Rowing as physically challenging as football, basketball

With the rowing edition of the Sunflower Showdown just one day away, take a moment to ask yourself this: How much do you really know about the sport of rowing?

With practices in the early morning hours and a schedule that rarely features home competition, Wildcat rowers comprise one of the university's most unknown NCAA sanctioned teams. But, as this sports writer found out the hard way, the physical demands of the sport rank right up there with any football or basketball program in the country.

A couple weeks ago, a certain K-State rower, who also happens to be a Collegian multimedia editor — don't worry, I won't name names — was visibly sore after logging a few thousand meters on one of the team's ergometers, or erg machines. Unfortunately for me, my brain-to-mouth filter wasn't functioning at that exact moment, so I made a sarcastic remark. I don't remember the exact wording, but it was something like, "Come on, it can't be THAT hard."

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. The anonymous rower immediately challenged me to try 1,000 meters on the erg. It was a joke, or so I thought, so I laughed it off and continued on with my ill-advised comments.

But, as fate would have it, the topic came up again on the way home from K-State's last football game. A certain Collegian sports editor — again, I'll leave names out of this — was within earshot, and not only did she "approve" of the rower's idea, but they decided it needed to be filmed. Not only was it really going to happen, it was going to be put on the Internet for the whole world to see.

Fast-forward to the following Saturday. I arrived at the training room in Ahearn Field House and was briefed on proper form and technique — all of which I clearly forgot once I started. Not long after, I finished my "assignment" drenched in sweat and out of breath. Despite rowing for what felt like 30 minutes, I recorded a time of 4:21.3.

I'm obviously no fine-tuned athletic machine, but covering a kilometer in under 4:30 has to be pretty solid, right? That's what I thought — at least until I saw the list of times for each team member. I would be the worst rower on the team, hands down. As if that wasn't enough good news, it was then revealed to me that a typical race covers twice the distance I had just recorded. Hats off to you, K-State rowers. You make it look a lot easier than it really is.

If you want to watch me make a fool out of myself, or just want to feel better about your own athletic ability, check out the video on the Collegian's multimedia page. If you want to see how rowing is really done, head out to Tuttle Creek Reservoir this weekend to watch the Wildcats try to defend their title against the Jayhawks.