================================================================ INDOOR ROWING NEWSLETTER #139 ======================== 24-March-2006 ========================= _________________________________________________ C O N T E N T S 1. Michael Longley: 20 Million Metre Rower 2. Cartoon By Rog 3. Walk Like An Olympian 4. World Firefighter Games 5. Crew Class Club Call 6. Reader's Letters 7. Triathlon Cycling and Running 2006 8. Leeds University Boat Club 100,000m 9. Isle Of Ely Boat Race Bash 10. Physical Activity Ratio 11. Monmouth Comprehensive School 24-Hour Row 12. Forthcoming Races and Events **************************** Feedback Back Issues Subscription Information ________________________________________________________________ With Bells On ***************** For a glitzier, HTML version of our newsletter with pictures, cartoons and all the funny jokes (possibly), go to: http://www.concept2.co.uk/email/newsletter.htm. To receive the newsletter in HTML format, send an email to subscription@concept2.co.uk with HTML as the subject title. How To Write To Us ***************** Please don't reply directly to this email, 'cos we won't ever see it. Instead send your bouquets or brickbats to editor@concept2.co.uk. Indoor Rowing Glossary ***************** A guide to some of the more common terms used in indoor rowing can be found at http://www.concept2.co.uk/rowing/glossary.php ========================================================= Michael Longley ========================================================= Michael Longley started his epic journey on his Indoor Rower seven and a half years ago. Putting in 4.5 miles a day, the industrial engineer from Nottingham has become only the fourth Brit ever to clock up a total of 20 million metres, the equivalent of rowing from Britain to New Zealand. Since he began on July 28th 1998, he has rarely missed a day – even at Christmas and while on holiday, if the hotel had a gym. "We'd try and find somewhere with an Indoor Rower, otherwise I'd just have to make up the lost time when I got back home. I'd say I haven't had to catch up on more than two weeks a year," Michael said. The former Nottingham Boat Club rower had already rowed 15 million metres when he decided to dedicate the last five million to charity and raise funds for a cause close to his heart – the children's ward at Nottingham City Hospital, where his daughter's life was saved 18 years ago. His daughter Lisa 25, who at the time was too ill to be operated on, was given the all clear after several anxious weeks. "The idea to raise money is our way of showing our appreciation to the staff there. Lisa could have quite easily died. Giving money raised from the last five million metres is a way to pay something back," said Michael. The £3,000 raised will pay for a Crit-Line monitor to help youngsters being treated for kidney failure. Michael added: "I feel very pleased to be able to give the hospital this money. It's cash well spent, doing some good for someone else. You know how important equipment like this is when you've been through an experience like my family." Now that his challenge is over, Michael has mixed feelings about his achievement. He is pleased that he completed the task but is keen to continue rowing. "It's been a big part of my life for so many years. I shall carry on rowing, but I expect I'll take it a littler easier. If I fancy a day off, I'll be able to take it. "I have had more injuries than I can mention through other sports like football and cycling, but the Indoor Rower has been an absolute lifeline to me. It really keeps me fit and in shape, there's no way I will be stopping anytime soon." For more on the Concept2 Distance Award Scheme, check out http://www.concept2.co.uk/rowing/distance_award_scheme.php. ========================================================= Cartoon By Rog ========================================================= http://www.concept2.co.uk/email/images/cartoon139.jpg ========================================================= Walk Like An Olympian ========================================================= Whenever the Indoor Rowing News has met James Cracknell, we've always been impressed with his footwear. There walks a well-shod man. Which is fortunate, as we've now managed to get our hands on a number of Adidas Climacool trainers signed by the big man himself. All the trainers are size 11 and as well as being signed on the heel, they also come with an autographed photograph. The recommended retail price of these is 74.99, but if you sneak over to the Concept2 Shop on the special-only-for-newsletter-readers link http://www.concept2.co.uk/shop/cracknell_trainers.php, you can get hold of a pair for just 40 quid, including postage and packing. Bargain. ========================================================= Crew Class Club Call ========================================================= Crew Class is any instructor led group rowing session. We regularly get people asking us where the nearest gym to them is which runs a class. In general, however, we haven't got a clue, as gyms rarely inform us of the fact. Anyway, in a bid to solve this, if your gym runs such a class, let us know the details and we'll create a section on the site listing what's going down. Send the details, including venue, times and any other blurb you'd like included, to editor@concept2.co.uk. ========================================================= World Firefighter Games ========================================================= Firefighters throughout the world take pride in the fact that they are well known for being in top physical shape. One member of the 422nd Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department recently took that pride a step further than most when he went on an almost 12,000 miles round trip to compete in the 9th World Firefighter Games in Hong Kong. The biannual competition has 52 events and was attended by more than 3,000 competitors. Lead Firefighter Steve Price competed in three of those 52 events and stood out among the 3,000 competitors when he won the gold medal in Indoor Rowing. Steve competed against firefighters from France, South Africa and Hong Kong in the event and beat the second place finisher by eight seconds. "When I got to 500 metres I was in third place," he said. "I thought at that point it would be nice to finish with a bronze. When I got to a thousand I was in second, and thought I might have a chance to win it. When I hit the 1,500 metre mark I moved into first place and then just kept the pressure on for the last 500." He didn't keep his competitive spirit to his area of expertise, though. He also competed in the 50- metre backstroke and freestyle swim. "That's not my strongest area, and it showed," laughed Steve as he talked about the competition. "It was really embarrassing. Not only did I come in last, I was about 10 seconds behind the guy who came in second to last. That's a pretty big difference when you're only swimming 50 metres." The Firefighters Games in Hong Kong weren't the first ones Steve has competed in. "I competed in the games in Sheffield two years ago," he said. "It was then I decided I was going to do the one in China." The Hong Kong games won't be his last either. The next games are in Liverpool and Steve will be there. He doesn't plan to go alone, though. "I'm going to try and get my wife to play in the next one," he said. "I need a team player for lawn bowls, so I'm going to try and persuade her to do that." ========================================================= Reader's Letters ========================================================= Mike Henley: "I hadn't seen the article in the Times by Andy Ripley (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2094-1838551,00.html). I'm sorry to hear about his diagnosis but it's good to see that he's taken the sort of approach we'd all expect of a rugby player. I hope that again it's not just about the projection of an image. I don't think I'd be quite as brave as he is, although none of us know how we'll cope when it comes to us. "Just a small point but my job as a Consultant Urologist allowed me to spot that you've made the classical error and called the disease prostrate cancer. It's actually prostate without the second r! "It's got nothing to do with rowing but I'm introducing (along with some other urologists) a new treatment for early prostate cancer, which can cure the disease but has lower rates of complications in doing so. It's brilliant therefore, that Andy has tried to raise the profile, as the people we need to treat are those with PSAs just outside the normal range. The treatment has such a low rate of complications that it may even make screening for prostate cancer in younger men feasible. Something that would have clearly benefited Andy if it had have been available." Thanks to everybody who pointed out the prostrate/prostate mistake, which highlights the problem of relying solely on your computer's spell chequer. For those of you who missed the last newsletter, former rugby union international and indoor rowing legend Andy Ripley was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year. In order to raise some funds, a gang of indoor rowers will be taking part in events including a 24-hour row and a 50k team relay race this weekend at the TCR Show in Esher, Surrey. For more information on the row, visit http://www.justgiving.com/rippersrow/. For more information on the TCR Show, read the following article… ========================================================= Triathlon Cycling and Running 2006 ========================================================= The countdown has started to Triathlon Cycling and Running 2006. The UK's premier multisport and endurance show - 25th & 26th March, Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey. This year's event promises to be the biggest and best yet with over 130 exhibitors and 230 brands represented. At TCR06 you can not only see, but try and buy products and services from the top names in triathlon, cycling and running. The event will feature seminars and workshops and the opportunity to participate in the EAS Indoor Time Trial, Taut Netfit Challenge and try the latest women's specific bikes in the Trek WSD, Fit for Women trialling area. New for 2006 is the Adventure Racing Zone, the latest paddling equipment from Whitewater Canoeing, Valley Canoes and System X, race information from Ace Races and Detail Events and all you need to know about AR from Sleepmonsters! For the latest update and a list of exhibitors visit http://tcrshow.com Beat the queues and order your weekend show ticket in advance, £10 adults, £5.00 child, £25 family (2 adults, 2 children). Click http://swimcyclerun.co.uk/default.asp?page=tickets to book online or download a PDF order form. Alternatively call the hotline on 0845 408 4633 ========================================================= Leeds University Boat Club 100,000m ========================================================= A team of ten rowers from Leeds University Boat Club broke the 100,000m BUSA Team world record on March 8th. Steve Mellor, Rob Wood, Ali Brown, Mark Pitcher, Kamal Brewal, Rich Bainbridge, Luke Forrester, Pete Vanns, Eric Vlemmings and Simon Croft trounced the previous record by over ten minutes. The challenge was witnessed by a nightclub full of supporters, and the event formed an important part of the evening's proceedings as the record was broken on the stage in the main room of Leeds' main student night. Event organiser Ben Stuart said, "It's amazing the way things have come together. The planning has been going on since December, but ultimately you have to take your hat off to the ten guys putting themselves through hell to represent the club and break this record." To break a 100,000m record is a severe test of strength and stamina, with the team of ten men taking it in turns to pull 15 strokes as hard as they can before the next rower takes his place. Such an energetic pace and rapid changeovers means there is not time to strap feet into place, so they had to be physically held to the machine by hand. The average 500m split for the row was 1:30.5, and on one stroke the split fell to 1:08. As the team pulled through the pain barrier and reached for those final few strokes, the gathered crowd went wild to "The Final Countdown", before a particularly apt rendition of Queen's "We Are The Champions" announced that they had set a new record of 4:28:27. ========================================================= Isle of Ely Boat Race Bash ========================================================= Mark Goddard (Captain, Isle of Ely RC): "Two years ago, the City of Ely hosted a 60th anniversary recreation of a wartime Boat Race, originally rowed on the Great Ouse in February 1944. This "Diamond 44" celebration of the race was the catalyst for the creation of a new rowing club, Isle of Ely RC, with colours of Oxford Blue and Cambridge Blue telling of its origin. Now in its third year, Isle of Ely has racing, recreational and junior members, and is a vibrant and confident club despite currently living out of a couple of large containers. "Ely has had a rowing club before, but it became defunct in the 1950s. However, Ely has had a long connection with rowing though the Cambridge crews (CUBC) that have trained there. To celebrate this connection, Isle of Ely RC's links with the Boat Race, and to raise money for the club's recreational rowing plans in conjunction with the ARA, the club is holding a "Boat Race Bash" on April 2nd, Boat Race day. "A sponsored ergo from Ely to Putney (130km) is planned with as many members as possible taking part, starting at an ungodly hour in Ely's Jubilee Gardens across the river from the CUBC boathouse. We also have a relay of the Boat Race television coverage on large plasma screens, a raffle with prizes including a CUBC lycra all-in-one (thankfully un-worn) signed by the 2006 Cambridge Blue Boat crew (and a certain James Cracknell), and a bar and other refreshments. "Whichever shade of blue is your particular hue, we invite you to come along, support our club and watch some top crews in action in a great rowing atmosphere." ========================================================= Physical Activity Ratio ========================================================= We have improved the Physical Activity Ratio table associated to the Basal Metabolic Rate to give a more comprehensive estimate of the calories burned during exercise on the Concept 2 rowing machine. Initially there were only 4 levels of PAR and this would be fine for sedentary people on a weight management programme. However there are a lot of people who are very fit and training at a high level that also want to monitor their calorie output. The new table applied to the BMR will provide a more accurate indication of the calories burned across the range of training bands commonly used in rowing exercise. For the new table and calculator, check out http://www.concept2.co.uk/training/bmr.php ========================================================= Monmouth Comprehensive School 24-Hour Row ========================================================= Not content with just setting a new World Record for Indoor Rowing, Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club also raised £6,000 for charity. A team of ten students rowed for 24 hours to set the new World Record, clocking up a distance of 346,697 metres. Meanwhile all club members and guests rowed 1,203,359 metres to raise funds for the Sir Steve Redgrave Trust. The day was organised by MCSBC Club Captain Anna Woodman, who arranged for 135 participants, ranging from aged 11 to 65, to row over a million metres and set a world record for junior indoor rowing - with over £6,000 being raised and pledged for the Sir Steve Redgrave Trust. All proceeds are going to the Sir Steve Redgrave Trust, which aims to improve and enhance the quality of young people's lives, particularly in relation to medical, social, educational and economic needs within the UK. ========================================================= Forthcoming Races And Events ========================================================= Name: Southern IRC Date 01/04/06 Venue: Bellemoor School, Southampton Distance: 2,000m, team race and junior categories Organiser: Gus Mckechnie T: 07921 906007 W: www.teammac.co.uk Other: Entry Form available from http://www.concept2.co.uk/racing/calendar_uk.php?id=181 Name: Kingston University IRC Date: 22/04/06 Venue: Kingston College, , Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey Distance: 2,000m, junior categories Organiser: Paul Askham-Spencer T: 07725 317690 E: askhams@hotmail.com Other: Entry form available from http://www.concept2.co.uk/racing/calendar_uk.php?id=183 ____________________________________________________FEEDBACK You like? 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