by Tony Dziepak
This is a revised version of the pace chart that appeared in the spring 1996 Ergo Update. This chart is for use with the Concept II indoor rower.
The pace chart is available for download as an Excel file. It contains distances from 500 to 15,000 meters.
Then, add a trendline using the logarithmic option. Then you will be able to see which of your records are "soft," i.e. weak in comparison to other records. The weaker performances are below the trendline, and the stronger ones are above. The rower can clearly see what pace (s)he should be able to maintain at any given distance. The goal is to keep pushing the trendline up and to the right as one's performances improve.
You can also compare the shape of your performance curves with other rowers to detect relative weaknesses. If you have relatively high aerobic capacity but low strength/power, your curve will be flatter. In this case, weight training might improve your performances. In contrast, if your curve is steeper, you might have sufficient strength, but relatively weaker cardiovascular training. Thus long distance pieces might improve your performance.
In the examples sheet of the Excel file, you will find my performance curve is very steep. Most of my older performances were for distances of 750 meters or less, when I had more muscle strength coming off my previous athletic participation as a hammer thrower. The coefficient of the logarithmic trendline is 9.9. In contrast, many elite rowers (male and female) have coefficients of 6-8. You will also notice that I have tested myself in every increment of time and distance from 100 meters to 60 minutes. You only need a few of these to start to flesh out your curve. The other example in red is a hypothetical person who has a flatter curve.
Finally look at the overall shape of your performance curve. The logarithmic option assumes that the relationship between log distance and pace is linear. But your actual plotted points might be slightly bowed up or bowed down. Ideally, you want it to be bowed out because the competition distance is 2000 meters--right in the middle. If it is bowed down, you are weak in the middle distances. The best training to bring this bow out is interval training. Even though the absolute performances of an elite male and an intermediate female are greatly different, the shape of the curves can be compared with each other, and both can benefit.
In summary, the performance curve table is helpful in many ways. It keeps you disciplined in terms of balancing distance with shorter intervals. It is useful as a supplement to a log book because it displays records in table form, where the relative values of records can be visually compared. And it is an overall assessment tool that can be integrated into most training routines. I hope that it will be useful for rowers to gain perspective on their training progress.