Ethereal Rowing

To compare easy rowing to walking, it is like a slow uphill walk.

But rowing uses more muscles than walking

Indoor rowing is like rowing against the current of a river at exactly the same speed as the current, so the boat remains motionless relative to the river bank (floor and the walls of the room).

Today’s session was another easy 15K like yesterday, except today’s included a 500 meter sprint starting when the distance counted down to 1,000 meters.  That sprint increased total calories burned by 8.  To compare apples to calories, that extra 8 calories would be the equivalent to about 1/2 ounce of apples.

Happy trails.

Today’s rowing session was done at an easy pace of about 2:28/500 meters.  That translates to about 7.5 mph, which is faster than a horse… if you limit your equine thoughts to only seahorses.  Which are actually fish. According to what I could find on the subject of how fast can a seahorse swim, the answer was: their top speed is about 3 miles per hour.

 

Today’s rowing was done in a manner that seems to make time pass very quickly by rowing with eyes closed. I counted each stroke, starting at the beginning of the session. When the count reached 130 strokes I opened my eyes and watched the first 1,000 meters finish.  Then I closed my eyes and counted each stroke until the count reached 130 again, opened my eyes and watched the next 1,000 meters finish.   Et cetera.  At the pace I was rowing, it took about 13 rowing strokes per 100 meters and 130 per 1,000 meters.

Counting was a background activity in the mind while I rowed at that relaxed pace, did some mindful meditation and also thought about things such as recent conversational topics with Diane.

Happy trails.

Today’s indoor rowing was done in silence in the respect that no music was playing during the session.  There were the other usual sounds: the rotation of the C2 flywheel, the rhythmic whooshing of air out of the flywheel shroud and the sound of a fan in the room.  All of those sounds are white-noise, surfy-type sounds. Eyes were closed most of the time except for periodically opening them to check on progress and glance at the readings on the RowPro screen and Concept 2 PM (machine-mounted personal monitor).

It was done at a “walking” pace for rowing, instead of a “jogging” or faster pace.  The distance was set to 15,000 meters.  Even though the pace was so leisurely that my heart never even got up into heart rate zone 1, the lowest of the five aerobic heart zones… it still burned a nice amount of calories.  Which illustrates that walking is great exercise… if done for a long enough time. Rowing at a walking pace burns more calories than literal walking, because rowing exercises many more muscles in the body. To burn a comparable amount of calories by walking, a person could wade in water.

I like to row fast but it’s best in a race.   So  I just keep watching for an occasional scheduled internet race at an opportune time.

Happy trails.

Today’s session was 14K like yesterday’s but was done earlier in the day due to other things scheduled later.

By earlier I mean it was done first thing, before sunrise or breakfast or coffee.

Yesterday’s was in the afternoon.

Like yesterday’s, today’s 14K was done at what felt like an easy, laid back pace and with eyes closed part of the time but  I seemed to have more energy and settled into a slightly faster pace.

Happy trails.

Today’s session was 14K at a relaxed, easy pace while listening to music performed by a band of Icelanders. About half the time, the rowing was done in the manner of yesterday’s ethereal session, with eyes closed.

Happy trails.

Today’s session was a leisurely 12K.  For most of the time, I rowed with my eyes closed, as a dreamy way to experience ethereal rowing…

A few times during the session, there were text messages to respond to.  During those brief times, I opened my eyes and rowed one-handed.

Happy trails.

Yesterday’s rowing session wasn’t posted so this post covers yesterday and today. Each of these two sessions was done while watching a video and focusing on the video, not the rowing.

Happy trails.

Today’s rowing was an easy half marathon which was done while watching a baseball game.  The Diamondbacks were ahead in this game from the time I started watching and rowing… and they stayed ahead and won the game, so though I rowed leisurely like yesterday, it was done with a bit more energy than yesterday.

Happy trails.

Today’s rowing was done while watching part of a baseball game.

Happy trails.

Today’s rowing session on the Concept 2 erg was a quick and easy 10K to the accompaniment of a 2:12.8/500m pace boat. That pace of 2:12.8 was easy but due to the warm room temperature, I needed a sweatband to help control the sweat which eventually appeared and bathed my head and face. Its a good way to help clean out the pores and stimulate circulation.

Happy trails.