Is the erg the root of all evil? I'm sure I believed that in the past, and I'm sure that the athletes I'm coaching loathe the machine at the right.
The real reason I never liked the rotten thing was how unlike rowing it really is. The sport is the ultimate team expression, moving a boat over water in groups. (I ignore single scullers here because, well, they are just strange.) Ergs simply don't reflect that team concept. The ultimate individual testing machine, the erg rewards garbage technique and gives no "boat feel" feedback. Then there is the screen.
There are only two types of feedback the machine gives an athlete. Either "you suck" if you're not pulling your target split or "you rock" if you're going faster than your pace. One or the other, that's all the feedback the machine gives. Then there is a lunatic coach who puts far too much importance on those numbers after he's been locked off the water for two months.
There really isn't an alternative to training over the winter other than moving to southern California. With snow in the forecast tonight, that's sounding rather reasonable right now.
Chin up, all athletes. Keep an even strain on the mental "rope" as we enter the depths of winter and fight these machines on a daily basis. I'm planning on getting out the sliders so some people can remember what we're doing all this madness for. If results really start taking off, I'll even..........maybe.......perhaps......give a ..........
day off?
.
.
.
nnaaaaaaa.........
Categories: Ergometers, Rowing, Teamwork, Training
6 comments:
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
i second that motion
My dad walked while I was reading this post and thought the title right above the picture of the erg was pretty funny. I'd have to agree. And we're gonna end up throwing an erg in at the end of this year, whether you let us or not. We'll just make the novices get it out for us.
how emabressing would it be if we finally did throw an erg in the water and it did float. It would just sit there bobbing up and down on top of the water laughing at us.
"And on the third day, God created the Remmington .45 to get rid of the Dinosaurs and the Ergs."
"hogpj"
Are ergs any reflection of rowing capabilities?
Throw an erg in the water, and it sinks.
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