hit the wall this semester...what is wrong with me?

[Jamie Pfeffer]

"In the winter w typical distance for Steve and i would be 90 or 100 minutes at 1:44-1:43 pace. It took a long time to get to a point were we could do that pace for that long. My 2k time this year is 6:05 but I can and have gone faster. My 6k averages about 1:37."

You're right. It doesn't say that he went 5:57. But it does say that he went faster than 6:05. And since he rowed the 5:57 in (or around) February of that year, you guys are probably right that he wasn't at racing weight. Actually, Conal was a master at shedding weight before a race. So, if I had to guess, he probably was around 170 at the time.

Also, that interview was in 2000. As he mentioned there, he was primarily working on his sculling technique that year. And when he used the erg, he worked on AT fitness. In contrast, when he pulled his Godzilla erg scores, he was a senior in college. By that point, he was in his seventh consecutive year of competing as a sweep oarsman. So he didn't really need to work on his technique then. He could move an eight-oared shell as well as any college oarsman. His focus was pulling a huge erg score and getting invited to national team camp. Those 1995 erg scores, I believe, got him invited to the camp that sent him to the Pan Am games that summer.

And several guys on the team told me that he went 5:52 that winter. I didn't see that one. Though it would not surprise me at all.

Yesterday, I went 1:51.8 for 90 minutes. And I was completely exhausted after it. So even thinking about going 1:43 for 100 minutes makes me tired and sore and wanting never to go near an erg again. Bu Conal did it all the time.

[johnlvs2run]

World record holder Elia Luini weighed 152 pounds for his record of 6:02.6 for the 2k.

The heavyweight record is 5:37.

[philrow]

I've always thought those times were interesting in respect to the rowers. Matthias is gigantic, at what, some 6'10 230lbs. Elia is rather small at 6'2 152lbs. Yet the 2k time differential is "only" ~26". I understand the sort of curve applied to rowing at that level, such that the difference between 5:37 and 5:39 can be enormous. Still, these numbers indicate that given equal technique and equipment, Luini generates more power proportionally to his size and hence would move a boat faster, I think?

[Jamie Pfeffer]

6:02 for a 152lb rower is amazing. Does he row a single?

[gregory.cook]

Still, these numbers indicate that given equal technique and equipment, Luini generates more power proportionally to his size and hence would move a boat faster, I think?

Here is a Weight Adjustment Calculator on the C2 site.

[almostflipped]

It may take some looking, not even sure if they are still online, but USRowing had their 2k submission forms going back to 1994 or so up for a long time. I recall seeing Conal's submission of a 5:57 and thinking it was a typo or else not done at weight.

As for Luini, he rows the light 2x.

[Bob S.]

I've always thought those times were interesting in respect to the rowers. Matthias is gigantic, at what, some 6'10 230lbs. Elia is rather small at 6'2 152lbs. Yet the 2k time differential is "only" ~26". I understand the sort of curve applied to rowing at that level, such that the difference between 5:37 and 5:39 can be enormous. Still, these numbers indicate that given equal technique and equipment, Luini generates more power proportionally to his size and hence would move a boat faster, I think?

I came up with 3.1 watts/# for Elia and 2.5 watts/# for Matthias. These values certainly support your comment. Factoring in boat weight would make it a lot more complicated, but the almost 25% edge should be more than enough to make up for boat weight. It's my opinion that lightweights usually do a better job of "pulling their own weight" in a boat, but they are not as likely to pull an even share of the weight of the boat (and coxswain if there is one) as the heavier members of a crew.

Bob S.