LUNA-TICS TEAM ROOM: Year-round "Looney" fun.

Kona2 · Post by **Kona2** » March 13th, 2008, 10:16 am

Congrats, Barbara G - looks like you completed a half marathon to me!

Welcome, Mike Crossley, to the Luna-Tics! We are now 56 strong!

Season meters to date: 36,698,557 m (12th place, rapidly approaching 11)

Total meters on the day: 167,966 m

34 percent of the oars in the virtual water!

Milestones:

1.8 MM Darryl B (Moose is on the moooove!)
1.5 MM Chris T.

Lunar Mission Marathon Accomplishments: 1 HM, 5 QM (I think - help Chris!)

Million Meter Watch:

Mike C is in the red zone with (32,867 m) to go!
Jan S is in the red zone with (40,000 m) to go!
Tom P is in the circle with (92,203 m) to go!

March Madness Challenge:

5K = 6

10K = 9

Challenge Board Contributions:

Pot of Gold:

Barb G 22,082 m
Darryl B 16,486 m
Chris T 15,843 m

Noelle B 13,013 m
Kristine 12,202 m
Mitch 11,015 m
Dan C 10,151 m
Jan S 10,000 m
Rowin 10,000 m
Steven L 7,035 m
Gina 6,416 m
Tony 6,385 m
Andrea 6,341 m
Ben S 5,233 m

Lisa 5,104 m
Helen 3,500 m
Steve J 3,144 m
Tina J 3,017 m
Rae 1,000 m

Well done by all!

Kona2 · Post by **Kona2** » March 13th, 2008, 10:30 am

Goals

March Madness is almost halfway complete. The NARC starts Saturday. DuluthMoose (Darryl

has suggested that we aim for being 10th overall for year-end. I first thought this was waaay too lofty, and that 11th place was more realistic. Then I looked at today's numbers. With our team additions, and personal motivations, we are less than 300K away from 11th place. 10th place suddenly seems like a good stretch goal (and this tiny little competitive voice says...or maybe 9th?)

Let's get all the oars in the water - and ROW STRONG!

just27 · Post by **just27** » March 13th, 2008, 12:06 pm

Kona2 wrote:Welcome, Mike Crossley, to the Luna-Tics! We are now 56 strong!

Hi and welcome, Mike, from a fellow UK ex-pat (London). I hope that you've found convenient local places to purchase Bird's custard, and golden syrup ... life's basics.
Chris

DuluthMoose · Post by **DuluthMoose** » March 13th, 2008, 1:01 pm

I'm no ergonomic expert, but I see some faults in the grip of the Concept 2 that could contribute to numbness and various pains. Jan has indicated some numbness after rowing about 20 minutes. I sometimes experience that also, but always in my stronger hand, and after another 15 minutes or so any numbness goes away. (I'm a person who is in their right mind so that means my left hand.) Anyway I have found in the first 30 minutes or so of my workouts, my power hand pulls harder than my weak side hand, actually causing the grip to come up to my chest off center and causing an awkward outward lateral bend in that power wrist. This can easily been seen by using the chain for sighting. After about 30 minutes I seem to pull equally hard with both arms and this effect balances out. To counter my early workout problem, I choke up on the power side of the grip, so the weak hand is farther out on the handle and has a leverage advantage. This straightens out my pull and minimizes any numbness. I also think the slight downward angle of the grip handles. causes unnecessary wrist strain when the grip is brought inward toward the chest. A more natural wrist position to me would be sharply downward handles on the grip so the wrists are almost locked vertically during the entire stroke. The large round handles on the grip are another source of question to me. A power shaft on a canoe paddle is always
1 1/8" X 1 1/4" oval for best fit to hand and power. I can't help but wonder if oval handles on the Concept 2 grip wouldn't be better.

I'm committed to building a canoe paddle for a fund raiser yet this spring. I think I will try to laminate and shape up a new wood handle for my Concept 2 as well.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2953595 ... 8560IXOMYG

PJM · Post by **PJM** » March 13th, 2008, 1:07 pm

Thanks for this info..I have found it interesting and quite helpful!!
Let me know when you build the new handle for your erg!!

Pat
TimbukTOO

Kona2 · Post by **Kona2** » March 13th, 2008, 1:57 pm

Great description, Darryl! I am not getting hand numbness any more but I do leverage the non-dominant side by having that hand out further on the handle. Sounds like Kristine does this also with the wear pattern she describes on gloves.

I'll bet Concept2 design engineers might have some thoughts on the oval vs round handles. The changes from the concept2 model C to D were somewhat significant on the handles also.

Jan

Also really nice work on the paddles!

Kristine Strasburger · Post by **Kristine Strasburger** » March 13th, 2008, 4:02 pm

Very Cool paddles, Darryl.

Yes, you are right. I watched my technique in the mirror after posting about it, and see that my left hand (weak side) hangs off the end of the grip which is why the wear mark is occurring there. I am using the upgraded handle on my model C, and it is better than the oringinal one, but I think you could be on to something regarding the shape and size.

Welcome to the team, Mike!

Calamity · Post by **Calamity** » March 13th, 2008, 5:13 pm

I row mostly on a model c. I find the handle better than the model b. I do not wear gloves and have very few hand/wrist problems. i think my aversion to gloves comes from real rowing where you are not allowed to wear them. I do have mild calleses between palm and finger on my middle through pinky fingers. i have found that after a HM my fingernail beds were sore like they had been stuck in a closing door.
Just go rowing shorts which helps with not chaffing in the wrong places.
Welcome new members. Chris, i am an ex-pat from London too. I know exactly what you mean about syrup and Bird's. Now finding someone else that actually likes Bird's who is not English is a whole different story. Our local fish store sells a shelf full of english things. English food is good despite what people tell you.

Jane

PS I am the proud owner of barb's luna-tics shirt.

Kona2 · Post by **Kona2** » March 13th, 2008, 6:30 pm

Decoder Ring Alert!!!

Okay....I'm really curious now. Whooooo knew that we had so many ex-pat UK folks! So - I hope that those of you who are will entertain a couple of questions - from those who are not.

What is Birds? Dang that sounds soooo gramatically incorrect. Chris T says custard...like pudding?

What's with the golden syrup? Does it go on the golden pancakes?

chris hughes · Post by **chris hughes** » March 13th, 2008, 6:37 pm

Ex pat here too (Wales) miss those fish n chips and curry

Just visiting from Timbuktoo

just27 · Post by **just27** » March 13th, 2008, 6:52 pm

chris hughes wrote:Ex pat here too (Wales) miss those fish n chips and curry. Just visiting from Timbuktoo

OMG ... skate or rock salmon 'n chips ... mmmm ... and a good vindaloo or madras .... oh joy!

Kona-2, decoder ring or not, I think you have to be raised with Bird's custard and Lyle's golden syrup to understand the appeal, otherwise it's how I feel about peanut butter & jelly ... I just don't get it!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_syrup
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird's_Custard

Chris (rethinking dinner, even as we speak!)

bg · Post by bg » March 13th, 2008, 7:25 pm

Calamity wrote: English food is good despite what people tell you.

Jane

i travelled to england , scotland, and wales many years ago and loved the food...used to morris dance....barbara

Toothdoc · Post by **Toothdoc** » March 13th, 2008, 8:41 pm

I need to add an avatar under my name like so many of you have done. I know about photobucket and have found the image I want to use. I have tried using my Mac and a PC with no luck. Help!

Thanks,

dc

Kristine Strasburger · Post by **Kristine Strasburger** » March 13th, 2008, 9:44 pm

Doctor Dan,

Email it to me, and I will prep it for you. You do not need to use Photobucket.

kalmjorg · Post by **kalmjorg** » March 13th, 2008, 9:48 pm

Toothdoc wrote:
kalmjorg wrote:Well...I am sorry to say that I will not be rowing any more 10k's for a while. Went the the physical therapist yesterday and he has put the brakes on that. Said I must row only til I feel the pull in my neck. I am moving the damper back down to 8 now but it seems to take longer to get the meters in and I was only able to muster 5k today. I will go 3 times a week until he pulls my neck back into some semblance of order.

I also congratulate Jane and welcome Darryl!!!
Lisa,

Have you been rowing with the damper set on 10? If so, that may be a big part of the neck pain. All the speed freaks and long distance rowers I know row with a damper setting of 3-5. I personally have settled on 4. I tried 10 once just see what it was like and thought I'd ruptured my spine. There was way to much pressure on my back. One of the main reasons I row is because of back problems. That said rowing will hurt your back or neck without proper posture, technique and damper setting. Lower that damper some more you'll like. And don't worry about a few extra minutes.

Hope this helps.

dc

Well when I first started out in september I was at 5 and it felt like nothing. Then I gradually moved it up to 10 and have left it there ever since. I will definitely take your advice about moving it down some more. I am in it for the same reasons as you plus I am trying to lose weight as well. I went from a size 20 last sept. to a size 14 today. As I am 5' 9" tall that is getting very close to my goal (which is size 10). The problem with taking the extra minutes is that I only have time to row in the morning before work so I usually go in about 2 hours early to get the rowing in and cleaned up for work. I get less meters that way but I would like to get more fit. Thank you for this advice.

Concept2 Forum

LUNA-TICS TEAM ROOM: Year-round "Looney" fun.

Can this one team row to the moon and back?

All In A Day's ERG: The People and The Numbers 3/12/08

Luna-Tic Goals

Re: All In A Day's ERG: The People and The Numbers 3/12/08

Some thoughts on ergonomics

RE: Darryl's explanation

Grip, etc

Translations please! Decoder Ring Alert!

Re: Grip, etc

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