Row, Row, Row My Boat…
I have not given up cycling. Although I have not been on my bike in awhile, but I do love cycling so I’ll get back on my bike soon. In fact I have to. Saturday, June 5th is the Texas 4000 Atlas Ride. The Sense Corp Texas 4000 for Cancer is the world’s longest annual Charity bike ride! Their mission is to fight cancer by sharing Hope, Knowledge and Charity across North America through a 4,500 mile bicycle ride from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska. NO, I am not riding the 4,500 miles from Austin to Alaska. I’ll probably just be doing the 25 mile part. I think it’ll be a great time for all though and certainly a great cause.
So, as I stated earlier, I have not given up cycling, but I have found a new ”thing.” Cycling is great cardio and a great leg workout. It’s one of those workouts where you get cardio training AND resistance training (climbing hills is unbelievable resistance training for your lower body) rolled into one. I do have an upper body too though. It consists of one very large gut. It’s Biggie’s Bell, to be precise. It is rather predominant. There’s also Biggie’s upper arms which when lifeted or extended out and away from the body resemble bats wings. Come on, how awesome is that???? In my twenties and early thirties, I had B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L arms. They were slim, defined and strong. Something went wrong along the way. I attribute it to 1) age, 2) eating, 3) a sedentary lifestyle, 4) pepperoni pizza, 5) did I mention eating and a sedentary lifestyle? Anyway, my point here is this, cycling don’t do nuthin’ for the upper body.
So, I started looking, reading, searching, trying to find a sport, a workout that 1) didn’t take 1.5 hours in the morning, 2) provided cardio and resistance training in one, 3) was low impact (I already have a questionable back and feet. I don’t want to start something new and get hurt right off the bat and then lay around eating, channel surfing and feeling sorry for myself for a week or more…), 4) and worked more muscle groups. So, what I discovered was indoor rowing. Indoor rowing is cardio focused but it also a strenght-endurance sport. With proper technique you work the large thigh muscles, your upper back, your lower back, your arms and stomach. So many muscle groups are working in this sport, it’s awesome! And, instead of 30 minutes of cardio followed by another 30 minutes to and hour of weight training you can get an all over cardio and resistance training session in 30 minutes. I’m digging that. You see Biggie does love her sleep. Getting up an extra 1.5 hours early in the morning? Not so much. Getting up an extra 30 minutes in the morning? Yeah, I can handle that.
So, I started rowing. I have a Bowflex with a rowing attachment. It’s not great, but it does the trick. I really enjoy it too. It feels good. I can feel it in my thighs, my abdomen, my arms, my back. It feels like a really great workout. Now I have a complaint about rowing on the Bowflex. This is a great machine for weight training. No doubt about it. I would recommend one to anybody, but for rowing, not so much. It’s like some guy went, “wait, there’s still room! We can add a rowing machine to this thing too and charge even MORE money for it!” And it feels and it works like that’s exactly how the rower came to be a part of the Bowflex. So, in true Biggie fashion I start reading and looking at true indoor rowing machines. Machines that were designed for the single purpose of rowing. I found a machine that was absolutely beautiful and got great reviews from everyone, I believe, who has ever written a review on it. It’s called the WaterRower. I contacted the company to find out if they had a local distributor so I could check on out. Now, before I went I made a promise. 2 promises actually. One to myself and one to my friend Jess who would hold me accountable. Before I would buy anything new, those of you who know me know that I tend to go overboard with new “things” sometimes, would complete another streak . I did it before on my bicycle and I’m going to do it on a rower. So 9 days ago I set out to row for 30 days straight. At the end of the 30 days, and if I was at least 10 pounds lighter, I would buy the WaterRower if I was still interested.
So, it sort of went like this. I had been rowing for 3 days. I went into FitnessInMotion, met some really cool guys and rowed on the WaterRower. It was incredible! It was so quiet and smooth. Not mechanical, jerky and noisy like the Bowflex. And because it has a tank of water for the resistance it make the most incredible water swooshing sounds as you row. Very soothing. Now I couldn’t just go ahead and buy it. I mean I made a promise to myself and Jess to wait 30 days. I had things to complete. Just because this beautiful, smooth, incredible piece of equipment would practically change my entire life for the better overnight, that’s no reason to break promises. So I left the store and went and told Jess all about it. I told her about how beautiful it was, that it doesn’t look like a piece of gym equipment at all. It’s made out of beautiful, warm wood. And the sound! Oh, the sound is so pleasant. I left Jess’ office and just swung by FitnessInMotion again, just to look at it once more. Just to sit on it and row once more. I have to wait another 27 days. I have to row another 27 days. I have to lose 10 pounds i the next 27 days. I have to keep my promise, “Do you take MasterCard? And how soon can this be delivered????” I didn’t wait the full 30 days. I have only lost 3 pounds so far, not 10. The machine should be here in around 2 weeks. Okay, okay, okay! I broke yet another promise to myself! What do you want me to say? I’m Biggie! peace
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