IMCT Running Club

[Dr. Medulla]

I am, without a doubt, cursed with rowing machines. Around halfway into December, the monitor for the rower just started stopping and restarting mid-row. And the company no longer manufactures it, but the current monitor can be installed on my rower. Not cheap—US$300—but I ordered one. Installed it and … it doesn't work. Turns on but it doesn't read the strokes. Watched all kinds of installation videos and tried all the tricks, but nope. Maybe it's defective, I dunno. So I'm waiting on instructions for returning it. But it means I won't have a monitor going forward. I can still row, but I can't see how fast I'm going/how far I've gone. I'm trying to be positive and think that it'll break me of my obsessive self-competition and record keeping. And it's not like I'm training for something, just exercising. Still, how hard should it be to find something that works properly?

[Kory]

I am, without a doubt, cursed with rowing machines. Around halfway into December, the monitor for the rower just started stopping and restarting mid-row. And the company no longer manufactures it, but the current monitor can be installed on my rower. Not cheap—US$300—but I ordered one. Installed it and … it doesn't work. Turns on but it doesn't read the strokes. Watched all kinds of installation videos and tried all the tricks, but nope. Maybe it's defective, I dunno. So I'm waiting on instructions for returning it. But it means I won't have a monitor going forward. I can still row, but I can't see how fast I'm going/how far I've gone. I'm trying to be positive and think that it'll break me of my obsessive self-competition and record keeping. And it's not like I'm training for something, just exercising. Still, how hard should it be to find something that works properly?

Is it made in america?

[gkbill]

I am, without a doubt, cursed with rowing machines. Around halfway into December, the monitor for the rower just started stopping and restarting mid-row. And the company no longer manufactures it, but the current monitor can be installed on my rower. Not cheap—US$300—but I ordered one. Installed it and … it doesn't work. Turns on but it doesn't read the strokes. Watched all kinds of installation videos and tried all the tricks, but nope. Maybe it's defective, I dunno. So I'm waiting on instructions for returning it. But it means I won't have a monitor going forward. I can still row, but I can't see how fast I'm going/how far I've gone. I'm trying to be positive and think that it'll break me of my obsessive self-competition and record keeping. And it's not like I'm training for something, just exercising. Still, how hard should it be to find something that works properly?

Hello,

If that's your only mode of exercise - yeah, that's pretty bad. I've gotten to where I use the bike with trainer and no monitor of RPM's or resistance so I just go for time and guess/pick a subjective level of resistance and speed (I alternate a consistent pace for an hour and a Ramones workout - go easy for a track from the first album, then go hard for a song for 45 minutes). If I run or stairmaster, I keep track of pace and incline. The bike workouts are a good relaxing release.

[Dr. Medulla]

I am, without a doubt, cursed with rowing machines. Around halfway into December, the monitor for the rower just started stopping and restarting mid-row. And the company no longer manufactures it, but the current monitor can be installed on my rower. Not cheap—US$300—but I ordered one. Installed it and … it doesn't work. Turns on but it doesn't read the strokes. Watched all kinds of installation videos and tried all the tricks, but nope. Maybe it's defective, I dunno. So I'm waiting on instructions for returning it. But it means I won't have a monitor going forward. I can still row, but I can't see how fast I'm going/how far I've gone. I'm trying to be positive and think that it'll break me of my obsessive self-competition and record keeping. And it's not like I'm training for something, just exercising. Still, how hard should it be to find something that works properly?

Is it made in america?

Sort of—Taxachusetts.

[Dr. Medulla]

If that's your only mode of exercise - yeah, that's pretty bad. I've gotten to where I use the bike with trainer and no monitor of RPM's or resistance so I just go for time and guess/pick a subjective level of resistance and speed (I alternate a consistent pace for an hour and a Ramones workout - go easy for a track from the first album, then go hard for a song for 45 minutes). If I run or stairmaster, I keep track of pace and incline. The bike workouts are a good relaxing release.

Yeah, I'm fully committed to rowing. One of the reasons I quit cycling was it was just full-on obsessive speed the whole time. Rowing, apart from also working the upper body, has a rhythm of work and relaxation in ever stroke, which is more appealing. So I'll just go for time now and do my best to push myself without a monitor.

[JennyB]

We got an elliptical because we don't want to go to our super spreader gym right now. VH uses it more than I (if it's above 30, I will walk Scout for 3-4 miles a day - a tired dog is a good dog). It's pretty cool - it has tours of various areas around the world. I did one on a beach in South Africa with penguins.

[Dr. Medulla]

We got an elliptical because we don't want to go to our super spreader gym right now. VH uses it more than I (if it's above 30, I will walk Scout for 3-4 miles a day - a tired dog is a good dog). It's pretty cool - it has tours of various areas around the world. I did one on a beach in South Africa with penguins.

So it has its own monitor and stuff? Cool. It'd be neat if the penguins attacked you, as a spur to work harder. Maybe that's just me.

(Also, for those invested in my life, I exchanged emails with another person at the rowing place who looked at the photo and said, yeah, that thing is busted. So they're sending me a replacement. Hopefully that fixes the problem.)

[JennyB]

We got an elliptical because we don't want to go to our super spreader gym right now. VH uses it more than I (if it's above 30, I will walk Scout for 3-4 miles a day - a tired dog is a good dog). It's pretty cool - it has tours of various areas around the world. I did one on a beach in South Africa with penguins.

So it has its own monitor and stuff? Cool. It'd be neat if the penguins attacked you, as a spur to work harder. Maybe that's just me.

(Also, for those invested in my life, I exchanged emails with another person at the rowing place who looked at the photo and said, yeah, that thing is busted. So they're sending me a replacement. Hopefully that fixes the problem.)

It does! And I like that idea.

Hope the replacement goes smoothly.

[matedog]

I took two weeks off from running after my positive COVID test on NYE and did my first run today. Out of curiosity, I did my timed 3.75 mile run and came in at a solid 28:15. For reference, my last timed runs over the last month or two were 27:42, 27:29, 27:45, 27:48, 28:12.

So my slowest in awhile, but not too far off what you'd expect from taking two weeks off from running. My first two miles were strong, but the last two is where I lost pace/energy. Cool to see that my symptoms were mild enough that it didn't seem to affect my cardio.

[Sparky]

I took two weeks off from running after my positive COVID test on NYE and did my first run today. Out of curiosity, I did my timed 3.75 mile run and came in at a solid 28:15. For reference, my last timed runs over the last month or two were 27:42, 27:29, 27:45, 27:48, 28:12.

So my slowest in awhile, but not too far off what you'd expect from taking two weeks off from running. My first two miles were strong, but the last two is where I lost pace/energy. Cool to see that my symptoms were mild enough that it didn't seem to affect my cardio.

Good for you! I'm sure you've heard it before, it's not a race, you're in it for the duration, your stamina will return, don't over do it.
Me, I haven't run for about 6 weeks, one of my knees is hurting, so I'm trying to heed my own advice and give it time to mend. Tried a 3.5 mile walk 2 weeks ago, too soon, hurt the rest of the day and the next.

Someone mentioned alternatives to running. I've had a treadmill, hated it, sold it. We have an elliptical, but I can't go long on it either. I do use it for a warm up each morning before I run to loosen up the old joints. But even with a TV mounted on the wall in front of it, I can't seem to go for any real length of time.

[Dr. Medulla]

I took two weeks off from running after my positive COVID test on NYE and did my first run today. Out of curiosity, I did my timed 3.75 mile run and came in at a solid 28:15. For reference, my last timed runs over the last month or two were 27:42, 27:29, 27:45, 27:48, 28:12.

So my slowest in awhile, but not too far off what you'd expect from taking two weeks off from running. My first two miles were strong, but the last two is where I lost pace/energy. Cool to see that my symptoms were mild enough that it didn't seem to affect my cardio.

That's got to be a relief, given how varied the effects of the virus are (assuming yours wasn't a false positive, which still seems a reasonable possibility).