What Do You Do While Erg-ing?

[[old] John Hendrie]

In my earlier post I completely forgot to mention one of my chief activities while rowing. I go through memorable series of numbers, one stroke per digit. These are numbers like my army serial number, high school locker combination (yes, I remember it after 52 years), important dates including the birth dates of the entire family from my parents through 4 grand children, important historic dates like 12/07/1941 and 09/11/2001, and so on. It now tales me more than 6 minutes to get through all which covers more than 1400 meters and I am trying to think of addtional numbers to add.<br /><br />An additional benefit? One of my daughters tells me this is good mind exercise to help delay the onset of alzheimers (is she trying to tell me something?).<br /><br />Give it a try - might float<br /><br />john

[[old] DavidA]

I like the distraction of TV/DVD - I also find sports the best. I also do lots of stroke counting and mean pace watching.<br /><br />David<br />

[[old] Neb154]

One thing i forgot to add to my listening to music comment, counting out strokes. That helps alot when you figure with about 300 meters left, at a 26, you have 26 strokes left. So just get that 6 done and its a hard 20 to the finish. I also picture the meters as one of those date books with the flip pages of numbers, and each hundred, or thousand, that flips down, just brings me closer to the finish. Random math is also a good thing, like how many strokes left, what percent am I done, whats my average 500 for this split, based on the split time, etc.

[[old] sellsworth]

I usually watch cycling DVDs. Usually that means watching the Tour de France but I also watch some of the one-day events like Paris-Roubaix. Watching the videos usually motivates me to put in a bit more effort.

[[old] leonard]

Suffer!

[[old] Canoeist]

<!--QuoteBegin-John Hendrie+Jun 13 2005, 10:44 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(John Hendrie @ Jun 13 2005, 10:44 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I go through memorable series of numbers, one stroke per digit. These are numbers like my army serial number, high school locker combination (yes, I remember it after 52 years), important dates including the birth dates of the entire family from my parents through 4 grand children, important historic dates like 12/07/1941 and 09/11/2001, and so on.<br />john <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />Try the "Time Machine" during a 2K. You start at the year zero and quickly travel through time to the year 2000. The dark ages, around 1200, the going really gets tough!<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />Paul Flack

[[old] Daren C]

When rowing in the morning, I tend to watch the breakfast news show on BBC1 (cunningly titled "Breakfast" I think). At other times, I normally put in a DVD. I do get a little annoyed that most of the episodic shows I watch on DVD are shorter than half an hour (e.g. The Office, Red Dwarf, Blackadder), as that's the mimimum time I row for. Lately I've been watching my Live Aid DVDs and my Liverpool FC Official History DVD.

[LindaM]

I guess I'm a multi-tasker at heart. When I row, I listen to music, work on problems (mentally) - both work and personal, play math games with the monitor and plan out the rest of my day or week. Unless, I've course I'm pushing for a PR, in which case, I'm focused on breathing, form and that monitor only.

[[old] hennmart]

Listen to music, sometimes the radio, always the rowpro rower, focus on the projected time, focus on the average pass, heart rate, sometimes tv/dvd, thinking when I'm ready what to do (bath, eat something, etc.).<br /><br />I always think why do I do it? And always I can think of a few good reasons why I'm on the erg (health, feeling good when I'm ready, weight, breaking a PB/SB and so on).<br /><br />Hennie

[[old] RacerX]

Think about rowing on the water....<br /><br />Seriously, for easy to medium rows I listen to my iPod. My music collection is at 248g, about 59,000 songs - so there is always something to try. For hard rows then I am watching pace, heart rate, spm, projected time. And thinking about rowing on the water....

[[old] jok3r]

Well as I am firly new to rowing and purchased a C2 with PM3 I tried a few sessions with the MTV on loud, so got both music and television I suppose <br /><br />I find it difficult to watch the screen and concentrate on my stroke and making sure I stay within in the limits i set for myself. So for now it seems the TV is on just in case I wanna look up from the PM3. Tried the Rowprod Demo and projecting it onto a big screen in fron of the rower is very nice, but $99 for us is a lot of money.<br /><br />So now I will use a spreadsheet and the log card utility to keep track. I have not set out a proper training progam as yet as I am still convinced I should row for a a while till my stroke is the same without concentrating to hard.<br /><br />...from South Africa....<br /><br /><br />

[[old] ksumner]

I like to see others sweat. Since I haven't found good workout videos/DVD's with rowing, I use the Carmichael Trainright DVD's for biking. <br /><br />They were easy to tailor to rowing. Find your HR zones and the directions in the video and they will give anyone a great workout.<br /><br />I have long arms so I workout by "changing gears" I just slide from hard to easy and back to hard rowing again. <br /><br />I have found great benefit, just like in biking, in rowing at a 35 stroke with the damper setting on 1 for an interval, and the next interval at a damper setting of 10 with a stroke rate of 23 for example in the same HR zone. <br /><br />Intervals and these videos make all my workouts fly by in no time. <br /><br />

[[old] akit110]

Just recently, I started rowing in front of the television in the living room (the rest of the family is away right now). <br /><br />I noticed that if I'm watching a good movie - particularly an action flick - time goes by more quickly than when I just stare at the PM2 monitor. The only problem is that my pace tends to be far less consistent as I am not paying attention to the monitor and my average 500m pace is 5 or 6 seconds slower. <br /><br />This is not so bad because when I stare at the monitor with no other distractions, I tend to push myself hard each and every workout and start to burn out after a week or two (i.e. trying to go faster each workout).

[[old] dmhayden]

Lately, I've been listening to the iPod. I watch the PM2 monitor also, mostly the pace/500m. Sometimes on longer rows, I'll watch the meters rowed (or left) and vary my effort - 500m hard, 500m easier.<br /><br />I can't think about math problems or work or plan my day while rowing. The effort to row takes up all my energy. To me, if you can do math problems in your head while rowing, then you aren't rowing hard enough Or maybe it's just that I'm a bear of very little brain <br />

[[old] whp4]

<!--QuoteBegin-akit110+Jun 22 2005, 02:11 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(akit110 @ Jun 22 2005, 02:11 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><br />I noticed that if I'm watching a good movie - particularly an action flick - time goes by more quickly than when I just stare at the PM2 monitor.  The only problem is that my pace tends to be far less consistent as I am not paying attention to the monitor and my average 500m pace is 5 or 6 seconds slower.  <br /> <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />I have just the opposite happen; watching an action flick makes me go faster! Every time I've watched "Kill Bill, Vol. 1" while rowing, I've set a new personal best for the half marathon <br /><br />Bill<br />