My new fitness goal

[Raverlaw]

I'm really enjoying the rowing machine my wife got me for my 50th birthday. I've rowed 160,000 meters so far, and my pace is increasing daily. I can watch the excess pounds melt away, and I'm now at the point where I'm putting on muscle and gaining a little weight back. I feel great!

I'm still jogging, too, and doing some calisthenics each morning, but the rower is far easier on my knee and gives me an intense, full body workout in a shorter time than running.

I set a new personal best time in the 10K meter row tonight - 44:46.2. This isn't Olympics class by any means, but it is already a significant improvement for me.

I'm competing in the Nonathlon - an informal online event consisting of nine rowing distances, and am currently ranked 103rd in the world. Check it out at Nonathlon

Concept 2, the maker of these fantastic exercise machines, sponsors indoor rowing championships each year nationally and at the world level - people seriously compete in these, and I'm hoping to compete in the 2006 nationals in Boston (I won't be ready for the 2005 race). But here's my next goal:

My the 1st anniversary date of my surgery (2/20/2005) I want to have rowed ONE MILLION meters (that's 600 miles). At my current rate I should be able to do it right on schedule. Tom and Mark, I won't be able to post a neat little map showing my progress across the U.S., but one million is such a nice round number, and I know I will be feeling and looking great when I hit that mark.

I'm still interested in chatting with other valvers who row for exercise, either on-water or on the C2 ergometer at home or at the gym. There is a way to set up a team for online ranking purposes and it would be fun to team up with other valvers.

 

[tommy]

Bil,

That is outstanding!

 

[Mark Wagner]

Bill, that's awesome! Hey, send me a link on the rowing machine. I know little about them, but am very interested. We have rowers that put in not a block from my house. Bill, you have really made great progress in the last few months. Outstanding!

 

[Harpoon]

Tom and Mark, I won't be able to post a neat little map showing my progress across the U.S., but one million is such a nice round number, and I know I will be feeling and looking great when I hit that mark.

Post a photo of the display on the rowing machine as you hit that mark, or maybe the display and a notebook where you keep track of how far you've gone every day plus the times...

or at the very least, post a photo of yourself rowing like a madman while watching Monday Night Football or whatever.... =)

 

[labguides]

Do keep us posted as you work toward your rowing goal! Prior to surgery, were you this active?

 

[Raverlaw]

Do keep us posted as you work toward your rowing goal! Prior to surgery, were you this active?

NO! I was never very physically active. I did like to hike and bike, but I had very real limitations and couldn't run, row, or do anything nearly as demanding.

 

[Raverlaw]

Rowing progress

Rowing progress

I'm plugging away toward my first million meters. I've completed 8 of the possible ten events in the Nonathlon Nonathlon and still need to complete a half-marathon (21097 meters) and a full marathon (42195 meters). As I'm working up to those distances, I can feel myself getting stronger and building aerobic endurance. It's also been unseasonably warm here lately, so I'm setting new sweating records, too!

Last night I rowed 16000 meters non-stop (that's ten miles) at a 2:23.8/500 pace. That's my longest piece thus far, but I'm getting close to being able to do the half-marathon at a respectable pace.

I'm over 214,000 meters toward my million meter goal

 

[Raverlaw]

In honor of Tom Hosack

In honor of Tom Hosack

I couldn't stop thinking about Tom Hosack, climbing Pike's Peak for charity today.

I wanted to row an endurance piece in his honor, so I completed my first half-marathon (21097 meters, 13 miles). My time was 1:46:25.3 - not stellar, but I finished. Now I've done nine events in the Nonathlon and my ranking moved up to 86th!!

I still need to do a full marathon (42195 meters, 26 miles), but the Nonathlon only uses the best nine scores anyway. I passed the 250,000 meter mark today also, putting me one-quarter of the way toward my million meter goal.

Go Tom! Hope you had a good climb and raised a lot of money for the BIAC.

 

[Mary]

Hey Bill!

You're becoming a little compulsive with the rower! That's not a bad thing; it's just something that hard core exercisers develop and recognize in other people.
You're doing great, and I imagine you will be getting the full marathon finished in the very near future. Keep up the good work. It helps to keep us all motivated!
Mary
ps
You know what your trademark song will now be, don't you?

 

[Raverlaw]

Mary-

What? Me? Compulsive? According to Gemma's test, I am a Realist.

(ahem) But I will admit to being somewhat competitive - particularly with myself. I sure wish I could find some other valvers who row for exercise, though, so we could form our own team and enter the on-line competition for total meters rowed.

And ...(waiting for the punch line)... what song did you have in mind? "Row, row, row your boat?" The "Rocky" theme song?

 

[Mary]

Mary-
(ahem) But I will admit to being somewhat competitive - particularly with myself.

Bill,
Being competitive with oneself is my definition of compulsive. I'm in a never ending battle to outdo myself!

But I have to admit I'm thinking over this rower business. I might need to buy one, but I couldn't be a legitimate member of a team until I have the valve replaced.
But maybe I could be an "illegitimate" member! It would work for me!

And yes, the song is "Row, Row, Row, your boat!"
I sang that to all my children when they were babies to get them to sleep. Maybe I'm destined to be a rower and a swimmer. Both involve water
Mary

 

[Raverlaw]

Mary,

Ok, then I guess I fit the definition.

Be careful - the rower is a great full-body workout and is also great cross-training for swimmers, bikers, and cross-country skiers. If you like to exercise and stay fit, you will love this thing! It is much less expensive than a good treadmill, easier to store and more fun to do!

So here's a link (I sent one to Mark via PM but it's time to make it public) Concept II Check out the pages on their online log and the various motivational competitions they sponsor.

And as a potential valver, you are welcome on my team at any time.

 

[Mary]

Bill,
I checked out the site. I was pleasantly surprised at the price and the cost of shipping. I like the fact that it's made in the good ole USA--Vermont is even better!
I'm thinking there's a good chance one will be taking up residence with me within the next month. About 10 years ago, I used a rower with a fair amount of consistency. That was at the gym, so I eventually left the rower and went to a reclining bike. I loved the bike, but it was abandoned since it was so frequently out of order. I learned to love/hate an elliptical treadmill, but I haven't used one of those in the past 18 months.
The beauty of the rower seems to me to be in its size, reliability, and total conditioning capabilities. Both my husband and our boys could use it along with me.
I looked at the accesories and know I want the seat cushion, but what else would you suggest?
Mary

 

[Raverlaw]

Mary,

I got the seat cushion - it helps! and the heart rate monitor, since I already owned Polar chest strap. I like being able to track my heart rate as I exercise, and the Concept records the data for you, as well. If several of you will be using the machine, I also recommend a separate log card for each of you (if you're into keeping track of your meters rowed ). You can have up to five users per log card, but it's easy to log your meters onto the wrong user if you don't have separate cards.

 

[ar bee]

DETAILS, please!!

DETAILS, please!!

raverlaw

i assume you are using a polar (or somethign similar).

* what ownzone or low and high heart rate are you rowing at?
* what did the doc recomend?
* what resistance level are you rowing at? i am using the slightly older version of the concept where you can adjust with a lever from 1-10

keep ROWING!!

well2u
ar bee

 

[Raverlaw]

Arbee,

I have a Polar monitor and cheststrap, which works with the new PM3 monitor on the Concept II model D. I have set 111 bpm as my minimum pulse rate to maintain during exercise, and try to keep my heart rate between 111-150 bpm. I do exceed 150 bpm when I'm sprinting, such as during a 500m piece.

Resistance varies from machine to machine. I set the damper lever at "3" as recommended by the manufacturer. The monitor lets you check the actual resistance or "drag factor" that any setting produces. Right now, a "3" produces a drag factor of about 110 on my machine, which seems to have the right feel for both my wife and I. I may move the drag factor up to about 125 soon to see if it can produce a better workout for my legs.

At any rate, the monitor constantly re-calculates the drag factor and computes your 500m pace, watts, etc. using a constant, so that times can be compared from machine to machine, even from older models to newer models.

Do you keep a log of your meters rowed?

 

[ar bee]

ttks

ttks

no i dont keep log (yet) maybe i'll do it after surgery ;-)))

did the doc tell you to use 110-150 or did u determine that??

well2u

 

[Raverlaw]

Arbee,

You should start logging your meters now - you can do it online at Concept II Online Ranking I'd like to start a "club" of valvers who row, as the log can keep track of cumulative meters and we can "compete" against other clubs or teams.

My pulse range is based on the recommended zone for aerobic exercise per my age. 147-147 is the high end of the aerobic, or "fat-burning" zone; continued exercise above that range gets into the anaerobic zone, which is where athletes train for competition. As I get fitter and drop body weight, I find that I can go longer in the aerobic zone and anaerobic zone both without problem. My maximum heart rate is supposed to be 170 (220 - my age) and I am careful not to exceed that.

 

[ar bee]

not so fast

not so fast

i am currently PRE VR (maybe somewhen in 2005), hence I dont qualify for your club!!

plus: my gym only has the older model of the concept II, so I dont know how to compare/enter! There is no such sophisticated measurement as you lines it out in your previous post

BUT: if you are still rowing post my VR, i'll try my best to join you!!

147-147 must be a typo, right??

well2u
ar bee

 

[Raverlaw]

i am currently PRE VR (maybe somewhen in 2005), hence I dont qualify for your club!!

plus: my gym only has the older model of the concept II, so I dont know how to compare/enter! There is no such sophisticated measurement as you lines it out in your previous post

BUT: if you are still rowing post my VR, i'll try my best to join you!!

147-147 must be a typo, right??

well2u
ar bee

Ar bee -

Right, I meant 145-147 as my top end for aerobic fitness.

Even the older models (B or C) of the Concept II have monitors which allow you to track your meters rowed and the time it took, so you could write down this data and then log it on line when you get home from the gym. And even though you have had your surgery yet, you're still a "valver" in my book.

Mark Wagner and Mary may end with rowers and join us in a valver club!!