Curlew RC caught up with Jonathan Hood, one of our alumni members who is back training with the club, there are some benefits to covid and the pandemic.
Here is what Jonathan had to say…
Bored with on- line exercise classes and requiring the stimulus of exercising in a group , Mathew’s invitation to Curlew alumni ( aka Old Men) to join the Curlew on- line training came at just the right time for me.
Run Monday thru to Saturday ( mysteriously avoiding Wednesday) the sessions are variously at 6 or 7 p.m with an 8 am Saturday session. There is also a 7 a.m. Friday session which I have managed to miss for some reason…..
I was fearful that the sessions would all burpees , press ups and star jumps. Mercifully they are not. One of trainers ( who conducts 2 of the evening sessions) Emma, is a yoga specialist. Having never attempted yoga before I was, and remain, in total awe of the seemingly (in my case actually ) impossible positions and postures Emma effortlessly and oh-so gracefully, adopts.
Another session conducted by the equally flexible and lithe young lady, Cait, is a bit more traditional but still with many moves being yoga-like so the two sessions marry up with each other.
My remaining session is conducted by Marcus; he too runs a class which cleverly capitalises on what has been demonstrated by Cait and Emma.
All in all a thoroughly complementary series of exercises and demonstrations.
One of the very few advantages of Zoom is that exercise classes can be totally private i.e that the humiliations of failing to complete the moves or hold the poses are between you and your Maker. The simple expedient of switching the video off sees to this. However curiosity and pride kicks in so the pure challenge of trying ones hardest to see just how far the body will bend, makes it all worthwhile.
Do the sessions work ? Well I think that slowly they do. They certainly produce in me a somewhat smug glow of self-satisfaction that “ I am training with the rowing club” and I am finding some of the tasks have become do-able , which must be a good thing. As long as I keep the video off I can avoid the destruction of my conceit that I am actually improving.
In short, I heartily commend the classes to my fellow alumni and thank the Club for the opportunity .
– JONATHAN HOOD
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING, PLEASE CONTACT MATTHEW.RICHARDSON@GMAIL.COM
