TimbukTOO Team Room

[Quatroux]

The trick is to hitch your wagon to a good woman...

The best advice a father can give his son is to tell him to marry up. A first date should include a math test followed by a light audit of her balance sheet.

[Quatroux]

those 5-gallon yellow Tidy Cat buckets.

I'd still eat it.

Let me tell you how awesome those buckets are. They really hold up! You can put the biggest cat in the neighborhood in there, close the lid, and after 5 minutes it won't make a sound. Not a peep!

[giftogab]

I just want to put a plug in for the outstanding customer service of Concept 2.

I was rowing yesterday, and just as I had finished my rowing session my rower literally broke in half (right where the rower folds up). There was an acknowledged design flaw, and this is covered by the warranty. So sometime next week I'll get a new front end for my Model D. In the mean time I have it cobbled together and propped up on some old textbooks and it seems to work fine for the time being.

So, if you have a Model D purchased between August 2006 and May 2007, please read here:

http://www.concept2.com/service/indoor- ... uct-notice

And be sure to install your Reinforcement Kit if you haven't already.

Having just bought a new C2, this is a bit scary...hope that design flaw is fixed! glad you got fast and appropriate help!

[Quatroux]

My drag factor was 90. Not sure yet about how to deal with that.

Knowing your drag factor (DF) is what is important. What your DF actually is should be much less important.
Drag factor is really personal preference. A higher DF (ex: 200) is not better or harder than a lower DF. This is a basic fact that is lost on folks at the gym that warm up on the rower before they lift weights. They don't stop to learn anything about the rower itself. They assume.

A higher DF does seem to favor folks with a stronger upper body and is often used when doing very short (ex: 500m) races. The standard race distance of 2,000 meters usually doesn't feature many people that crank up the DF that high. The average is closer to 125.

Your upper body really shouldn't be doing more than 30% of the work. You want fast and strong legs. You want a smooth stroke. I think the best way to develop that is to keep the DF low and row without strapping your feet down. You will reach a point where you can't go any faster like this. That is when you can start to strap your feet in and start to increase the DF. That comes with time.

[CONLEJM]

Having just bought a new C2, this is a bit scary...hope that design flaw is fixed! glad you got fast and appropriate help!

After reading all the documentation on the website at the link I provided, I believe the flaw was limited to those rowers built between August 2006 and May 2007. And they have provided a reinforcement kit to everyone on record having purchased one built in that time period. However, as it was so aptly pointed out to me ... The reinforcement kit does no good sitting on a shelf! It needs to be installed! Mea Culpa

And Kyle, no duct tape or sheet rock screws, though I am supporting the seat track with a couple of medical dictionaries and actuarial mathematics textbooks!

[damselfly]

All hands on deck, frantically handing over cash for last minute purchases of flowers and heart-shaped boxes of chocolate!! An appropriate 14 of 66 members (21%) logged 135,631 total meters Thursday!

Milestones achieved:
None today!

Approaching milestones:
Kyle is on track for 4M (-47,724m), Andy is a quick sprint from 2.4M (-3,375m), Adam is dogging 2.2M (-47,020m), Jonathan is focusing on 1.8M (-39,914m), Gary is nearing 1.5M (-43,683m), Dale is sighting 800K (-26,824m), Michael is nearing 200K (-2,191m), and Karen is in the hunt for 25K (-8,495m). Row your hearts out!!

Posted Meters:
Kyle J - 25,514 Sweet!
Jim C - 16,000 Duct tape!
Yisroel H - 15,552 Waggin' his wagon! **
Mike M - 14,000 PR on distance!!
Michael M - 13,015 No bad luck here!
Andy I - 11,036 Unstoppable!
Jonathan R - 10,000 In the groove!
John S - 8,763 Streaking!
Adam M - 8,000 Solid!
Dale C - 6,134 Great!
Kevin K - 4,196 Steady!
Karen W - 1,389 Bit by the bug!
Gary G - 1,032 Welcome back!!
Vince M - 1,000 Rested!



** No, I really don't know what this means either.

[giftogab]

My drag factor was 90. Not sure yet about how to deal with that.

Knowing your drag factor (DF) is what is important. What your DF actually is should be much less important.
Drag factor is really personal preference. A higher DF (ex: 200) is not better or harder than a lower DF. This is a basic fact that is lost on folks at the gym that warm up on the rower before they lift weights. They don't stop to learn anything about the rower itself. They assume.

A higher DF does seem to favor folks with a stronger upper body and is often used when doing very short (ex: 500m) races. The standard race distance of 2,000 meters usually doesn't feature many people that crank up the DF that high. The average is closer to 125.

Your upper body really shouldn't be doing more than 30% of the work. You want fast and strong legs. You want a smooth stroke. I think the best way to develop that is to keep the DF low and row without strapping your feet down. You will reach a point where you can't go any faster like this. That is when you can start to strap your feet in and start to increase the DF. That comes with time.

Thanks so very much! I strap the feet in hard so will stop doing that and get better legs. I ahve always been strong low and upper body weaker. I think it is part of why I like rowing so much. But as I age my shoulders are shriveling so getting a bit of good bulk in them would not hurt my feelings as I reduce my weight over all. I am going to try your tips!

[giftogab]

I took the advice above and left my foot straps loose. Felt more core involvement so was quite happy about that. I went over 2500 m for the first Tim and am bumping 20k now!!! Son weird hoe just a few weeks ago I was struggling with 100 meter pieces. Yes, 100. I really like this!!

[garygOP]

I think I am on the mend- will be going slow- to build back the muscle I lost and also to hopefully allow the nerve to heal. Literally uncharted territory regarding body-repair is intimidating. I am going in, based on medical advice and on listening to my body. Rowing is a great bilateral thigh exercise- and if you continue to see my distances entered and if they grow in length, then we will know that I am in fact on the mend.

[Quatroux]

I am supporting the seat track with a couple of medical dictionaries and actuarial mathematics textbooks!

I knew you'd get around to using those books one day.

[Quatroux]

I took the advice above and left my foot straps loose. Felt more core involvement so was quite happy about that. I went over 2500 m for the first Tim and am bumping 20k now!!! Son weird hoe just a few weeks ago I was struggling with 100 meter pieces. Yes, 100. I really like this!!

Very cool. So many people have posted really impressive accomplishments this month. I guess we're all reaping the rewards of hard work during the team challenge, new year resolutions, and probably just getting motivated by each other.

[damselfly]

I think I am on the mend- will be going slow- to build back the muscle I lost and also to hopefully allow the nerve to heal. Literally uncharted territory regarding body-repair is intimidating. I am going in, based on medical advice and on listening to my body. Rowing is a great bilateral thigh exercise- and if you continue to see my distances entered and if they grow in length, then we will know that I am in fact on the mend.

Sounds eminently sensible! Good luck!!

[damselfly]

All hands on deck! A tried and true 12 of 66 members (18%) logged 120,742 total meters Friday!

Milestones achieved:
Andy hit 2.4M, Michael hit 200K!! Congrats!!

Approaching milestones:
Kyle is nearing 4M (-33,408m), Adam is nigh on 2.2M (-39,020m), Yisroel is considering 2M (-49,651m), Jonathan 3 tens from 1.8M (-29,914m), Dale is closing on 800K (-20,697m), Jeff is on the brink of 600K (-710m), Amanda is hot on the heels of 350K (-13,958m), and Karen is fast nearing 25K (-5,907m). Keep calm and row strong!

Posted Meters:
Michael M - 16,579 Big!!
Jim C - 16,000 Holding together!
Kyle J - 14,316 Solid!
Yisroel H - 14,201 Quickie!
Jeff T - 13,120 Sweet!
Andy I - 10,356 Still streakin'!
Jonathan R - 10,000 Five-fer -- tying his longest streak!
Adam M - 8,000 Keeps on keepin' on!
Amanda G - 6,435 Great!
Dale C - 6,127 Unstoppable!
Kevin K - 3,020 Nice!
Karen W - 2,588 A new distance PR!

[damselfly]

All hands on deck! A scant but scrupulous 8 of 66 members (12%) logged 94,868 total meters Saturday!

Milestones achieved:
Dale hit 800K!! Woot!

Approaching milestones:
Kyle is stalking 4M (-16,898m), Adam is bearing down on 2.2M (-29,020m), and Gary is sighting 1.5M (-41,664m). Row strong!

This week's frequent rowers (Sat 2/9 through Fri 2/15):
Andy I - 7
Adam M, Dale C & John S - 6
Jim C, Jonathan R, Kevin K & Kyle J - 5
Cindy R, Michael M & Yisroel H - 4

Posted Meters:
Dale C - 24,172 Biggie-sized!
Kyle J - 16,510 Serious mojo!
Andy I - 15,608 Longest in a while!
John S - 11,559 Smokin'!
Mike M - 10,000 Man on the move!
Adam M - 10,000 Unflappable!
Matthew R - 5,000 Sweet!
Gary G - 2,019 Easing back in!

[Quatroux]

I went to the YMCA today to take a swim test and left with $230 of private swim lessons. I thought I was in good shape, but I had to quit on my second lap. I'm really disappointed, but glad that I still have time to get over this hurdle before I get out on the water in March.

"Emotional Resiliency - Being able to handle setbacks and recovering quickly from them." http://www.thesportinmind.com/weekly-ar ... toughness/

This was a big one.