In 2020, while the pandemic was starting to rear its ugly head, I decided to participate in the Concept2 Rowing Holiday Challenge. Now, in the year 2023, I plan to do my second-holiday rowing challenge.
For the life of me, I don’t know why I decided to take the years 2021 and 2022 off, but I probably had my reasons. Now that those two years have passed in the blink of an eye, it’s time to get back to the basics.
Even though I have rowed 200,000 meters in 32 days before, it still makes me nervous to do it again because it is dedication and time-consuming. It’s easy for me to say, “Eh, I can row tomorrow.” And then the next thing I know, I have to row 12,000 meters instead of 6,000.
200,000 meters in 32 days is 6,250 per day if I row every single day. Rowing 6,250 per day is about a 40-minute workout for me. I can row 5,000 in about 25 minutes if I go at a good pace. So, giving myself 40 minutes for 6,250 is somewhat generous, and with a cool down.
And we all know that while rowing every day is ideal, it probably won’t happen. Doctor appointments and other things get in the way sometimes. Of course, I have the weekends where I know I will row 10,000 and 20,000 days, so there’s that.
And look what I found way back in 2020 on X:
Surpassed the big scary goal I set for myself for this holiday challenge that ended today. #goals #rowing #c2challenge @concept2 @ThePocockFdn @AMBTfilm << Go watch this documentary. It’s why I was rowing. pic.twitter.com/CFH700OEwQ
— Carol reMarks (@carolremarks) December 24, 2020
And all I raised was $6.60? It doesn’t seem worth it, does it? I did donate some of my own money, too.
Then again –
Complete at least 100k during the Holiday Challenge and Concept2 will donate $.02 for every kilometer to your choice of charities for the first 100k. We’ll donate an additional $.04 for every kilometer you row, ski or ride after 100k, up to a maximum total amount of $45,000.
Yeah, I don’t understand their math.
When I rowed back in 2020, it was for the charity called A Most Beautiful Thing. I highly recommend you watch the movie.
I chose This year’s charity called VT Community Foundation, mainly because it was the only United States charity listed this year. All the other charities wanted to send money raised overseas; I am not interested in that right now.
So here’s the deal, taken word for word from my Concept2 logbook:
Holiday Challenge 2023
November 23–December 24
Row, ski, or ride 100k or 200k meters between American Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve and help raise money for one of five fantastic charities.
The Details
- Row, ski, and ride 100,000 or 200,000 meters from November 23 to 11:59 p.m. December 24.
- Indoor rower, SkiErg, and BikeErg meters only (no on water/on snow meters, please). You can combine meters from each machine to reach the challenge goal. Note: BikeErg meters are counted as half when applied to the challenge. Learn more about BikeErg meters below in How To Participate.
- If you’re looking for help recording your meters, ErgData is a good option for iPhone and Android users.
- Support great causes with your meters! Read about this year’s charities below.
- This is an individual challenge. Teams are not used for this challenge.
- The Kids’ Holiday Challenge allows kids (aged 16 and under) to participate at 50,000 meters.
- Adaptive athletes can participate at the 50k, 100k, or 200k levels.
- The deadline for entering meters is 11:59 pm GMT (6:59 pm ET), January 4.
They even have a workout calendar already planned on how to do the challenge and suggested workouts, whether you plan to do the 100, no meters or 200,o00 meters. I am doing the 200,00 meters. It is a lot of rowing, but it’s fun and challenging, and I learned a lot the last time I did it.
I found this fun little gem while looking up YouTube videos to insert here. And now I have a new goal: to match or beat Brooke Mooney’s 500 split.
Also, there is no excuse as to why I cannot do this workout. It’s rowing in my garage. While it may be cold occasionally, I know I will warm up nicely fighting all those meters. If I don’t follow the suggested calendar mentioned above, that’s 6600 meters per day, that’s about a 40-minute workout. So it’s in my garage. No excuse if it rains.
I am looking forward to the challenge.
