1000m Plan

This plan is underway currently (August 2022) and is due to end at the end of September. If you get ahead of me making the videos, here’s the entire plan.

You’ll see that this follows a similar intensity pattern to most of the plans I have – it’s just that the sessions are tailored towards the 1000m TT.

When I say “1K pace” this basically means as fast as you can manage (but not sprinting to the point that you can’t do the next interval!)

Full info on how to row the sessions is in the RowAlong videos. The Week / Session number is a link which will take you to the appropriate video.

Introduction Row – 30 minutes low intensity (suggest 18spm and 2K+20)
Week 1 Session 1 – 1 min x 8 at 1K rate and pace / Rest 1 min (Take note of the average pace)
Week 1 Session 2 – 10 mins x 4 at 18/20/18/20spm (2K+20/18/20/18) – Rest 2 mins between
Week 1 Session 3 – 1 min x 20 at 20spm / FULL POWER / Rest 1 min between
Week 1 Session 4 – 35mins at 18spm / 2K+20
Week 1 Session 5 – 2 mins x 3 at 1K pace (as fast as possible) / Rest 4 mins between – This should wipe you out – if it doesn’t, add another 2 minutes!
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Week 2 Session 1 – 1 min x 10 at 1K rate and pace / Rest 1 minute
Week 2 Session 2 – 12 min x 3 at 18spm / 2K+20 – Rest 2:30 between
Week 2 Session 3 – 1 min x 20 at 24spm / FULL POWER / Rest 1 min between
Week 2 Session 4 – 12 min x 3 at 20/18/20spm 2K+18/20/18 – NO RESTS
Week 2 Session 5 – 2 min x 4 at MAX Power – 26/28/30/32spm – 3 minute rests
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Week 3 Session 1 – 1 min x 12 at 1K Pace / Rest 90 seconds
Week 3 Session 2 – 30 mins – 18/20/22/20/18spm (change every 5 minutes) at 2K+20/18/16/18/20
Week 3 Session 3 – 1 minute x 20 at 24/26/28/30/32 spm (4 of each) FULL POWER / Rest 1 min between
Week 3 Session 4 – 10 mins x 3 at 18/20/18spm / 2K+20/18/20 – Rest 1 mins between
Week 3 Session 5 – 90 seconds x 5 at 1K Rate and Pace – 3 minute rests – This should wipe you out – if it doesn’t, add another 90 seconds!

Week 4 Session 1 – 45 seconds x 8 with 30 seconds rests – Important to aim for 1K Pace or better. If you’re not totally exhasuted by the end of interval 8 – there’s something missing from the effort you’re putting in, or your technique. I suggest taking 5 minutes rest, and doing it again!
Week 4 Session 2 – 12 mins x 3 at 20spm / 2K+18 pace – 90 second rests
Week 4 Session 3 – 4 mins x 8 at 20spm / at 2K+10 pace or faster – 2 min rests between
Week 4 Session 4 – 30 mins at 18spm / 2K+20
Week 4 Session 5 – 1 minute x 6 with 2 minute rests – This should wipe you out – if it doesn’t, add another 2 x 1 minutes – but my guess is you’re not going fast enough
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PRIMER WEEK – TO GET READY FOR THE 1000m TT or SIMILAR
Week 5 Session 1 – 2 mins at 1K Pace – Rest 4 mins – 1 min sprint (faster than 1K pace) – Rest 4 mins – 2 mins at 1K Pace.
Week 5 Session 2 – 15 mins x 2 at 18/20spm – 2K+20/18 – Rest 3 mins between
Week 5 Session 3 – 1 min x 6 at 1K Pace or faster / Rest 3 minutes between – High effort, but not too many times! This is a primer before a rest day, before your TT.
REST DAY REST DAY REST DAY REST DAY
Week 5 Session 5 – 1000m TT – or Do W1S1 again and see how you’ve improved.

USEFUL INFORMATION

For information about how to calculate your 2K Training pace, and a description of the best way to RowAlong with me and more – check out the Useful Info menu option at the top of the page.

I do want to say that although I trained myself when I broke the 1000m British Record by just rowing a lot of 30 minute TT’s, low rate 30 minutes and then a LOT of sprint work, a lot of what I know about programming a proper 1000m specific training plan came from my time being coached by Sam Blythe of Fitness Matters. The echos of the time I spent with him are evident across this plan. If you’re looking for a focussed, in-person (or across the internet) coach that you can work with one-on-one, rather than my RowAlong workouts, which are rather one sided conversationally, then I recommend getting in touch with Sam.