Seat is killing me!

bsully · Post by **bsully** » January 24th, 2008, 6:36 pm

I can hardly get through my daily 10K lately. I'm sitting on several layers of bubble wrap and the seat still kills me.

Anyone else have this experience and could suggest a fix? I know that C2 offers a pad, but I would like to hear from someone who has resolved the issue.

Could some of this be technique (hate to see the replies to this question - if I don't want the answer...)? On the recovery, my hip/leg joint 'bump' on the seat. I keep telling myself that I just need to loose more weight (I'm @ 193 lbs), but I don't think I can keep going!

Citroen · Post by **Citroen** » January 24th, 2008, 8:05 pm

Is the seat mounted the right way round on your ergo?

Have you tried a big fluffy folded towel?

Have you got your footplates set right?

Have you got the damper lever set right? (Set drag factor to 135 or lower.)

What sort of shorts are you wearing?

Whether you need to lose weight @ 193lbs depends on your height.

johnlvs2run · Post by **johnlvs2run** » January 24th, 2008, 8:06 pm

A 3/4" inch plywood base, with 2 pieces of 1/2 inch foam on each side and a 1 inch gap down the middle, would make a good seat, and more comfortable than the regular one.

bsully · Post by **bsully** » January 24th, 2008, 10:31 pm

Cit - seat is set the correct direction!! Footplate is set so that the straps cross at the ball of my foot. I'm fairly short at 5'-10", so I do need to keep loosing weight, but I don't think that will solve all of my issues. I do not wear any special shorts, just soccer shorts or something like that. A towel is okay, but not great. Do you wear rowing shorts on the erg?

bw1099 · Post by **bw1099** » January 24th, 2008, 10:50 pm

I have two seat pads that I like.
One is made from a cheap 0.5 inch thick backpackers sleeping pad that I bought at a sports store. I cut it to a rectangle about the size of the seat, then cut a gap out from the middle so it functions like the two strips that John Rupp described. The other is a "sore-no-more" pad that a lot of rowing sites sell. I bought a gel pad but don't really like it since it seems like all the gel squeezes away from where it is needed.

jgorde · Post by **jgorde** » January 25th, 2008, 1:14 pm

I have come up with a combination fix for the same issues. First, wear padded rowing shorts - available from Custom Team Apparel - similar to bike shorts but the padding is throughout the back side and doesn't cut or rub anywhere. Second use a rowing pad...better than the foam from Concept II or makeshift layers - Skwoosh comfort Cushions, Rowing Pad #R3204. And, if you need even more padding - use a Salamander Gel Kayak pad - even thicker than the Skwoosh. By the way, if your hands are getting beat up, there is a hand cushion from NewGrip.com that is very helpful - not a glove, rather wet suit material that covers the inside of your hand and attaches with a wrist-wrap - good on the trainer and on the water! This combination provides me with comfort for daily morning 10K rows and still allows me and my butt to enjoy a 20-25 mile bike ride in the afternoons. At 56 I am dedicated to conditioning and as much comfort for my skinny/bony butt as I can get in order to stay rowing and biking an average of 2 hours/day.

michaelb · Post by **michaelb** » January 25th, 2008, 1:29 pm

A 10k is pretty long, and my butt may start hurting there, but I would like to think that most people should be able to row a 10k without excess butt pain. If you were rowing longer, 60min, 90 min, etc, then I think that gets to the point were even with correct technique most people start getting real uncomfortable.

So my guess is that there is something wrong going on with your technique. Are you strapped in? I would trying rowing strapless instead. That should slow down your stroke rate and get you balanced more at the finish, sitting more upright, and reducing the hamstring/glut pain of hauling yourself up the slide by the straps.

I have thought about getting the skwoosh pad the next time I contemplate another full marathon. The C2 foam pad is cheap and useless to me. Strangly, C2 in the UK sells a "deluxe pad" that looks much nicer, but I don't think we can get that here. I use rowing shorts, less for the padding and more to avoid any seams down there.

But I still think that most people should be able to row up to the 10k without extra padding, once they get used to doing the distance. Do you have pain at the 5k mark or the 30 min mark too?

Citroen · Post by **Citroen** » January 25th, 2008, 5:17 pm

bsully wrote: Do you wear rowing shorts on the erg?

Occasionally I'll wear a pair of Nike shorts, sometimes I'll wear cycling shorts (although the padding is in the wrong place) but the best kit is a rowing AIO (aka Unisuit).

http://www.jlracing.com/unisuits.shtml is probably the place to get them on your side of the pond.

bsully · Post by **bsully** » January 26th, 2008, 4:05 pm

So my guess is that there is something wrong going on with your technique.

Thanks Michaelb.

It's not great - but sometimes my 10K takes me almost 50 minutes!! Some days are just like that.

I think you are correct. I minimized (or minimised for Cit) the pain by sitting more upright and also allowing slight separation of my knees on the recovery.

So my new question is - what should the distance between the knees be at the catch?
If I keep the same distance as at the beginning of the recovery (legs fully extended) I get some bumping in my "bony butt" during the recovery. If I allow some seperation (knees nearly in my armpits at the catch) I do not get nearly as much pain.

Ahh to be overweight and sloppy all at the same time!!

Thanks everyone! Can't wait to try out some new shorts or a uni (I'll never hear the end of that one from my wife!!) I'm working on a marathon in April, so I'm sure I'll need it!

Brian

johnlvs2run · Post by **johnlvs2run** » January 26th, 2008, 5:40 pm

I've rowed 110,000 meters in a day and prefer unpadded cycling shorts, the same as when cycling. I used to be -very- uncomfortable cycling, until I figured out the padding was the cause, because padding absorbs moisture, heats up and keeps it right on your butt.

With unpadded shorts, you are free to move around on the seat and there is much better ventilation of the moisture.

The main issue with the seat is that the surface gets hot and there's no ventilation. Making a new seat from plywood and foam is easy and solves most of the problem.

Bob S. · Post by **Bob S.** » January 27th, 2008, 1:59 am

Citroen wrote:
bsully wrote: Do you wear rowing shorts on the erg?
Occasionally I'll wear a pair of Nike shorts, sometimes I'll wear cycling shorts (although the padding is in the wrong place) but the best kit is a rowing AIO (aka Unisuit).

http://www.jlracing.com/unisuits.shtml is probably the place to get them on your side of the pond.

It has always been my impression that they were invented by JL - many years ago. I had heard them referred to only as unisuits until someone in RightPondia started using the term AIO.

Bob S.

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