Cross Training: Rowing

[Swarm_Catcher]

I'm nursing my knee.  Good work andrew and swarm_catcher in particular - we're still ahead of Cambridge Uni Alumni when I checked earlier today.

Well thank you!  Good work team.  I'll probably fit in two/three more sessions of 7500 and if I'm not cycling the last weekend, I'll do another 15000. 

A new target of 150000 for andrew deserves a 'chapeau'!

[Swarm_Catcher]

I see we're getting close to the 200 mark, despite andrew's excellent efforts.  So may focus this week on a bit of rowing.  Will do a slow 7500 though tomorrow - bit sore and stiff after the first 200 of the year.

Hope you are having a good weekend.

[simonp]

I'll maybe be able to start pulling my weight again this week. I'm just after doing a nearly 40 mile ride so will see how the knee feels tomorrow.

[Chris S]

I seem to be on the road to recovery from the lurgy now. Should be able to start upping the ante a bit.

[andrew w]

I've had a few days off, but I managed to do a very steady 15000 this morning.  Also managed to get out on my bike today, my first ride of 2010, and nearly 4 weeks since I last turned a pedal.  Only 36 miles, but it felt good to be out again,and I wasn't at all tired at the end of it.  All this rowing must be keeping me ticking over, as I hoped it would.

[simonp]

I haven't cycled all that much lately but I had no trouble riding around at 27kph today. I do think the rowing has been very beneficial.

[Swarm_Catcher]

Up to 70k and beginning to feel 100k is within reach.    I don't have to do it ...

[andrew w]

Well done, Swarm_Catcher!

I did a steady 10000 last night, and another one tonight.  I'm aiming to do a third one tomorrow, which will take me up to 145,000 total.  I'll have Friday off, then at the weekend I'll do one more row, of at least 5000m (probably 10000) so that I get to my 150,000 target. 

After that I'm hoping that I'll be able to do more cycling than rowing, but that depends on the weather, as I'm a bit of a fair-weather cyclist.

[andygates]

Crikey, upped the resistance a notch today and I'm feeling it.

[Chris S]

Crikey, upped the resistance a notch today and I'm feeling it.

In earlier threads, it was suggested to me that "about halfway" was all you need on the resistance. However - when I've mentioned my rowing to some others - they've said "Ah but, you only have the resistance half way don't you?" like I'm some kind of cheat  .

Halfway seems fine to me.

[andrew w]

Crikey, upped the resistance a notch today and I'm feeling it.

In earlier threads, it was suggested to me that "about halfway" was all you need on the resistance. However - when I've mentioned my rowing to some others - they've said "Ah but, you only have the resistance half way don't you?" like I'm some kind of cheat  .

Halfway seems fine to me.

The resistance on the rower is just like the gears on a bike.  Choose a lower resistance and it requires less effort, but you don't go as far with each stroke.  If someone does a 200k audax on a geared bike, you don't regard them as cheating if they don't do it all in their highest gear, do you?

FWIW, I do almost all my rowing at level 2 damper setting.  I only put it up a notch if I'm doing a shorter distance at maximum effort, such as a timed 2000.  Also, as I understand it, in indoor rowing competitions, you are entirely free to choose whatever damper setting you want.

[MSeries]

Thanks to you lot and this challenge I did 4000m last night. My 1000m warm up, then after my lifting I watched the end of the news and just rowed, for another 3000m !! Level 5 on the gauge.

[Marco Stefano]

The resistance on the rower is just like the gears on a bike.  Choose a lower resistance and it requires less effort, but you don't go as far with each stroke. 

Sort of... although if you can fire the muscle sequence quick enough, you will travel well at lower resistance levels. A little like lower fixed gears, you can travel at the same speed if you can spin well enough.

Lower back loading can be high at higher resistances, and is applied for a longer time each stroke. Mine was at level 4, now level 3; there is enough headwind on the river... 

[Panoramix]

I think that 2 or 3 represent about the feel you get in a light river boat. Too much resistance and it becomes a weight lifting exercise!

[Chris S]

Lunchtime 5000m was a real struggle. Could have been the 3x10 interval session I did on the turbo immediately beforehand that did it  .

Now I need FOOD!

[Chris S]

Woo Hoo! My longest ever row. Didn't break any records, but it felt good!

[Swarm_Catcher]

Woo Hoo! My longest ever row. Didn't break any records, but it felt good!

Well done Chris!

And I'm done with rowing for January.  Reached 100K. Very happy.

So, thank you to Simon for putting me onto this.   From a 'might as well log my 2500m stints', to doing a 15K for the first time ever, to reaching 100K for the month.   And its done wonders for my weight target!

[Greenbank]

The Concept 2 in our work gym has been refurbished. My excuses have now run dry.

100K a month seems a very long way...

[Chris S]

100K a month seems a very long way...

Meh. 10k two or three times a week. Even a fat slob like me can do 10k in about 40 50 minutes.

[andrew w]

And I'm done with rowing for January.  Reached 100K. Very happy.

That's a great effort, Swarm_Catcher, well done!

I did a final 10,000 tonight, to take my total for the month to 155,000.  That was after a 66 mile bike ride, too.

I see that our team total has now broken the 400,000 mark, so well done, everyone!

[andygates]

Good lord, you machines.

I was feeling chuffed to have bumped my warm-up level from 7 to 8...

[Chris S]

So, we came 188th? Not bad  .

[simonp]

Good work!  Next year I'll try not to drop out. Now what's this month's challenge?

[Greenbank]

About to go downstairs to the work gym. If someone is on the rower I'll do a 22 minute run on the treadmill. At least I have remembered to bring my mp3 player this time.

My hope is that I find that someone has stolen the entire gym and that I can't do either but that's very unlikely.

[Greenbank]

Thought about doing 20 minutes but gave up after 10 (see damper setting first time numpty idiocy below).

2154m
24s/m
120.9W average
118 kcal used
2:29.7 per 500m
HR_av: 170bpm

Only realised the damper was set at 10 until I'd already started. No-one it felt hideous for a first time in ages row! Arms definitely the first to go.

HR climbed to 166bpm after 2 minutes and then slowly rose up to 181bpm as I got hotter and hotter (also forgot to turn the fan on and point it at me).

Will do the next run with the damper set to 5 at the most, I'm not worried about people thinking it's easier, I'm doing this for myself...

It's a model C with PM2 monitor. Rumours of a new Model D with PM3 coming in a month or so...

100,000km a month challenge sounds about right to me

*goes off to update 2010 fitness goals*