John Rupp wrote:mikvan52 wrote:For instance: I watched the 60-69 men video feed last year and noticed that in 60-69 men : Jim Dietz (the winner) sculled at a lower rate than 2nd place, Jack Meyer.
Perhaps Dietz is taller than Meyer, or has longer torso and arms, and/or is comparatively top heavy. Maybe he's stronger. Who knows. Ebbesen, Luini & Stephansen row at 42/44 spm.
It should be simple to see that a tall rower is going to cover more distance per stroke, which has nothing to do with strength or athleticism.
Or perhaps Dietz is shorter or has shorter torso and arms, and his style of rowing is optimized for a lower stroke. Or perhaps they are the same size and Dietz is loaded heavier or has longer oars and larger blades. Or perhaps his steering, and pacing is much better. Or perhaps he just pulled harder.
There are many trade offs involved in increasing the rating. Higher rating can lead to lower force per stroke and hence less muscle fatigue as well as more constant boat speed, but it results in lower blade efficiency, higher aerobic stress, more boat pitching as weight is transfered from bow to stern, as well as more boat checking because of a faster slide. Higher rating requires better technique.
Optimal stroke rating also is dependent on the speed of the boat. So someone who can do a 1K in 3:20 will be optimal at a higher rate then a geometrically identical person who can only do it 4:00. Just because Ebbesen, Luini & Stephansen row at 42/44 spm doesn't mean the MVB should row the way they do, or that they will be fastest at a 40/42 when they are 60.
I had a 2x partner a few years ago. We were both around 145 lbs and 5'7" and we were fastest in a 5K at about a 26 and in almost all of our races we crushed the competition. He rowed the same way in a 1x, 26 spm with short oars and a lot of inboard--he rigged his boat with the lightest load I've ever seen in a 1x, rowed at a lower rating then almost all of his competition yet won everything. Last year I did a few 2x races with a total novice. We were fastest in a 5K at a 28-29. He was about the same size as my former partner but we were far slower.
Rating is one factor of many (much more so OTW then OTE). The idea that the sculler who can rate the highest will win or that someone will go faster if they could rate higher is just not borne out by either theory or evidence.
For 5K, 32 spm is not a "normal rating" for a 55-59 year old lightweight. It is the upper end of "normal". Mike seems to have figured out how to go very fast. The idea that he will necessarily be faster if he could rate at a 32 for a 5K is ludicrous. He can rate at a 32 for 5K (almost everyone can figure out how to do that) however he would probably be slower.
