Rowing Pace

I find I can sustain a good row whilst running at about 6.30 pace. I can probably coherently disagree with someone down to about 6 minute miling, but I don't have the energy for a full blown row at this speed.

2min/500 is a good pace for a non-rower. Try to go for longer than 15 minutes if you can though.

I've gotten away from running in the last few months due to injury, but have taken to the Concept2 machine at my gym once a week or so. I started out right around 2:00/500m, like you. I've been lifting weights though recently, and I think that's helped me increase the pace quite a bit. Yesterday, I just managed to complete 5,000m in 18:15, which was a huge "PR" for me. My first attempt at the distance was something like 19:26.

I think a lot depends on your weight and strength. I'm up to about 172 lbs. now and I'm sure I couldn't keep up yesterday's pace if I was close to my ideal running weight. Anything at or below 2:00/500m, and I think you're doing really well. Definitely try to gradually increase the amount of time you do in one session. I've got up to 25 min. so far, and it took a lot of patience to pace myself for the first 15-20 min.

By the way, a co-worker turned me on to this site:

http://www.concept2.com/sranking03/rankings.asp

Sorry, 18:15 for 5,000m comes out to 1:49 pace. I was hurting afterward.

Row Row Row wrote:

What would be considered a good rowing pace (in gym)?

I have only started using the rowing machine in the gym, averaging 2mins / 500m pace for 15min sessions.

That's pretty decent for someone just starting. When I was in my early fifties, I could row 1:58 pace in a 30 minute row. But, that took close to two years to achieve. At the time I was sub 30 minutes for 5 miles.

Rowing is like running, don't force the pace, but let it happen.

2 minute pace is fine. As well as increasing the length of time, make sure that your rating (stroke frequency) is constant and not too high. As a runner, I find it tempting to take many short strokes, but between 25-30 strokes per minute is probably about right. Also try to concentrate on correct technique (see http://www.ara-rowing.org/Asp/uploadedFiles/File/BRT%20erg.pdf ) It can be easy to injure yourself by rowing incorrectly (such as leaning back too much at the end of the stroke, slouching etc..)

as someone who ran in high school and rowed in college, i will offer my opinion. 2min/500m is very good for a non-rower, like others have said. again, work on increasing the time you are rowing. 30min at 2:00 will be a good workout. it definitely takes time to build up your rowing endurance. your muscles go anaerobic much quicker than in rowing, so you want to look out for that, especially in the arms.

though it may be difficult at first, i would try to keep your strokes per minute below 25. once you end up increasing your stroke rate it is very difficult to bring it back down while still maintaining the same 500m pace. rowing at a low rate allows you to concentrate on your form-- which as noted by another poster is very important, even if you aren't serious--and keep your pace even. we didnt get up to 28 unless we were doing tempo workouts and only broke 30 in interval or race pace sessions. it is very hard to maintain a rate of 30 for longer than 25 minutes or so without really maxing out. the range of effort that is exerted between 25 and 30 is huge. try to limit your rate variance between 2 to 3 strokes per minute.

hope this helps.

to the poster who busted a 1:49 for 5k, well done. that is truly impressive. you are right about your weight gain and its positive affect on your performance. when i raced lightweight i was definitely slower on the erg but faster on the boat. i pulled my best erg times (1:29 avg for 2k, 1:41 avg for 6k) when i was closer to 170 than 160.

i still believe rowing is the best workout for someone looking to achieve general fitness in one session. it works most muscles and really gets you lean and jacked as opposed to just lean, like running.

I ran in high school and currently row in college.

Spokane xc, how did you pull 5:56 for 2k but only 20:12 for 6k?!?! I row in college, and am about 180 lbs (so no lightweight for me). I can pull 20:27 (1:42.3) for 6k but only 6:25 (1:36.4) for 2k, but that will be due to drop as I add in speedwork this spring. Good to see another rower on here!!!

Spokane gives good advice. Rowing with proper form is CRITICAL, or else you will probably get injured. This is really important, especially with one's back. Even pacing is also excellent advice. It's almost like your cadence while running. For a point of reference, when I do long SS rows, my stroke rate is 18-22.

1:29 avg? For a lightweight? What college did you row for? It has been about 5 years since i rowed, but isn't the world record 5:30-40ish?

I had a similar reaction. I pulled some decent times as a college and post-college lightweight - good enough to get invited to a national team development program. No way could I do 1:29 avg for 2K.

spokane xc wrote:

when i raced lightweight i was definitely slower on the erg but faster on the boat. i pulled my best erg times (1:29 avg for 2k, 1:41 avg for 6k) when i was closer to 170 than 160.

Perhaps you meant 1:39 and not 1:29. Current wold record for lightweights is 6:02.

World Records found here:

i absolutely apologize for sending you all into a frenzy. I mixed up my 2k time with my 2k pace. My PR was 6:29, or 1:37. I would definitely have been rowing at Princeton for the National Team if I could pull under 6.

It looks like I should have been a rower. When I blew out my calf in summer and again in late 2005-early 2006 (age 43 then, weight 165-ish), I put some time on the Concept2 rowing machine. I really had to grind away and it took a few attempts, but I eventually rowed 16,016 meters in an hour (1:52.4/500-meter pace). I never really took a run at the shorter stuff because I was trying to cross-train and maintain fitness.

Is that really ranked as high as the charts seem to indicate or are most rowers too smart not to hammer for an hour? I had a ocuple of 'witnesses' at the gym, including a lawyer who rowed in high school and thought it was a big deal. He meant well but was getting so loud toward the end it got kind of embarrasing.

There is or was a guy posting on here who has everyone beat. 'BDG' from Boulder had the one hour 30-34 world record at 17,000+ meters, but I won't name him. He might have gotten fed up with the static on the board.

whatever man ... that's an excellent one-hour effort.

It's correct to think that most rowers are not focused on efforts of that duration.

The 2000 meter distance is the by far the most important for rowing, with longer races (Head of the Charles, etc) often thought of as prep for the 2K races.

Few competitive rowers compete in races lasting longer than 15-20 minutes (or a bit longer for single scullers).

National team used to do 10K erg tests, but I think these have gone the way of the dodo ... 5K, 2.5K and 2K erg tests are most common.

I did about 4 months on a Concept 2 as well during a period of injury rehab. I am convinced that your body type has a fair amount to do with how sucessful you will be as a rower. At the time of my injury, I was in about 32 low shape for the 10K, but I could not even break 19 for the 5K on the Concept 2, and that was after a pretty intense 4 months of training. I am however built like Culpepper, 6 feet and about 140 pounds, and have zero upper body strength.