Life on the Inside

Don’t stop rowing this winter. If you live in a warmer climate, there are many lovely bodies of water to row on in the South and West. For everyone else, there’s the ergometer. Go to the Concept2 website, find a workout that suits you, and pair up with a partner for motivation and for safety. The erg isn’t just for long-distance and interval training either. Use the machine to work on individual segments of a race. This work will help make the parts of your race plan become second nature. Try a move in the middle of a piece to keep the rate and intensity up. Work on your finishing sprint as often as possible, ingraining the step-ups in rate.

Get outdoors as often as possible to give yourself a break from the erg.

Another racing move you might practice on the erg is the fast 10. Have your partner take 10 hard strokes with you rowing alongside her. When she takes the fifth stoke, start your 10 faster than her so that you leapfrog ahead. Learn various drills on the erg so that you don’t waste valuable time on the water having to get up to speed. Finally, get outdoors as often as possible to give yourself a break from the erg. Running, snow-shoeing, and cross-country skiing, are all great ways to strengthen your rowing while diminishing your cabin fever.