TimbukTOO Team Room

[Quatroux]

Glad to have the meter postings back. Thanks for all the hard work. It is appreciated.

[Bobbie_Zee]

Good week! Lot's of rowing! Dropped 2 more pounds since last official weigh-in. Started reading D P Ordway book, I like it. I do my rowing at the gym and tend to listen to music, but lately sometimes I just want solitary peace and quiet to be able to focus on my rowing & my breathing more deeply, and just be in the moment and let go of external stresses and pressures. I am looking forward to tomorrow's row already. Now I get why folks want their own rower at home.

Awesome!!

Getting your own rower is great if you can swing it. They sometimes have great deals on C2 machines after big regattas or crossfit competitions.

Hey John B--I got the Ordway book, too, and erging is something I plan to stick with for the rest of my life. I started on the C2s back in the 1990s at various gyms I belonged too (meters never recorded, lost to history, sob). Around 2003, I started looked for a used rower on eBay, and wound up buying a new one, it was $750. I dabbled for years (also meters never recorded). Although we're on our second electronic unit, it's basically indestructible. I work full-time, and have a 3-hr daily commute, so I generally jump on the rower at work gym (lucky me) for 6000-7500. Sometimes row for a half hour when I get home. Longer sessions on the weekend. Home is better--I have fans set up, I listen to my audiobooks or music, or I just breathe. It can be very calming when I row slow and steady. I've lost about 20 lb since last spring, but I FEEL better, have much more energy. I sleep better. Sometimes I hate getting on the rower, but I remind myself how good it makes me feel. So I keep climbing on. My doctor is amazed, she thinks I'm a whole new person. Actually, I just feel like a younger version of myself. Keep on rowing!

[damselfly]

All hands on deck! An elite and elated 18 of 74 members (24%) logged 192,395 total meters Saturday!

Milestones achieved:
Andy I rowed by 900K, and Bobbie Z crushed 800K!!

Approaching milestones:
David W is moving steadily towards 3.9M (-48,500m), Greg H is zooming towards 1.4M (-24,745m), Ray S is on the brink of 900K with Kyle in tow (-515m and -29,000m), Jim G is catching up to 800K (-12,075m), Heather R is chipping away at 600K (-40,500m), Marco S is undertaking 400K (-12,347m), and Kristin C is targeting 200K (-4,398m)

This week's frequent rowers (Sat 11/9 through Fri 11/15):
Andy I, Bobbie Z, J. K & Jerry H - 6
Adam M, Jim G, John B & Ulla D - 5
David W, Gary G, Jim C, John S & Susan K - 4

Posted Meters:
David W - 26,010 "Saturday"!
Jim G - 18,269 Holy cow, what was THIS workout?!?! Wow!
Andy I - 17,611 Monster week continues with a biggie!
Kyle J - 15,000 Leaving no meters on the table!
Bobbie Z - 15,000 Whoa!
Heather R - 14,000 Getting back her old form!
Adam M - 10,500 You forgot yesterday...
Bob L - 10,022 Dyn-o-mite!
Gary G - 9,315 Sweet!
John S - 8,770 Solid!
Lisa H - 8,078 A bunch of warm-ups and a 6K...
J. K - 7,525 Unbelievable consistency!
Ray S - 7,500 Next stop, 900K!
Greg H - 7,139 Nice!
John B - 6,577 The incredible shrinking rower!
Marco S - 5,029 Keep 'em coming!
Kristin C - 5,000 Gearing up for the HC!
Ulla D - 1,050 Back after a rest day!

[damselfly]

John and Bobbie, thanks for the tip of the Ordway book. I've put it on my wishlist!

[johnb]

Good week! Lot's of rowing! Dropped 2 more pounds since last official weigh-in. Started reading D P Ordway book, I like it. I do my rowing at the gym and tend to listen to music, but lately sometimes I just want solitary peace and quiet to be able to focus on my rowing & my breathing more deeply, and just be in the moment and let go of external stresses and pressures. I am looking forward to tomorrow's row already. Now I get why folks want their own rower at home.

Awesome!!

Getting your own rower is great if you can swing it. They sometimes have great deals on C2 machines after big regattas or crossfit competitions.

Hey John B--I got the Ordway book, too, and erging is something I plan to stick with for the rest of my life. I started on the C2s back in the 1990s at various gyms I belonged too (meters never recorded, lost to history, sob). Around 2003, I started looked for a used rower on eBay, and wound up buying a new one, it was $750. I dabbled for years (also meters never recorded). Although we're on our second electronic unit, it's basically indestructible. I work full-time, and have a 3-hr daily commute, so I generally jump on the rower at work gym (lucky me) for 6000-7500. Sometimes row for a half hour when I get home. Longer sessions on the weekend. Home is better--I have fans set up, I listen to my audiobooks or music, or I just breathe. It can be very calming when I row slow and steady. I've lost about 20 lb since last spring, but I FEEL better, have much more energy. I sleep better. Sometimes I hate getting on the rower, but I remind myself how good it makes me feel. So I keep climbing on. My doctor is amazed, she thinks I'm a whole new person. Actually, I just feel like a younger version of myself. Keep on rowing!

Very cool Bobby, that is one heck of a commute. Finding something this life changing at this point in time is really cool! It is so invigorating. I rowed for 50 minutes today, a nice easy row...just music and breathing. I think Dianne M.'s profile on the affiliate page pointed me to the Ordway book, I want to give her some props for that. Yeah my doctor is amazed at my transformation too!

[Izzzmeister]

Welcome back, David Repinski! Glad to see you back on the beam! 16 of 75 members (21%) logged 213,363 total meters Sunday!

Milestones achieved: Ray S rocked 900K!!! Ken C knocked 200K!! David R topped 35K!
Approaching milestones: Yisroel H aiming for 1.2M (-22,292m) while Kenny H leapt closer to 300K (-17,000m)!

Posted Meters:
David R – 36,000 Great going!
John S – 21,082 On fire!
Kenny H – 20,000 Glad you've been active!
Jerry H – 18,000 Chugging right along!
Yisroel H – 15,457 Strong hour!

Andy I – 14,608 Getting in shape the hard way!
Ken C – 11,103 Fourth row in 6 days!
John B – 10,735 Seven in a row!
Raymond W – 10,628 Strong!
Ray S – 10,617 Joining our studly crew quickly!

Adam M – 10,500 Back to back!
Dana H – 9,600 Can't wait for the 10K!
Susan K – 8,711 Rested and ready!
J. K – 7,513 Still won't take a break!
Gary G – 5,789 Won't be denied!
Ulla D – 3,020 Making it into a strong habit!

[Izzzmeister]

Jodie J. back, and stronger than ever! 24 of 76 members (32%) logged 269,584 total meters Monday!

Milestones achieved: Jodie J jumped 600K, Glen B bested 500K, while Kristin C earned 200K!!
Approaching milestones: David W close to 3.9M (-24,269m), Diane M breathing on 2.9M (-752m), Jim C a couple rows from 2.2M (-24,000m), Greg H speeding towards 1.4M (-10,419m), Jerry H in range of 1.1M (-38,300m), Jim G grinding out 800K (-8,089m), Jodie J (-9,074m) leading John B (-48,501m) to 700K, Heather R (-30,500m) being chased by Glen B (-37,663m) & Bob L (-43,559m) in the race to 600K, Jamie B brewing up 450K (-11,238m), Gary G ginning up 350K (-19,688m), Kenny H (-11,000m) closer to 300K than Kevin M (-20,429m), while Glenn Y reins in 150K (-21,227m)!

Posted Meters:
Jodie J – 690,926 Great to see you back!
Glen B – 73,500 Great early-morning torture!
David W – 24,231 Going to every other day?!
Jim C – 16,000 Rested & rearing to go!
Diane M – 15,576 Nice!

Kevin M – 14,701 Two?
Greg H – 14,326 Strong!
Adam M – 12,500 Building up well!
Bob L – 10,028 Keeping in shape!
Heather R – 10,000 Building consistency!

Andy I – 9,816 Andy's on fire!
Jerry H – 8,500 Relentless!
John S – 8,231 Piling them on!
J. K – 7,504 ...and yet another...
Jamie B – 7,000 Very solid!

Gary G – 6,297 Four strong rows, back to back!
Kenny H – 6,000 Thanks for posting daily!
Susan K – 5,646 They're adding up quickly!
Glenn Y – 5,372 This calls for a new graphic!
Kristin C – 5,020 Fourth row this week!

Jim G – 3,986 Fast!
John B – 3,316 Eight!
Lisa H – 2,034 Battling Arthur Rytiss...
Rachel B – 2,000 Getting back to it...

[Izzzmeister]

...Dropped 2 more pounds since last official weigh-in. Started reading D P Ordway book, I like it... Now I get why folks want their own rower at home.

Awesome!! ...

Hey John B--I got the Ordway book, too, and erging is something I plan to stick with for the rest of my life...
Home is better--I have fans set up...
I've lost about 20 lbs. since last spring... My doctor is amazed, she thinks I'm a whole new person...

I don't buy any book that has the word "moderate" in the title. Fan of "Rowing Faster" (Nolte) myself. First Edition mandatory, Second Edition an OK supplement...

In case you ever want to turn your C2 into a fan, there's the C-Breeze from http://www.ps-sport.net/

If she thinks you're a new person, see if you can get her to send the bill to somebody else!

Seriously though, congratulations! Twenty pounds likely means minus 25 pounds of fat plus 5 pounds of lean muscle tissue!
What I like about the rowing community are the pictures posted on the C2 website. Besides for almost everybody looking 10 - 20 years younger than the age posted, there are many pics of Big Guys & large-boned females in great health in their 70s & 80s. Since when I see healthy 80-year-old males in the street, they're almost always 140 pounds of bone and gristle, and since I will likely never weigh 140 pounds as long as my arms and legs are attached to my body, the C2 & rowing seems like my best chance at reaching 80 one day...

[Cyclingman1]

I don't buy any book that has the word "moderate" in the title. Fan of "Rowing Faster" (Nolte) myself. First Edition mandatory, Second Edition an OK supplement...

Rowing books are going to have different appeal to different people based on several criteria. For me, the Ordway book, ROW DAILY, BREATHE DEEPER, is a book that attempts to motivate, to encourage the beginning, non-athletic rower. It leaves unanswered some basic questions. I could see someone growing past it.

ROWING FASTER is a series of short, highly technical articles. Personally, the book is frustrating because of the lack of complete treatment of topics. Not sure how someone uses the book.

Flood's COMPLETE GUIDE TO INDOOR ROWING is a pretty good introduction.

Other good rowing books would be BOYS IN THE BOAT, THE AMATEURS, & ASSAULT ON LAKE CASITAS.

FWIIW, I have reviewed all of those books on Amazon under J. Grattan

[Bobbie_Zee]

Izzmeister and Cyclingman--I'll give those books a read. I agree that the Row Daily, Breathe Deeper book is more motivational than anything, but that was part of its appeal for me. I tend to jump wholeheartedly into something, and then burn myself out. Even with the rowing, I find myself (at 56 years old) trying to keep pace with the young crew team guy on the next rower who is 6'4" of solid muscle and 30+ years younger than me. Although I go through periods where I strive to go faster, I usually feel better when I use my heart monitor as a guide--I'll row for 10K or 15K, slow steady strokes, keeping my heart rate under 135ish. Or I alternate--quick intervals with rest periods one day, Long Slow Distance (LSD) the next.

What I like about the Ordway book is what I like about the Concept 2 website--all these regular people who are rowing in their middle age and well beyond. I can row into my 60s, 70s, and dare I hope into my 80s. And I'll look/feel younger. It's the Fountain of Youth, I tell you! I haven't had this much energy in years.

My husband with cardiac "issues" rows, too. In fact, his cardiologist was impressed with my motivational plan. My husband had been bugging me about going on vacation in New Orleans. Fine, I tell him. Log your rowing meters. I'll log mine. When we total 1,100 miles (the distance from where we live to New Orleans) we'll book a trip. Well, we rowed the distance, and plan to go (fly!) to NOLA next month. Now we're logging our distance for a trip to Jackson, Wyo (that's about 1,800 miles).

[damselfly]

My husband had been bugging me about going on vacation in New Orleans. Fine, I tell him. Log your rowing meters. I'll log mine. When we total 1,100 miles (the distance from where we live to New Orleans) we'll book a trip. Well, we rowed the distance, and plan to go (fly!) to NOLA next month. Now we're logging our distance for a trip to Jackson, Wyo (that's about 1,800 miles).

Sheer genius!!!

[Cyclingman1]

Even with the rowing, I find myself (at 56 years old) trying to keep pace with the young crew team guy on the next rower who is 6'4" of solid muscle and 30+ years younger than me.

I "almost" envy those who can take a moderate approach to a fitness activity, which is what the Ordway book recommends. Once someone gets on a competitive track, often there is no end in sight in terms of being obsessed with performance. I doubt very seriously that competing makes anyone one bit healthier. In fact, in some activities, pushing to the limit often results in crippling injuries. In my case, running thousands of fast intervals on a track [continuous left turn] no doubt led to a bad left hip necessitating a THR.

Some of us just are not wired to take it easy, relatively speaking.

[johnb]

My goal in rowing at the gym is simply this, row hard and fast. I don't really care about setting records of any kind. My mission is to keep shredding my weight, while toning and strengthening. I combine it with cycling, weight training, and core conditioning. I do my best to balance rest and recovery so I can stay strong, and improve my endurance as I keep reducing. I read everything I can on fitness, nutrition, and now rowing; and loved some of the concepts in the Ordway book. Getting me to refocus on foundations, like breathing which when you are pushing yourself to sustained high stroke rates for longer rows is pretty critical. The things he wrote about breathing have even impacted my weight lifting sessions. Everything goes better with oxygen. I want to check out those other books to see what I can learn from them. I know if I ever joined any group for on the water rowing I would need to change up my technique to do things like maximize the distance I get from each stroke, but as I claw my way to my first million meters I just want to maintain good form, be efficient enough so that I won't be on the rower forever, and row hard and fast to maximize my burn! I know I can maintain the same pace at 22-28 spm as I do at 32-35 spm, but I think I sweat more and breathe harder at the higher spm. It is all about how hard I can make myself work and sustain it for now.

BTW, they have posted the charities for the Holiday Challenge. I was glad to see an option for the International Rescue for the Philippines victims. I am still on track to get to 700k by the start of the challenge, so 300k for the challenge should complete my first million while helping to make a difference. I am thinking that whatever I get Concept 2 to donate for my meters, I will try to match... oops, I better not row too many meters!

[quilter35]

My husband with cardiac "issues" rows, too. In fact, his cardiologist was impressed with my motivational plan. My husband had been bugging me about going on vacation in New Orleans. Fine, I tell him. Log your rowing meters. I'll log mine. When we total 1,100 miles (the distance from where we live to New Orleans) we'll book a trip. Well, we rowed the distance, and plan to go (fly!) to NOLA next month. Now we're logging our distance for a trip to Jackson, Wyo (that's about 1,800 miles).

I love this idea!

Kris C.

[damselfly]

I know, you've all been losing sleep over the question: who's faster over 500 meters? Four rowers or four kayakers? Well, rest easy; here's the answer!