Free Spirits Rowing

hey there TFS (team Free Spirit).

this is all new to me, I have been rowing for the last three or four years on my own rower, which I bought after the gym owner just kept getting under my skin, but that is antoher story altogether. Anyway, have been rowing all that time, learning as I go, and loving it, and living that there are like minded people out there too. You get to thinking you are a lone nutter at times in your rowing addictions - for addiction it is!

So, my name is Jason Bartley (Bart since I was about 13), live in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. 35 years old, ex rugby representative rugby player. My weight blew out to about 120kg a year or two after I finished playing rugby, and in the last two years, it has slimmed back down to 100kg, which is now less than my playing weight. Amazing how you think "It's only a couple of kilos over my playing weight" as your belly sags over your belt. Anyway, hooked on rowing now.

I get bored though sometimes. I am sure we all do, but sometimes, when a 5k row, just a 20 minute jaunt, looks and feels like it is going to take 2 weeks to complete - so motivation ideas out there??

Also, interval training - anyone got any gutbusters that can kill...

here's one that I have hurt to in the past, if I can get it off my keyboard and onto your screen in a manner that is understood...

take a 2:00/500 opening figures, and start rowing. If you row your first 500 m in say 1:50, the next ten seconds you sprint as hard as you can. That'll mean at the next 500 split (1000m), you may be 3:35, which gives you a 25 second sprint. Keep going like this, your sprint getting longer and longer, until you end up a mnute ahead of your splits. Once you get a minute ahead of your splits, just sprint the seconds again, so 1 minute 10 seconds ahead, sprint for 10 etc.

Did the above make sense? I have set some PBs with that.

Anyway, glad to be here, hope to do my bit for the team in the metres department, and learn more, get fitter / stronger / faster, and met nice people!!

Hi Jason,

Cool profile photo.

So you want some challenges....he he he.
Shall I start again guys?
I can hear the moans from here.

You should have a good look around ELM.
We post lots of good ones on here.

Some people like 100m sprints.
Some of us prefer marathons.
Cheops might interest you - that's a nasty interval set I'm going to try next week.
Not putting up many new challenges at the moment cos of holidays.

In case you've missed it, web site is....

http://elm.dynamicducks.com

We have a separate forum for it which you can get from the index.

BartMan wrote:Mount Maunganui

How often do you run round that amazing point? Beautiful place apart from the port.

How far did you go in rugby? To be representative in NZ must be pretty tough!

just moved to the Moutn fulltime from Whangamata, so no often - running too hard on rugby wrecked knees and ankles. Not that I liked it that much anyway!!

Rugby - played for Thames Valley - a 3rd division side at the time, was promoted to second division in my time there, so a final winners medal in the mix, but not much to brag about really, just loved playing rugby.