Ken River: Based on your guide in the training manual I am putting together a training plan to do the marathon. Could you help with a few queries? There is one of your wall charts in our gym where people are recording their times. Can any resistance be used when doing the timings or should it always be set at maximum so that people can compare how well they are doing against each other?One of the reasons I ask is that in the training guide, for a particular session it says to train at your intended Marathon Pace + 2 on the resistance. This implies that you could do the marathon at any level that is comfortable.Can you take breaks, e.g. for drinks. I reckon it will take me four hours plus to complete. If you can take breaks then what would you recommend is the best setting/option on the display to set so that I do not lose track of my distance.Also, will I need a bucketful of water when I do the marathon or do you recommend any other type of drink? How much and how often should I take a break for a drink. Should it be as and when I feel like it or at least a certain amount every hour?Terry O'Neill: It doesn't matter what resistance setting you have on the flywheel when you record your times - you need to find the setting that suits you. All times recorded by different people at different settings are still directly comparable. The reason for training at the marathon resistance plus 2 is to build up strength. You will be training for a shorter distance but at a higher load and your body will therefore get used to that load and build up strength. With the marathon row you can take breaks, however, the time taken must be included in your final finish time. With this in mind the best thing to do regarding timing is have a secondary timing device (e.g. a stopwatch).There are drinking devices that you can wear on your back so you can drink almost continuously while rowing. One is called a camel and you can get then from stores that deal in outdoor pursuits. It also depends on how you intend to complete the marathon, some people do it in one session, others get off and stretch. A running marathon would have drinking stages every 5,000m and this is not a bad way to approach the marathon. Every 5,000m, stand up stretch and take on some fluid and food.The main problems will be dehydration rather than lack of fuel, so water is fine but you may want to add something to give it some taste. If you put in some of the energy mixes, the carbohydrates should not exceed 5%; if you like energy drinks then mix them 50/50 with water.