For all of you working your way through the 100k rowing challenge, keep rowing away your doing great! Now for those of you that are going to attempt the Marathon row on Monday, are you ready for this massive undertaking?
Check out Amy Locati’s great blog post for tips and tricks on how to make your long distance rowing endeavors a little easier.
You may also want to check out my blog post from last year for some rowing efficiency tips.
Now before you hop on your favorite rower and settle in for the long haul check out this “pre-row” checklist just to make sure your marathon goes smoothly and without any unfortunate mishaps.
Check your fuel gauge!
You wouldn’t head off on a long distance road trip without first making sure you have plenty of fuel right? No you would not…well some of us might. And you shouldn’t do a marathon row or any long distance row for that matter without checking your battery level first. How terrible would it be to get 42,000 meters into your row only to have your batteries die!
Now don’t worry, the batteries in the monitors should last about 200 hours (according to Concept2). But with that being said be sure to check out the little battery icon at the top of the main menu. If it’s at the halfway mark or lower I’d recommend swapping out those batteries just to be safe.
Check that rail
This one is more of an annoyance than anything but make sure that rail is shiny clean.
Over time dirt can accumulate on the rail in the form of black smudges. These deposits also end up on the wheels under the seat and can end up causing noise and a bumpy ride. You want your time on the rower to be as comfortable and pleasant as possible and believe me it won’t take much for even the smallest of things to get on your nerves!
We try to keep the rails as clean as possible but it doesn’t hurt to grab a damp sanitary cloth and run it down the rails before your workout just to be sure.
Check your time, get that data!
Because you will spend a considerable amount of time on the rower this will be a great time to accumulate and collect a lot of data about your rowing. Data that you could potentially collect includes split times, average pace, strokes per minute, calories, etc.
All of this awesome data can be used to make future rowing workouts far more efficient and effective. To be able to collect and log this data you first have to create the workout or specify the distance you plan on rowing. Luckily the marathon row is already programmed in the monitor and all you have to do is go into custom workouts and select 42,195m.
Now that you have your workout selected you can start collecting your data. as well as set your “pace boat” which is another cool and helpful feature that I highly recommend taking advantage of.
Once you finish your row this data is automatically stored in the monitor for later review and study. Another option is to plug a USB memory stick into the back of the monitor and store your information there as well. This memory stick then becomes your “log book” that you can plug into any Concept2 rower with a PM5 monitor.
Check your mind
The marathon row is a great way to not only build endurance but to test it as well. You’ll be tested physically and mentally and that is exactly the point. When we work to improve our fitness, so much of what we do is focused on the physical aspect but the mental side is equally important. By putting ourselves in uncomfortable situations we improve our mental fortitude and thus continue to grow in all areas of fitness.
-Coach Shane
