Ducks In A Row - Introductions

[[old] seattlekathy]

Hi all,<br /><br />Thanks for the welcome! I discovered the weight loss workouts and have been following that plan. I'm only a few days in, but it's amazing to me how much easier it is for me to get through 10 minutes already! I am up to 20 minutes now and can't imagine going an hour a day, but I promise I'll get there!<br /><br />Emilia, I don't think staying out of the rain in Seattle makes you not a duck -- these days, it's just self-preservation! <br /><br />I used to play volleyball, softball, basketball, tennis, racquetball, football, etc. Pretty much any sport you put in front of me, I'd play. Except maybe soccer because I have absolutely NO coordination with my feet so I was a menace on the soccer pitch. And not in a good way! Then, three knee surgeries later, and I couldn't really play sports anymore. The problem was, I was never much of an exerciser outside of sports so I just became sedentary. Dumb move! So, here I am fixing it.<br /><br />Wish me luck! <br /><br />Kathy

[[old] kjgress]

Hello all: I have been looking for a virtual team to join for awhile now and, after reading many threads decided that this is the place for me! I am 41, a lightweight, and have been seriously erging since June of 2004. I rowed lightweight in college (the second time around) and quit when I became pregnant with my first daughter. I bought an erg in 1996 after the second daughter was born and began using it when the third daughter was 3 (in 2003). I was losing weight and things were going pretty well until I used the exercise as an excuse to eat anything I wanted (I am rowing, it's ok) and then I began skipping workouts. In June of 2004 I made a pledge to myself that worked very well for me. I would row 10K every day, no matter what. I didn't care how fast it was or how much I had to break it up to fit in work and taking kids to school, etc. I began to log my meters on the Concept 2 website and NEVER missed a day. I really like chocolate and sweets and limited myself to one sweet snack at the recommened serving size/day. <br /><br />My first goal was to make lightweight by Thanksgiving (6 months to lose 28 pounds). 10K fit my schedule well because I could break the distance up into 2 or 3 short rows. After a month or so I added that I would row an hour without stopping on one weekend day. The next goal was to row a half marathon once per month (replacing the hour row that weekend). I took the erg with me on vacation (my husband works half the time in New York City and so that summer we drove from Denver to New York and back 4500 miles in the car!). I made my lightweight goal and then my husband challenged me to pull a 2K piece for time. The last time I had rowed an erg piece for time was when the distance was still 2500 meters. I did it and the time was fast enough to qualify me for the CRASHB's. So he told me I had to row at the local satellite regatta and see if I could get a trip to Boston. By chance I met someone at the Mile-Hi Sprints that I had rowed with in college and she was a member of the local rowing club. So I joined the club and was able to get back on the water for the first time in over 16 years. I had a wonderful summer sculling and then got on the development squad for Concept 2 to try and make the team for the European Championships in Copenhagen in Dec 2005. <br /><br />Two of my three daughters enjoy rowing (the oldest only does it when she feels guilty) and my middle daughter wants to learn to row on the water. Unfortunately, here in Denver, we don't have any programs for kids to learn to row.<br /><br />I am glad to be joining DIAR, where I know you guys will appreciate having to stop a test piece for time (which I had to plan around a million other events that day and had to be completed because it was the last day of the month) because of an event that went something like this :<br />"Mom, we need you." <br />"huff, huff, ...not...right....now." <br /> "Mom, it can't wait." <br />".....why.....not......." <br />"Gillian has a cut." <br />"...get.....a......band....aid!!!!" <br />"Not that kind of cut." <br />"......get....a.....butterfly?" <br />"Well, maybe, but I think it needs stitches." <br /><br />By now the concentration is blown and the child has arrived, covered in blood. Stop rowing, apply pressure, rinse with water bottle, apply butterfly, no stitches needed, comfort child, calm other hysterical child and resume row. 8) <br /><br />All in a day's work. I look forward to being a Duck!<br /><br />KJG

[[old] Canada Goose]

Hi KJG!<br /><br />Great first post! I see that not only do you do lots of metres, you are also speedy! Neat to see that you lost all that weight and made it to lightweight. I only have three more pounds to go until lightweight, then I have the big challenge of maintaining.<br /><br />I totally understand about the kid interruptions too! When my kids were younger they were calm as lambs until I got going on the erg, then World War III would break out!!! Things are better now that they are older though.<br /><br />Shannon

[[old] amyisbest@hotmail.com1]

<!--fonto:Arial--><span style="font-family:Arial"><!--/fonto-->Hello <br /><br />My name is Amy (Ducky) and I just joined Ducks in a Row! I'm a 19 year old student, and I have been rowing (on water) since I was 13. The erg has never been my "friend", but as I am recovering from wrist/elbow injuries, I thought I would attempt to bond with the erg once more until I can get back on the water. I'm definitely not very fast any more, as I've taken about 2 years off from serious competition. Hopefully the ducks will keep me motivated to keep erging to drop those scores and get back into shape! <br /><br />Thanks for everyone's motivational stories....that's what finally made me decide to join the team!<br /><br /><br /><!--coloro:#009900--><span style="color:#009900"><!--/coloro--><!--sizeo:2--><span style="font-size:10pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><!--fonto:System--><span style="font-family:System"><!--/fonto-->"Rowing is a sport for dreamers. As long as you put in the work, you can own the dream. When the work stops, the dream disappears." -Jim Diet<!--fontc--></span><!--/fontc-->z<!--fontc--></span><!--/fontc--><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--><!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->