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Question
Hello there! I found this page by luck, and I would love to hear an answer from you.
I am going into grade 12 this year, and I've been rowing for 3 years now.
I am 153lb 6'1, and my last 2k was a 6:45.3, I am trying to get it down to the 6:30's by next erg championship season (6 months away). Would that be an attainable goal of an improvement of 10-ish seconds in 6 months?
Also! I am leaning heavily on my erg scores to be noticed by University coaches, because although I have a lot of experience racing, I lacked a dedicated crew.. so my results aren't good.
I am going to try to get into a team to row the Can-Am-Mex championship next year, my coach told me I should try out.
I'm also racing single sculls next high school season, would that make me a competitive candidate for a varsity crew in a good school?
And finally.. third question, (sorry, I'm curious) I am going to follow the very popular Wolverine Plan this winter for erg training, which is 5 days a week.. should i also supplement that with weightlifting every other day? or how could I balance weight lifting and erging to have the best results when I race CRASH-B's?
Anyway, thank you very much for reading my questions, I look forward to reading your insights.
Best Regards,
Alan Payno

Answer
Hi Alan: All good questions.

1.  Erg question: Your erg time is excellent.  For 16-18 year old lightweights, you are in the 90th percentile.  With 6 months of training under your belt, you should have no problem breaking 6:40.  Breaking 6:35 is doable also, but I wouldn't kill myself trying to get there.  It's too bad your on-water resume doesn't match your erg scores.  While erg times are important, how well a rower (and his crew) does in major regattas is even more important.  There are many cases of very talented rowers who are stuck in mediocre crews, but get discovered in a national Camp or something.  You should most definitely try out for the CAN-AM-MEX boat.

2.  Single sculling: As you probably know, there is no sculling events in college rowing (at least in the spring season).  If you are asking me whether you should try to be a high school champion in singles because your eight is a bunch of slackers, I don't have an easy answer for you.  A great single sculler can probably row anywhere he wants to in college.  But, there's always the chance that the coach from Harvard may take the Strokeman of the crew that won the Stotesbury Cup over you, even though you might have won the singles at the Stotesbury.

3.  Weights: You are pretty lean for your height.  A good mass-building weight routine can only help you in the long run.  You have to always remember that rowing in itself will not build strength or muscle mass; in fact, you will get weaker over time.  You need to weightlift to maintain and grow muscle mass during your rigorous erg routine.

Good Luck/AP