Row Row Row Your Boat

Hello friends,

I have discovered a new exercise that I actually like.....can you guess? Yup, rowing. I used to use the row machines a lot more and when I did a study abroad in England. One of my gym friends there convinced me to sign up for this Christmas challenge where you had to race other teams rowing 500 meters, running, and then sprinting while carrying chest press plates. It was a lot of fun so I took up the row machine here and there and always enjoyed it but good grief I will say it is ridiculously hard work.

Today I wasn't really feeling the treadmill so I thought I'd start out by just running a mile and then switching over to weights. All I know is I don't know if I slept well or ate some magic cereal but I killed it! The mile was over quickly and for once I actually felt great. I even considered continuing on to do another mile but I thought if I want to run again tomorrow I better not go over board. So I cooled down with a quick walk and then bounced over to the row machine. I had intended to use free weights and do some bicep curls, triceps, you know regular free weight stuff but I wasn't feeling all that inspired so I decided to jump on the rower instead. There are two in my gym and after I sat down I was quickly joined by another woman. We chatted briefly and then she asked me if I had any experience on a rower. I automatically was checking my form and thinking..."Am I doing it wrong?" But I answered and just said that I had used the rowers before and enjoyed them but it's been a while since I got on one. To my surprise she then was asking ME for tips.

At first I was in shock like "really, you're asking me?" I was almost intimidated by her she was a tall slender woman in her late 40's probably and in much better shape so I was flatter that she asked me what I knew. I'm certainly no professional so I just gave her the basics that were explained to me about keeping your back straight, not leaning back too far, pushing with your legs at the start and then pulling the bar up toward your chest, etc. I basically said that was all I really knew and it was basic information but I guess I must have looked like I knew what I was doing so that made me feel good. I did about 2,000 meters which isn't all that much but on a rower you really feel it. The first 1,000 I did as a warm up on level 3 and then I kicked it up to high gear and the last 1,000 rowed on 7 which is heavy but I did well. I managed to do each 1,000 meters in about 4:15 seconds which isn't so bad so all in all I put in about 10 minutes on the rower and I have to tell you after 10 minutes boy do you notice and feel it. I was sweating and really moving but I decided I better cool it down and hit the showers so I'm not too sore tomorrow.

All in all I was proud of my workout today and can't wait to get back to the gym tomorrow. (Can't believe I just said that but it's actually true.)