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Our biggest congratulations go to Danny Williams for his recent four round victory over Mike Tyson. Danny first discovered indoor rowing when he took part in the Sport Relief Golden Mile racing with Matthew Pinsent against James Cracknell and All Black rugby legend Ian Jones. Even then, on pretty much his first go on a machine, Danny was impressively good on it, and immediately adopted the Indoor Rower as part of his training.

Last year, he took part in the AXA PPP healthcare British Indoor Rowing Championship and finished a highly credible 35th with 6:17.0, less than nine seconds behind Ed Coode, who will be competing in the Athens Olympics. Despite it not being his "proper" sport; despite knowing that he wasn't going to come anywhere near the medals and despite the fact that, as it was Ramadan, he wasn't able to drink any water between sunrise and sunset, Danny still gave it his all. He also, interestingly, went along well for his first three splits then really stepped it up in the fourth.

Amanda Miracle from Baltimore in the United States, has established the world endurance record for women for the longest continual row on a rowing machine: an impressive 25 hours in the saddle, covering a total distance of 170,425 meters.

Afterwards Amanda, who as well as having a cool surname sounds like she's spent time in an English public school, said, "It was a long time! I was bully tired."

The rules for solo endurance rowing allow for 10 minutes an hour "to go to the bathroom or whatever.

"I had people hand me things like food. I had this pretty thorough schedule of things to eat and drink," she says. "I alternated between water and sports drinks and Pedialyte and bananas," she says, "trying to get a balance in the electrolytes in the water, and potassium."

Pedialyte, an electrolyte maintenance solution, prevents dehydration in infants when they have diarrhoea. Athletes use it to retain fluids and the minerals they contain.

"And I ate a lot of white rice," she says. "Because it's pretty easy on your stomach."

While not as bad as, say, minestrone soup, rice is still a bit tricky to eat when rowing. Her helpers would hold a spoonful in front of her mouth.

"I was getting it all over the place. I would sort of attack it like a shark. The bananas were held out, and I would eat that in the same way."

In December, she did a 100-kilometre row on the erg to train for her record attempt.

"That was my treat to myself after I finished my exams. That took, like, 12 hours. That's what taught me to [use] bubble wrap. I learnt that he who cannot sit down, cannot row for very long. I sat on bubble wrap, like the princess and the pea. A great load of it, with quilt batting on top of that. I wrapped the handles with quilt batting as well."

As well as the primacy of bubble wrap, Amanda's picked up a couple of other workout tips along the way to her rowing record.

1. Join a club. "There's a great deal of accountability in a team sport. If you say, 'I'm going to get up and I'm going to run three miles every day' and there's nobody there with you and nobody dependent on you, you're probably not going to do it. When I row and I don't show up, then a seat is empty. It's not so good to be in an eight with seven people. So people are depending on you to be there."

2. Find something you like that works well with your schedule. "For me, I go early enough so that I can't argue myself out of it. And when I get it done, I have the whole rest of the day. So, it's not stuck in the middle of the day and I have to stop what I'm doing to work out."

For more on Amanda's row (i.e. the original article we've cobbled this together from) go to http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-hf.fitness25jul23,1,1417814.story

'Ultra-FIT - Your Own Personal Trainer', is the first book by Ultra-FIT writer John Shepherd. The book is all about creating your own personal fitness lifestyle. It's aimed at anyone wanting to improve their fitness, look better and feel better. With chapters on CV and resistance training, fat burning, nutrition, sports training, motivation, training planning and goal setting, the aim is to get you to compile your own highly effective workout programmes, tailored to your own personal needs.

Despite the fact that John Shepherd once knocked the Indoor Rowing News' glass of full fat coke all over our white chinos and grey slip-on loafers at the World Indoor Rowing Championship a few years ago, he hasn't actually sent us a copy of the book. We have got a review, however, which states:

"Like Ultra-FIT magazine, the book takes complex fitness issues, like what is the optimum exercise intensity to burn fat, and provides clear and definitive answers. With numerous training tips to ensure that you exercise safely and effectively, you'll avoid common exercise pitfalls. Each chapter is superbly illustrated with colour photos throughout to help you understand the exercise descriptions quickly and easily.

"The process of getting and staying fit is presented realistically, but in a fun way. Shepherd is able to get across the jargon in an easy to understand, but non-patronising, way. We particularly liked his regular personal reflection comments, training tips and case studies that bring to life the pursuit of the fitness lifestyle."

'Ultra-FIT - Your Own Personal Trainer' is published by A & C Black and is available from Waterstones, Foils and numerous other outlets at a recommended retail price of £15.99. It's also available on-line from Amazon at http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0713666773/ where it's currently going for £11.19.

A quick reminder that the first race in the 2004 Concept 2 British Rowathlon series is on August 15th at Castle Combe. Rowathlon is a fast growing sport that replaces the swimming part of a normal triathlon with a leg on the Indoor Rower. It's also your chance to win an expenses paid trip to the European Open in Amsterdam. For more information, check out http://www.concept2.co.uk/rowathlon/

The Indoor Rower has played an instrumental role in helping heart attack victim, 54 year old Jeff Todd, to not only lose over 11 stone in weight, but to also become physically fit and one of the best indoor rowers in his age group in the country.

In July of 2001, Jeff, from Woodford Green in Essex, suffered the first of two heart attacks, caused by spasming arteries. Jeff's condition was not helped by the fact that he was smoking 60 cigarettes a day, he is diabetic and as a result of general inactivity, weighed 24 stone.

After his first heart attack and five days spent in hospital, Jeff was undergoing an assessment on a hospital treadmill, where he suffered a second heart attack.

After an angiogram operation, Jeff was placed on the road to rehabilitation, firstly receiving further medical treatments, then education on diet and medication, followed by a mild fitness programme at a local gym for people participating in a Cardio Rehab Programme.

Jeff was then introduced to gym instructors, who in turn, introduced him to the Indoor Rower. At this point, Jeff weighed 27 stone (an effect of stopping smoking and the inactivity of recovering from his heart attacks) and would have to reach the gym half an hour before his session to allow himself time to get into the actual gym.

Once in the gym, Jeff began to use the Concept 2 to row for around five minutes each day, along with a Top TX machine and a recumbent exercise bike - this was October 2002.

Feeling a sense of well being from the exercise, Jeff began to get the bug and began going to the gym as often as possible and was one day shown a book of performance times from the British Indoor Rowing Championships by his instructor.

As Jeff explains: "I began to take a real interest in the rowing, it gave me something tangible to aim for and I began to think about my own times when I was on the Indoor Rower."

This focus began to pay off and by December 2002, Jeff was spending around ten to twelve hours each week in the gym and was recording times of 8:20 - 8:30 when rowing 2,000 metres on a Concept 2 Indoor Rower.

By March 2003, Jeff had got his weight down to 23 stone, and his 2,000 metre rowing time down to 8:10. It was also around this time that the rowing bug had really bitten Jeff and he decided to visit his first Indoor Rowing event, the Grand Prix event in Nottingham. Once there, Jeff met up with Alex Brown, a rower in the 50+ heavyweight category.

"When I met Alex, I told him my story and how I would like to one day row competitively like him," says Jeff.

"He basically told me that I would need to lose more weight and to keep trying - as I had come so far already." Jeff began to train more intensively, not just with the Indoor Rower, but also with the other gym equipment. It was now July 2003 and he was covering 130 miles each week on his three exercise machines, spending a total of 22 hours each week in the gym and aerobics classes.

It was also around this time that he felt ready to enter his first indoor rowing competition and at an event in Enfield, Jeff entered the Men's 50+ heavyweight category, where he rowed 2,000 metres in just 7 minutes and 7 seconds - beating even renowned indoor rower, Anna Bailey.

Jeff then went on to enter the British Indoor Rowing Championships and Grand Prix Series for the 2003/2004 season, finishing the British Championships an amazing 35th out of 120 racers. Jeff had now reduced his record time for the 2,000 metre row to just 7:03. By this point Jeff's weight was down to 16.5 stones and his trouser size had dropped from 54 to 37 inches!

Jeff is now attending regular race meetings and is even racing against the person who inspired him and offered encouragement, Alex Brown. Says Jeff:

"I am beginning to catch Alex as I get better, and there will come a time soon when he and the other race leaders in my category will be looking over their shoulders for me!

"Rowing is the most intense experience and it has given me the goals to focus on throughout my rehabilitation, as well as helping to make me a genuinely fit individual. My goal now is to take one of the top three places in one of the Indoor Rowing Grand Prix events - and if I've already come this far, I don't see any reason why I won't achieve that."

Since entering the gym in October 2002 Jeff has had the same instructor who has brought him through to this present moment. She attends all his races and is a constant source of encouragement and support.

Whilst Jeff recognises that he must continue to exercise to keep his heart condition in check, he appreciates that competitive rowing may not be something that he will do forever, but he firstly wants to achieve his goals and continue to enjoy the camaraderie of the Indoor Rowing community.

"I really enjoy the events as the other competitors - who are in reality, people that I am trying to beat - have always been so helpful to me, respecting my condition and the work that I have put in to turn it around."