Rowing for Triathletes
Swim, bike, run… row!?
Triathletes juggle a training schedule of three sports, so how does rowing fit in? Rowing is a great way to build endurance, manage injuries, and increase overall fitness.
Include rowing in your indoor brick workouts to add variety to long training sessions. Since rowing is low-impact, it is a great choice for building up endurance without the pounding of running or the unresponsiveness of bike trainers.
Some injuries, such as certain lower leg and foot injuries, can be accommodated on the indoor rower. The low-impact nature of rowing allows you to continue cardiovascular workouts while you recover.
Best of all, the Concept2 Indoor Rower's Performance Monitor provides accurate feedback to let you gauge your fitness. Compare your bike and rowing wattages, track your meters, and see how you improve.
Ready to incorporate rowing into your triathlon training? Visit our Training section for sample workouts.
Additional Resources
Rowing for Runners Flyer—Rowing and running both offer cardiovascular benefits and use many of the same muscles, but in different ways.- A New Spin, from Rowing News—Why exertion on the erg and the bike feel so different.
- 22 Ironman Triathlons in One Year, from Trizone—Three-time Olympic rower Miroslav Vrastil sets an example and completes 22 Ironman triathlons in 2010.
- Rowing for Power—Competitor magazine April 2011 offers tips on how to supplement a running or multisport program with rowing.
- Hywel Davies: Record Breaker—Welsh triathlete holds lightweight 100k World Record in indoor rowing.
Testimonials
Jeff Rice discovered his love/hate relationship with the indoor rower through CrossFit Endurance.
