Something disturbing this workout: whenever I tried to hold the seat motionless and draw the footstretcher to me it hurt. It seemed not to matter how gently I pulled. Something in and of the the motion itself hurt, or leastwise seemed to.

For the last three or for workouts my goal has been to build on three things — row pain-free, produce an ideal force curve every stroke, and keep the seat motionless. This afternoon’s workout, however, makes me question the wisdom of this goal. Rowing pain-free speaks for itself, res ipsa loquitur. This should always be the first goal. As for producing an ideal force curve every stroke, isn’t this just another way of saying make sure that your technique is correct?

But what about keeping the seat motionless? This afternoon this is where the pain seemed to start. In focusing so intently on starting the drive off the stretcher with my legs I wonder if I haven’t forgotten what Fairbairn calls the most difficult art in rowing— that is, “coupling the drive and the draw.”

“…as the oarsman pushes his weight off the stretcher, instantly he must pull it on to the rowing pin. Coupling the drive and draw is about the most difficult art of timing in rowing. Once it has been got correctly, the oarsman will be able to row truly his full weight the length which the condition of his muscles will allow him to row.”