Tag Archives: mental toughness

Rowing WOD 2/8/16: 3 x 7min Steady – Race Focus – Post 2k Goal and Focus

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Rowing WOD:

3 x 7min Steady State w/ 2min Rest

Renegade Rowers at 2012 CRASH-B's

Renegade Rowers at 2012 CRASH-B’s

  • Race Focus and Visualization
  • 1st piece – @2k+10
  • 2nd piece – @2k+7
  • 3rd piece – @2k+5

It’s the final countdown!  Three weeks until CRASH-Bs!  Today is a chance to practice your mental game.  Each piece should be rowed at a comfortable pace where you could hold a conversation of short sentences with someone.  I’ve suggested a pace scheme that should allow for that while giving you an opportunity to review your 2k race plan.  Each minute focus on the thoughts you’ll be using during the race.  One minute might be breathing.  Another minute might be split and stroke rating.  Another minute might be the rhythm of legs down, quick hands.  If your mind starts to wander bring your attention back to that one mental cue, technique fix, and/or feeling.

On race day your body will be ready.  You’ll be strong enough physically to reach your goals.  The thing that will allow you to execute and crush it is your mental game.  If you believe in your race plan, think positive, and commit to being mentally tough you can do anything.  Before starting today’s workout be sure to write down the mental cues, thoughts, and feelings you plan to use on race day.  Then execute them at the approximate time in the piece you expect to need them in the race.

Post your 2k Goal for CRASH-B’s and your main focus to comments!

Rowing WOD 2/6/16: 10×1:00 On, :45 Off – Post Splits and Distances

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Rowing WOD:

10 x 1:00 On, :45 Off

CRASH-B's here we come! Attention! Row!

CRASH-B’s here we come! Attention! Row!

  • Goal Pace!!!

Three Weeks until CRASH-B’s!  You’ve been training hard all winter with a goal pace in mind.  Today is the day to attack it and dial it in.  Those with experience know the benefit of pacing, gaming, and executing a plan to produce a personal best performance.  In the end a game plan facilitates mental toughness and focus to deal with pain when things get tough.

Today’s focus is executing your goal 2k race plan at high intensity.  Set the monitor for intervals distance with 1 minute of Work and 45 seconds of Rest.  Row the first two pieces as if they were the start of the 2k.  Row the next three pieces as if they were part of the second 500m, Row the next three pieces as if they were part of the third 500m, and finish the last two pieces with a sprint like the end of a race.

This should not be an all out Max Effort, but rather a calculated effort at a split close to your goal split.  The goal should be to pull the lowest split possible, consistently through all 10 intervals.  If you have a good start and settle in the first two pieces and a solid sprint for the last two pieces then you’re average split for all 10 pieces should be that goal split you’d like to hit on the 2k.

Post your Splits and Distances for each piece to comments.

Rowing WOD 2/2/16: 10 x :40 On, :20 Off – Post Avg Split

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Rowing WOD:

10 x :40 On, :20 Off (Race Pace)

Get After It!

Get After It!

If you’re looking for an edge in Tabata This, Fight Gone Bad, or simply your Tabata Row, today’s Rowing WOD is the perfect opportunity to build your consistency on shorter pieces.   The focus is maintaining race pressure and mentally executing a race plan.  The goal is to be consistently strong through all 10 pieces.  During the 20 seconds off, paddle lightly at a stroke rating of 14 – 16 to recover.  Focus on your breathing and form.

The first two pieces should be executed like the start of a 2k race; sprint start, high ten, then settle to an efficient race pace.  The second three pieces should focus on holding a consistent race pace and stroke rating, around 32 for vets and 28 for novices.  The third section represents the third 500 of the 2k where mental toughness is key to keep the split from jumping up.  The last two pieces are an opportunity to either practice your sprint to the finish line or hold strong if you’re really feeling it.  When finished you will have 10 data points you can compare to see where extra focus will be required during your next 2k or first 2k if you’ve never done one!

CRASH-B’s are within the month!  Really dial in your game plan and attack each piece.  This is when you should have your race plan dialed in and really get comfortable with pulling the splits you plan to hold during the race.  Focus on consistency and make every single stroke count.

Post your average 500m split to comments and share your game plan.

Rowing WOD 1/26/16: 8 x 500m w/ 2min Rest – Post Splits and Focus

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Rowing WOD:

8 x 500m w/ 2min Rest

Competitors crushing the 2k at the Third Race of the Renegade Rowing League!

1st/2nd – Like start of 2k

3rd/4th – Like 2nd 500 of 2k

5th/6th – Like 3rd 500 of 2k

7th/8th – Like finish of 2k

We attacked this Rowing WOD in December.  Look back at your results and see if you’re ready to step it up another notch.  This is a great opportunity to focus on a few tactical aspects of the 2k and get in some solid race pace work.  Try to keep a consistent pace over all 8 or “negative split” toward the end if you’re feeling good.  Negative splitting means you pull a faster split than you did the last piece.

As a quick review for novice rowers, race pace over 2,000m will be at a stroke rating of 28 − 32 strokes per minute and a consistent 500m split.  The lower the split the better.  Good things to focus on include breathing, getting the knees down, driving through the heels, quick hands, and being smooth.  I also like to coach a smile or grin 10 just to take yourself out of your body for a second, have some fun, and then refocus with a fresh mindset.  Focus on one positive thought for 10 consecutive strokes and you’ll be that much closer to your goal.

Post your split for each piece and share what you focused on!

Rowing WOD 1/22/16: “Farm Erg” – 4RFT – 1k Row, 100m Farmer’s Carry – Post Time and Splits

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Rowing WOD: 

“Farm Erg”

How will you carry the erg?

How will you carry the erg?

4 Rounds For Time

1k Row

100m Farmer’s Carry (w/ Erg if Possible; otherwise {1.5/1 pd} each hand)

The Farmer’s Carry can be used to train core stability, grip strength, balance, and coordination.  Usually it’s done lifting odd objects like yokes, water filled pvc’s, sand filled kegs, or any other heavy objects lying around the gym.  Today we’re carrying the Erg.  Ensure you keep a solid core and let us know what you think is the most efficient way to carry an erg 100 meters!

I know this might be hard in the colder parts of the country, but if by chance it’s warm enough and you have an area to walk 100m with the erg then do it!  Otherwise you can sub a farmer’s carry with kettle bells in each hand.

The goal for each 1k Row should be to hold your average split for 2,000 meters plus 1 or 2 split seconds.  In other words, row each piece at a pace of 2k+1 or 2k+2.  Be consistent and work on improving one aspect of your form during each round.

Use this as an opportunity to test out the Undefined Rest feature on your Performance Monitor.  Select Intervals Distance, set the distance for 1,000m and then set the rest to “Undefined Rest”.  This will give you a running clock for the whole workout and allow you to sit down and row 1k each round without having to mess with the monitor.  If your monitor doesn’t have this feature you’ll have to use a stop watch.  Check here to find out how to update this feature on your monitor.

Post your time and splits.  Let us know how you carried the erg!