RRC Archives

I know you all think I am a gay guy, but rowing is were it is at. You heard it here first. Rowing is the best cardio adjunct to climbing. Try it for a 2-3 weeks and if you aren't completely satisfied, .... well, I guess you will get over it. But, I think it will help your climbing.

(previous post comes from a guy who hasn't touched rock in months and dreams a deluded dream of finding heroic greatness and immortality at the cliff.)

Yeah lurky we caught the whole rowing thread, I didn't know they still made those things. I've wanted one for years but seriously thought they were antiques.

And too paraphrase a climber friend, "I can run 17 miles and still struggle on the approaches."

Running just gives me alot of knee trouble and tight hamstrings that messup my flexablity.

You're right about the accountability, Wes. I used to meet a 19 year-old boy (don't bother, I heard all the smart-arse remarks then) every morning at 5:30. We would run into the sunrise, and it was great! I would sometimes show up after being up all night with a sick grandbuddy, and he might show up still a little drunk from the night before, but we always made it. I really miss having a partner. It makes you get up and go!

I've got to get motivated!!!!!

I used to struggle with running too. I'd wake up and think, "I need to run today," but rarely did I actually do so, and when I did, it was never for more than a mile or so. At last, I finally found the cure for those doldrums, and now I run nearly every day. The secret? Join the Army!

rowing machines ("ergs") are not gone. they have a dedicated and zealous following (almost as much as climbing!) check out www.concept2.com.
they are kind of steep (we got ours off ebay). The YMCA's around town have a few as does the Johnson Center.
The game is to do short intervals (500, 1000, 2000) and longer endurance intervals (5000, 10000, 20000,) as fast as you can. There is a ranking page where you can post your times. You can start chasing the times of eveyone else in the world who is doing the same thing.
The site is also a very good source of training schedules, tips, advice, etc...
the other good site is www.concept2.uk.com. The Brits (and Aussies, and Kiwis) are psycho about rowing. those guys are monsters.

iPod shuffle with angery music
Underarmour tops and pants
Red bull (suger free)
Running shoes (slightly chewed up)
Kinda cold, dark suburban streets

Yep, time to run!

I can't wait for warmer weather to get back to running.
Been slacking off in the workout dept. lately but looking forward to getting back to it.
The stationairy bike can get old.

I hate running, but I really should get back to doing it some. If I'm going to send harder at the Red, I need better aerobic endurance and I need to recover faster at rests. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to drop a few pounds. Watching Shani Davis skate makes me want to speed skate, until I remember how amazingly bad I am at ice skating...


(sidebar: I think that I'm starting to be able to differentiate between being truly pumped versus being aerobically wasted. It makes a difference in that if I'm really pumped, nothing but a hands-off rest will help, but if I'm not that pumped, then relaxing and shaking out on jugs can allow me to keep going.)