It all started with a slight twinge inner, right elbow; or more specifically the area known as the antecubital fossa. I would climb and then it would hurt. So I’d take a 15 minute break and then go again, wincing at the pain.

So I took a break. Went back after the (too) short time off and everything was fine. Until it came back. It spread to my wrist (no fancy words here) and I could barely finish routes I had otherwise crushed. My right arm was basically just twinges and light but constant pain.

If you read the last post, you’ll know I went over to yoga upon deciding to take a break in order to keep myself in shape while I heal. Unfortunately some of the poses put too much pressure on my hands and elbow (due to my weight, mainly) and so I had to put a pause on that.

It was a few of weeks into my new rest phase and I hadn’t gone to the gym once. Coupled with the heat and a night of eating some feelings, I realized I needed to go to the gym.

What to do, what to do…

In a sudden flash of inspiration, I took off for the gym after work, with the main goal of doing some cardio. Probably on the stationary bikes.

I entered Pipeworks briskly, urging myself to keep up this pace otherwise I might turn around and leave. Cardio was my nightmare. To me, cardio meant misery. Mostly because I associated cardio with running or aerobics; both were horrid options. Hope that a stationary bike would propel me to greater cardiovascular health was all the propelled me into the gym.

Until I spied the rowing machines. I recalled my love of white-water rafting with my youth group and the time the youth leader took me out, by my request, on a rowboat ride down the American River. As I sat down on the machine, I also recalled a memory of me doing a rowing machine as a high schooler in a hotel gym, working out alongside my mom as she was on the treadmill.

I strapped my feet in, grabbed the handle bars, and set the machine to keep track of a free row. Off I went.

Ten minutes — plus change — later I was practically dead and had completed a 2000m row. My heart pounded, my legs and core were sore, and my arms were mercifully un-twinged.

As I moved over to finish the session out with some extra core and stretches, I checked what a “good” time for a beginner was for a 2000m race. It was like 8 minutes 45 seconds. I was a full minute fifteen slower. Sheesh.

Still, it was good to know I could do this exercise and not feel like my right arm was going to derail any efforts I had in getting into shape.

I am going to aim for a high intensity, twenty minute 30 seconds on, 30 seconds rest row as my main form on the rowing machine. After 20 intervals, I had covered just over 2600m and was even more exhausted than before.

After a month, I hope to be nearing the 8 minute 45 second mark and can maybe even translate this to going on the water.

Until next time.