Rowers are a tough breed to figure out. Aside from the way-too-early mornings, it's the concept of sitting on your ass going backwards while someone yells at you to "STROKE" that seems a little bizarre. I guess in the context of conventional sports that is.So Sunday's event at McKinnon Gym, on the Superbowl of all days, should really leave one head's spinning at the strangeness of it all. What I'm referring to is the annual playing of the Monster Erg - erg being short for ergometer, or those strange machines you see in the Fitness Weight Centre but are too timid to strap your self into.
To summarize the ergometer competition, competitors try to "row" a distance of two kilometers in as short a time as possible, while pitted against each other in a video game-type format beamed on a video display monitor.
Sounds pretty harmless right? But rowers don't throw around the word monster lightly. This is a beast of competition. Just imagine hopping on a treadmill and maintaining a steady sprint for seven minutes, and even that time would probably get you cut. A former rower once told me about the Monster Erg that if you don't puke at the end you're doing something wrong.
Personally I try to avoid puking at all costs, even in the event that it results in too much fun. So carnival rides and tequila are out of the question. And somehow I don't think the sensation of lactic acid burning through your thighs while your hands is blister is exactly the best of times.
So why do it?
I'll leave that one up to the rowers to answer. Post a comment as to why you row. And for the rest of you, the Monster Erg begins Sunday morning at 8 a.m. in McKinnon Gym.
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2 comments:
Alright, so from a non-rowers perspective erging doesn't sound like fun. And let me tell you it isn't. Your ass hurts, by the end of it you want your legs to fall of, and yes, puking can occur. But for a rower the pain is worth it. I mean, go ask a football player, a rugby player or a hockey player why they put up with 200+ pound guys raming them into the boards, or tackling them to the ground. Which I'm guessing can sometimes feel like you've been it by a bus. The answer usually is "For the love of the game". I guess that answer can go for rowing too.
It's almost as if we have a need for speed, which we have to generate, and erging makes us faster and stronger.
Now erging is just a tool, ask any rower what they would prefer, erging or rowing and I can guarantee you that all would say rowing. The feeling of having an eight just glide over the water at top speeds, hearing the *clunk* of eight oar locks in time, and having the boat set is one of the best feelings in the world. Now sure that may not make sense to any of you, but think of it as the perfect play, the best pass or the nicest shot in any other sport and that's what all that nonsense means to a rower.
All in all, we don't love it erg, but we learn to love it. It tells us how strong/fast we are, is a form of training and eventually (or should) lead to speed and grace on the water. So yes, Monster Erg is painful, but for some reason we do it, blisters and all.
Alright, so from a non-rowers perspective erging doesn't sound like fun. And let me tell you it isn't. Your ass hurts, by the end of it you want your legs to fall of, and yes, puking can occur. But for a rower the pain is worth it. I mean, go ask a football player, a rugby player or a hockey player why they put up with 200+ pound guys raming them into the boards, or tackling them to the ground. Which I'm guessing can sometimes feel like you've been it by a bus. The answer usually is "For the love of the game". I guess that answer can go for rowing too.
It's almost as if we have a need for speed, which we have to generate, and erging makes us faster and stronger.
Now erging is just a tool, ask any rower what they would prefer, erging or rowing and I can guarantee you that all would say rowing. The feeling of having an eight just glide over the water at top speeds, hearing the *clunk* of eight oar locks in time, and having the boat set is one of the best feelings in the world. Now sure that may not make sense to any of you, but think of it as the perfect play, the best pass or the nicest shot in any other sport and that's what all that nonsense means to a rower.
All in all, we don't love it erg, but we learn to love it. It tells us how strong/fast we are, is a form of training and eventually (or should) lead to speed and grace on the water. So yes, Monster Erg is painful, but for some reason we do it, blisters and all.
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