Erg Test
"No matter how well you know the course, no matter how well you may have done in a given race in the past, you never know for certain what lies ahead on the day you stand at the starting line waiting to test yourself once again. If you did know, it would not be a test; and there would be no reason for being there." - Dan Baglione
Today was our last 6K of the season. I hate erg tests, I really do. There's something about them, it just makes me fall apart a little bit inside every time. In high school, I used to act and sing in plays and with the choir, and the nerves that come with having a solo or a monologue on stage really don't even compare to the nerves I get before an erg test. I don't really know why that is; probably because I know that with a piece of music or theater, I have the confidence in myself that if I rehearse it enough, I won't screw up. I can't screw up. Maybe I haven't gotten to that point with my physical abilities on the erg, but I just can't go into an erg test with full faith that my mind won't let my body quit. I haven't died on a 6K yet, but every one I've pulled I've really wanted to, and fighting through that feeling was the worst thing ever.
Part of the problem with my erg tests was that I never really tried to maintain a consistent split before; I would do a mini-fly-and-die, going out a little high for the first 1000m or so, and then my splits would rise up for the most part until about 1500-1000m to go, and then they'd drop drastically. I tried getting a .0 for the average split and then holding that for about 5500m, and it was a lot easier than my previous approach. So remember kids, consistent splits!
Just one more random thought: isn't it weird how slow the first 4500m goes? And then how fast the last 1500m goes? Weird.
By the way, I PRed by 9 seconds :-)
Today was our last 6K of the season. I hate erg tests, I really do. There's something about them, it just makes me fall apart a little bit inside every time. In high school, I used to act and sing in plays and with the choir, and the nerves that come with having a solo or a monologue on stage really don't even compare to the nerves I get before an erg test. I don't really know why that is; probably because I know that with a piece of music or theater, I have the confidence in myself that if I rehearse it enough, I won't screw up. I can't screw up. Maybe I haven't gotten to that point with my physical abilities on the erg, but I just can't go into an erg test with full faith that my mind won't let my body quit. I haven't died on a 6K yet, but every one I've pulled I've really wanted to, and fighting through that feeling was the worst thing ever.
Part of the problem with my erg tests was that I never really tried to maintain a consistent split before; I would do a mini-fly-and-die, going out a little high for the first 1000m or so, and then my splits would rise up for the most part until about 1500-1000m to go, and then they'd drop drastically. I tried getting a .0 for the average split and then holding that for about 5500m, and it was a lot easier than my previous approach. So remember kids, consistent splits!
Just one more random thought: isn't it weird how slow the first 4500m goes? And then how fast the last 1500m goes? Weird.
By the way, I PRed by 9 seconds :-)
posted by Anonymous at 22:49
6 Comments:
hey well you dont know me and i dont really know you... i have an erg test tomorrow morning and im shitting myself... and for some reason i have been googleing erg tests and your blog came up... i am the worst at freaking out about an erg test.. i actually feel physically sick when i think about an erg and i am so scared i dont know what to do.. anyway good job on your PR
erg tests are the shit, my buddy tore both his calves and hammys last night after 6 k
hey...just want to say that there are worst thing then 6k test and i have do then but i will say this, they are hard
This comment has been removed by the author.
hey ya i have an erg test tomorrow, its a 2k, ya ik ur all prolly jelis bc u guys test 6k's and im really pressured to b under 8 that's all i've ever DREAMED of. i was just googleing erg tests and ya this blog kame up so ya im kinda excited 4 tomorrow jut rele nervous abotu strategy
try to regard the tests as just a routine piece, don't over hype it. turn up an hour before your test, light paddle for 10, stetch for 10, 20 min paddle with bursts at race pace, 10 min stretch, hydrate and focus in. take the handle, 1/2 1/2 3/4 full, take 10 strokes and fall onto target split, adrenaline will probably make you over rate and over pull, so ease off, you'll pay for it later! the first 3 mins is all about staying on split efficiently, stay loose on the recovery, pick up the drive smoothly in the lats, don't jerk it. at the 1000 meter mark it will be starting to get uncomfortable, but you know this will happen, so do what it takes to hold the target split (drop split by 1, or up rate by 1). at 600 to go you will be in agony, but it's only 600 meters, 2 mins at most, 60 strokes to go. you want to stop but when the meter count drops below 500 a switch is flicked in your head, it's almost impossible to give up now! i've rarely seen anyone give up here, so up the rate again to keep your target split. at 300 to go you are on the home straight, give it everything, no need to be efficient, no need to care about the pain, it'll be over soon. 200 to go, up the rate, high 30's at least, low 40's if you can, but keep the length, keep the core strong. 100 to go, think about the ecstasy of crossing the line, don't worry about the split, you stuck to your plan, the job is done. 20 to go, take 3 big long strokes, you're finished, you've exceeded your goals, you've learned more about who you are and what you can do, no one can question your resolve, at the start of every race you can tell yourself that you will give it all, no need to be nervous about the outcome, the race was won while you were training.
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