Athletic Elitism

This morning I went to the gym to use their ergometers (rowing machines) since my teammate is out of town and it's not safe to be out on the lake by myself. Every time I go to the gym in the morning, a guy gets on the ergometer next to me when I'm about 3/4 of the way through my workout. He has utterly horrible form, which puts him at risk of injuring himself. I once tried to teach Bad Rower Guy how to improve his technique, and he seemed kind of receptive, but didn't really change all that much. I don't think he was convinced that I'm a credible authority on the matter. (He's an old fart, for all of you who might be thinking I should ask him out--I'm just waiting for the day when some smart, age-appropriate, tall guy hops on an erg. I'm such a gym rat.)

Anyway, this morning, I had my machine set to display calories/hour as its measure of units of force produced (rowers typically look at 500-m splits--how long it takes to row 500m). Bad Rower Guy also had his machine set to calories. I have to admit I found it immensely satisfying to easily outpull him (I also think that out of the corner of my eye I caught him comparing his numbers to mine). The ideal rowing stroke is beautiful, efficient, and powerful, and it's always nice to reinforce the idea that good technique leads to better power output. Hopefully the experience will also encourage Bad Rower Guy to think harder about his technique. I kind of doubt it, but oh well.

It's nice to be getting back into the swing of things.