Skeleton Crew 2007

yksin · Post by **yksin** » October 25th, 2007, 2:22 pm

Anyone else taking part in the 2007 Skeleton Crew challenge (Oct 25-31)?

Got my erg early this month, early enough that I felt capable to work up to what's needed for the Skeleton Crew challenge of 31,000 meters in seven days (not quite 5,000 meters/day). This morning did around 600 meters in a five minute warmup, then broke for some stretches before the "real" workout in which I did ~5,200 in 30 minutes. Other days I may split the workout into two 15-min workout, one in morning one in evening, as it's hard to have that much time in the morning every day. But I have an evening commitment tonight, so....

I'm 48, working on weight -- or rather fat -- loss. Glad to find I have more stamina than I would have thought.

-- Mel

P.S. Just to note that my workouts are going toward "ducks in a row" team standings.

annabassand · Post by **annabassand** » October 26th, 2007, 10:56 am

Good for you Mel. It's very motivational to do the challenges

I am also doing the challenge. Just for the fun of it. I started off with 6,150 yesterday and added 5,800 to that today, so feel that I am well on the way. I just need to keep it up

Best of luck
Anna

Birdi · Post by **Birdi** » October 26th, 2007, 6:49 pm

I'm doing the challenge also but notice when logging meters in online log that the usual separate count of meters towards a challenge is not there. Usually below the total there will be in red the meters towards that challenge beginning on the date the challenge begins. I wonder who knows what's up with that? I have 11221m so far and of course add up my own but they usually do it for you so you know there is a challenge going on. Well whatever, I'm just working up to the Holiday one anyhow and getting back after messing about most of the summer with other forms of exercise. I do a 100 mile club thing and then there is the summer party thing... woops! Told on myself!

yksin · Post by **yksin** » October 27th, 2007, 4:18 pm

Birdi wrote:I'm doing the challenge also but notice when logging meters in online log that the usual separate count of meters towards a challenge is not there. Usually below the total there will be in red the meters towards that challenge beginning on the date the challenge begins. I wonder who knows what's up with that?

I was wondering about that. Having only just gotten the erg, this is the first time I've logged at all for a challenge, so I didn't know how they handled it but wondered if it shouldn't be showing something. Notice that in the "Current Seasons" section of the personal log it still says "The Skeleton Crew Challenge is approaching!" not that it's in progress.

Well, as of today I'm up to 13,405 toward the challenge total -- had intended to do more last evening but a friend's emergency came up. But I'm already very encouraged to see how my 30-minute rows are improving just in the brief time I've been working. Today's 30-minuter was a personal best also for 500m pace time regardless of total distance or time rowed. Thinking of where I'll be a month from now. Or next year at this time.

-- Mel

Birdi · Post by **Birdi** » October 27th, 2007, 7:04 pm

Yep, they seem a bit behind and that's not the usual here, I've never seen a challenge that didn't separately and automatically log your meters from that date until it ends... maybe they will catch up. I've been too busy to try to email anyone and I'm sure plenty of others have. I'm at 16261m for this challenge. No problems! I like the big Holiday one. I'm not a super rower like some of these gals are but you do gain strength and stamina, it's fantastic exercise. I do it for weight loss and fitness. I need more of both! The trick is to keep it up, increase slowly and don't just stop rowing for long periods of time or else you sink back SO quickly and hard to work up to your former level... I get really mad at myself! I've been rowing since 2004 on my own erg and still like it best of anything just becasue it's not easy! I like the DUCKS group. I've let myself get way behind and trying to save face a little!

Keep going everyone! Pull me along!

annabassand · Post by **annabassand** » October 28th, 2007, 2:26 am

Birdi

I am just like you. Got my own Concept 2 back in 2005. I love rowing but have had long breaks. Partly because the rower has been packed away. Two months ago we finally managed to build a fitness room so I actually do think and hope that I manage to stick with it this time

I also do quite a lot of other sports so you won't see my meters going through the roof like some of the people here. How some people manage to row so much is just something I don't understand

RESPECT

Anna

yksin · Post by **yksin** » October 28th, 2007, 6:41 pm

Birdi wrote:The trick is to keep it up, increase slowly and don't just stop rowing for long periods of time or else you sink back SO quickly and hard to work up to your former level...

Ain't that the truth! I changed my dietary habits nearly 2 years ago for diabetes prevention (had been diagnosed prediabetic, & my mom died two years ago of complications of diabetes), & also exercise habits esp. by way of a workplace walking challenge. But the exercise fell away almost complete this time last year, so even though my diet didn't go back to nasty habits, I still managed to gain back the 20 or so lbs. of fat I'd lost, & then some.

Didn't help also that it's just not so pleasant to walk a lot in a long Anchorage winter. Erg's great for that: I can get the kind of workout I need without freezing or falling on my butt. But challenges like this are really important for me too -- sort of a matter of tricking my mind into feeling "responsible" to something other than "just me." Of course that's who I'm ultimately responsible to, but challenges like this really help me to push myself past my lazy veg-out druthers to reach a personal best, or to see if I can climb in the rankings. All for the good of Ducks in a Row too

.

My goal at the moment is to average 5000m/day throughout the winter, but also to keep it up over the long term so I don't sink back again. Just as I've had to make a commitment to a permanent change in my dietary habits, I've got to commit to permanent fitness habits too. There's an extremely good chance that if I stick with both, I can prevent myself from becoming diabetic, not to mention I'll just be happier overall.

-- Mel

Birdi · Post by **Birdi** » October 30th, 2007, 1:24 am

I hear you Mel, the 5km thing is a great habit and one that is do-able. I feel so good if I can stick to anything between 5,000-7500m per day with a rest day when I feel like it. I don't decide not to row a certain day of the week I just let it come with how I feel or what I'm doing. If I stick to that, 5-6 days a week I'm feeling great then my eating habits just fall into place. I want to stick to the healthy stuff. I just hate that I tend to fall of that platform and wow is it hard to go back. The challenges are great incentive, I play a game with myself to make or exceed it. I'm on the upswing now and plan to keep it up thru the winter, well beyond really... the Holiday challenge will see me rowing 7500 per day or better. I have weight to lose and everything to gain health wise. I just have to keep motivated. I've not been here to the forum in a long time, I think I'll keep coming back for the help and fellowship. I have a fused joint great toe right foot, painful and makes a walking program very difficult to keep up. I have an eliptical trainer and my erg side by side, free weights and a ball. It's just enough to beat the bad weather and provide some good all around exercise. When I can stand it or get to it, I love to walk or bike ride but my major focus is here at home where I don't have to drive to get there or fight the weather. I live way out in the country, being isolated has it's drawbacks, I need the C2 incentives. Let's get moving and keep going. I'm rooting for you too.

Birdi

Birdi · Post by **Birdi** » October 30th, 2007, 1:33 am

Anna, yeah can you imagine rowing at that level? Those top Ducks have to be averaging 12km+ per day with no days off to do that. Or MORE meters/day and some rest days! I have the upmost respect for that sort of strength and dedication. You go GIRLS! I'm working back into a routine and it feels great, who knows what ya can do if you keep pushing or in this case PULLING! I know I've come a long way from the beginning. No matter what we do it feels great to JUST DO IT, cut the excuses, eat better and not give up. Now someone keep telling me that when I mess up!

Birdi

Wood_Duck · Post by **Wood_Duck** » October 30th, 2007, 10:05 am

Keep up the good work! For those of you who are new, take a bit of time every week or so to check your technique. I watched the DVD and had my hubby watch it and critique my technique... It prevents a lot of problems as time goes on! You can start by focusing on parts of the stroke and adding more parts as you get going. For example, start by putting your legs straight and leaning a bit and just pull with your arms. Then add a swing at your waist with the arm pull. Then when you get that going and you are leaning forward with legs extended move partway down the slide. Xeno has this on his technique DVD (http://www.gorow.com) which I highly recommend. ALSO if you are in California, check out "Rowbics" it is an incredible aerobic workout using the erg! (http://www.rowbics.com.

Another fun thing to do to stay motivated is to use Row Pro. You need a PM3 (and a computer). I use a lap top. There are a bunch of us women who get together. Some are speedy (2:25/500) some are slower (2:40/500). We get together to row companionably (not to race) but we all notice we get faster as time goes on. http://www.digitalrowing.com You can try it free for 20 days. There are several of us who will schedule a row to get you started.

I too erg to lose weight. I focus more on time rowed with my heart rate at 70-80% than on speed. My goal was to lose 40 pounds by my 40th birthday (10/28/67) and I DID IT! The encouragement from the Ducks was one of the keys! (I started just after my 39th birthday when I too was looking at diabetes and my doctor asked me who was going to raise my daughter when I died.)

So welcome Mel, glad you are back Anna, good to see you Birdi. I haven't been reading the boards since the last holiday challenge.

Keep up the good work!
Susan AKA Wood_Duck

(I just read over the post and it sounds like an advertisement. Sorry. I just get excited to share the things that really helped me. I am not at my goal yet. My plan now is to maintain until Jan. 1 and then work on losing 15 more by spring break.)

Birdi · Post by **Birdi** » October 30th, 2007, 1:45 pm

Hi Susan, I remember you from last year. Me too... haven't been using the forum lately and forgot how fun it is to 'belong' and chat with fellows. I get more motivated this time of year, now to make it stick! I did real good at the new season beginning... May. But then went over to the UK to see my best mate. Pub jumping and such got me along with jet lag and I was sunk. Then I did my summer 100 Mile Club, that's walking and I usually do 200 miles in the allotted weeks but slack on the rowing. Then my mates came here for several weeks, hummmm, same thing pubs, restaurants and goofing off at the beach.... now where do I go wrong!? Ha! Well I'm 55 and life is for living! BUT, I'm into living my best life and have plenty of bad habits put behind me, some of the fat is still there... behind me that is! Following close behind me, 'behind' being the key word here! It don't come off easy at this age! So I begin again. Well one who has fallen seven times is one who has risen eight.... never too late to begin again. Thanks girls for the chats and motivation. I have row pro but my pc and my workout room are far apart, I know I can just slip off my monitor and log in but just spend way too much time as it is with the pc so I haven't got into that. With some of my best friends living in the UK, I spend too much time on here. That saying, " I love my PC cuz some of my best friends live in there!" comes to mind. But will keep coming here to see those of you who post and see if we can share and push one another. I'd better get cracking because I still have more to go for the Skeleton, about 7k I think. I can do that today but would like to exceed 31km and I have tons of other stuff to take me away today. Rats! Never enough time. Paddle paddle Duckies! Love, Birdi

annabassand · Post by **annabassand** » October 30th, 2007, 4:16 pm

So how are you doing now that the challenge is coming to an end? I have 6000 m to do - so expect to meet the challenge

Birdi · Post by **Birdi** » October 31st, 2007, 1:39 am

I only have 2km to go

and should have just done it tonight but I had been busy all day so had to wait until late and when my tv show ended I just stopped, going to bed. Well I've not even rowed for several of the challenge days so been double timing it all along, just a busy week and one day I didn't even bother cuz I went hiking in the sunshine.

We won't be seeing too much of that here in the Pacific NW before long so grab it when ya can. Now tomorrow is the last day and with only 2km to go I can row more and exceed the challenge which was my goal anyhow. I'm happy with that considering I've come off a long lull of lazyness and too much good food, blah.

Now all I want is healthy good food and to keep going and really do well on the Holiday one. Last year I did about 230km for the challenge and rowed a 1/2 marathon in the middle of it. I rowed another a couple of months later. How can I do that good (for me) and then slack off?

I'm really psyching myself up to do well now from here forward thru the New Year, that's my next time goal. Then I have a second time goal to keep it up of April 1st. I have an idea of how much weight I'd like to take off by then but I'll keep it a secret, let ya know later if I do all this. Seems if I put it in print I'll have to do it or eat my words.

Hope you are all meeting your goals and feeling strong!

yksin · Post by **yksin** » October 31st, 2007, 4:27 am

I finished the challenge tonight. Slept in this morning because it was a little later of a night than I expected last night, so I did my rowing after work -- some 500m intervals for ~2600m total, then an hour long phone call, then I just went ahead & pushed through another 30 minute row for another 5200m.

I think I may take a break tomorrow morning. Or maybe just a shorter workout. I seem to have lost a couple of pounds, so I'm feeling motivated. But don't want to wipe myself out either....

Now I've updated my online log, I notice that it's still not set up to recognize I met the challenge so I can get my Skeleton Crew swag.

-- Mel

Correction: when I went to the challenges page just now, it's acknowledging my success there.

annabassand · Post by **annabassand** » October 31st, 2007, 2:01 pm

Glad to see that you both made it. So did I

Only by a few 100 meter to spare, but I made it. I also want to do the Xmas rowing challenge but we have a skiing holiday in December, so I don't expect to be able to do more than the 100,000 m challenge ... but that's also OK