Ducks In A Row - Introductions

[[old] Krysta Coleman]

Tigger, you have to buy the RowPro software seperately, although I think these days C2 ships a trial copy with their new machines. You can download a free trial from the Digital Rowing website, but it only gives you 10 tries, which isn't nearly enough. ie: every time you start the program is one try. So I recommend just opening it once and leaving the computer on with the program running for a few days while you try a few online races, the coaching clinic, training plans and some of the other features.

[[old] Canada Goose]

Hi,<br /><br />I'd love to see some more women on RowPro! They seem to be a rare breed. I'd like to do some online races or even just online training rows, but I must admit that I am a bit shy when most of the people using RowPro online seem to be so speedy! <br /><br />Shannon

[[old] Finduck]

Hi, everybody!<br /><br />Can you imagine that I've read through this whole thread! And now I feel I have to introduce myself, too. I just registered myself as a newest duck and I'm making this pond even more international. <br /><br />My name is Salla but I probably have no other choice than being a Finduck once I live in Finland in northern Europe (yes, dig your maps out ). I'm 36 yo,6' tall and assumably a forever HW because of that. I'm a physical therapist and have twinsons 4 ½ years of age. I started my own therapy practise in July and I'll promise to treat any of you Ducks for free if you ever happen to pop into my practise in person <br /><br />When it comes to rowing, I got my model C as a birthday present from my husband in 1999 when we lived in St.Petersbusg, Russia, because there at the centre of the city I hadn't so many good options to work out properly. After 3½ years in Russia (yes, I do speak some Russian) we lived 2 years in Stockholm, Sweden and my C2 stayed along all the way. I've been rowing intermittently and now I found the inspiration anew with the HC - I'm going to reach 200K! I'm also a Pilates instructor and I'm doing Pilates training almost daily and it really benefits my rowing. I really recommend if any of you have problems with your back or joits!<br /><br />From this on I thought to benefit DIAR with my simple rowing and I wish you all the best with the rest of the challenge and a beautiful and happy Yuletide. <br /><br />Salla aka Finduck<br /><br />ps. It's -15 C outside and we have snowy white everywhere. Which means that I keep firmly indoors and make myself warm with my rower...

[[old] Sparks]

<!--QuoteBegin-Krysta Coleman+Dec 20 2005, 11:42 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Krysta Coleman @ Dec 20 2005, 11:42 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Welcome aboard Tigger and Sparks,<br /><br />Tigger - Sounds like a nice set-up in your exercise area.  Now you just need a computer and RowPro for your C2!    (Yes, I admit I am a shameless promoter of RowPro - I just love rowing with other people online)  <br /><br />Hey, Sparks - sounds like we are in the same boat.  Are you a stay-at-home Mom too?  I've really taken to the indoor rowing since a lot of other sports and activities are impossible for me now.  ie: I can't exactly go out in my kayak or play a team sport anymore, now that I am a 24 hr/day caregiver.<br /><br />Hope you have as much fun with it as me.  Good to hear your husband is supportive.<br /><br />- Krysta<br />(Swamp Hen) <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Hi Krysta,<br /><br />Thanks for the welcome! I do work full-time, but it's with my family, so I get to bring my son in with me every day! Which is wonderful, although sometimes extremely tiring. It's hard to get any work done. I agree with you, being a mother is a 24/7 job, it is very difficult to get workouts in b/c there's so much else to do. And I don't know about you, but most of the time, when he's <i>finally</i> fallen asleep for a nap, the last thing I want to do is sprint downstairs to get in a workout before he wakes up! It really is unbelievable how such a sweet, little, adorable thing can be such a little tyrant!! <br /><br />Em

[[old] Canada Goose]

<!--QuoteBegin-Finduck+Dec 22 2005, 02:47 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Finduck @ Dec 22 2005, 02:47 AM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Hi, everybody!<br /><br /> I'm also a Pilates instructor and I'm doing Pilates training almost daily and it really benefits my rowing. I really recommend if any of you have problems with your back or joits!<br /><br /><br />Salla aka Finduck<br /><br />ps. It's -15 C outside and we have snowy white everywhere. Which means that I keep firmly indoors and make myself warm with my rower... <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Hi Salla,<br /><br />Tell me more about Pilates! I did a marathon on December 7th and two days later hurt my back taking off my winter boots . I don't know if it had anything to do with the marathon. I felt fine during the marathon, OK I felt exhausted by the end but that was to be expected! Anyway I have been having problems with my back ever since. <br /><br />Welcome to the Ducks! My favourite hockey team has two players from Finland on it - Sami Salo and Jarkko Ruutu.<br /><br />Shannon aka Canada Goose

[[old] Finduck]

You, Canada Goose, <br /><br />Sorry to hear that you've had difficulties with your back. It sounds as if you had had lack of inner muscle control for your spine and - as you said - it may have or it may have not to do with the mara you rowed.<br /><br />Pilates is an excellent means to train your most important 'posture carrying' muscles and to enhance your body control. Mainly it means training of transverse abdominal muscle (which is one of the most important supporting muscles for your lower back), muscles of your upper back that keeps shoulders in proper posture (and makes a nice strong stroke!!!) and deep flexors of your cervical spine that hold your head up. Other muscles are needed of course but the main emphasis is on these groups. At least at my courses...<br /><br />At least as important as the muscle strenght is the control of muscles and movements and that's also one very essential part of Pilates training. At the beginning I teach every movement slowly in order to gain the best possible control over movements and to gain a very sensitive consiousness on your body. One of the very basic things, too, is to learn how to breath properly, and let me assure you it's incredebly difficult. But it's worth learning and it works when you're rowing!<br /><br />As a trained physical therapist I see a lot of problems due to faulty posture. And during all of my years in practise I've come to a conclusion that all problems of the skeletal system are somehow related to bad posture. So I've become some sort of 'Posture Missionary': I do lectures on it and I talk to anybody who cares to listen (as you've noticed already ). My husband has had enough a long time ago...<br /><br />I'm not such a great hockey fan (unlike most Finns) and I wouldn't mind if my twinsons never started to play. But I'm afraid I won't be asked, my husband has played hockey during his youngster years and it seems to me that the juniors are enthusiasted as well... Just thinking about all those piles of stinking hockey stuff there will be aroud <br /><br />So, I'm not of such a great help from this far but I think you would get some benefit out of deep abdominal muscle training. I hope you can find someone who can teach you some good nice movements, my homepage is still under construction... <br /><br />Salla aka Finduck

[[old] Canada Goose]

Thanks for the information, Salla. I wasn't even that sure what pilates was. Do you think that I could follow along on with a beginner's pilates video or is this something that I would be better to take a course in at our local gym, so the instructor was right there?<br /><br />Shannon

[[old] egibson]

Thanks for the good idea of "rowing rivers". I am going to try that with my 6 year old son. I know that he would get a kick out of it. <br /><br />...<br /> I know of some folks who have "rowed across their state" with their families using the ergs, and you can map out your progress on a real state map. <br />...<br /><br />--Jen in WI <br />[/quote]<br /><br />My son gave me the idea of "rowing rivers". I'm running this list from the shortest to the longest and I'm about halfway down the River Jordan at this point. I just started rowing last month so for now I row downstream to save energy and practicve my technique. Scenery helps too. <br /><br />River <br />Length (km)<br /> <br />Nile <br />6,690<br /> <br />Amazon <br />6,300<br /> <br />Chang (Yangtse) <br />5,526<br /> <br />Huang (Yellow) <br />4,669<br /> <br />Ob-Irtysh <br />5,411<br /> <br />Amur <br />4,416<br /> <br />Lena <br />4,400<br /> <br />Congo <br />4,374<br /> <br />Mekong <br />4,184<br /> <br />Niger <br />4,168<br /> <br />Yenisey <br />4,093<br /> <br />Missouri <br />4,088<br /> <br />Parana <br />3,999<br /> <br />Mississippi <br />3,766<br /> <br />Murray-Darling <br />3,718<br /> <br />Volga <br />3,685<br /> <br />Purus <br />3,380<br /> <br />Madeira <br />3,240<br /> <br />Sao Francisco <br />3,199<br /> <br />Yukon <br />3,187<br /> <br />Rio Grande <br />3,058<br /> <br /> <br />Brahmaputra <br />1,800<br /> <br />Indus <br />1,800<br /> <br />Danube <br />1,776<br /> <br />Japura <br />1,750<br /> <br />Euphrates <br />1,700<br /> <br />Zambezi <br />1,700<br /> <br />Tocantins <br />1,677<br /> <br />Orinoco <br />1,600<br /> <br />Paraguay <br />1,584<br /> <br />Amu <br />1,578<br /> <br />Ural <br />1,575<br /> <br />Ganges <br />1,560<br /> <br />Salween <br />1,500<br /> <br />Arkansas <br />1,460<br /> <br />Colorado, AZ <br />1,450<br /> <br />Dnieper <br />1,420<br /> <br />Negro <br />1,400<br /> <br />Syr <br />1,370<br /> <br />Irrawaddy <br />1,337<br /> <br />Orange <br />1,300<br /> <br />Red <br />1,290<br /> <br />Brazos <br />1,280<br /> <br />Columbia <br />1,240<br /> <br />Don <br />1,224<br /> <br />Peace <br />1,210<br /> <br />Xi <br />1,200<br /> <br />Tigris <br />1,180<br /> <br />Angara <br />1,151<br /> <br />Songhua <br />1,150<br /> <br />Snake <br />1,040<br /> <br />Mackenzie <br />1,025<br /> <br />Churchill, Man. <br />1,000<br /> <br />Pilcomayo <br />1,000<br /> <br />Uruguay <br />1,000<br /> <br />Platte <br />990<br /> <br />Ohio <br />981<br /> <br />Magdalena <br />956<br /> <br />Pecos <br />926<br /> <br />Canadian <br />906<br /> <br />Dniester <br />877<br /> <br />Fraser <br />850<br /> <br />Dvina, North <br />824<br /> <br />Rhine <br />820<br /> <br />Ottawa <br />790<br /> <br />Elbe <br />724<br /> <br />Gambia <br />700<br /> <br />Wisla <br />675<br /> <br />Tennessee <br />652<br /> <br />Dvina, West <br />634<br /> <br />Loire <br />634<br /> <br />Tajo, Tagus <br />626<br /> <br />Albany <br />610<br /> <br />Back, N.W.T. <br />605<br /> <br />Tisza <br />600<br /> <br />Meuse <br />580<br /> <br />Oder <br />567<br /> <br />Ebro <br />565<br /> <br />Red River of N. <br />545<br /> <br />Churchill, Que. <br />532<br /> <br />Rhone <br />505<br /> <br />Seine <br />496<br /> <br />Kootenay <br />485<br /> <br />Bug, Western <br />481<br /> <br />Weser <br />454<br /> <br />Drava <br />447<br /> <br />Saguenay <br />434<br /> <br />St. John <br />418<br /> <br />Nelson <br />410<br /> <br />Po <br />405<br /> <br />Rio Roosevelt <br />400<br /> <br />Garonne <br />357<br /> <br />Marne <br />326<br /> <br />Tiber <br />252<br /> <br />Thames <br />236<br /> <br />Shannon <br />230<br /> <br />Jordan <br />200<br /> <br />Rio de la Plata <br />150 <br />[/quote]<br />

[[old] egibson]

Hi Jen!<br /><br />Thanks for the welcome! I am very excited to be part of the forum. I have already gotten some great ideas on how to keep myself motivated! I am definitely one of those who does really well for a while, and then I get side tracked and it takes me a week to get back into it again. So... I obviously can use any motivation tip out there. I did not take part in the holiday challenge, but I am getting very close to reaching 100,000 meters. My husband finished the challenge on Monday. He was super excited!!<br /><br />Right now I have been using the tv to make the time go by a bit faster and to keep me from staring at the time/meter clock the whole time. I get to catch up on some good shows while rowing (thanks to TIVO.) I am going to try rowing the rivers with my kids help. I will let them pick out a river or two and then go from there. I think that that would be fun for everyone!! Thanks again for the welcome and the good tips. I hope to hear from you again and have a great holiday season!!<br /><br />Erin<br /><br />I think that I am going to go down and row now while the kids are gettig a bath!!!<br /><br /><br /><br />Hi there, Erin!<br /><br />Welcome! This is a great forum for keeping the motivation up for rowing! Seems like there's been some good discussion about setting some reasonable goals, then finding a good way to reward yourself when hit the goals. <br /><br />I think an important thing is to not get burned out--so I like to include some variety in my exercise plan. And it seems to help to have something else to do while you're rowing, like watching TV, a DVD, listening to a radio or some kind of music. And some days, I just don't have the oomph (or time) to do a long row, so a short one's all right, too! On days when I know I need to do a workout, but just don't feel like it (and I am a GREAT procrastinator), I promise myself to row at least ten minutes. Usually once I get going just to do that little bit, I usually end up doing more just because I'm finally up and moving.<br /><br />And there are other days where I can kick butt with speed, and still other days I feel like I could row all day but the speed just isn't there.... I guess variety even in your rowing workouts would even help, and the C2 website has all kinds of info on workouts to try--like using intervals, long rowing (gearing up for a half or a full marathon) and shorter workouts, etc.<br /><br />I think rowing in the morning or at least earlier in the day is better than evening, because at least for me, then I don't have as many excuses not to row, and I can't "run out of time" that way. But I do some evening rows, too. It's just that more often than not, I end up not rowing if I plan to row in an evening.<br /><br />Maybe if you involve your children, that will help? I know of some folks who have "rowed across their state" with their families using the ergs, and you can map out your progress on a real state map. Could be fun, a good learning experience, and gets everyone to exercise. Some folks do rotations--row for a while, lift weights, jump rope, then erg again....<br /><br />Now, I don't have kids, so I have an advantage from that standpoint. Probably some other folks with kids will get on her with ideas. Hope this helps.<br /><br />Are you doing the Holiday Challenge?<br /><br />--Jen in WI <br />[/quote]<br />

[[old] Leif]

<!--QuoteBegin-egibson+Dec 23 2005, 04:49 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(egibson @ Dec 23 2005, 04:49 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Thanks for the good idea of "rowing rivers".  I am going to try that with my 6 year old son.  I know that he would get a kick out of it.  <br /><br /><br />My son gave me the idea of "rowing rivers".  I'm running this list from the shortest to the longest and I'm about halfway down the River Jordan at this point. I just started rowing last month so for now I row downstream to save energy and practicve my technique.    Scenery helps too. <br /><br />River  <br />Length (km)<br />  <br />Elbe  <br />724<br />  <br /> <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Good morning Ladies,<br /><br /><smart ass mode><br /><br />I'm pretty sure, that the "Elbe" is >1000km<br /><br />Maybe 724miles --> 1162km<br /><br /></smart ass mode> <br /><br />Med rolig hilsen<br />Leif

[[old] Finduck]

Hi, Shannon,<br /><br />I started my Pilates training with a book and because I had quite a good knowledge of motor control and learning and teaching movements I managed to do it. I had no choice because at the time we lived in St.Petersburg Russia and I couldn't find there any studio where I could have taken classes. But as soon as we moved to Stockholm I started training at the best studio of Sweden and I realized that it's always better to start training with a good instructor. And I still think that at least at the beginning it's best to have a good instrucktor around... <br /><br />I hope you'll get your back in good condition again and wish you an enjoyable Holidays and a lots of presents from that red old lad who comes all the way to you from here <br /><br />Salla aka Finduck

[[old] Canada Goose]

Thanks, Finduck! My back is feeling pretty good today. I finished the Holiday Challenge (200K) yesterday and am taking today and tomorrow off from rowing. I'm going to have to check around and see about Pilates. My husband thinks they offer it at one of the local gyms. Thanks for the information!<br /><br />Shannon

[[old] newmoon-rising]

Hi! My name is Beth and I just became a Duck! <br /><br />I'm 47, single, and I've put on WAY too much weight in the past two years (changed of jobs, lots more hours, long commute... but love the work and the company). Now trying to seek some balance and take a little time out each day to care for me. A little motivation along the way may be just the thing to keep me focused and moving forward! Hooray, Ducks!<br /><br />In the past, I also enjoyed biking, both road and mountain, and I LOVE to snowboard. One of the benefits I'm hoping to gain from the rowing is to get my body back in shape so I can enjoy these sports again (without having to get a new wardrobe or equipment due to my 'enhanced' proportions).

[[old] woolsmith]

<!--QuoteBegin-newmoon-rising+Dec 28 2005, 03:28 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(newmoon-rising @ Dec 28 2005, 03:28 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Hi!  My name is Beth and I just became a Duck! <br /><br />I'm 47, single, and I've put on WAY too much weight in the past two years (changed of jobs, lots more hours, long commute... but love the work and the company).  Now trying to seek some balance and take a little time out each day to care for me.  A little motivation along the way may be just the thing to keep me focused and moving forward!  Hooray, Ducks!<br /><br />In the past, I also enjoyed biking, both road and mountain, and I LOVE to snowboard.  One of the benefits I'm hoping to gain from the rowing is to get my body back in shape so I can enjoy these sports again (without having to get a new wardrobe or equipment due to my 'enhanced' proportions). <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Hey Beth!<br /><br />Welcome to DIAR! Lots of great motivation with the Ducks. Check out the January weight loss challenge threads if you haven't already. A group of folks, Ducks and adopted Ducks, are trying to lose 4-8 pounds in a month by doing a 500 calorie deficit per day--achieved by either exercising or decreasing calorie intake. Posting a public committment seems to help with the accountability factor. <br /><br />C2 also has a January Virtual Team Challenge, and Emilia (efg) is the team captain. The goal is to row as many meters as you can/want for the team. The JVTC kinda played right into the weight loss challenge, hopefully to add some add'l incentive. Feel free to jump on the team of "Fowl Play" for that if you want, too!<br /><br />I've lost 40 pounds, but I've got 50 more to go (sigh). I've been stuck at 40 for the last 3 to 4 months now, so I'm hoping this will all kick start my weight loss for me again! <br /><br />--Jen in WI

[[old] Kelebek]

Hi Jen<br /><br />How did you lose so much? I rowed a million metres and lost three kilos. Okay I have a condition which makes it really difficult to lose weight and then they put me on medication, which meant I went up. I've discovered I was rowing anaerobically the whole way which could have something to do with not losing much weight. I stopped putting anything bad in my mouth ages ago, so it aint that. Beyond that I give up. Any ideas?<br /><br />Cheers<br /><br />Marian