Ever since it was invented, people have grimaced, griped and groaned about it. Some people call it a medieval torture rack. Others simply won't refer to it at all, instead preferring to ignore the fact that it even exists.

Still others have reached what might best be referred to as an "uneasy truce" or accommodation with it, while some hardy souls actually embrace it and use it as a major part of their daily exercise routine.

In case you haven't guessed, we're talking about the infamous "erg."

Those who have been rowing for years have seen the machines evolve from something that looked like an old 10-speed wheel with counterweights placed on a pan - something that never quite worked correctly - to the modern, computerized, damper-adjusted units produced by Concept2 and other companies today.

Love it or hate it, the rowing ergometer is a valuable part of any rower's workout arsenal. It not only helps  you improve your technique, it can also take you a long way toward improving your conditioning and mental toughness.

The question, though, is how to make rowing on the erg as painless as possible -- at least mentally if not physically. Long-time erg rowers have a number of things they do to keep their minds occupied. Here are a few things you can try that might help your erg sessions go a bit easier:

• Bring a radio with you and turn it on to your favorite station. Music seems to make the meters melt away. When you consider that the average song lasts over 3 minutes, that's usually well more than 500 meters you've rowed. Four songs is already 2,000 meters, a 2K, and you are warmed up and well on your way to having a good workout.
• Turn on the TV. Some people enjoy watching television while they erg. One half hour show is enough to put in a great row and get you off to a good day's start or to finish up the day without thinking too much about the physical exertion you may be putting your body through.
• Use software and a computer. One of the better programs, this one produced by a New Zealand company named Digital Rowing and called "Row Pro," is great for tracking workouts and for putting your mind in a different place as you pull through the meters on your erg. This program can develop a 13-week workout schedule and will not only track your workouts, it will provide a running assessment of how you're doing as you row. It can then save each workout, including stroke and heartrate data, into a training log. You can even print out each workout or upload your workout to the Concept2 website.
• After transferring the information to Concept2, you can rate how your rows compare with other ergers from around the world. There are many people from the Portland area who upload their workouts to Concept2, and you can compare your workouts with theirs or with people only in Oregon, with a specific age range or any number of other factors you choose.
• Try visualization. The cheapest way to make erging enjoyable is to visualize yourself on the water. Feel what a good solid catch does as you begin your drive to the finish. Visualize yourself relaxing and thinking about how this parallels your on-water workouts. Work on your breathing and think about how you would feel and breathe rowing on the Willamette.
• Lastly, try to finish with a nice, easy warm down. If the last thing on your mind is how torturous the previous workout was, you might not be so eager to enjoy more time on the erg. But if you row through a gentle warm down that is pleasant and relaxing, you will remember how smooth that last bit of rowing felt, and it may make that next erg workout easier for you to face.