March and early April in New England are the equivalent to the third 500 of any 2k—that section of the race we rowers lovingly deem “no-man’s land.” Why? For one, it’s often brutal outside. And in many spots, it becomes a waiting game for the ice to melt so you can finally take some strokes in a boat after a long season hammering it out on the rowing machine.

How to find your way back to running.