Jack Nunn Is The 2013 Masters Athlete Of The Year
Jack Nunn’s Long Beach, Calif., rowing and fitness training center, Roworx, was doing well until the economic downturn began cutting into his business. Nunn operated two locations, one inside the Long Beach Rowing Association boathouse and at a second location in a warehouse in downtown Long Beach where he taught indoor rowing and indoor cycling. When he started, his business called Power House Fitness and as he began to lose clients he decided that the way to bring them back was to do something inspiring. So he began training for an Ironman competition. Nunn is the son of 1968 Olympic bronze-medalist John Nunn, and rowed at Long Beach Juniors, the University of California at Berkeley, the United States Under 23 National Team, and the United States Senior National Team. He felt the best way to train was to row, which led to entering races. Last year Nunn went on a tear, winning first his age group at the 2013 C.R.A.S.H.-B Qualifier Beach Sprints In Long Beach, Ca. World Indoor Rowing Championship satellite regatta in Long Beach, which served as a regional qualifier, and then won the men’s pair, double and four at the Spring Regatta in Long Beach. Rowing with his father, Nunn won the masters B eight and club B eight events at the 2013 San Diego Crew Classic. And to finish off the year, he traveled to Italy with a group of athletes to the 2013 World Masters Games in Lago di Candia, and won gold in the C eight, A eight, A four and A single and well as a bronze medal in the 30+ triathlon and gold in the 30+ duathlon. For his many accomplishments, Nunn was voted the 2013 Fan’s Choice Masters Athlete of the Year. He will be honored next week at the third annual Golden Oars Awards Dinner on Wednesday, November 20, at the New York Athletic Club in New York City. “It’s great,” Nunn said of the recognition. “I was recommended by a few of my members and (two-time Olympic silver medalist) Joan Van Blom, so it was pretty cool. This year was pretty substantial. I wasn’t planning on doing all this, but it ended up that way. Winning with my dad at Cr
ew Classic as well as winning two other events and also going to Italy with a group of guys and doing well there was great.” “The inspiration came from my business. I had two locations. I had a warehouse and the boathouse for my indoor rowing fitness centers and I had a five year lease that was finishing up a couple of years ago and the economy took a hit and I was trying save my business and one way I thought I could inspire clients was to train for an ironman. This was like a year and a half ago. “I trained as hard as I could, trying to save the business and all that training kind of propelled me into doing more rowing events and then going to Italy for the Worlds Masters Games. I didn’t want to let my members down.” Nunn’s efforts did not result in his being able to keep the warehouse location, but under the new name Roworx, his business is thriving, he said. Getting help from instructors like his father and Van Blom, and other former and active national team athletes, including Tom and Peter Graves, Nunn is teaching people how to row and spreading the word about the sport. “To have people like that teaching classes is pretty amazing,” he said. “It’s just a really cool thing that we have going and it’s really solid in this one location now. This year, all the stars just kind of aligned with all the training and all the opportunities. “Rowing has given me so much over the past 20 years, and I have always felt I owe it something back,” said Nunn. “It has given me the chance to travel around the world and has brought m
e close to my father and friends. “Rowing has given me an identity, and I’m honored to accept this award and teach people more about this amazing sport. I encounter people everyday who know very little about rowing at Roworx. I am honored to spread the knowledge of the muscle endurance and power that rowing can give you while teaching proper technique.”
Jack is currently in training for his 4th Full International Ironman Competition in Cairns, Australia this coming June 2014. He will be teaching indoor rowing and cycling classes on the Concept 2 rowing machine and the new EVO Indoor Cycling Bike. Jack’s new Roworx facility located in Long Beach will consist of nearly 80% of his total workouts leading up to this particular Ironman. Jack will incorporate more ‘brick’ (cycling/ running) workouts and a lot more swimming considering the past 3 Ironman’s involved virtually no swimming practice. Due to the muscles used in rowing and the muscle endurance in the 
latissimus muscles from rowing Jack was never tired while swimming and pulled his way through the swim in just over an hour. Jack will practice more on his swimming in the protected waters around Naples Island in Long Beach which is ironically 2.5 miles (the same distance as the Ironman swim section of the race). Jack’s challenge in the swim is still learning how to stay calm in the beginning of the mass start and getting to breath with the rhythm of swimming while trying to steer a straight course. Focus and persistence are totally involved at the start of any Ironman due to the large volume of Ironman athletes that start at the same time. Rowing and cycling long distances has taught Jack how to harness that focus over long periods of time and overcome many challenges that the Ironman has to deliver. Over the years rowing and cycling has enabled Jack to work on his muscle endurance in order to handle the grueling challenge of completing his past 3 International Ironman’s. Jack figured it was all about putting in the hours during the week of hard cardiovascular training. Combining the use of the H.I.I.T. (High Interval Intensity Training) workouts and Tabata Workouts, Jack averaged 15 hours a week has allowed him to get into the best shape of his life. Rowing uses nearly every part of your body and if you can find the right routine and workouts on the rowing machine it will be one of the best training tools you can use for triathlon training.
If You Would Like Indoor Class Lessons On The Concept 2 Rowing Machine Or For Those Interested In Rowing Class Workouts Please Visit www.roworx.com Or Contact Jack Nunn at roworx@gmail.com
Location For The Long Beach Junior Crew And Roworx Indoor Rowing Are At: Pete Archer Rowing Center, 5750 Boathouse Lane, Long Beach, CA 90803
Tags: Crossfit rowing, Crosstrain With Rowing, Indoor Rowing Class, Ironman Cairns, Ironman Training, Jack Nunn, Jack Nunn athlete of the year, John Nunn, Long beach fitness class, Rowing Class franchise, Rowing Classes, Roworx
