Concept2 Forum

I'm looking for training partners to row around 1300-1400 GMT. I'm on the U.S. west coast and would like to train in the A.M. before heading to work.

I'm very new to this and not very strong, but Im on the west coast So Cal and row every few mornings... Dunno if I'd fit what you are looking for..

FF

That is a popular time for online rows on the weekends, because that is the middle of the day in Europe. I would guess if you start scheduling rows, other people will join in.

It has been slow on rowpro for the last 6 months or so, but may pick up this fall. Many of us have been waiting now close to a year for the new version of the racing software, version 2, which has been promised as coming any day now since last October.

fastfreddie21 wrote:I'm very new to this and not very strong, but Im on the west coast So Cal and row every few mornings... Dunno if I'd fit what you are looking for..

FF

michaelb wrote:That is a popular time for online rows on the weekends, because that is the middle of the day in Europe. I would guess if you start scheduling rows, other people will join in.

It has been slow on rowpro for the last 6 months or so, but may pick up this fall. Many of us have been waiting now close to a year for the new version of the racing software, version 2, which has been promised as coming any day now since last October.

Everyone is welcome. Look for the "Sunday Suffering" row. I've been doing it for a few weeks and usually have two or three people (mostly from Europe).

michaelb wrote:That is a popular time for online rows on the weekends, because that is the middle of the day in Europe. I would guess if you start scheduling rows, other people will join in.

It has been slow on rowpro for the last 6 months or so, but may pick up this fall. Many of us have been waiting now close to a year for the new version of the racing software, version 2, which has been promised as coming any day now since last October.

I have been training regularily but not so much on the internet racing aspect of rowpro. I think ideas of the past worked well. Marilyn had regular 6k's, Jean Schwabe had monthly 2k's, Nigel still still has 10k's, and I have scheduled events as well. What appears to work well is an event supported by a web page. The Supercanoa web site was a good for this. I think keeping it simple works well also.

I used to use the e-row for training sesions and for scheduled events. Now, I try and try where and when I can and at the same time try to get sessions done on the internet racing aspect of rowpro.

The BIRC is less than three months away. I had used the major races like the BIRC, EIRC, WIRC, and some other major race to sponsor a 2k race series. 2k is kind of daunting or alot of people. Distances like 6k and 10k seem to allow someone to improve by chunks of time.

I thought of organizing something with shorter distances like 500m and 1k. Something once a week, perhaps on the weekends to give eveyone a chance to compete. I thought also making it an open championship in hopes of getting faster people to participate. I have some different ideas on a point system or something similar to Tour de France jersey categories.

Marilyn's website is down. I have also not heard from her in several months.

Considering the number of C2 ergs there are out there the interest in internet racing on Rowpro is disappointingly poor. I can't see things changing for the better soon either. The majority of rowers just aren't interested. Perhaps that's why their dragging their feet with the development of Rowpro. No point giving it a high priority for just a handful of regular users. Hence all that I.T. expertise would be tied up on more value added, unrelated to Rowpro, projects.

I still might be interested in some interval type sessions around 8 GMT. They are pretty good fun, unlike the longer sessions which get pretty boring.

I don't do much on C2 ergs anymore. I prefer to spend my time doing the real thing on the water or using the Rowperfect erg down at the boat club(heaps better). The only thing that will get me back on a C2 erg is some fun type interval races on Rowpro (which I'd love to do). Otherwise it just becomes another boring workout on the erg.

I found it interesting with the internet racing that there are not too many people wanting to race on the internet.

I recall when I first signed onto e-row, which I think was in 2001. I had bought my first computer that year and not much later bought an erg. I was kind of nervous signing on to e-row since I expected hundreds of people signed on and ready to race. The Concept 2 forum appeared very active and had much enthusiasm. I was suprised that e-row was not that active. There were approximately 15 or so regulars who appeared in two's and three's. I used train with Patrick and someone else who I cannot recall his name but I do recall that he flew to the Superbowl the year they held it in New Orleans. Marilyn ran Sunday 6k races. There were others that I also trained with who no longer do so. I actaully met and/or actaully trained with a number of people on e-row who I met in Canada, Washington, Oregon, Germany, Great Britian, Boston. I considered, and still do, e-row to be an exceptional motivational tool in getting people to row. But unfortunately, the participation is just not there. E-row and rowpro may have been reasons why a person may have regained an interest in rowing or may have been the reasons why they took on a new sport and bought an erg but the misery and frustration that is associated with rowing may have gotten the better of them. The erg is forgiving on technique but not forgiving on endurance.

Personally, I go in cycles depending on my work and where I am working. Last year, I actually took the erg with me to different work related training sites. Last week, I was at a work site which was near an actual rowing center. I went there every day after work and trained on the erg. It was really great being around rowers. If I actually moved there, I would probably take on rowing in addition to the erg.

I sign on once in a while on rowpro. The day before yesterday, I did a 10k on rowpro at 20 spm only to see my time not recorded. I also thought everyone had logged off but found that when I exited rowpro and reactivated rowpro there were rowers listed in the chat. So, I got kicked off, which is frustrating.

This was a duplicate of the above so, I deleted the narrative.

Hi Thomas,

Good to see that your still kicking around. It's a shame when you try and row 10K on Rowpro and the software dumps you with no result. When those sorts of things happen it's difficult to get people interested in internet racing.

Thomas, since you were one of the earlier internet racing regulars over 5 years a go what do you think led to the current decline in internet racing?

RR,

I noticed your location is listed as "Moving Flywheel." Did you modify your erg to have a moving flywheel?

Rockin Roland wrote:Hi Thomas,

Good to see that your still kicking around. It's a shame when you try and row 10K on Rowpro and the software dumps you with no result. When those sorts of things happen it's difficult to get people interested in internet racing.

Thomas, since you were one of the earlier internet racing regulars over 5 years a go what do you think led to the current decline in internet racing?

I think the decline may be in most cases the lack of progress in self improvement. I think a number of men have a goal of doing a 2k under 6-minutes, which is something they may have done or were close to doing when they were younger or they see others able to do it. Gains come quick but times get stagnant and even slower, the hope ends, its not fun any more, they quit.

You are still posting very fast times. Good job.

emptybeer wrote:RR,

I noticed your location is listed as "Moving Flywheel." Did you modify your erg to have a moving flywheel?

Although I still own a C2 erg most of my erging is now done on a Rowperfect erg at the rowing club. I much prefer the feel and motion of a moving flywheel. The C2 erg doesn't cut it anymore for me, even with slides under it.

After doing workouts on a Rowperfect it always feels horrible to get back onto a C2 erg. In comparison to the motion on a Rowperfect erg the action of a C2 erg feels so dead. Hence no point using exercise equipment that doesn't give you the enjoyment and satisfaction of other equipment around. As I spend a lot of time rowing on the water I'm very particular in what I expect from a rowing machine.

It's bad enough being couped up inside exercising. I'm a firm believer that the most enjoyable and sustainable forms of exercise are found outdoors.

I still think there could be more interest in online rowing and still hope it could develop much further. I notice women rowers here scheduling rows online, which is a positive development.

I think the main reason interest has sagged is: bugs. Rowpro is not very reliable online right now, particularly if more than 4-5 sign up. Popular rows on the weekends would fill up (8 or more), but then would bog down with crashes and no shows and problems. I think over time people just start giving up.

the new race protocol is promised to solve all these problems. Beta is now promised for the "end of sept" so it will be about a year late. If it works, I think things could really improve. At least that is my hope.

I have seen my fair share of rowpro crashes, but I will say that overall it works pretty decent and I would highly recommend it. I was in a race this past Saturday with 7 people and it worked great.

I am seeing a lot more folks online now, always hoping for more!