself. Personally, I imagine myself winning a race, and coming to the finish, with a medal awaiting me. This helps bring your split down at the end 500 meters, approaching the bridge is what I like to call it. The only point you can feel is the last stretch of the race, during the race you focus on your stroke and power to much to worry about anything else. However, through this pain and struggle, there are only a couple more glorious moments in this world greater than that of finishing an erg piece knowing you pulled your (alternative language) off and that you did your best. If you are not a rower, and you do not know this feeling, it is an experience you must do, so join crew." - Eli

"Motivating yourself is task one. I can't speak for my teammates, but when I sit on an erg and Coach gives me my projected split this isn't enough for me to motivate myself completely through three different 2000m pieces. I need something more, at this time I think to the time I joined the team. I remember what the sport is about and I think how nice it would be to really be a contribution to the team, and not that guy. That guy who shows up day in and day out to fool around. The best thing about these pieces though, is I can honestly say our team has plenty of heart. This empowerment allows our team to pull hard from start to finish, knowing that each team member is pulling as hard as they can. And that guy, he didn't show up for practice. This is what allows me to complete these pieces with a split I'm happy with and still enough energy to cheer on me teammates." - Naji

"I think that the 2000 meter erg piece is pretty intense. Before the piece I am usually nervous. During the row I don't really use any strategies to get through it. I just row, and watch my split. The 3x2000 meter piece was hard. I thought that it was really good for my endurance, but it was tough. I didn't like it as much as the normal 2000. I like just getting the row over, with not drawing it out." - Zack