[Paddlewise] Stroke Rates

Not all racers use the same stroke rates.  Different folks use different 
stroke rates for the same speeds.  I am put together differently than the 
average person - long arms relative to a short stature - and I was always 
criticized by other racers and observers of races that I had too slow a 
stroke rate for winning races.  But I managed to do quite well, even beating 
most of critics.  I also have a deep stroke rather than shallow and used a 
somewhat longer paddle than some.  But I won 500 meter sprint races and long 
marathon races.  I saw others who had slow rates and some who were 
eggbeaters with arms. I think physiology has a lot to do with natural 
rythyms.  A racehorse, for instance, cannot run faster than it's breathing 
rate.  Horses who genetically have faster maximum breath rates run faster 
than those that don't.  And strength is needed to keep muscles firing 
quickly for a long time.  So it gets pretty complicated.

I think that, all things being equal, things are never all equal.  But the 
general rule that a paddle moving faster through the water will move the 
boat faster than a paddle that is not is probably a good rule.  It just 
takes people put together with used parts, like me, to throw the rule off a 
little.

Get strong, paddle a lot, and have good technique.  The speed will happen.

Jim Tibensky


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