Just got my rower yesterday. 1st real workout was a bit much

[SirWired]

I just unpacked my brand-spanking-new Model D yesterday. I had used a Model B casually in college a few years ago and decided I wanted one for my home. I noodled around on it some yesterday, but really took it out for a spin today.

I am a pretty much out-of-shape, 29yo male, 6'2", 150lb. (Genetically gifted in the weight dept. My dad occasiionally still wears some t-shirts and jeans he bought in college.) My regular exercise before now consists of walking with my wife for about an hour three times a week.

I followed the "Workout 2" instructions in the Training Guide I ordered with the thing... for my final 10-minute-row I was running a pace of 2:15-2:20/500m with the damper at 3. My SPM was a little fast, at 25-26. I know I need to work on slowing that stroke down.

This workout will teach me not to check the heart-rate charts BEFORE I row. My ticker was running at 170-180 for that little stretch. No way could I have done that too much longer. Methinks I need to take things a little slower.

While I didn't pass out or anything, I did feel a little jelly-like at the end.

Like another recent poster mentioned here, it is hard to feel lot of power out of legs for some reason. My force-curve was more-or-less trapezoidal, (although not as consistently as I would like) and my back feels fine (for now), so my technique can't be too abysmal, but I doubt it is going to win any awards either. My arms feel fine now, but I imagine they will sore in the morning.

I think if I feel sore tomorrow, I will just do a long, slow, really easy row to practice technique some. Would some "all-leg" workouts be of any value? The force curve seemed kind of slow off the catch. There was about a 45-degree slope at the beginning and end of the curve.

SirWired

[jamesg]

Your last paragraph (long, slow...) shows you know what you're doing, and going in the right direction. Which is a good thing, on the erg not all roads lead to Rome. Keep the strokes long smooth and simple, relaxed and hardish and good luck for the next fifty odd years.