So I was coming upstairs after talking to the digits about the things you talk to digits about, when a little beep came from my mobile receiving a text message and I just knew it was going to be the outing coming On. 4pm on a cold dark monday with only 4 people signed up: I thought there was a fair chance of it being cancelled and me getting a chance to work late (oooh how I love a chance to work late). But no, thanks to James (the one how lives on a boat, except that isn't specific enough, the one who lives on a boat and has a cat not a dog, that will do) we were out in the Four of Death (stoat passim). To make things even better the Queens Boys were oiling their rippling torsos in the IV bay doing synchronised erging so we had 15 mins to kill and Tom said "why don't we do an erg while we're waiting" so we did. I disgraced myself with 7:38, but I haven't been on for months.
The outing, however, was really rather good. Despite Paul H's rather eccentric approach to balance (viz, throw your weight onto bowside in an effort not to have it down on stroke side; actually I'm being unfair in describing this as eccentric, it is all too common :-( Also he improved as we went along) and the IV's notorious skittishness we did manage the odd balanced stroke. And we didn't turn it over, a definite plus on a winter night. And it was a lovely still night, perfect for rowing, except when Cantabs tried to slice us in half. It's not as if there was a lot of other traffic out.
In the Spring afterwards we all agreed it was a splendid outing and we should do it again. Thanks to Ralph, Tom, Paul, James T. And Me.
Stoat: the blog that should really be called "Otter". Thanks to all for the responses to "Ask Stoat". I haven't forgotten you, I'm just busy.
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I have grown fat and flabby. Should I get myself a Concept II? Used ones are affordable on eBay.
[Cheaper to join a rowing club and borrow theirs. It will cost you ~£200 a year and no-one will mind if you don't row :-) -W]
I bet most of them are virtually unused - with good reason :-)
Having spent too large a portion of my student life on one of the hateful machines, I'd rather poke my eyes out with a blunt pencil than buy one. Cycling to work is all the exercise 95% of the fat and flabby population need, and it takes no time at all and saves you money. Of course it helps if the distance lies somewhere between 2 and 15 miles, as it does for the vast majority (even if they haven't consciously factored it in to their lifestyle choices).
do you mean the blog oughtta be called otter?
[sorry]
The C2 is the only exercise machine I've managed to use consistently. Got my first on in 1985. If you like machines it can't be beat. But it is the most painful form of exercise I know of and most normal people hate them. As for joining a rowing club, it depends on how close you live. I get out of bed and head to my garage and get a work out in before my wife gets up. I'd never take the 20 minutes it takes to the boat house to use the erg. I'd rather run or ride my bike in the dark. However, compared to sculling the erg really sucks. And James, I do ride my bike to work. Have for the last 33 years.
William. At least you finished your 2K. I handled down after 700m this morning. I really wasn't hurting very much but I didn't want to do it. Didn't have the confidence to get a PR and it didn't seem worth doing if I didn't (but I did do a 7.5K warm up so the day wasn't completely wasted).
[Ah, but I had 3 other people watching me so I couldn't give up - that's the benefit of a club :-) -W]
William. At least you finished your 2K. I handled down after 700m this morning. I really wasn't hurting very much but I didn't want to do it. Didn't have the confidence to get a PR and it didn't seem worth doing if I didn't (but I did do a 7.5K warm up so the day wasn't completely wasted).
Cycling to work used to be all the exercise I needed. Then work moved into my spare bedroom.
The fat and flab have come on since moving from Manchester, where gym memberships are reasonably priced, to Staines, where the prices are well into fuck-off territory.
But there are undoubtedly rowing clubs in Staines. Hmm.