/\ September \/ Row the Nile Challenge

At 6695 km, the Nile River is the longest river in the world; we're rowing its length, from its origin in Burundi to the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt.  All rowing distances are acceptable, including rowing done on indoor ergs and in outdoor shells.

The overall challenge of rowing the Nile is divided into monthly sub-challenges.  Each month's sub-challenge will begin on the first of the month and end on the last day of the month, but you're welcome to join at any time.

Post your desired monthly sub-challenge distance, then post all distances rowed at any time.  While you're at it, post how your sessions went.  We can all encourage each other to meet our goals.  All distances rowed, by everyone, will be added together and will count towards the overall goal.

Everyone is welcome to join.  If you've rowed with us before, welcome back, the Nile is a very long river, we could use your muscle power.

There are many forms of exercise in the world, but few as complete as rowing. If you have a rower at home collecting dust, then this is a chance to use it for more than a clothes hanger.  If you're an outdoor rower, welcome. If you've always walked by those rowers at the gym, then this is a chance to give them a try.

September Challenges

the_oarsman - Goal: 75 km - Rowed: 6.5 km

maxx86 - Goal: 40 km - Rowed: 17.5 km

bmx419 - Goal: 480 minutes - Rowed:  0 minutes

mg4820 - Goal: 40 km - Rowed: 8.7 km

 
Active Members

the_oarsman - Total Rowed: 281 km

miss_bea - Total Rowed: 52 km

maxx86 - Total Rowed: 80 km

tigerkno - Total Rowed: 98 km

mg4820 - Total Rowed: 30 km

bmx419 - Total Rowed: New Member

Retired Members

We encourage anyone to come out of retirement at any time.

ernst31 - Total Rowed: 12 km

apophenia - Total Rowed: 30 km

lindsayadelia - Total Rowed: 56 km

cybersam - Total Rowed: 52 km

Rowing the Nile Challenge

Start Date: June 2009

Total distance, to date, by all rowers (not including this month): 691 km

Distance of Nile River: 6695 km

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~

What's all this about rowing, anyway?

Most rowing machines (known as ergometers, or ergs) will have a display on which you will see various numbers, including the total time and distance, usually in meters or kilometers.

If it's your first time, go slow!  It takes time to build the necessary muscles for any new exercise.  That's especially true for rowing.  Try a few minutes at first, and then add a few minutes every few days.  Before you know it, you'll be rowing for many kilometers at a time.

Technique is important!  I have some information on my profile, as well as some animation that shows proper technique.  First timers, there's no need to rush or to push yourself too much.  This can be a lifelong pursuit if you build up slowly.

Any suggestions for estimating distance if you're using an old school C2 w/ no display at all?

Original Post by bmx419:

Any suggestions for estimating distance if you're using an old school C2 w/ no display at all?

Welcome to the group bmx.  Calculating a distance will be a challenge with no display.  You could go for a timed challenge rather than a distance challenge.  Just post how long you've rowed rather than how far.

At the end of the month we can just take a rough guess as to how far you went and add that to the total distance.  Ultimately this is about getting fit; the distance challenge is just a motivator.  If you feel that you're in pretty good shape than we can assume that you're probably rowing at 2:20 to 2:30 splits.  If you've been rowing for a while, than maybe we could go with 2:00 to 2:15 splits.

Regardless, at the end of the month, the difference in distance between 2:00 and 2:30 splits won't be so important.  The main point is to row.  We can work out the details later. 

What do you say?  Want to go for a timed challenge?

Dude, honestly, I have no idea what that means lol. I usually row for 20mins as a warm-up, steadily going faster. Or I'll row for 30mins as a workout, using HIIT.

Original Post by bmx419:

Dude, honestly, I have no idea what that means lol. I usually row for 20mins as a warm-up, steadily going faster. Or I'll row for 30mins as a workout, using HIIT.

Too funny.  Sorry about that.  Let's do this; pick a total time that you want to row for the month.  We'll figure out a distance later.  How many days a week do you row?

It's all good. I'm actually changing my routine, but I'll guess atleast 3x a week for 20min warmup(I like to have a lot of variation) and probably only 1-2x for a 30min workout.

Original Post by bmx419:

It's all good. I'm actually changing my routine, but I'll guess atleast 3x a week for 20min warmup(I like to have a lot of variation) and probably only 1-2x for a 30min workout.

 That sounds like about 2 hours a week.  I'll put you down for 480 minutes for the month.  That will probably be about 100 km for the month, but we can get a closer estimate as we go along.

Original Post by the_oarsman:

Original Post by bmx419:

It's all good. I'm actually changing my routine, but I'll guess atleast 3x a week for 20min warmup(I like to have a lot of variation) and probably only 1-2x for a 30min workout.

 That sounds like about 2 hours a week.  I'll put you down for 480 minutes for the month.  That's probably about 100 km for the month.

Sounds good. Whatever floats the boat. no pun intended.

Excited for Septemeber! But mainly for my week off

Anyway, bmx, I agree that 480 minutes will be around 100k.  That's about a 2:30 split, which, if I were rowing for 20 minutes, would probably be about my speed.

Now a split, that refers to how long it takes to row 500m, which is how the erg measures your speed.  You won't need to know this if you don't have a screen, but we talk about it a lot so it may be helpful.

Stroke rating or s/m is strokes per minute, which the erg screen also shows, but you could probably measure if you're good at counting while exercising, which I'm not.  We mention this every once in a while too.

Do you row at home or a gym?  How long have you been rowing/erging?

Mr. and Ms. Oarsman (I took the liberty of changing your last name) - I hope the move goes well and you love your new town and apartment!  Sounds like you guys have a crazy month ahead, but the good news is that crazy is great exercise!

Once things calm down you will be able to find some new walking routes in your new neighborhood for your romantic evening walks

Do you have a spiffy new room in which to erg and crunch?

I am back and  I'll try for 40K (yikes).  I am signed up for a 50 mile bike ride/fundraiser mid-month so I need to get in more miles on the bike. I'll try to work that and rowing more into my routine. 

I didn't take the canoe out at all while I was on vacation, so no rowing of any sort in August.  While I did waterski once, I didn't think I could log that on the challenge! I was very sore after skiing - it's been a long time since I've done that!

Good luck everyone!

Yay mg I'm glad you're back! 

I can't believe you didn't take the canoe out once!! You didn't get to practice your steering?!

I hope you had an awesome vacation though, doing lots of things outdoors.

What is the fundraiser for?  Is it on the 13th?  (apparently I'm nosy today) There are tons of fundraisers around here on the 13th.  I'm volunteering at a cancer fundraiser/walk, and I know there are also lukemia and arthritis walks in the area on the same day! 

Original Post by maxx86:

Excited for Septemeber! But mainly for my week off

Anyway, bmx, I agree that 480 minutes will be around 100k.  That's about a 2:30 split, which, if I were rowing for 20 minutes, would probably be about my speed.

Now a split, that refers to how long it takes to row 500m, which is how the erg measures your speed.  You won't need to know this if you don't have a screen, but we talk about it a lot so it may be helpful.

Stroke rating or s/m is strokes per minute, which the erg screen also shows, but you could probably measure if you're good at counting while exercising, which I'm not.  We mention this every once in a while too.

Do you row at home or a gym?  How long have you been rowing/erging?

 

Thanks. Row at gym, for about 3 months now.

Original Post by maxx86:

Yay mg I'm glad you're back! 

I can't believe you didn't take the canoe out once!! You didn't get to practice your steering?!

I hope you had an awesome vacation though, doing lots of things outdoors.

What is the fundraiser for?  Is it on the 13th?  (apparently I'm nosy today) There are tons of fundraisers around here on the 13th.  I'm volunteering at a cancer fundraiser/walk, and I know there are also lukemia and arthritis walks in the area on the same day! 

No canoeing, but a fair amount of cycling, walking, hiking, eating and drinking, eating and drinking, eating and drinking...

The cycling event I am doing is on the 13th. It is the "Purple Ride" which is a fundraiser for pancreatic cancer. There are a bunch of rides, runs and walks that weekend here as well. My husband and son are volunteering at another event on the same day. We obviously didn't coordinate our calendars!

9/1 4km

It took a while to find a good rhythm on the erg after being off for a month. I know I will be sore tomorrow!

*edited to log km

2k today

4 x 500m at 2:16, 2:11, 2:10, and 2:09, with some lazy paddling between but I'm not counting that distance.

I got to sit behind sweaty butts, my favorite, so steady state was completely out of the question since there was nothing good to look at...

mg - sounds like you enjoyed the vaca, and great job getting back on the erg so quickly!  It must be bittersweet to be back to reality... I do wonder why all these events are the same weekend, maybe in the hopes that it will get a lot of awareness out there?

Original Post by maxx86:

Mr. and Ms. Oarsman (I took the liberty of changing your last name) - I hope the move goes well and you love your new town and apartment!  Sounds like you guys have a crazy month ahead, but the good news is that crazy is great exercise!

Once things calm down you will be able to find some new walking routes in your new neighborhood for your romantic evening walks

Do you have a spiffy new room in which to erg and crunch?

 Its actually a loft, so there's one large open space that makes up the living room, dining room and kitchen.  THe bedroom is walled off, but that was an add-on at some point in the building's history.

The loft is in the middle of a main street of a quiet little village next to a river and a large national park.  There are a lot of trails in the park so we expect to do a lot of walking.  Down the river a bit is a rowing club.  I wonder if I should think about joining .

Original Post by mg4820:

I am back and  I'll try for 40K (yikes).  I am signed up for a 50 mile bike ride/fundraiser mid-month so I need to get in more miles on the bike. I'll try to work that and rowing more into my routine. 

I didn't take the canoe out at all while I was on vacation, so no rowing of any sort in August.  While I did waterski once, I didn't think I could log that on the challenge! I was very sore after skiing - it's been a long time since I've done that!

Good luck everyone!

 

 Welcome back mg.  It's nice to have you out of retirement and with us again.  I am willing to bet the rowing will help you traing for the bike ride.  I used to water ski in my previous life (university years).  It's a really awesome sport.  Now I'm old, so I just try not to slip in the shower  .

I've got you out of retirement and up for a 40 km goal.

Original Post by bmx419:

Thanks. Row at gym, for about 3 months now.

 I read in your profile that you are in the military is that right?  Are you in a civilian gym, or on base?  Either way, you should demand an upgraded, modern rower.  Tell them that you simply can't be in a military that doesn't have a proper rowing machine.  If that doesn't work, tell them you know me.  I'm sure that will put some fear in them

Original Post by mg4820:

9/1 4km

It took a while to find a good rhythm on the erg after being off for a month. I know I will be sore tomorrow!

*edited to log km

 It will come back to you mg.  Take it slowly at first.  You need to rebuild some unused muscles.  We'll have the same problem when we finally get moved and get the erg up and running again.  A few weeks off and muscles tend to atrophy.

Nice job on a 4k so quickly after returning.

Original Post by maxx86:

2k today

4 x 500m at 2:16, 2:11, 2:10, and 2:09, with some lazy paddling between but I'm not counting that distance.

I got to sit behind sweaty butts, my favorite, so steady state was completely out of the question since there was nothing good to look at...

 Great splits maxx with a nice steady decrease in time with each interval.

Did you ever think about telling the other rowers that they have sweaty butts and that they should do something about it?  That might get them to go away the next time they see you.

Alternatively, you could tell the gym management  that you have issues with their erg setup.  They should place the rowers so you don't have to stare at sweaty butts all day.

2 km it is.  Nice way to start the month.

2k yesterday - 2:15 split - 4k total!

the oarsman, your new place sounds quite nice!  And you SHOULD think about joining the rowing club, rowing on the water is so relaxing. That is, if you don't have a coach yelling in your ear...