What is Erging anyway?
Anyone who has ever been to a gym has probably seen tucked away in the back corner, covered in dust, a lonely rowing machine. From time to time someone will take a spin on it for about 10 minutes or so, and then decide to go to the latest elliptical or fusion cardio machine in front of the tv sets.
The indoor rowing machine. The ergometer. The erg. Maybe that's a sound people make when they think about getting on one – erg…no thanks…
It's a tough ride if you don't know the proper technique, and even when you do. Contrary to what many people think, it's not just about pulling with your arms and back. In fact, most of the work is done by the legs and glutes, with the upper body throwing in the extra oomph. I won't go into detail here on technique – there are some good videos that do the job, such as this one.
Did you know that there is a tribe of people who erg? Most of these people are connected through the Concept 2 company, the makers of the most popular rowing machines in the world. There are international races held in different locations, usually during February (this is the off-season for people who row on the water). There is even a world championship held in Boston every year, called the Crash-B Sprints. When I bought my erg from Concept 2, I set up my online logbook and discovered a whole new world. I even entered a race last year in Victoria, British Columbia. It was a very cool experience. You don't need to be really tall to erg, or super fit. People of all abilities, sizes and ages participate in the erging community and in the races, just like the running community. And for all you runners reading, you can definitely get that "runners high" while erging 
Here is a news clip on one of the races in Chicago:
