Fit: Want Some Oar?

EYE PATCHES and booty plundering are, admittedly, awesome. But what is the best part about being a pirate?

Ruling the water. Don't worry if you grew up in landlocked locales or preferred keg stands to stadium runs back in college. Even if you didn't row, row, row your boat back in the day, it's not too late to start. Ever.

That's what the Capital Rowing Club believes, anyway. In honor of USRowing's National Learn to Row Day on Saturday, they're offering a free clinic that day at the Anacostia Community Boathouse that'll get you on the water within three hours. "We can teach you the basics in five minutes," says community programs representative Laura Chalmers. "And then you can spend a lifetime perfecting it."

She exaggerates, at least about the first part. It takes a little more time to get acquainted with the machines used to practice on land (ergometers, or ergs), the four steps to a correct stroke (the catch, the drive, the finish and the recovery) and how to work as a team with the other folks in the shell. But with special flat-bottomed barges designed for rookies, you can glide along the water that first day without too much fear of tipping over.

And if that taste gets you hooked, you can sign up for Capital's five-week novice course ($255), which expands the instruction to fill three hours every Saturday and Sunday and culminates in a low-pressure regatta.

Within a few years, you could be joining Chalmers in the competitive program. She worked her way up to the top tier after completing the novice class six years ago, and now couldn't imagine life without rowing. "It's fun, intense, physically challenging. It's one of the best workouts I've ever done," she says. Plus, it's a full-body regimen that promotes both strength and endurance but is easy on the joints, so it's accessible to anyone, from kids to seniors. The club has active members in their 60s and 70s, and they sometimes compete against 80-year-olds.

Shy prospective rowers might think they're being smart by hitting the rowing machines at their gyms before signing up for any classes, but that's not always such a slick move. Without someone observing your stroke, there's a chance you're learning it wrong and Capital will have to break your bad habits. "People have a tendency to slide back and forth as fast as they can, and they don't effectively use their legs and back," Chalmers explains. Correct form requires pulling first with the legs and then the back, and finishes off with the arms before reversing the motion.

It sounds pretty simple, but Chalmers wasn't kidding about the lifetime thing. Luckily, doing this kind of exercise, you'll probably get a few extra years to play with.

» TAKE ME TO THE RIVER:
» To participate in the Capital Rowing Club's celebration of 2007 National Learn to Row Day this Saturday, head to the Anacostia Community Boathouse (1115 O St. SE) between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Kids under 12 may be too small for the equipment, but anyone can participate (those under 18 must have a parent sign a waiver). Sneakers and athletic attire — nothing too long or baggy — are recommended. Pre-registration is not required.

» In Virginia, Robinson Secondary School's crew team is running a program from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday at Sandy Run Park (10450 Van Thompson Rd. in Fairfax Station). See robinsoncrew.com for more details.

» The Baltimore Rowing Club is also offering free lessons on Saturday at 3301 Waterview Ave in Charm City. You must pre-register for one of four time slots: 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. Contact learn@baltimorerowing.org to sign up.

» If you can't make it to a free clinic, make sure you're not doing anything stupid with your technique. Concept2, a rowing-machine company and one of the sponsors of National Learn to Row Day, offers tips and the chance to order a free DVD from its site. Or, download a free six-minute technique podcast from itrain.com.

Photo by James A. Parcell/The Washington Post