Where do i start .....

[smeeagain]

Well done Smee, great effort. It's always very tough to get back on the erg after a long time away. Your times will keep improving for a while yet so that's always good for the confidence.

Thanks to everyone for the kind words. Im thinking that although Ive done a 2k which was hard (as they always should be!) but hard because Im not fit enough to push myself so it was only rating 21, and although Ive done 30mins (a tad over 6k), I think If I can do a few more and aim to be doing a full hour at a similar pace to the 30, by the ed of Feb, then Im good to start a beginner Pete Plan or similar.

Feb will be tough, as Im working away a fair bit, with limited exercise facilities (sure I can always train in my hotel room, but its not the same, although something is better than nothing), and I have a bad habit of doing too much too son then simply putting myself off (i.e I could happily give an hour a go tomorrow and see how I fair but just wont be ready for it), and Ive already got blisters and my former pairs partner tells me he wont forgive me if Im wearing gloves, but then if it helps why not, so lots to think about.
IF I could get the weight loss to a total of 10kg by end Feb I'd be delighted and that is entirely possible.

Onward and upward as they say

Smee

[Galeere]

Great work so far Smee. With regard to bad feelings due to comparisions between now and earlier proficiency on the erg I have the same problem as you have. I started on the erg at the end of season 2014/2015 and got really into it in season 2015/2016 with almost 3mm total and a massive improvement on all distance levels. Then an injury stopped me cold, followed by a flu. Season 2016/2017 still was ok, with a couple PBs on the short distances but not nearly as good as 2015; felt horrible looking at my pace-splits almost every time. 2017/2018 started even worse, mileage went down to 1mm (maybe I get to 1.3mm at the end of the seaons). The Problem was to motivate myself to go on the erg knowing that I will not hit numbers anywhere near what I could do a while ago. But I am beginning to realise that that is the course of time (we are all getting older), that I was never to be a competitve rower anyway (lack the built as well as the necessary time for Training and recovery) and that erging at a reasonable Exhaustion Level is quite satisfactory by itself without trying to go for more PBs. So mileage is likely to go up again, probably not to 3mm, but 2mm is a good Goal for me next season. With regard to diet/weight loss I read that it should not be done too quickly. But if your results come from changed diet (rather than eating much less than before) I reckon that these are good pounds lost. With regard to travel time I have the same Problem but always found that either a Hotel gym or a nice fast walk or jog in the neighborhood of the Hotel is good and things like sit-ups, push-ups, stretching etc. can even be done in the Hotel roomm. So keep it up and Keep us posted.
Cheers
Hardy

[Dangerscouse]

@ Smee, buy some liquid chalk instead of gloves. It works well for shorter distances although it doesn't totally stop the sweaty palms, so I just quickly wipe them on my shorts mid stroke to