Coping strategies

[KeithT]

@ Kieth
I havent done many long distance TT pieces yet, but the few 10ks i have done tested, i wouldnt be without music...i think its much harder to have the same level of focus for 36/37 odd minutes compared to a 6/7minutes on a 2k (or shorter distances). More time for negative thoughts to creep in perhaps? Music has been a great distraction for longer rows, along with the other ideas on this post im looking forward to trying them. Im still very new and im still finding what works for me...after a dozen more 2k TT's i may be more mentally relaxed and find music more of a motivation. It still gets me into the zone before a 2k, i walk 30min to get to the gym and listen to music on the way and during my warm up.

Oh, I always have music and think even if its background noise it is useful as I don't want to hear myself breathing hard. Just saying I have same issue that I get so focused on the monitor and what's going on in the row that I will not even remember the music many times.

[Andrew Shuck]

@ Stu et al, for me i like to tell myself i have less to do than the monitor yelling at me. i.e. if there is 4,820 mtrs to go, I'll mentally tell myself its 480 or even 48 and try and disregard the the smaller units. Not sure if i'm making sense. Also count down in 250's usually to get me past 750 markers, e.g. 6000k to go count the 1st 250 then the next and the your half way through that kilometre.
My piece de resistance is a plaque i had for my 50th from my niece and nephew. This is on the wall directly behind my machine. Within it are figures with the following words in brackets underneath each one. Uncle Andy your'e (Braver) than Ironman, (Stronger) than Superman, (Smarter) than Captain America, (Tougher) than Wolverine.
Also like Henry no music, just me grunting the meters out.
We are all far more capable than we realise..

[Dangerscouse]

@ Stu
Makes alot of sense. I suppose its like conditioning a dog...if you were to smack its nose everytime you gave it a steak, it would soon run a mile when it saw one. Perhaps not, but you catch my drift. I'll try and think of some ways i can flip it around in my head, i do know the sense of satisfaction i get once finnished...but once these newbie gains dry up and the end result is not a PB...i would imagine that could be tough to deal with, which is partly the point of this post isnt it? Something to also think about and prepare for. I think accepting and embracing failure will be important, time will tell with how i cope and put it into practise.

Yes it is. Your brain always looks to work automatically as much as possible, so if it can make an assumption based on previous experience it will: evolving and shaping that assumption is what it's all about.

You have to be prepared to have quite a lot of standard sessions, and they are an end in itself. Constantly PBing is great but just wanting to stay active is more important.
Having said that, there is always a rate of attrition when people lose interest but hopefully you won't be one of them.

[nick rockliff]

didn't realise so many people need a distraction to get through a session.

For me I spend the whole session making sure each stroke is the same as the one before, same pace same rate over and over again.

[Anth_F]

didn't realise so many people need a distraction to get through a session.

For me I spend the whole session making sure each stroke is the same as the one before, same pace same rate over and over again.

This is exactly what i like to do in my sessions Nick. I don't need the distractions!!! Sometimes just listening to the sound of the flywheel can be good for getting into nice rhythm as well. Me and the machine working in perfect harmony

[Erik A]

another good distraction is when you are at the gym and some young punk gets on the erg next to you and you know hes going to go hard for a short while and try and make you look bad.... trouble is most of the time you are still going at a faster pace than he is and for way longer... good for a laugh part way through a long session.

[jackarabit]

“THIS IS A GOOD DAY TO DIE!” Where will I die? On the line! Where’s the line? So far! Too far? Not far, not far. Not far now.

[Andrew Shuck]

another good distraction is when you are at the gym and some young punk gets on the erg next to you and you know hes going to go hard for a short while and try and make you look bad.... trouble is most of the time you are still going at a faster pace than he is and for way longer... good for a laugh part way through a long session.

Very funny, i used to compete with people without them knowing. When I used to go to the germ ridden hole known as Fitness First.

[T_M]

When I row in the isolation of my garage, I have my ipod on shuffle and count through about 10 songs before I check the PM to see how far I've gone on a steady state 10K. I also have a couple of mirrors in the garage gym so I can check my form from time to time...otherwise going by feel in UT 2 or 1 zones.

When I'm rowing at my fancy gym, I'm a people watcher. I too get a kick out of other rowers who have never watched a technique video or fly and die within a few minutes. The eye candy is pretty good in the cross training pit in the center of the gym and I also like watching the guys and gals who are serious athletes going after the big lifts on the platforms.

[mdpfirrman]

When I row in the isolation of my garage, I have my ipod on shuffle and count through about 10 songs before I check the PM to see how far I've gone on a steady state 10K. I also have a couple of mirrors in the garage gym so I can check my form from time to time...otherwise going by feel in UT 2 or 1 zones.

When I'm rowing at my fancy gym, I'm a people watcher. I too get a kick out of other rowers who have never watched a technique video or fly and die within a few minutes. The eye candy is pretty good in the cross training pit in the center of the gym and I also like watching the guys and gals who are serious athletes going after the big lifts on the platforms.

Quick funny story related to that. I was on the rower across from a guy that was just grunting it out, totally awful form, acting as if he was the biggest, baddest dude in the gym. Had a hat on and the whole sweatshirt and hoodie thing going on too, to increase the "burn" I suppose. Problem is, I've seen his paces from memory and I'm across from him on a 90 minute workout doing slow, steady work at a higher pace (and I'm pretty slow right now!).

After the gym, on the way home, the wife asks, "so you liked the woman in the white pants??". Turns out there was some woman behind him on the situp board my wife assumed I was looking at

Good thread Stu. I needed this. I'm back rowing but not posting my times right now. It's hard coming back from back injury and my times are paltry (they were never that great but even less so now!). Those that do the HR limits, stroke limits, people watch. I'm having to do all of those to keep my sanity. I even bought a HR monitor for the first time in over 4 years just to have some other data to look at and control while I'm ever so slowly progressing.

[hjs]

Always funny to laugh at others...

But here one the other way around, last year in my gym they held a 500m comp. One of the trainers, a 60m discustrower, who never touches the rower, pulled a 1.17 rate 32. Big guy, but no giant.

[mdpfirrman]

Always funny to laugh at others...

But here one the other way around, last year in my gym they held a 500m comp. One of the trainers, a 60m discustrower, who never touches the rower, pulled a 1.17 rate 32. Big guy, but no giant.

They did the same thing in my gym around five years ago and similar thing happened. One guy pulled a 1:19. Now, it took him 45 minutes to recover, but still, that's impressive! No one else was close to his time. Didn't mean to make fun of that guy I saw, but it's usually the dramatic ones that aren't going too fast. I'd love to see some of the larger guys get trained on the rower to see what they could actually do. Most don't care for it.

[mitchel674]

Always funny to laugh at others...

But here one the other way around, last year in my gym they held a 500m comp. One of the trainers, a 60m discustrower, who never touches the rower, pulled a 1.17 rate 32. Big guy, but no giant.

They did the same thing in my gym around five years ago and similar thing happened. One guy pulled a 1:19. Now, it took him 45 minutes to recover, but still, that's impressive! No one else was close to his time. Didn't mean to make fun of that guy I saw, but it's usually the dramatic ones that aren't going too fast. I'd love to see some of the larger guys get trained on the rower to see what they could actually do. Most don't care for it.

Mike, it's great to see you back.

I usually row at home, but joined a gym last year for my barbell training. I now chat with a lot of the regular weight lifters and it's funny how they regard the erg as the worst torture device ever created. These buff guys and gals throwing huge weights around are all stunned when a scrawny guy like me rows for an hour. They all say the same thing, "5 minutes on that machine kills me!"

It's a good motivator for me when doing long pieces in the gym.

The other one I though about today was how motivating it is when the PM finally hits down to triple digits. 999 always looks sweet when counting down on a long row.

[Erik A]

Always funny to laugh at others...

But here one the other way around, last year in my gym they held a 500m comp. One of the trainers, a 60m discustrower, who never touches the rower, pulled a 1.17 rate 32. Big guy, but no giant.

They did the same thing in my gym around five years ago and similar thing happened. One guy pulled a 1:19. Now, it took him 45 minutes to recover, but still, that's impressive! No one else was close to his time. Didn't mean to make fun of that guy I saw, but it's usually the dramatic ones that aren't going too fast. I'd love to see some of the larger guys get trained on the rower to see what they could actually do. Most don't care for it.

Ive been trying to get my son onto the rower but no joy yet. hes 6"6 and 105kg. he does a bit of power lifting etc at the local power lifting gym but not even remotely interested in the Erg

[Dangerscouse]

Quick funny story related to that. I was on the rower across from a guy that was just grunting it out, totally awful form, acting as if he was the biggest, baddest dude in the gym. Had a hat on and the whole sweatshirt and hoodie thing going on too, to increase the "burn" I suppose. Problem is, I've seen his paces from memory and I'm across from him on a 90 minute workout doing slow, steady work at a higher pace (and I'm pretty slow right now!).

After the gym, on the way home, the wife asks, "so you liked the woman in the white pants??". Turns out there was some woman behind him on the situp board my wife assumed I was looking at

Good thread Stu. I needed this. I'm back rowing but not posting my times right now. It's hard coming back from back injury and my times are paltry (they were never that great but even less so now!). Those that do the HR limits, stroke limits, people watch. I'm having to do all of those to keep my sanity. I even bought a HR monitor for the first time in over 4 years just to have some other data to look at and control while I'm ever so slowly progressing.

Good to see you're back on it Mike.