Training slump... it finally happened to me... :(

[lancecampeau]

After 2 1/2 years of solid, sustained effort on the erg I've finally hit a big slump that has lasted a couple of months now. Low motivation, lots of excuses, dust collecting on my erg. I've lost focus on what to try and accomplish. In the meantime, I've been doing some weight training about once a week to try and stay nimble.

I could use a few simple ideas to help to get back into that erg rhythm again... any suggestions?

[KeithT]

After 2 1/2 years of solid, sustained effort on the erg I've finally hit a big slump that has lasted a couple of months now. Low motivation, lots of excuses, dust collecting on my erg. I've lost focus on what to try and accomplish. In the meantime, I've been doing some weight training about once a week to try and stay nimble.

I could use a few simple ideas to help to get back into that erg rhythm again... any suggestions?

Wish I had some real great advice for you but most on here still have way more experience than me and I get advice from them (including you). I can say you are not alone in that a lot of us have seem to had issues in the past few months, whether it be illness, injuries, general fatigue.... For me I try to reflect back to where I came from and how I still compare. Since the WRIC I fought colds/flu and just when I thought I was back on my game I had a "bad" workout 5 days ago and mentioned here and just realized it was bad day and when I really looked at the workout and compared it to where I was just a year or so ago or how it compares to others, it really wasn't that terrible. As far as focus and motivation, a little break or doing weights or something else isn't a bad idea and then maybe set some sort of goal to try and push for and get a plan to accomplish it. I know you will get it going again, you train hard and its just part of you.

[jackarabit]

Beyond the sniffles and marginal performance gains is boredom, for almost every one of us. You’re bored. Honeymoon—>marriage. Suggest trial separation. Come back with renewed commitment to maintaining the relationship and realistic expectations about long haul performance vectors.

[jimmyshand]

After 2 1/2 years of solid, sustained effort on the erg I've finally hit a big slump that has lasted a couple of months now. Low motivation, lots of excuses, dust collecting on my erg. I've lost focus on what to try and accomplish. In the meantime, I've been doing some weight training about once a week to try and stay nimble.

I could use a few simple ideas to help to get back into that erg rhythm again... any suggestions?

Tough place to be, but I am sure you can bounce back. When I'm feeling sluggish I like to put the erg on low drag factor, forget pace and just see how long I can row for. My target is 30 minutes, 10k if feeling good and then by that stage if I'm going okay I'll aim for an hour but without caring about distance.

The other thing I like to do is same as above but do shorter splits and see if I can hit exact targets, as a kind of competition with myself. Felt a bit sluggish this morning so did about 30 mins low DF then a 2k where I tried to hit 2:00.0 on all ten 200m splits. Just trying to make it interesting and keep focus so did shorter splits trying to control pace really well.

These kinds of things work for me.

Hope you're back at it like Ivan Drago very soon.

[jamesg]

As you say: erg rhythm. Maybe you need to find a new one: different time of day, type of work, less pressure, simple aims, go afloat. Even no aims at all, just sweat. E.g. Fives: every other day an easy 5k at 5 am. Or Sixes or Sevens. Then see what happens, experiments never fail though the result may be a surprise.

All oarsmen look forward to paddling downstream. The erg is not an end in itself, but life is better thanks to the erg.

[Cyclist2]

I'm amazed at the people who can row every day for years. I've had a C2 erg since 1986 (model A, then B, now C) and there are times when I train real hard for months and times when it sits for months. If I had to rely on it for my sole method of exercise, I'd go crazy. Doing weights, riding a bike, even just brisk walking will keep you fit and when your erg mojo returns, or some challenge or race is coming up, you'll be back on it and going for another 100K or something!

No worries.

[Boomer]

It’s a tough one. I hit this slump after 12 months mainly due to a new to new job that required lots of travel. My only advice is that in order for the performance drop and fitness benefits not to drop off a cliff try and get some basic meters under your belt every few weeks before you feel you are ready come come back to erging in whatever form you choose...if you don’t the come back is quite hard when you kill yourself trying to get anywhere near you used to be. Although it’s fun getting to see the improvements all over again, sort of

[Dangerscouse]

It's been about 10 years since I had my last serious slump and I'm not sure now what got me back on it.

All I can suggest is get back on it and do some long slow sessions like Alasdair suggested. Don't do any hard intervals as you'll probably just HD and walk away.

Maybe set yourself another challenge? FM? 100km? Working towards something is always a great starting point if you're struggling

[hobbit]

I'm feeling pretty "meuh" about erging too at the moment. Let's face it, it's not the world's most exciting activity. For the last few weeks, I've just been trying not to slide too far down the "distance rowed this season" ranking.

Here's my tip: I may have had a breakthrough today, because I finally started listening to podcasts instead of music. It made me laugh and stimulated me in a whole different way, compared to even my favorite music. I'm really looking forward to the next episode. Can't say that the meters flew by, but they were much less of a drag.

[Minimoof123]

I believe you own your own erg, and what I always say is that the erg will,still be there in the morning, it's up,to you if you use it or not, but look at what you have already gained, some great times, distance & achievements, don't let all your hard work slip away, we all know how difficult it is to get back in the rhythm even with just a couple of days off, I first got on a rower approx 8-10 yrs before I bought one, but now my go to exercise, as you know a complete workout in one, I don't row every day, but I'm happy with that, I'm not happy if the erg sits there with no use though, I'm sure you will find the right mix for you..

[Anth_F]

After 2 1/2 years of solid, sustained effort on the erg I've finally hit a big slump that has lasted a couple of months now. Low motivation, lots of excuses, dust collecting on my erg. I've lost focus on what to try and accomplish. In the meantime, I've been doing some weight training about once a week to try and stay nimble.

I could use a few simple ideas to help to get back into that erg rhythm again... any suggestions?

So easy to lose motivation... i certainly share that with you. I lose it more with other stuff more than the erg.

Things that work for me if i lose erg motivation is just thinking to myself (okay i'm going to row a 2k) nothing overly strenuous but just to do something on it. That usually reignites the fire for me. It's easy to get bored doing long steady slower stuff a lot. Nowadays i'm using the erg more for shorter work, but working harder. I feel good for it and it doesn't take long... and it's certainly keeping me on keeping on...

[jamesg]

Of course there's always the thought of what I might like to do in the time otherwise wasted on the erg: no kids or dogs any more, so get under the wife's feet, gardening, clean out the rubbish, cellar, junkroom, pay some bills and clear the desk, saw up some firewood for next winter, go for a walk in the hills or a ride on the bike.

In reality I end up under wife's orders washing up pots and pans or chopping up veg for soup. Unless I keep out of the way her eagle eye and evil mind always find plenty for me to do. Wives cannot stand idlers.

The usual warning sign I hear.. stavo pensando, potresti...

By then I come to realise it's time to jump on the erg.

[johnlvs2run]

What would you like to accomplish? Why are you training?
What would you like to do? See how many goals you can write down for the season and beyond.
Suggestion: compare your times with the previous season and your current division, instead of your all time PBs.
Pick certain events that you'd like to aim for this season, then prepare, start conservatively, and aim for them one at a time.

Try different things. Most interesting to me are my workouts, which I greatly look forward to.
You can do your workouts in any way that you wish, and change them any time, even mid session if you wish.

[Gammmmo]

After 2 1/2 years of solid, sustained effort on the erg I've finally hit a big slump that has lasted a couple of months now. Low motivation, lots of excuses, dust collecting on my erg. I've lost focus on what to try and accomplish. In the meantime, I've been doing some weight training about once a week to try and stay nimble.

I could use a few simple ideas to help to get back into that erg rhythm again... any suggestions?

Work on your 1min and 500m PBs. If my PBs are better and I'm significantly lighter than you, you should be able to eclipse them. Now....go train

[Gammmmo]

If I had to rely on it for my sole method of exercise, I'd go crazy. Doing weights, riding a bike, even just brisk walking will keep you fit and when your erg mojo returns, or some challenge or race is coming up, you'll be back on it and going for another 100K or something!

Agree with this. The erg is such a clinical tool that you really must do other stuff unless you want to drive yourself crazy. It plays mind games with you like nothing else....well, maybe my ex-wife.

(joke)