Me at 2009 Greek Indoor Rowing Championship

I am not a rower, instead I am a fully passionate windsurfer, but I love rowing especially because it offers an incredible benefit in the CV system and to my opinion is one of the ultimate ways to top up your aerobic (and anaerobic level to less extend) performance. A single stroke exercises a significant part of your body; legs, core, hands, back, shoulders and no other machine in a typical gym can do this (i.e. gym machines aim to exercise a particular muscle group at a time). Of course actual on the water rowing is much preffered but since I don't own a rowing boat or at least I do not belong to a rowing team, I just enjoy the indoor rowing machine at my gym.

(me at the far end, with the white t-shirt, getting ready to start the indoor rowing race at 30-39 YO division)

I took the initiative to participate in the 2009 Greek Indoor Rowing Championship only to experience in close rowing action from dedicated athletes into this sport. However, I did have my preparation too. I studied carefully the rowing technique, I have followed systematically sprint and long in duration training sessions. My aim was to push myself close to a 7 min finish time for a 2000 meters distance, which is the reference distance to judge your rowing ability. If you have never rowed before it's not easy to hit this time limit people, believe me, even if you are a sporty person. I put down a 3 month advanced schedule, based around indoor rowing, in the hope to achieve a respectable ranking at the race. The race was 1000 meters long and on average a 3 min and 10 secs or less finishing time was the average time for most racers each year. After 2 and a 1/2 months in the gym I could hardly get down to 3 min and 15 secs for a 1000 meters distance and that was killing! (I was FORCED to take a break for at least 20 min even for such a short sprint time). I knew though that it was a fair time considering the circumnstances (no coach, no previous experience).
I eventually appeared at the start line of the Championship. I had no stress at all, I knew that I was there just for fun and to enjoy stroking against actual rowers. I had put down a simple plan: Just to follow my own pace - I wanted to stay on a plan that I followed during the gym session. I had a very lengthy warm up time prior to the race: 20 min of stretching and another 20 min of 'jumps' and self-exercises to make me sweat (but not to the extend to get tired of course!). Sprint rowing requires proper warm up, else you can shock your body and run out of glycose storage soon after you start to row hard (rowing IS physically very demanding).
After the hit of the gun (actually the machine's integrated monitor was the countdown watch) I forgot everything I prepared! A mass of 200+ people on the stage were filling in our ears with loud screams. I wasn't ready for this. I was rowing harder than I was supposed, thinking that if I stay behind then I will not be able to catch the experienced rowers at a later stage. I was rowing faster than my average pace (1.32min/500m instead of 1.40min/500m), but I was feeling confident. Perhaps the atmosphere around me was motivating me to forget pain and tiredness. I was in between the first 3 people (out of 12 people) until the first 600 meters (out of 1000 meters). During the last 250 meters my lungs were screaming for rest - I was marginally keeping a steady pace, but to my surprise I realised that I was at first place, with the second guy just 20-25 meters behind me (that's around a 4 to 5 secs lead). When I entered the last 150 meters my body activated the 'red' zone - alarms were buzzing within my brain, I was overloading my body and my muscles were full of lactic acid! I knew I was entering a level 5 intensity, my pace was still around 1.32-1.35min/500m and the distance from the second was increasing, now he was around 35 meters behind me. Could I last during the last 100 meters? (that was approximately another 12 hard strokes to go...). Countdown....12 strokes...11 strokes..........2 strokes...1 stroke........ thanks God it's over. I finished at first!!!!! What was that?? How did this happen????!!! I didn't think too much about the win, because I was ready to collapse. Soon after I stood up from the machine my knees were so weak, I almost had no feeling of a proper balance - I took a few steps and..... fell down!! Embarassing, but I couldn't do anything about it!!! It took me 30 min to recover, and even after that my lungs were feeling as if they were bleeding. However, the end of the day was the most rewarding: A medal for my first place and a new national record at my age group was a fact!!!! A deep satisfaction, but I won't take part to such a race again, because I don't think I can achieve such a win again!!! :D

Finishing time: 3 min and 2 secs - New National Record at 2009 (December) Indoor Rowing Championships (1000 meters). First place in my division (30-39 YO) and in between the approximately 120 athletes (actual full time rowers) from all divisions, I was ranked at 7th place. More details and official results can be found here:
http://www.aasport.gr/main/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=149&Itemid=177

Cycling style: Chris Lieto (2nd at 2009 Hawaii Ford Ironman Championship)

Ironman superstar Chris Lieto, with his favourite 'white' style appearance (maybe to reflect sunlight too?). Notice the specially shaped water bottle to improve aerodynamic air-flow. Chris achieved the fastest split time on the bike during 2009 Ironman Championship.

Watch Chris's riding style here: http://www.ttbikefit.com

More info about Chris can be found here: http://www.chrislieto.com/

Accurately estimate your VO2max using an indoor rower at a local gym

Between other useful parameters, a very important figure that mainly concerns endurance athletes is the knowledge of VO2max. The procedure to obtain this figure requires the presence of a properly equipped sports laboratory and even if you can find such a place, an expensive charge will apply to you to go through the calculation procedure and the use of the facilities! There is however an alternative, but still quite accurace, method to measure your VO2max number. And this can be acheived by following a simple and scientifically valid process: Use an indoor rower!

Details of this method can be found for free at the official site of the company that manufactures world class indoor rowers (Concept 2): http://www.concept2.com/us/interactive/calculators/vo2max.asp

Procedure: 

Row as hard as you can a 2000m session (reference distance for pro-rowers and general training) and note down the time it has taken to complete it. Submit your age, weight, height into the website and there you are!

Check your fitness level in relation to VO2max estimated before in the 2000 m test by reading the table below:

Cardiovascular Fitness Calculations Based on VO2max (mL*kg-1*min-1)
Gender	Age	Poor	Fair	Average	Good	Excellent
Men	<=29	<=24.9	25-33.9	34-43.9	44-52.9	>=53
	30-39	<=22.9	23-30.9	31-41.9	42-49.9	>=50
	40-49	<=19.9	20-26.9	27-38.9	39-44.9	>=45
	50-59	<=17.9	18-24.9	25-37.9	38-42.9	>=43
	60-69	<=15.9	16-22.9	23-35.9	36-40.9	>=41
Women	<=29	<=23.9	24-30.9	31-38.9	39-48.9	>=49
	30-39	<=19.9	20-27.9	28-36.9	37-44.9	>=45
	40-49	<=16.9	17-24.9	25-34.9	35-41.9	>=42
	50-59	<=14.9	15-21.9	22-33.9	34-39.9	>=40
	60-69	<=12.9	13-20.9	21-32.9	33-36.9	>=37

I am into rowing for about a year now and I am confident to advice you that this machine, although hard to exercise with, provides very powerful benefits in your physical (and mental) condition. When I first started using it, my VO2max, based on the calculation described before was around 29, that corresponds to a fair level of fitness (I am 98kg, 1.93m tall, 32YO male). I have now a VO2max of around 45, good level, (after a very systematic training for around 10+ months on the indoor rower both for shor t(3-7 min) and long rowing (20-30 min) sessions).

I wish I could afford this indoor rower - it costs around 2000 euro (new and the latest model). I may get it one day - just to let you know that one full stroke is using 85% of your muscles and provides both strength and amazing CV benefits to your body - and in addition: It tests your mental strength to cope with the prolonged pressure that it imposes on you!

I feel really lucky to know that my local gym has (only one though) indoor rower and also...noone is using it! It's all mine! ;)

TBP - Estimate your VO2max using an indoor rower at your local gym

Well, I am not a sport's scientist but I always had the will to understand how my body works under intense exercise, how it is dealing with tiredness and how it is possible to keep a given pace for longer.
Physical conditioning has always been a complicated issue for me, but it all started while I was windsurfing - a sport that I have been doing for about a decade now and love so much since it clears up my mind from life's headaches! I wanted to enjoy this sport for as long as I could, count 1, 2, 3 or even more hours during one day on the water during the weekends. But it's physically demanding to cope with this amount of hours if you ONLY windsurf. You need to cross train - windsurfing uses almost all muscles in your body and at the same time your lungs can explode if you over do it!
I signed up at my local gym only to realise that a very effective solution was there: The indoor rower. An exercise machine that people barely use, no wonder why: Try to row for more than 3 minutes and you will see what I mean. It's surprisingly killing the body quickly and makes you to stop without sorrow! When this first happened to me I was faced with
http://www.concept2.com/us/interactive/calculators/vo2max.asp

Hydrate or collapse - Carry a fuel belt

Perhaps the most important aspect in endurance sports lasting more than about 1 hour, is the consumption of nutrition during the activity. This includes both the provision of electrolyte liquids and carbohydrates. Electrolytes will replace the missing salts that is lost in the sweat, while carbohydrates will help the body to produce the vital glycose that is needed to keep you going. It's important to have those supplies available with you while you race or train in the form of gels or other means (bottles, etc). A very good solution is to use a fuel belt!

Above: Wearing a 4 bottle fuel belt. This setup consists of 4 x 220ml bottles, two are in front and the other two on the back symmetrically placed. This belt also includes a mini pocket (on the back - not shown here) which can easily accommodate 3 GU size energy gels.




I am not the kind of person who is used to 'carry' staff while on the move, but this is a 'must' if you don't want your performance to drop. There are other alternative products available on the market too, but since top class Ironman athletes use Fuel Belt, why should we do differently? I recently purchased a 4 bottle belt and I have to say that I am more than relieved to know that I have a backup reserve available when I am out there pushing myself to complete a 2 or more hours of a triathlon session...

(here we see Ironman Champion Craig Alexander using Fuel Belt during his run. It's obvious that a proper nutrition plan is vital during an endurance sport such as triathlon)

70.3 Triathlon at the finish line...

Triathlon at the edge...

Top class elite athletes Chris Lieto (left) and Craig Alexander after the end of a 70.3 event. Perhaps a unique moment for those 2 athletes, showing how much physical and mental strength is required to deal with any triathlon race.