www.slate.com/.../
In a nutshell
"Anthropometric measurements of large populations show that systematic differences exist among blacks, whites and Asians. The published evidence is massive: blacks have longer limbs than whites, and because blacks have longer legs and smaller circumferences (e.g. calves and arms), their center of mass is higher than that in other individuals of the same height. Asians and whites have longer torsos, therefore their centers of mass are lower.
These structural differences, they argue, generate differences in performance. Using equations about the physics of locomotion, they analyze racing as a process of falling forward. Based on this analysis, they conclude that having a higher center of body mass in a standing position is advantageous in running but disadvantageous in swimming."
According to the study I should be a runner and not a swimmer because of high center of mass. I really don't care for running at all, but I wonder if this is why I'm better at short swimming events.
What would be a decent time for a non-runner male 40-44, to complete the 400M run?
I would think a decent time would be to break a minute. It seems to me that if you take running times in meters, they translate fairly well into swimming times in yards at one quarter the distance.
Thus the 200 meter run equates to the 50 yard freestyle
The 400 meter run equates to the 100 yard freestyle and so forth.
This might be a bit favoring of swimmers; perhaps LCM times should be used.
One second--let me check something.
Okay, here are the Top 800 meter run times:
Rank Time Athlete Nation Date Location Ref
1 1:41.11 Wilson Kipketer Denmark 24 August 1997 Cologne
2 1:41.51 David Rudisha Kenya 10 July 2010 Heusden-Zolder
3 1:41.73 Sebastian Coe United Kingdom 10 June 1981 Florence
4 1:41.77 Joaquim Cruz Brazil 26 August 1984 Cologne
5 1:42.23 Abubaker Kaki Khamis Sudan 4 June 2010 Oslo
6 1:42.28 Sammy Koskei Kenya 26 August 1984 Cologne
7 1:42.34 Wilfred Bungei Kenya 8 September 2002 Rieti
8 1:42.47 Yuriy Borzakovskiy Russia 24 August 2001 Brussels
9 1:42.55 Andre Bucher Switzerland 17 August 2001 Zürich
10 1:42.58 Vebjørn Rodal Norway 31 July 1996 Atlanta
Here is the current world record for the 200 LCM freestyle:
200 m freestyle 1:42.00 Paul Biedermann Germany 28 July 2009 World Championships Rome, Italy
So I change my mind here. Use LCM times, multiply the distance by 4, and you will get a good approximation of a decent running time.
According to the study I should be a runner and not a swimmer because of high center of mass. I really don't care for running at all, but I wonder if this is why I'm better at short swimming events.
What would be a decent time for a non-runner male 40-44, to complete the 400M run?
I would think a decent time would be to break a minute. It seems to me that if you take running times in meters, they translate fairly well into swimming times in yards at one quarter the distance.
Thus the 200 meter run equates to the 50 yard freestyle
The 400 meter run equates to the 100 yard freestyle and so forth.
This might be a bit favoring of swimmers; perhaps LCM times should be used.
One second--let me check something.
Okay, here are the Top 800 meter run times:
Rank Time Athlete Nation Date Location Ref
1 1:41.11 Wilson Kipketer Denmark 24 August 1997 Cologne
2 1:41.51 David Rudisha Kenya 10 July 2010 Heusden-Zolder
3 1:41.73 Sebastian Coe United Kingdom 10 June 1981 Florence
4 1:41.77 Joaquim Cruz Brazil 26 August 1984 Cologne
5 1:42.23 Abubaker Kaki Khamis Sudan 4 June 2010 Oslo
6 1:42.28 Sammy Koskei Kenya 26 August 1984 Cologne
7 1:42.34 Wilfred Bungei Kenya 8 September 2002 Rieti
8 1:42.47 Yuriy Borzakovskiy Russia 24 August 2001 Brussels
9 1:42.55 Andre Bucher Switzerland 17 August 2001 Zürich
10 1:42.58 Vebjørn Rodal Norway 31 July 1996 Atlanta
Here is the current world record for the 200 LCM freestyle:
200 m freestyle 1:42.00 Paul Biedermann Germany 28 July 2009 World Championships Rome, Italy
So I change my mind here. Use LCM times, multiply the distance by 4, and you will get a good approximation of a decent running time.
