Ducks In A Row - Introductions

[[old] Bufflehead]

Hi Ducks!<br /><br />I guess it isn't hard to figure out that I am the Bufflehead. As soon as I get a little more time, I will do a proper introduction by editing this post. Feel free to give a little history of yourself here - as much as you feel comfortable with. I know some of you have already shared a little information with us, but I think this will be a good place to look for each members' post in order to get to know them better.<br />Be back later!<br />Sue<br /><br />O.K. - here goes. <br />I'm 55 years old, 5 feet tall, and a lightweight. I have only been a LWT since Sept. of 04. I have a friend with a master's degree in exercise physiology - of course I didn't realize that because she is working in an unrelated field at the moment. She offered to work with me for free! Since I'm not a total idiot, I took her up on the offer. Here we are 60 pounds lighter and in the best physical condition of my life! <br />I first sat down on a C2 in Jan. 04. I could barely do ten minutes. When I was surfing one day, I found the C2 website and started logging meters. Once I saw all the categories in the rankings section, I was hooked! I just had to have my own C2. My new toy came the day after Thanksgiving. Shortly thereafter, I did my first half marathon. I am determined to do a marathon just once. Because - I CAN! <br />I love the outdoors and enjoy birding, camping, hiking, etc. When I'm not playing or working out, I run the DNA extraction lab for the C.W. Bill Young/DoD Marrow Donor Program. <br />Now, let's hear from you!

[[old] snappyrower]

Ok, hello from snappyrower. I'm 27, single, and am returning to the erg after several years off it! I rowed in college for a few years (lightweight, bow, starboard, mostly 8's occasionally 4's.) and also coxed for a year and a half. Am no longer a lightweight by any means, but am hoping to return to it eventually with some hard work. Saved up and bought a rower this year, and am loving it. Glad to have joined the Ducks for motivation! <br /><br /><br />(I may come back and edit later, couldn't think of much to say this time around!)

[[old] pamcnm]

I am 47 years old, 5'5", and row in the lightweight division. I started rowing for cross training for kayaking, and general fitness in Dec. '03 I rowed sporadically throughout the remainder of the 2004 season, participating in some of the challenges, and I even took a couple of on the water rowing lessons and joined our local rowing club.<br /><br />I live in Santa Cruz, Ca. and I found that I didn't like rowing backwards out of the local harbor, into the ocean, and forgetting everything I learned about dressing for immersion, with a PFD strapped to my boat! I decided I would continue to paddle in the ocean, but committed myself to erging more seriously at the gym, until I lived near a lake:) I also participate in an online woman's fitness challenge group that has helped me focus on my heallth and fitness goals. In addition to rowing on the erg, I do strength training, and enjoy many outdoor activities including sea kayaking, hiking, and camping. <br /><br />This fall I bought a used model C, so that I can row at home, as well as the gym. I have been rowing around Lake Champlain and will finish in about 40,000 more meters. I also completed the 200,000 meter holiday challenge this year, but did find I injured my right hip, and needed to take a few weeks off from rowing. I am just getting back into it, and have hired an onli8ne master's rowing coach for three months to help me train smarter. I am hoping to improve my 2K time. My best time to date was rowed in Nov. '04, and was 8:26.4 I am close to having rowed my first million meters-about 16,000 to go!<br /><br />Professionally I work part-time as a nurse-midwife in a busy hospital based practice. I love my work, and feel blessed to work with such collaborative colleagues. I have a personal website: santacruzmidwife.com <br /><br />I am very excited about being a member of ducks in a row. Yesterday I did a 10K workout instead of the 5K I had planned, to help the ducks along:)<br /><br />I look forward to meeting more of my fellow ducks! (BTW, my kayaks are named after birds: I paddle an avocet by VCP, and and a shearwater)

[[old] arowma]

Greetings Ducks,<br />Asking for a rower from Santa was jokingly added to a workout sheet that our 12 yo daughter's rowing coach sent home for the holidays. Being as we've dithered for at least 6 months about buying a new TV, since our last $15 second-hand-store TV blew up, I was pleasantly shocked when my husband suggested we look at rowers; even more shocked when in January we ordered a new one. It's *not* for our daughter though, as she coxes & ergs at school. And this week we even ordered a TV, to help while away the rowing hours.<br />XC skiing is our main love, but it's a no snow year on the west coast , so the rower is being well used. I have a dream of organizing a weekend learn-to-row-on-water camp, for parents, at our daughter's school. Maybe next year, if I keep this up. <br />Am a 5' 4.5", 45 yo heavyweight, but realistically close to lightweight, so am using that arbitrary number as one of my goals. My office mate, an Olympic medalist flatwater kayaker, refers to rowers as "the most expensive piece of un-used home athletic equipment out there". Another goal is to prove him wrong ! I work, as little as my colleagues & patients will allow, as a small town family physician. We have a small organic farm, in a beautiful agricultural valley, completely surrounded by mountains. Our rivers are too swift for rowing, and the lakes are considerable driving distances, so I'll be a dryland duck for now.<br />Marisa<br />P.S. My husband won't let me get real ducks for our newly dug irrigation pond. I'd rather ducks to a TV. At least we got the c2.

[[old] pgpoon]

Hello DIAR: Great idea Bufflehead. I am a 47 y.o. LW, 5'6", 130, just started erging T'giving 2004. We got our C2 two years ago for my husband who rowed LW 8s in college, 40 years ago. I tried it right away but hurt my lower back using bad technique and got scared off of it. I started again gingerly and am really enjoying it. These last few days have been even better because of the team!! When not erging, I also jog, downhilll ski, fly fish, backpack and hike for fitness. I feel like an active person, but in our small mountain town, I am surrounded by 'boomers who are avid rock/ice climbers, competitive skate skiiers, kayakers, etc. Erging is my less glamorous way of getting fitter. So far, I really enjoy doing about 5,000 m. per session but am not fast. I hate having to stop before 30 mins. are up.<br /><br />For work, I litigate and mediate, mostly family law cases in a solo law practice. I also teach our local kids peer mediation. I have two teen girls, 14 y.o. (soccer kid) and 19 y.o. (ultimate frisbee in college) and I am always on the go. I de-stress by listening to NPR or comedy tapes while erging.<br /><br />Pintail

[[old] arowma]

14 members! <br />Perhaps some of you have introduced yourselves in the original thread. But having no brain for rememebring names, I really appreciated Bufflehead's idea to have as many of us under this topic as possible. Don't have to say a lot if you're not comfortable. Don't have to choose a duck name, nor post a silly mugshot like mine. But it'd be great to hear from the rest of you

[[old] Cassiopeia]

Hi!<br /><br />I'm Cassie, and a novice rower with one fall season done. I was looking forward to participating in the winter training, but unforunately broke my leg a week before.<br /><br />I'm 15 (close enough) yo, 5'7", and 128 lbs when normally active. Right now I'm about 121 due to muscle loss in the past 5 weeks from my leg. Unless I gain a tremendous amount of muscle weight, I should stay a lightweight for a while.<br /><br />I stroke (port) in the novice girl's eight, plan on sculling (single and double) this spring, and hopefully being able to stroke a four.<br /><br />I just (three days ago!!) got a a model D for my birthday, and assembled it in my basement yesterday, despite not being able to truly break it in for another month.<br /><br />Aside from rowing, I'm an alpine skier, and I play tennis and run occasionally. I've never been a very athletic person (before fall season 2004), but I've found that I feel so much better when I get out and do stuff.<br /><br />I'm afraid I won't be able to contribute much to DIAR right now, but I'm looking forward to getting back on an erg!

[[old] susan]

Hi everyone, my name is Susan and I am 39 years old, very soon to be 40.<br /><br />Gosh, where to begin? I used to be a runner and would berate myself for lounging around and not exercising. After doing a half-marathon in Vancouver, B.C. in 2000 I started having problems with my hips. The pain gave me no choice other than to stop running, so I stopped running and eventually exercising altogether.<br /><br />It's amazing how quickly I gained weight, and how I didn't really notice. Now, 40lbs later, I am returning to the land of the exerciser. Through the naturopathic university where I work, my hip problems are almost a thing of the past, and what better way to exercise than on the C2 ... no impact on my poor hippies. <br /><br />I started erging on January 28th, and boy am I motivated! I know that my times wont always improve so dramatically---my first 10k was on Feb. 2nd:<br /><br />2/2 61:05.1 29spm 3:03.3/500 56.9<br /><br />I finished my third 10k about twenty minutes ago ... <br /><br />2/12 53:18.7 28spm 2:39.9 85.6<br /><br />I am just so thrilled to have discovered the C2, and to be a member of DIAR. <br /><br />I'm a British expat. living just north of Seattle in the Pacific Northwest. I love life, gardening, an incredibly broad range of music, history, literature, and now, my C2.<br /><br /><span style='color:blue'><i>A duck walks into a pharmacy, and asks for Chapstick. The cashier says, "Cash or check?" and the duck says, "Just put it on my bill." </i></span>

[[old] judyg]

(this will be somewhat of a repeat from the other thread...)<br />I'm 55, and have 3 teenagers, 18, 16, and almost 14 (in two days). I've been rowing since I learned as a freshman in college. I row on the water in the summer pretty much every day, mostly in a single, and I do a couple on-water races per year. I rowed on the U.S. Team for about 9 years back in my 20's. My indoor rowing depends on the season, the weather, and whether there's a C2 challenge going on. I row the most during Challenges and bad weather! But now that I am a duck, I have incentive to be more consistent! Thanks!<br />I did the holiday challenge 2k, but then went sledding with my son and crunched my tailbone. Ouch! That made it hard to row during the month of January. But now I'm back. I also do a lot of nordic skiing in the winter since my kids are totally into it, and I coach the local Middle School team in the afternoons - so that cuts into my rowing time a bit. We just got a foot of snow - the first good snowstorm of the winter for us. Mud season will come in later March and that will increase my rowing time!<br />all for now. I promise to get some more meters in on Monday!<br />

[[old] la_flaca]

Hi! i´m Gaby, most known by "La Flaca" (that means "The skinny" ). I´m 20 years old, I´m a sculler from Argentina!, i´ve been rowing since I´m 14 and I represented my country in several international regattas (World Junior Championship ´01 and ´02, and 5 South American Championships). <br /><br />Rowing is not only a sport for me, It´s my life!, every thing I do in the personal subject has something to do with it. This is all passion!!. I´m a very competitive persone, and I guess rowing is ideal for me! It´s all about breaking personal times and chatching goals!, also there´s no better sensation like the loneliness of the river in the summer mornings.<br /><br />Erging is just a complement for my trainnig, but I love it! it takes the best part of myself!. <br /><br />I hope my english is understandable for you! cheers for all and GO DUCKS!!

[[old] Lyse01]

Hi everyone!<br />I'm Liz (Elizabeth under team rankings, because that's formal and this isn't...or something. The difference confuses most of my teachers.) I'm 21, and I go to Cornell University. <br />Unlike most of you, it seems, I learned to row on the water first and discovered the erg much later. I summer on an island near Connecticut and row most days for practical purposes - out to the boats, across the harbor to my aunt's, to entertain my cousins, to get to the yacht club for sailing, to get to work, etc. I can't really remember ever not rowing. My family's also pretty competitive, so we have rowing (and swimming and kayaking and sailing) races, typically out to a bouy and back or around a certain land(water?)mark. My grandfather and uncle have both rowed around the island and if I do so this summer, as I plan to, I get the all-time women's record. (Yes, we write these things down for posterity. )<br />When I got to college, I joined the crew team, but I'm really more of an endurance person than a speed person and the team's practices ended up conflicting a lot with my Navy obligations (I'm in NROTC, and I'll be commissioned an officer in the Navy in May), so I quit the team. I love erging though - it's the one exercise I could do forever - hence, this.<br />Outside rowing, I'm obsessed with Cornell hockey (we're 5th in the nation, currently!) and intramurals. I work refereeing/lifeguarding for inner tube water polo - it's about as funny as you can imagine it to be - and play almost everything else (soccer, flag football, volleyball, dodgeball, kickball, softball, ice hockey, horseshoes, golf, etc). I love Cornell, but am really looking forward to finally being a naval officer and going to flight school in the fall.<br />(and this is long...so I'll end here. hope this helps you all get to know another duck!)<br /><br />-Liz

[LindaM]

Hi Ducks! I'm Linda, aka Harly (for Harlequin duck). I'm almost 50 (in May) and doing a lot of heavy lifting (of the cerebral variety) recently, contemplating the meaning of walking this earth for half a century. I don't feel nearly as wise as I think I ought to be by now. But I have learned a few things here and there - like how much better it is to exercise regularly than not to. I've been indoor rowing since 1986 (12million meters in mid 1/10/05). I bought a model B back then, and have graduated to a C with the PM3 and D handle upgrades. (I recommend both upgrades to any other model C users out there!). <br /><br />I also recently learned how to eat and took off 27 unwanted pounds without starving myself - lowered my cholesterol by 72 points too, and avoided the statin drugs my doctor was threatening me with. <br /><br />I am 5' 1", 113 pounds, and love to row the longer pieces. Most of my workouts are 50 - 80 minutes long, at just slightly harder a pace than conversational (for me ~2:32/500). I can answer a question or two, but can't converse through the whole workout. Every once in awhile I do a shorter workout to push myself - those are likely to be 2 20minute pieces separated by a 10 minute rest. The first I do at about 2:30 pace, the second closer to 2:22-2:25/500. <br /><br />I live in north central Vermont with my partner of 25 years, two dogs, and three birds (not ducks). We have big views of the Worcester and Green Mountain Ranges, trails from the backdoor for cross country skiing, and great bicycle routes everywhere. I love most outdoor activities, am involved in political and social change organizations, and spend as much time as possible with friends and family (three grandkids now too). <br /><br />So happy to meet you all - Keep rowing DUCKS!! -Harly<br /><br />

[[old] pamcnm]

Outside rowing, I'm obsessed with Cornell hockey (we're 5th in the nation, currently!) and intramurals. I work refereeing/lifeguarding for inner tube water polo - it's about as funny as you can imagine it to be - and play almost everything else (soccer, flag football, volleyball, dodgeball, kickball, softball, ice hockey, horseshoes, golf, etc). I love Cornell, but am really looking forward to finally being a naval officer and going to flight school in the fall.<br />(and this is long...so I'll end here. hope this helps you all get to know another duck!)<br /><br />-Liz <br />[/quote]<br /><br />Liz, my son plays water polo and wants to know how you manage to shoot from inside an inner tube:)<br />

[[old] KathiS]

Hi, <br /><br />I'm Kathi. I'm 44 years old, 5'4", and a HW. I recently discovered the C2 at the gym. It was the only machine not being used, and after a bit of encouragement from my husband I decided to give it a try and was amazed at how hard it was and how much I liked it! I liked it so much, we bought our own C2, which arrived on February 6th. <br /><br />Just three years ago, I had never exercised at all, weighed 270 pounds and lived to eat. I had sedentary work-at-home job, and other than raising my two daughters, I really didn’t have a much of a life at all. <br /> <br />I don’t want to bore you with all the details, but with the encouragement of a very good friend, I started exercising (walking at first) and watching what I ate. I didn’t go on any diets, I just stopped eating the junk food. In about a year I lost about 100 pounds. <br /><br />Two years ago, my two teenage daughters and I moved to Boulder, Colorado, to live with the man who encouraged me to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Last June we were married here in Boulder. I have managed to keep the weight off and work out on a regular basis. <br /><br />Now that we have our own rower, I work out almost every day. I am a real newbie, but am thrilled to be a part of the team! Any rowing tips would be greatly appreciated! <br />

[[old] little weed]

kathi, <br />that's a remarkable story. you sound incredibly happy with your new life. congratulations. i am in awe.<br />jane