1. Is it right to ask that all rowers do the 2k test in a standardized fashion?
I am of the opinion that each athlete needs to find their own way of approaching 2ks. Some people like going hard at the start and then hanging on for the second half, others prefer a consistent approach where by the split vary's only slightly throughout and of course some enjoy a lea-surly pace for the first half and then a crazy second half. There are many others methods of course.
Some coaches think that everyone should do them the same way but my problem with this is that people approach things differently and it is after all only the end result that matters so why not let them find and use the approach that works the best for them.
If a coach is to prescribe a certain method I would be inclined to go with the keeping it as consistent as possible. Studies of rowing races at Olympic and world championship level have shown that the best method for winning races is the one that has the least variation between each 500 meter split. Therefore we can take from this that consistency is key.
2. Why are people so against doing 2ks?
Apart from the mental and physical pain that you will endure I think many people put unnecessary stress on themselves to break a certain time over the course of the 2k, or to at a certain point to be doing better than they are. This results in them feeling terrible and associating the 2k with a bad feeling. It is always better to give your self a realistic goal to achieve.
For example there is no point saying your going to hit 6:20 training just 2 to 3 days a week. It would be much better to set your goal at 7.00 and then by beating that you associate the 2k with positivity and you will be more likely to train harder and do better next time due to the renewed confidence.
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