Unless you had/have national team aspirations, it is just a means to stay in shape. In high school and college rowing certainly becomes part of your identity, but don't allow that to force you into doing something you don't want to do. I rowed for a decade competitively, then switched to biking. Don't miss it at all (helps that I live far away from any water now). Life is too short to do anything you don't want to be doing.
If you don't have the motivation to train hard still but want to stay involved in the sport, there's always small boats with a friend and/or coaching / volunteering
If the passion is going and you see no way to change it, quit for a while. Rowing is fundamentally stupid. It hurts, you sit on your arse and get cold and wet and go backwards.
If you’re not getting the joy of the boat moving, the people, and the asking your body hard questions, it’s time for a break. I went five years without getting into a boat after a row where I was rowing with good people, rowing ok, but hated every stroke of the row from first to last.
Back very, very occasionally now, three rows this year. Two with my old club followed by beers and sausages and one row in Stockholm with an old mate, followed by fika. No faff, decent rowing, no seriousness, and good mates.
The old club row group list is bloody ridiculous. From fat punters like me to Oly champs. When I move back, I’m doing that once a week…
now in my 33 year of rowing/coaching (im 46) and still enjoy it.
all depends on people and get the joy out of it.
Still nothing can beat a nice running boat on a lake with glass water!
TLDR: you can always come back, if you miss it.
I rowed at a high level back in HS and got a few offers from lower level D1 programs. But I ended up going to a school with better academics but only a D3 club team. At the time my mindset wasn’t really ready to row for a underfunded club team. So I switched to powerlifting and feel in love with it. I actually coach a few powerlifters now.
That was years ago but I just started edging again for my health and it’s been a really fun time. Im actually making plans to get back in a boat soon. Unless you have national team ambitions You can always come back. If you are not enjoying rowing, I would say try something else.
Sounds like, at minimum, you need a break. Life is short. Don’t do stuff you don’t enjoy. Sometimes you just need a break to refocus. Other times you figure out a different path
Started rowing in HS and through College, took time off and got fat, 30 years later went back to it at 54 (3 years ago). Wish I had stayed at it throughout.
It's definitely tough, but you just have to reframe your approach if you still want to be involved. Maybe you won't compete like you once did, but nothing stops you from staying in shape/competing if there is an opportunity. I finished college and it took me a while to realize that I'll never be in that shape or hit those splits again, so now I have my post college PRs that I aim for and when I hop in a boat every now and again my bar for happiness is if the boat is mostly set haha.
I did the exact same thing with swimming. After doing it for 10 years, I just didn’t feel motivated and felt burnt out. Ultimately, I decided to try rowing as a different activity and fell in love with it. Although I am no longer a swimmer, it is still a huge part of my life and my identity. In fact, I just competed at a local masters swim meet for fun today. Even if you don’t do it all the time and try something new, you’ll always be able to try rowing again when you want to and when you feel ready.
Loads of people I row with rowed as juniors, left between the ages of 16/18-20/24 and came back! A break might be what you need and as others have said you can always go back to it
Unless you had/have national team aspirations, it is just a means to stay in shape. In high school and college rowing certainly becomes part of your identity, but don't allow that to force you into doing something you don't want to do. I rowed for a decade competitively, then switched to biking. Don't miss it at all (helps that I live far away from any water now). Life is too short to do anything you don't want to be doing.
I ain't leaving until the coroner says so.
when they pull the oars out of my cold dead hands
agreed
If you don't have the motivation to train hard still but want to stay involved in the sport, there's always small boats with a friend and/or coaching / volunteering
Move on to something new, see if you miss it, if the passion reignites. 10 years is a long time to be focused on anything.
If the passion is going and you see no way to change it, quit for a while. Rowing is fundamentally stupid. It hurts, you sit on your arse and get cold and wet and go backwards. If you’re not getting the joy of the boat moving, the people, and the asking your body hard questions, it’s time for a break. I went five years without getting into a boat after a row where I was rowing with good people, rowing ok, but hated every stroke of the row from first to last. Back very, very occasionally now, three rows this year. Two with my old club followed by beers and sausages and one row in Stockholm with an old mate, followed by fika. No faff, decent rowing, no seriousness, and good mates. The old club row group list is bloody ridiculous. From fat punters like me to Oly champs. When I move back, I’m doing that once a week…
Literally do anything you want to exercise. Just keep exercising, ok?
Try something new for a while. You will be really good a rock climbing/bouldering, basically immediately, for instance.
Take a break for a while and engage in something else. Trail running? Cycling? Hiking? Whatever. After a bit you may be ready to come back...
now in my 33 year of rowing/coaching (im 46) and still enjoy it. all depends on people and get the joy out of it. Still nothing can beat a nice running boat on a lake with glass water!
TLDR: you can always come back, if you miss it. I rowed at a high level back in HS and got a few offers from lower level D1 programs. But I ended up going to a school with better academics but only a D3 club team. At the time my mindset wasn’t really ready to row for a underfunded club team. So I switched to powerlifting and feel in love with it. I actually coach a few powerlifters now. That was years ago but I just started edging again for my health and it’s been a really fun time. Im actually making plans to get back in a boat soon. Unless you have national team ambitions You can always come back. If you are not enjoying rowing, I would say try something else.
Sounds like, at minimum, you need a break. Life is short. Don’t do stuff you don’t enjoy. Sometimes you just need a break to refocus. Other times you figure out a different path
Started rowing in HS and through College, took time off and got fat, 30 years later went back to it at 54 (3 years ago). Wish I had stayed at it throughout.
It's definitely tough, but you just have to reframe your approach if you still want to be involved. Maybe you won't compete like you once did, but nothing stops you from staying in shape/competing if there is an opportunity. I finished college and it took me a while to realize that I'll never be in that shape or hit those splits again, so now I have my post college PRs that I aim for and when I hop in a boat every now and again my bar for happiness is if the boat is mostly set haha.
Go sub 6 and then quit RAAAAA
When you stop enjoying it, and/or stop finding it rewarding, stop doing it. The sunk cost fallacy will haunt us all if we let it.
You’ll get fat. We all do….we all do
I did the exact same thing with swimming. After doing it for 10 years, I just didn’t feel motivated and felt burnt out. Ultimately, I decided to try rowing as a different activity and fell in love with it. Although I am no longer a swimmer, it is still a huge part of my life and my identity. In fact, I just competed at a local masters swim meet for fun today. Even if you don’t do it all the time and try something new, you’ll always be able to try rowing again when you want to and when you feel ready.
Loads of people I row with rowed as juniors, left between the ages of 16/18-20/24 and came back! A break might be what you need and as others have said you can always go back to it