Mikey Ace

iTrader: (1)

PMSL

very good..

Mikey

BOB.T

What's a respectable 2000m time?

I've been going to the gym for about 6 weeks and I've been using the rowing machine along with other stuff. I'm supposed to go on it for five minutes but after watching the build up to the boat race I thought I'd give 2000m a whirl! IIRC, James Cracknell did a 6.20 in the celeb challenge thing. I did 2000m for the first time ever on Monday and did a 7.52 and I've been again today and did a 7.47 I reckon I can go better than that though cos it was busy in there and I'd nearly finished my workout by the time I'd got on the rower!

Oh yeah, it's a Concept2 and very good!

Tiggs

been a while since i looked at times but under 7 is ok.......anything around 6.30 is very good.....close to 6 is very fast and few people ever get under 6

but a lot of the above depends on your height and weight.....even the fastest lightweights in the world wont get close to 6 (at least they didnt when i rowed) so someone at 5ft8 doing a 6.30 is flying.

i doubt anyone geting under 6 is less than 6ft4......longer the stroke and the more weight behind it the faster you'll go.

just checked the stats....last year about 12 brits went under 6....fastest lightweight was 6.14!

interestingly no one in the 39+ section beat 6....so i may wait a few years and enter that


your 7.40ish would make you about 500th in the lightweights or 2000th in the open if you entered a proper comp and had your time recorded........so if your light you could train a bit then try and be in the top 500 in the country (sort off ;, not sure if thats something you would be proud of or not ))

If you entered the 70 years + section!!!!! your time would still not win! you would be joint 2nd ...the fastest did a 7.24......at 71 years old!!!

Franx2

Sorry to go slightly off track here ... I'm sure the world record for the LW category was around 6:12, which is bloody good. A Danish bloke I think When I was competing at that level as a lightweight, I was at 6:36, although on the water, Lightweights tend to be a lot closer than on the machine

Anyway, the Concept 2's the best one, but as I've maybe said before, they're bloody expensive, so unless you can track down a 2nd hand one, I'd look towards other stuff.

Try: http://www.concept2.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=7 - A Concept 2 forum, of all things I found it in Google btw There seem to be quite a few on there. They last for ever, and they're been making 'em for years. I wouldn't however, get a previously club-owned one, as they get a lot of use......

Have fun!

Franx2

Cracknell got 6:20? That's a pretty crappy time for him I'd say. Normally 5:40 or so

Depends who you ask about respectable 2k times tbh. I'd say 6:35, Tiggs'd probably say 5:59, and the world record's 5:37 or something obscene like that....
Why not set a target, and work towards it? Don't do a 2000m sprint every time though, but try longer stuff - 30 or 40 mins etc, at a reasonable pace, and the occasional speed work when you feel like it.

Personally, I can't stand the things. Been there, done it, and probably won't row at that level again. Takes up too much time I think

BOB.T

Thanks!

I'm 6' 2" and currently around 17 stones though I'm trying to get that down! Oh and 29 years old. Up until about 6 weeks ago I'd never been on a rowing machine and the thought of going on one for 5 minutes nearly killed me! Monday was the first time I'd gone over 1200m or 5 minutes so I'm quite pleased that I even managed it!

Right then, sub sevens here I come!

BOB.T

Oh, the Cracknell time might be wrong but besides that it was some crappy 'here are some celebs rowing' sort of thing in the boat race build up! I don't think he even broke a sweat!

BrettC

Bob.T

I noticed that he didn't even break a sweat either despite his 6m 20s ish
He could even speak!!

When I did my 6m 38s I thought I was going to die...in fact at one point I was actually hoping I would.

The concept 2 link for the rankings:
http://www.concept2.com/sranking03/rankings.asp

paulr

The post said rowing/cycling machine.
For an old bloke i'd have thought a cycling machine would be a better bet and also cheaper for a decent one. You can get a decent fitness workout from the seated position,i'd have thought rowing machines would suit a younger person more. You can get a good exercise bike from JJB for £200 easily or better still pick one up from your local paper. its the sort of thing people buy,then get bored of.

BrettC

I think the post title was referring to the combination rower/cycle that Sub97 had found.

BOB.T

If I put myself on the rankings I'd slip in at #249 for GBR

Tiggs

thats what i meant......LW's dont go close to 6 and 6.12 is long way off 6

cracknell is around 5.50 i would have thought so a 6.20 is easy enough......i rowed plenty of 6.20's in local comps when i knew the next fastest was going to be over 6.30 (and most are in local muck abouts)...no point killing myself

Tip for the person that was asking about his time.....use the clock, every SECOND i am on the machine i am working out my splits so i know EXACTLY how fast/hard to row and when. Its easy to screw it up with too volatile a row where you rush off and then die. My biggest problem was that i would get to a point (just over half way) where i would get a sudden rush and all the apin would disapear.....quite odd actually, i could feel it coming on and then it would just hit me (sports orgasm!).....anyway, if i speeded up at that stage i would die with 500m left so i had to LOOK AT THE CLOCK and watch my stroke rate/splits very carefully so i didnt go nuts too soon. After a while i could feel the rush coming but "put it off" mentally until 500m were left then just let it flow. I could be a few secs of the 6 with 500 left and still row a sub 1.30 split for the last 500 without any pain at all.....people would laugh and tell me afterwards that i would have been yelling stuff the last 500 like "this is easy" "sub 6, here i come"......couldnt remember doing it at all - cant remember any of my last 500m from any fast row!!!!

pwhittle

I bought a Regatta one for £200, and just sold it for £80 (needed the room). Not as good as a concept 2, but good for the money. Gym kit is designed to be used all day everyday, and so is often rated over engineered for occasional use.

The advantage of using a Concept 2 in a gym is that you can join the international league. I did a 7.33 2k and managed a stonking 150 somthing in the country (in my super pathetic lightweight skinny-armed category!). Like to have another crack...

Tiggs

"I did a 7.33 2k and managed a stonking 150 somthing in the country "

Which country? umpa lumpa land

ozzy

Still won't get an Olympic Medal in indoor-rowing though

Tiggs

nor F1....i dont think drivers care though so if its good enough for them its good enough for me.

Sub97

Thanks mate. Where did you get yours from?