Given my fear and loathing of rowing, there's no way I'd ever consider participating in Ergomania, Seattle's annual indoor rowing competition. But last Saturday, over 400 people showed up to face off on Concept2 ergs and suffer.
And I do mean SUFFER. Here are some quotes from a recent Seattle Times feature on the event:
Still, I think I'd have a shot at improving my 2K row if I had a super-intense, bug-eyed coxswain screaming at me the whole time I was cranking the flywheel. Hell, I'd hire this coxswain on the basis of her facial expression alone:
(Source: Seattle Times)
- "You can barely hear. Your eyesight goes out. It's nerve-wracking."
- "I'm surprised there aren't more puke buckets around."
- "Everything hurts. My throat. My hands. My legs. My feet."
- "Marathoners hit the wall on the 23rd mile. Rowers hit the wall at 500 meters. At about 1,000, you feel like you can't go any further, but you can't give up. Therefore, you're going to die."
Still, I think I'd have a shot at improving my 2K row if I had a super-intense, bug-eyed coxswain screaming at me the whole time I was cranking the flywheel. Hell, I'd hire this coxswain on the basis of her facial expression alone:
(Source: Seattle Times)
