Concept 2 Rower Model D (Exercise For Fat Loss)

[robblok]

1 hour ago, GarryP said:

When I first got my rower I started out at about 6,450 meters in 30 minutes. Two months later I was averaging about 6,800 and in the third month I broke the 7,000 barrier. However, I have pretty much been stuck in the 7,200 to 7,350 range for the last year. I do not believe I will be able to improve much on that. The differences between rows are a matter of 10's of meters not 100's of meters now.  Also the heart rate on those rows does not vary much from one row to another, but it is well up there at 130's to 140's. 

Annoying isnt it that at some point its hard to progress (happens in any sport). Unlike what certain people think (you know who you are *LOL* just teasing) I am not obsessed by strength or bench-press numbers but by progress. Right now I am quite happy to see that my walking with weights is going up and maybe my pull ups will go up now as I am adding weight. 

 

Its not about the actual numbers.. but about making progress. Of course there is an other kind of progress.. the one you see in your body. I am now doing some more Ab exercises and because I did not bother with them for a while there is still room for improvement. I don't know I just like improvement and exercises that go up are more fun than those that stay static. 

 

(i know I am on the road to failure as aging will bring me down eventually)

[tropo]

4 hours ago, alfieconn said:

I thought it would be you out of everyone who would find fault on this !  i can dial in ?????  if you read my post properly i said "generally the average HR" now if you can obtain your Max HR as an average over a long period then fair play to you but somehow i think that you won't be able too,   i'm obviously talking about maximum effort on each exercise and the associated average  Heart rate.

It was easy to fault as it didn't make a whole lot of sense. I come into my workout with an average rate I want to keep, and that's where it's kept. That's called "dialling it in". I'm in control of my heart rate and where I want it to be. "maximum effort" is extremely hard to define if you're not using heart rate to quantify it.

[alfieconn]

1 hour ago, tropo said:

It was easy to fault as it didn't make a whole lot of sense. I come into my workout with an average rate I want to keep, and that's where it's kept. That's called "dialling it in". I'm in control of my heart rate and where I want it to be. "maximum effort" is extremely hard to define if you're not using heart rate to quantify it.

Well judging by a lot of your post's not a lot seems to make sense to you so perhaps it's just you !

 

I find doing interval training more beneficial hence the reason i keep a log of the average HR over the length of the exercise and compare the various exercises i do, i have in the past exercised at a set heart rate such as you do but i just find it so boring plus  exercises such as boxing it is impossible.

[up-country_sinclair]

Forgive me if this has been asked previously, but what oil are you guys using for your Concept 2 chains?

 

3-in-1 oil is recommended, but it doesn't seem to be available in Thailand.

 

Thanks!  ?

 

 

By the way, I'm ahead of schedule to hit my goal a million kilometers this year.  ?‍♂️

[GarryP]

12 hours ago, up-country_sinclair said:

Forgive me if this has been asked previously, but what oil are you guys using for your Concept 2 chains?

 

3-in-1 oil is recommended, but it doesn't seem to be available in Thailand.

 

Thanks!  ?

 

 

By the way, I'm ahead of schedule to hit my goal a million kilometers this year.  ?‍♂️

I have been using a small bottle of mineral oil I bought at the local hardware shop. It is very similar to Singer all purpose oil. Actually, 3 in 1 is only one of the recommended oils. Purified mineral oil is also okay and easy to get in Thailand.

 

Congrats on the million.  

 

 

[tropo]

On 6/7/2018 at 4:06 PM, alfieconn said:

Well judging by a lot of your post's not a lot seems to make sense to you so perhaps it's just you !

1

No, it's your posts and particular points that you made that didn't make a lot of sense. If you can't make points clear, then blame yourself, not the readers.

[tropo]

19 hours ago, up-country_sinclair said:

Forgive me if this has been asked previously, but what oil are you guys using for your Concept 2 chains?

 

3-in-1 oil is recommended, but it doesn't seem to be available in Thailand.

 

Thanks!  ?

 

 

By the way, I'm ahead of schedule to hit my goal a million kilometers this year.  ?‍♂️

I use the chain oil that came with my rower, but failing that, this is what I'd get:

 

46 baht on Lazada:

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/cycling-bicycle-chain-lube-bike-lubricating-oil-cleaner-50ml-intl-i235331933-s360921084.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.35.15e46b38qFPGLk&search=1

 

The chain doesn't need much oil, so that would last many lifetimes.

 

 

[tropo]

Anyone up for a 42,195-meter row?

 

Here are some tips if you want to try:

 

 

[tropo]

Elite rower outperforms elite NFL players, swimmers and marathon runners in tests such as lung capacity, leg strength, and VO2 max.

 

 

 

[opporna]

I've been reading many pages on this thread, and only the first page has info so far about buying a rowing machine in Thailand.

 

Does anyone have a more recent experience buying one here? I'd appreciate the information.

[GarryP]

1 hour ago, opporna said:

I've been reading many pages on this thread, and only the first page has info so far about buying a rowing machine in Thailand.

 

Does anyone have a more recent experience buying one here? I'd appreciate the information.

It seems that the best thing to do is order from Malaysia and pay the import duty, if I recall correctly others paid about 45k doing it this way. It works out much cheaper than you would be able to buy a new machine in Thailand. I paid 58k for my first and 53 or 54k for my son's machine in Thailand. The Malaysian people are AvironRacing. Their website does not seem to be working but you can contact them via their facebook page. I bought a heart monitor from them via facebook with no problems.  

[kekalot]

8 hours ago, GarryP said:

It seems that the best thing to do is order from Malaysia and pay the import duty, if I recall correctly others paid about 45k doing it this way. It works out much cheaper than you would be able to buy a new machine in Thailand. I paid 58k for my first and 53 or 54k for my son's machine in Thailand. The Malaysian people are AvironRacing. Their website does not seem to be working but you can contact them via their facebook page. I bought a heart monitor from them via facebook with no problems.  

yep aviron racing is selling them,

only thing i didn't like is TNT wanted to take away my passport for a "few days" while they apply for me for some kind of importers permit..

 

[tropo]

On 9/4/2018 at 6:58 PM, kekalot said:

yep aviron racing is selling them,

only thing i didn't like is TNT wanted to take away my passport for a "few days" while they apply for me for some kind of importers permit..

 

Did you end up buying it? Your passport is safe with TNT. They send a courier in a bright orange truck to pick it up and then drop it off again 2 days later. They don't even charge you for the service, so it's a very good deal. They are a professional company, and not stealing passports. If this is too much stress, you can go to the custom's office in Laem Chabang and do it yourself.

[tropo]

On 9/4/2018 at 10:06 AM, GarryP said:

It seems that the best thing to do is order from Malaysia and pay the import duty, if I recall correctly others paid about 45k doing it this way. It works out much cheaper than you would be able to buy a new machine in Thailand. I paid 58k for my first and 53 or 54k for my son's machine in Thailand. The Malaysian people are AvironRacing. Their website does not seem to be working but you can contact them via their facebook page. I bought a heart monitor from them via facebook with no problems.  

Looking back on this thread to June 2012, I see I paid exactly 54,652 baht (exchange rate at the time: 31.5) for my rower, which was bought directly from Concep2 in the USA and shipped FedEx. Robblok paid the same a few weeks earlier. Concept2 doesn't ship directly to Thailand now, and you have to deal with their agent in Penang... which means you can import it for about 10k cheaper than we did back in 2012. The Skierg which I imported from Penang in August 2017 cost me 45k all up, at an exchange rate of 33 at the time. $1100 + $103 shipping + 5300 THB customs duty and VAT.

 

No one else has bought a SkiErg yet?

 

Come on guys - it's getting lonely here - how's the fitness training going? Ever since they moved fitness threads to an obscure place on the forum it has been dead. These fitness threads used to be busy in the "I'm too fat" forum. Considering most of us exercise to control body fat, that was the perfect place for this thread.

 

 

[GarryP]

3 minutes ago, tropo said:

Looking back on this thread to June 2012, I see I paid exactly 54,652 baht (exchange rate at the time: 31.5) for my rower, which was bought directly from Concep2 in the USA and shipped FedEx. Robblok paid the same a few weeks earlier. Concept2 doesn't ship directly to Thailand now, and you have to deal with their agent in Penang... which means you can import it for about 10k cheaper than we did back in 2012. The Skierg which I imported from Penang in August 2017 cost me 45k all up, at an exchange rate of 33 at the time. $1100 + $103 shipping + 5300 THB customs duty and VAT.

 

No one else has bought a SkiErg yet?

 

Come on guys - it's getting lonely here - how's the fitness training going? Ever since they moved fitness threads to an obscure place on the forum it has been dead. These fitness threads used to be busy in the "I'm too fat" forum. Considering most of us exercise to control body fat, that was the perfect place for this thread.

 

 

I'm still active. I row three weekdays and Saturdays and Sundays. I had to take a break because of muscle strain and also for a holiday abroad, but I am getting back to normal and, touch wood, no more pain. My target is 7kms on each week day I row and 10 on Saturday and Sunday. Don't always make that though. Despite the breaks this year, my monthly average is 100,000 meters, but I am hoping to bring it up to 120,000. It shouldn't be too hard.  

 

The weight I put on when resting from rowing has just about all come off now.  I can't honestly say I enjoy rowing, but I like the results - increased fitness, endorphin highs, better looking body, etc. I have made it a habit.

 

I also bought a second hand multigym a few weeks ago but have yet to go full out on it.  

[tropo]

8 minutes ago, GarryP said:

I'm still active. I row three weekdays and Saturdays and Sundays. I had to take a break because of muscle strain and also for a holiday abroad, but I am getting back to normal and, touch wood, no more pain. My target is 7kms on each week day I row and 10 on Saturday and Sunday. Don't always make that though. Despite the breaks this year, my monthly average is 100,000 meters, but I am hoping to bring it up to 120,000. It shouldn't be too hard.  

 

The weight I put on when resting from rowing has just about all come off now.  I can't honestly say I enjoy rowing, but I like the results - increased fitness, endorphin highs, better looking body, etc. I have made it a habit.

 

I also bought a second hand multigym a few weeks ago but have yet to go full out on it.  

That's good to hear Garry. That's a lot of rowing meters you're rowing. I was averaging about 60k on each of the rower and SkiErg (total: 120k) until this month when I bought a new machine - the Cybex Arc Trainer.

 

I agree with you - rowing is not very enjoyable when you get down to it. I find the SkiErg even more intense. It's very effective but equally unenjoyable. I've not enjoyed rowing for 30 years lol. Is any cardio workout actually enjoyable? At the end of the day, staying fit and conditioned is hard work and requires constant motivation and dedication. Is there an easy way? NO!!

 

That's the very reason I now have 3 machines. My new schedule on strictly cardio days is 30 minutes on the Arc Trainer, then 2500m Rowing, then 2500m SkiErg. I constantly change it up though. I do 1500m, 2500m, 3500m and 5000m rows, but now I have a tendency to do shorter more intense sessions. Same on the SkiErg. It's very rare that I'll row for 30 minutes. This is where the Cybex Arc comes in handy. I enjoy 30-minute sessions on that, keeping my heart rate in the 130 - 140 zone. It feels very easy by comparison (perceived exertion), and may I say, somewhat enjoyable. That's the benefit of using the legs for most of the driving force in an exercise (my Arc has handles too so I'm using full body). It burns calories easier than using the smaller muscle groups.

 

May I suggest you look into getting the Concept2 BikeErg. With that, you can change it up. I was going to get one this year, but I went with the Arc Trainer as a 2nd hand one became available at a good price. I'm not sure how my knees will handle cycling as I haven't used a bike for a long time. I'd have to practice on a gym bike before I buy one. I don't think Alviron Racing in Penang has the bike yet, but they must be getting close. I bought the SkiErg specifically to give my knees a break from rowing, but if you have good knees, the bike will make a perfect duo.

[tropo]

A heads-up for anyone after a Concept2 Rower at a good price. I saw one last night on Bahtsold.com for 32k. With some negotiation you may be able to get that into the 20's. It's a black model D, about the same vintage as mine - 2012. If they are looked after they don't age. Mine still looks "out of the box" after 6 years and about 5 million meters rowed. 

[Beck1976]

Rowing every third day, usually 10k. Mixing it up with 2*5k, 3*4k at a higher watt.

 

Actually I do like rowing. Put on some music, and see the remaining distance-to-go counting downwards ????

Running is still my preferred cardio though, it is mental therapy for me as well.

Now, if I could learn to enjoy lifting weights...

 

Would love to have the skierg as well, but don't really know where I could put it at the moment.

[tropo]

4 hours ago, Beck1976 said:

Rowing every third day, usually 10k. Mixing it up with 2*5k, 3*4k at a higher watt.

 

Actually I do like rowing. Put on some music, and see the remaining distance-to-go counting downwards ????

Running is still my preferred cardio though, it is mental therapy for me as well.

Now, if I could learn to enjoy lifting weights...

 

Would love to have the skierg as well, but don't really know where I could put it at the moment.

The SkiErg has wheels and can easily be moved if you have sufficient ceiling height. It can also be attached to a wall, in which case it takes up hardly any space at all. The bolts that come with it are for wood, so you'd have to get expansion bolts if you attach to concrete. I wanted to but decided against it as I rent and my walls have a special surface that would be impossible to repair.

[GarryP]

12 hours ago, Beck1976 said:

Rowing every third day, usually 10k. Mixing it up with 2*5k, 3*4k at a higher watt.

 

Actually I do like rowing. Put on some music, and see the remaining distance-to-go counting downwards ????

Running is still my preferred cardio though, it is mental therapy for me as well.

Now, if I could learn to enjoy lifting weights...

 

Would love to have the skierg as well, but don't really know where I could put it at the moment.

I count down the remaining distance too, but due more to OCD than enjoyment. Having said that, what else is there to do other than that and listen to music.

 

I believe Tropo once said focusing too much on the time and distance may result in you trying to hard to match previous performances and end up with you over-stressing your muscles, which makes sense. In fact I think this was the reason for my muscle strain before. However, performance depends on much more than getting on the rower and going for it. Enough sleep, mood, etc. all play a role. In fact, I have noticed that when I decide not to overdo it and just relax a bit more, my performances actually improve.

 

BTW my best investment ever in anything fitness related. 

 

PS Are any of you members of a Thailand team Concept2 team? 

 

  

[up-country_sinclair]

I had a good experience with Avion and would recommend them to anyone in Thailand who is interested in buying a Concept 2.

 

I'm still rowing 2 times per week for an hour and making sure I hit at least 12,000 meters.  It would be more times per week, but I do other types of exercise on other days so I don't get bored.  However, rowing can still be boring sometimes, so I watch TV or movies with bluetooth headphones and it usually goes pretty quickly.

 

That used Concept 2 for approximately 30,000 is a very good deal.  If I were still in the market, I'd be taking a look to see the condition it's in.

 

 

[tropo]

15 hours ago, up-country_sinclair said:

I had a good experience with Avion and would recommend them to anyone in Thailand who is interested in buying a Concept 2.

 

I'm still rowing 2 times per week for an hour and making sure I hit at least 12,000 meters.  It would be more times per week, but I do other types of exercise on other days so I don't get bored.  However, rowing can still be boring sometimes, so I watch TV or movies with bluetooth headphones and it usually goes pretty quickly.

 

That used Concept 2 for approximately 30,000 is a very good deal.  If I were still in the market, I'd be taking a look to see the condition it's in.

 

 

Yes, it would be a great deal. I checked back and see that I ended up paying 55k for mine back in 2012 (same as Robblok paid back then too - he got his a couple of weeks earlier). We had to import directly from Concept2 in the US as they didn't have an SE Asian agent back then. Getting it from Malaysia saves a lot of shipping costs. Surprisingly, it arrived much faster by FedEx from the USA than my SkiErg from Malaysia and I didn't have to mess around for days with Thai Customs nonsense (like asking me details on what exactly is in each box as it ships in 2 boxes) and sending my passport away to register. My SkiErg ended up costing 45k.

[tropo]

17 hours ago, GarryP said:

I count down the remaining distance too, but due more to OCD than enjoyment. Having said that, what else is there to do other than that and listen to music.

 

I believe Tropo once said focusing too much on the time and distance may result in you trying to hard to match previous performances and end up with you over-stressing your muscles, which makes sense. In fact I think this was the reason for my muscle strain before. However, performance depends on much more than getting on the rower and going for it. Enough sleep, mood, etc. all play a role. In fact, I have noticed that when I decide not to overdo it and just relax a bit more, my performances actually improve.

 

BTW my best investment ever in anything fitness related. 

 

PS Are any of you members of a Thailand team Concept2 team? 

 

1

Yes, those numbers will drive you crazy if you keep trying to equal or better them. It's the mental burnout that does more harm than any physical burnout. Eventually, you may find rowing a struggle, hate it and give it up. If you take it easier, you will find rowing more enjoyable and stay with it for the long haul. I started on a Concept2 Model B back in the late 1980's, so I've been at it for a while. I used the Concept2 B Model in a public gym and later, in the early 90's I purchased a Model C to use at home.

 

If you're using the rower for exercise, to stay healthy, there is no logical reason to worry about performance. You're not competing. You're just burning calories and getting the heart rate up. Who cares at what speed you row? As most of us are starting to get a bit long in the tooth, we're not going to be able to continuously improve anyway, so why spoil your exercise sessions with performance stress.

 

I always row with my heart rate monitor on, and my heart rate dictates how hard I will row on the day. I row

for 5 minutes and see how I feel. If I feel very good, I will hit it hard, otherwise, I will row moderately or lightly depending on how I feel at the time. Sometimes I come in feeling like doing a light row and end up caning it. You just never know until you've warmed up. I'm sure many of you start off rowing too hard. You don't want to warm up because your average numbers (on the PM) are going to suffer for the piece you choose to row. This is ironic because without a warm up your performance will most definitely suffer. If you're one of those people that start off too hard in order to keep the numbers for your session higher, the best solution is to do a separate warmup row of 5 - 10 minutes. Reset the session and then go hard. 

 

My wife now hates rowing because she couldn't keep her eyes off the PM and always wanted to at least equal her average watts for the previous session. I even put a card over the PM so she couldn't read the numbers, but she didn't like that either.

 

Here's a tip that may help the dedicated number watchers. You can set up an interval session with a variable rest period and 20-second intervals. The variable rest period gives you 10 minutes of rowing, only showing the minutes and meters. You cannot view watts, pace, calories or spm during this rest period... then the 20-second interval starts, so you can see numbers for only 20 seconds, and then you're on to the next 10 minute rest period and so on for the time you want to row. I got into a phase where I was obsessing about numbers back in 2016, so this method cured me and made my rowing more enjoyable.

 

Rowing is a very tough exercise. Pace yourself for the long haul.

 

 

 

[Beck1976]

On 10/2/2018 at 2:15 PM, tropo said:

The SkiErg has wheels and can easily be moved if you have sufficient ceiling height. It can also be attached to a wall, in which case it takes up hardly any space at all. The bolts that come with it are for wood, so you'd have to get expansion bolts if you attach to concrete. I wanted to but decided against it as I rent and my walls have a special surface that would be impossible to repair.

Got the rower in a corner of one room, and moving it to the porch/terrace each time is fine for me. If the same is doable with the Skierg, I might give it a try. The plate you stand on, can be folded up or similar for storage?

Bolting it to the wall, is not a suitable option at the moment.

 

On 10/2/2018 at 9:54 PM, GarryP said:

I count down the remaining distance too, but due more to OCD than enjoyment. Having said that, what else is there to do other than that and listen to music.

 

I believe Tropo once said focusing too much on the time and distance may result in you trying to hard to match previous performances and end up with you over-stressing your muscles, which makes sense. In fact I think this was the reason for my muscle strain before. However, performance depends on much more than getting on the rower and going for it. Enough sleep, mood, etc. all play a role. In fact, I have noticed that when I decide not to overdo it and just relax a bit more, my performances actually improve.

 

BTW my best investment ever in anything fitness related. 

 

PS Are any of you members of a Thailand team Concept2 team? 

 

  

Well, its partly due to OCD, but also if I focus on other things, letting my concentration slip a bit, my form suffers.

 

No doubt trying to beat your previous times every time will lead to very quick burnout or injuries.

Personally I found a pace that I find challenging, but doable (currently 890 kcal/hour according to the PM calculations), and after several completed sessions I then raise the target by 5 kcal/hour.

I exercise for health and enjoyment, its been 15 years since I tried to compete against other people ????

[GarryP]

6 hours ago, Beck1976 said:

Got the rower in a corner of one room, and moving it to the porch/terrace each time is fine for me. If the same is doable with the Skierg, I might give it a try. The plate you stand on, can be folded up or similar for storage?

Bolting it to the wall, is not a suitable option at the moment.

 

Well, its partly due to OCD, but also if I focus on other things, letting my concentration slip a bit, my form suffers.

 

No doubt trying to beat your previous times every time will lead to very quick burnout or injuries.

Personally I found a pace that I find challenging, but doable (currently 890 kcal/hour according to the PM calculations), and after several completed sessions I then raise the target by 5 kcal/hour.

I exercise for health and enjoyment, its been 15 years since I tried to compete against other people ????

I have never focused on kcal/hour before. I always focused on time, distance and heart rate.  I try to keep my 500m time at between 1:56 to 2:05, after a suitable warm up. Anyway, I just ran through my past workouts to see my kcal/h ranges and note that they are between 880 and 1,090 depending on the type of workout. Higher for intervals than 5,000m rows.  My workout this morning was at 990.

 

Tomorrow is normally my day off exercise, but if I have free time, I will still probably put in some time on the rower. 

[Beck1976]

4 hours ago, GarryP said:

I have never focused on kcal/hour before. I always focused on time, distance and heart rate.  I try to keep my 500m time at between 1:56 to 2:05, after a suitable warm up. Anyway, I just ran through my past workouts to see my kcal/h ranges and note that they are between 880 and 1,090 depending on the type of workout. Higher for intervals than 5,000m rows.  My workout this morning was at 990.

 

Tomorrow is normally my day off exercise, but if I have free time, I will still probably put in some time on the rower. 

Watt, kcal/hour and time/500m is just 3 different ways of showing the same, i.e. what intensity you are rowing with.

[tropo]

9 hours ago, Beck1976 said:

Watt, kcal/hour and time/500m is just 3 different ways of showing the same, i.e. what intensity you are rowing with.

Yes, you can use any of them to assess your performance. My wife prefers average watts, I use pace (time/500m) or sometimes calories/hour. I also do set distance pieces, so your estimated completion time becomes the goal. Back years ago I always used watts. A new feature on the PM5 is the ability to set a total calories goal.

 

Contrary to some of you, I try my best never to row to a goal. It takes all the enjoyment out of rowing if you do this year in year out. GarryP: that's very impressive pacing if you keep that up every time you row. I always row well under my performance capability. You don't lose fitness if you take it easy though - in fact, if you rowed easier say 2 times out of 3, I'm sure your performance would improve if that is of any concern. 

[tropo]

20 hours ago, Beck1976 said:

On 10/2/2018 at 2:15 PM, tropo said:

The SkiErg has wheels and can easily be moved if you have sufficient ceiling height. It can also be attached to a wall, in which case it takes up hardly any space at all. The bolts that come with it are for wood, so you'd have to get expansion bolts if you attach to concrete. I wanted to but decided against it as I rent and my walls have a special surface that would be impossible to repair.

Got the rower in a corner of one room, and moving it to the porch/terrace each time is fine for me. If the same is doable with the Skierg, I might give it a try. The plate you stand on, can be folded up or similar for storage?

Bolting it to the wall, is not a suitable option at the moment.

The SkiErg plate is not collapsible. All you can do is tilt it up and push it around like a wheelbarrow. The important thing is that you have good ceiling clearance. It's not very heavy.

[tropo]

14 hours ago, GarryP said:

Tomorrow is normally my day off exercise, but if I have free time, I will still probably put in some time on the rower. 

I like your enthusiasm. "if you have free time"... 

 

Most people have more than enough time to exercise and it comes down to having the motivation, not free time. You can do a good workout on the rower in under 30 minutes, so time wouldn't be an issue for most people. To be honest, it's having free energy that often dictates my exercise routine. I always have the time, but often no energy. Today I was going to do an evening workout after doing a 500 calorie burn on my Arc Trainer earlier in the day, but as the evening marched on, I just couldn't get up the energy or enthusiasm for a 2nd workout. Yeah, I can force myself to exercise if I'm feeling lethargic and often do, but often I just skip it and try again the next day. 

[GarryP]

11 hours ago, tropo said:

I like your enthusiasm. "if you have free time"... 

 

Most people have more than enough time to exercise and it comes down to having the motivation, not free time. You can do a good workout on the rower in under 30 minutes, so time wouldn't be an issue for most people. To be honest, it's having free energy that often dictates my exercise routine. I always have the time, but often no energy. Today I was going to do an evening workout after doing a 500 calorie burn on my Arc Trainer earlier in the day, but as the evening marched on, I just couldn't get up the energy or enthusiasm for a 2nd workout. Yeah, I can force myself to exercise if I'm feeling lethargic and often do, but often I just skip it and try again the next day. 

Friday is normally my rest day. Normally I would not exercise at all on Friday, but today I took a day off work to attend to personal matters, hence the possibility with "if I have free time".  Now home for lunch and back out in half an hour. Anyway, the endorphine highs, keeping fit, feeling good about myself are all the motivation I need (so far). Probably, when I retire I will have so much time on my hands that I will end up doing too much and burning myself out. Luckily, 4 more years before that happens. 

 

I wish I had the choice of equipment you have, then boredom can probably be controlled to an extent. But I do know where you are coming from with the energy and enthusiasm bit. Sometimes there seems to be no reason for feeling a bit lacking in energy, but I still force myself to workout, although maybe 5kms instead of 7 or 10, especially at weekends.