After college & the Olympics

Hello Rowers,

This post is about my passion for rowing indoors after college and the Olympics.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am 36 years old, and at the "beginning" of my life long rowing career. As I look back in time, rowing at the Olympics, is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to life long miles rowed. To people I meet, I tell them that I am rowing because I want to chase down my great grand children and regular rows will make this dream happen. In the same breath, I add that rowing is a sport that can be practiced until up to 300 years of age. Once I am of grandfather age, I see myself commuting in a class A RV with my wife to visit our grandchildren, for this I need to stay fit and row everyday.

"We" the rowers know of the zero impact/full body workout rowing is. In my opinion, it is the only cardiovascular sport to be practiced efficiently until advanced age. It is true, that cross country skiing and swimming are also zero "impact/full body workouts", BUT... Let's face it, for cross country skiing requires snow, ability to ski on slippery stuff, and enjoy cold temperatures. As for swimming, you need a pool, and efficient swimming technique in order to have a workout at all. In addition to the swimming option, you will get a soaked hairdo.

"The others" (pretty much the rest of the world) don't know anything about rowing, let alone, the high quality indoor rowing exercise option. As I see it, my job is to inform and educate the rest of the world to whom rowing is a foreign concept. While I write these lines, I am reminded of how many actual collegiate rowers passionately HATE rowing indoors... to them I say that sitting on a rowing machine is not that bad at all, if you have the right state of mind. From experience, I know, that if you learned to row at a boathouse with a coach, you were likely abused and mistreated :-) while being judged on your rowing ability on the ergometer. Therefore you are entitled to hate rowing indoors but keep your mind open to be rehabilitated to enjoy the sport off the water. Too often, unfortunately, the rowing machine is mainly used to compare raw endurance, which is wrongly equated to on the water boat moving ability. This last statement makes me want to scream.

So next time you climb onto the ergometer, whether it is the WaterRower or the Concept2, be mellow and find your groove. Love the ability to stretch out and smoothly move your body back and forth. Rowing is simultaneously a physical as well as a mental BREAK/workout.

Finally, my last advice is to be gentle to your body, you only have one, so don't freak out if an old friend from college is 50 seconds faster for 2K than you are. Use it as motivation to gradually get fit, OK?

Yours truely,

Xeno
www.ironoarsman.com
www.cafepress.com/gorow

Xeno Muller, Olympic gold and silver medalist, indoor rowing, rowing technique.