Comments on: Rowing as a group increases pain thresholds

By: Squirrel

Squirrel — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:41:39 +0000

One element to consider is that an erg provides instant and imperical data as to how hard one is working. When seated on an erg surrounded by my boatmates, I feel a distinct pressure to perform. If I take a stroke or two off, then they can see that.
The same is not true while alone or in a boat, or on a race course, etc. I am not saying that I take breaks when nobody is watching, but the social motivation and the immediate imperial data are missing, and so it is possible to slack a little more, possibly without even realizing. Anyone who has ever erged has seen a number come up that they have found to be horrifyingly poor and adjusted their efforts. Not possible in a boat.

By: Sojournposse

Sojournposse — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 02:26:17 +0000

Really? I coxed the men’s eight yonks ago. The guys hated each other outside the boat. It’d be good to conduct a psychological or anthropological research into the rowers’ group mentality – so much bullying and counter-bullying going on. A kind of public/boarding school type of survival mentality, which I bet also exists at their workplace (oh yes, these Oxbridge types are often bankers and lawyers, too. To think that I sat in the same boat with a bunch of bankers).

By: Crudely Wrott

Crudely Wrott — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 03:49:13 +0000

This probably explains the difference I felt between listening to Jeff Beck on the home stereo with a crowd of less than, say, five and attending a live Beck concert with a crowd greater than, say, ten thousand. Whahhoooo!
The mob effect. Teen age groupies. Fans of various stripes. Party faithfuls. Faithful congregants. These seem like similar manifestations.
Btw, I really like to row. It’s like a meditation with deep breathing and sweat. And it moves me.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:44:24 +0000

There are a lot of competitive places to row all over the world besides Oxford and Cambridge.

By: Heather

Heather — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:14:04 +0000

This does explain why erg tests were so painful while races were not as much It would be interesting to compare those who row competitively in singles to those who row in eights/fours etc. An alternative hypothesis would be that perhaps those of us who don’t already have a a high pain threshold (eg are not marathoners, singles racers) NEED to have the extra social motivation to get to the elite level. PS: There is a another Cambridge in the US that has two quite good rowing teams, mate!

By: tl

tl — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:44:10 +0000

Cambridge and Oxford aren’t the only schools with rowing programs. :v)
I had always assumed it was just the added motivation of having teammates that caused you to push a little harder and get a little more out. But that factor of two is rather impressive.

By: dean

dean — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:22:50 +0000

It sounds like this would also apply to cyclists riding in echelon or in a team time trial – at least it seems reasonable to me.