Stuff to watch while rowing?

[aussieluke]

It never bothered me much before, but now that I am rowing 10k or so, in a quiet house while everyone else is (hopefully) still asleep, and it's still dark outside, 40 minutes or so of staring at the numbers very slowly ticking down can get a bit boring!

Has anyone got any good links of ideally rowing-related videos to watch either on a phone or tablet or if you have your erg in front of a tv screen etc?

I thought it would be really nice to have some point-of-view footage of someone rowing down a scenic river or something similar - would be even better if they were rowing at a nice steady 20SPM to keep pace with!

A bit like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buMqk7BIRQI

Can't find much else though. Any ideas?

[Hillclimber]

It never bothered me much before, but now that I am rowing 10k or so, in a quiet house while everyone else is (hopefully) still asleep, and it's still dark outside, 40 minutes or so of staring at the numbers very slowly ticking down can get a bit boring!

Has anyone got any good links of ideally rowing-related videos to watch either on a phone or tablet or if you have your erg in front of a tv screen etc?

I thought it would be really nice to have some point-of-view footage of someone rowing down a scenic river or something similar - would be even better if they were rowing at a nice steady 20SPM to keep pace with!

A bit like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buMqk7BIRQI

Can't find much else though. Any ideas?

For my part, the erg is a chance to attentuate the sensory overload of my ADD life. A chance to quiet the incoming and keep the focus internal: I choose a SR/pace pyramid or ladder and simply try to nail the stroke. I may mix in a third element such as some singular component within the catch, drive, or recovery to work on. Together, I believe this approach is improving my efficiency on the erg, because unlike some fortunate gifted athletes it does not come naturally to me.

To your question: I've done HMs using this strategy and have yet to require an external distraction such as a movie or ballgame. Worth a try.
Damien

[GJS]

What about some Norwegian Slow TV?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pVWfzsgLoQ

Nice sense of progress through a landscape.

For long and steady efforts I go with podcasts and lectures.

[Lvcigarz]

I am totally new to rowing, so I have not put this together for myself yet, but music helped me lose a lot of weight and get very fit. When I was running (mostly on a treadmill) I played Techno/House music selected specifically for the pace I wanted to run. I can tell you, that it made a heck of a difference for me. I know that the pace in rowing will be different, so I will have to create a new playlist for my sessions. The tunes help me to get lost in the sound and helps me to ignore the repetitive motions.

I use my iPhone and Sony Bluetooth ear buds (so no wires). I am thinking of trying some Baroque music (for the specific beat of rowing) as well as some slower techno/house tunes. It is something I will have to use a trial and error method to figure out.

I am like you in that respect. I need to be "brain massaged" while performing a repetitive task. Hope you find something that can help you.

Pete

[Deqlyn]

its a bit dangerous when I row as i think. I also play a techno pandora channel. When I find myself getting board I like to do math and figure out just how many songs i have left. 3 mins a song 7k left 2:10 pace etc.. etc... If that doesnt work then GRIT. lol. the worst is if the washer is running and it drains, then I get a nice lil smell of sewer... Ill be watching this thread. I tried to watch archer but ended up laughing too much

[Carl Watts]

Get RowPro and try and row with someone else online it make the whole thing interactive, just too much of a hard slog every day without it.

Used music for a while but its not enough if you want to row year after year. Have now been using RowPro for 6 years or so. Recently added music into the background now that playing MP3's is easy through the PC and it just comes out the TV speakers at more than enough volume. No audio with RowPro except at the start so its easy to run both at the same time.

[aussieluke]

I was thinking less of needing a distraction, and more of just setting a bit of an atmosphere - a sense of being out in the fresh air, despite being stuck in your living room!

Carl, I tried rowpro the other day - got the free trial version - I absolutely HATED it! found it so destracting, the laptop was off to the side a bit, level with the flywheel but away from the airflow so I had to turn my head slightly which felt odd. I was hoping it would give me a 3D point of view - but the side on view of a virtual rower - me - but slightly out of time with me, really put me off.

I thought I was going to love it and was quite disappointed. Might not just be the software, it's me too. Felt like there was too much going on around me, too many numbers to look at, pace boats too, and the view kept changing. Stressed me out so I turned if off halfway through my 10k. Well actually when I switched my fan on mid row, the connection to the laptop seemed to die - and that stressed me out even more! lol

[G-dub]

I haven't done it, but some row their erg outside in the garden.

[aussieluke]

I haven't done it, but some row their erg outside in the garden.

I managed to do that once and it was awesome! Even though it was much hotter outside, the face that there was fresh air and a breeze made it much better.

Unfortunately I can't take it out there all the time as it is right outside my young sons bedroom window.

[G-dub]

Being right below my bedroom window never seemed to stop my Dad from firing up the lawn mower on Saturday mornings

[ArmandoChavezUNC]

I have about 120 episodes of Top Gear recorded on TV for my viewing when I erg. Usually I'll put one on if I'm doing an SS workout - the timing works particularly well if I'm doing a 15k (right around 60 minutes). Harder pieces I usually blast music. Once football starts up again I'll erg to football games - it's especially helpful during long SS rows.

[Tenshuu]

its a bit dangerous when I row as i think. I also play a techno pandora channel. When I find myself getting board I like to do math and figure out just how many songs i have left. 3 mins a song 7k left 2:10 pace etc.. etc... If that doesnt work then GRIT. lol. the worst is if the washer is running and it drains, then I get a nice lil smell of sewer... Ill be watching this thread. I tried to watch archer but ended up laughing too much

I used Archer during my HM last night, couldn't hear much except all of the characters screaming at each other, but it was background noise and occasional distraction when I needed to look away from the monitor. Once I broke down to my last 5-6k I had to focus on the monitor because I started getting extremely sloppy with fatigue.

I've gotta build a good playlist myself I think for long steady state.

[Carl Watts]

Carl, I tried rowpro the other day - got the free trial version - I absolutely HATED it! found it so destracting, the laptop was off to the side a bit, level with the flywheel but away from the airflow so I had to turn my head slightly which felt odd. I was hoping it would give me a 3D point of view - but the side on view of a virtual rower - me - but slightly out of time with me, really put me off.

I have a big LCD TV sitting on the middle of the wall between the two rowers.

Not really any different to looking at the PM monitor, although to be honest I look at the colour screen now and never the monitor because it gives me pace per stroke to 1/10th's of a second.

A laptop on the floor is no good, the screen is also too small anyway. A 43" LCD looks great in a small room.

RowPro is better with a big field of 16 rowers, gives your brain something to do like look for the distance of the person in front of you, who is making a break for it near the finish, what everyones rating is live on screen....just be thankful the heartrate of everyone on screen has not been fully implemented yet !

[Deqlyn]

its a bit dangerous when I row as i think. I also play a techno pandora channel. When I find myself getting board I like to do math and figure out just how many songs i have left. 3 mins a song 7k left 2:10 pace etc.. etc... If that doesnt work then GRIT. lol. the worst is if the washer is running and it drains, then I get a nice lil smell of sewer... Ill be watching this thread. I tried to watch archer but ended up laughing too much

I used Archer during my HM last night, couldn't hear much except all of the characters screaming at each other, but it was background noise and occasional distraction when I needed to look away from the monitor. Once I broke down to my last 5-6k I had to focus on the monitor because I started getting extremely sloppy with fatigue.

I've gotta build a good playlist myself I think for long steady state.

i have a bluetooth that syncs with the laptop which increases the volume.