Speed & Distance Conversions
If you’re like many rowers, you have a SpeedCoach that tells you your speed through the water in real-time. But what do these speeds really mean in terms of how long it takes you to cover a given distance, how your speed compares with other rowers or how competitive you might be in any given race you are thinking of entering?
The table below converts the speeds you might see on your SpeedCoach in meters per second or miles per hour into times for common competitive course distances as well at the actual rowing time to travel to the dam and back on the ARC stretch of river.
Bear in mind that the table gives speeds through the water so it does not adjust for differences in times to travel these “distances on the ground” due to such variables as current, wind, time to get up to speed, and all the other vagrancies of competition or the on-the-river experience in general. Your times will be closest to those given in the table when there is no current or wind.
Also remember that what you lose in going against current or wind you don’t completely make up if you then turn around and go with the current or wind. All things considered, it will always take you at least a little bit longer to go any distance than the time given in the table or you will have to row faster, on average, to go the that same distance in the given time.
Nevertheless, the table gives you an easy-to-use approximate idea of how long it might take in actual rowing time to travel a distance on the ARC loop or how competitive you might be in any given race. To get the best idea, minimize the effect of weather conditions in any one year by looking on that race's web site at past results for multiple years.
| --Time In HH:MM:SS to Travel Indicated Distance At Speed -- | |||||||||
| 1 Mile | 3 Miles | 5 Miles | 10 Miles | ||||||
| Meters Per Sec | Meters Per Min | MPH | Meters 500 | Meters 1,000 | Meters 2,000 | Meters 1,609 | Meters 4,828 | Meters 8,047 | Meters 16,093 |
| 2.70 | 162 | 6.04 | 03:05 | 06:10 | 12:20 | 09:56 | 29:48 | 49:40 | 01:39:20 |
| 2.80 | 168 | 6.26 | 02:58 | 05:57 | 11:54 | 09:34 | 28:44 | 47:53 | 01:35:47 |
| 2.90 | 174 | 6.49 | 02:52 | 05:44 | 11:29 | 09:14 | 27:44 | 46:14 | 01:32:29 |
| 3.00 | 180 | 6.71 | 02:46 | 05:33 | 11:06 | 08:56 | 26:49 | 44:42 | 01:29:24 |
| 3.05 | 183 | 6.82 | 02:43 | 05:27 | 10:55 | 08:47 | 26:22 | 43:58 | 01:27:56 |
| 3.10 | 186 | 6.93 | 02:41 | 05:22 | 10:45 | 08:39 | 25:57 | 43:15 | 01:26:31 |
| 3.15 | 189 | 7.05 | 02:38 | 05:17 | 10:34 | 08:30 | 25:32 | 42:34 | 01:25:09 |
| 3.20 | 192 | 7.16 | 02:36 | 05:12 | 10:25 | 08:22 | 25:08 | 41:54 | 01:23:49 |
| 3.25 | 195 | 7.27 | 02:33 | 05:07 | 10:15 | 08:15 | 24:45 | 41:15 | 01:22:31 |
| 3.30 | 198 | 7.38 | 02:31 | 05:03 | 10:06 | 08:07 | 24:23 | 40:38 | 01:21:16 |
| 3.35 | 201 | 7.49 | 02:29 | 04:58 | 09:57 | 08:00 | 24:01 | 40:02 | 01:20:04 |
| 3.40 | 204 | 7.61 | 02:27 | 04:54 | 09:48 | 07:53 | 23:40 | 39:26 | 01:18:53 |
| 3.45 | 207 | 7.72 | 02:24 | 04:49 | 09:39 | 07:46 | 23:19 | 38:52 | 01:17:44 |
| 3.50 | 210 | 7.83 | 02:22 | 04:45 | 09:31 | 07:39 | 22:59 | 38:19 | 01:16:38 |
| 3.55 | 213 | 7.94 | 02:20 | 04:41 | 09:23 | 07:33 | 22:40 | 37:46 | 01:15:33 |
| 3.60 | 216 | 8.05 | 02:18 | 04:37 | 09:15 | 07:27 | 22:21 | 37:15 | 01:14:30 |
| 3.65 | 219 | 8.16 | 02:16 | 04:33 | 09:07 | 07:20 | 22:02 | 36:44 | 01:13:29 |
| 3.70 | 222 | 8.28 | 02:15 | 04:30 | 09:00 | 07:14 | 21:44 | 36:14 | 01:12:29 |
| 3.75 | 225 | 8.39 | 02:13 | 04:26 | 08:53 | 07:09 | 21:27 | 35:45 | 01:11:31 |
| 3.80 | 228 | 8.50 | 02:11 | 04:23 | 08:46 | 07:03 | 21:10 | 35:17 | 01:10:35 |
| 3.85 | 231 | 8.61 | 02:09 | 04:19 | 08:39 | 06:58 | 20:54 | 34:50 | 01:09:40 |
| 3.90 | 234 | 8.72 | 02:08 | 04:16 | 08:32 | 06:52 | 20:37 | 34:23 | 01:08:46 |
| 3.95 | 237 | 8.84 | 02:06 | 04:13 | 08:26 | 06:47 | 20:22 | 33:57 | 01:07:54 |
| 4.00 | 240 | 8.95 | 02:05 | 04:10 | 08:20 | 06:42 | 20:07 | 33:31 | 01:07:03 |
| 4.05 | 243 | 9.06 | 02:03 | 04:06 | 08:13 | 06:37 | 19:52 | 33:06 | 01:06:13 |
| 4.10 | 246 | 9.17 | 02:01 | 04:03 | 08:07 | 06:32 | 19:37 | 32:42 | 01:05:25 |
| 4.15 | 249 | 9.28 | 02:00 | 04:00 | 08:01 | 06:27 | 19:23 | 32:18 | 01:04:37 |
| 4.20 | 252 | 9.39 | 01:59 | 03:58 | 07:56 | 06:23 | 19:09 | 31:55 | 01:03:51 |
| 4.25 | 255 | 9.51 | 01:57 | 03:55 | 07:50 | 06:18 | 18:56 | 31:33 | 01:03:06 |
| 4.30 | 258 | 9.62 | 01:56 | 03:52 | 07:45 | 06:14 | 18:42 | 31:11 | 01:02:22 |
| 4.35 | 261 | 9.73 | 01:54 | 03:49 | 07:39 | 06:09 | 18:29 | 30:49 | 01:01:39 |
| 4.40 | 264 | 9.84 | 01:53 | 03:47 | 07:34 | 06:05 | 18:17 | 30:28 | 01:00:57 |
| 4.45 | 267 | 9.95 | 01:52 | 03:44 | 07:29 | 06:01 | 18:04 | 30:08 | 01:00:16 |
| 4.50 | 270 | 10.07 | 01:51 | 03:42 | 07:24 | 05:57 | 17:52 | 29:48 | 59:36 |
| 4.60 | 276 | 10.29 | 01:48 | 03:37 | 07:14 | 05:49 | 17:29 | 29:09 | 58:18 |
| 4.70 | 282 | 10.51 | 01:46 | 03:32 | 07:05 | 05:42 | 17:07 | 28:32 | 57:04 |
| 4.80 | 288 | 10.74 | 01:44 | 03:28 | 06:56 | 05:35 | 16:45 | 27:56 | 55:52 |
| 4.90 | 294 | 10.96 | 01:42 | 03:24 | 06:48 | 05:28 | 16:25 | 27:22 | 54:44 |
| 5.00 | 300 | 11.18 | 01:40 | 03:20 | 06:40 | 05:21 | 16:05 | 26:49 | 53:38 |
| 5.10 | 306 | 11.41 | 01:38 | 03:16 | 06:32 | 05:15 | 15:46 | 26:17 | 52:35 |
| 5.20 | 312 | 11.63 | 01:36 | 03:12 | 06:24 | 05:09 | 15:28 | 25:47 | 51:34 |
| 5.30 | 318 | 11.86 | 01:34 | 03:08 | 06:17 | 05:03 | 15:10 | 25:18 | 50:36 |
| 5.40 | 324 | 12.08 | 01:32 | 03:05 | 06:10 | 04:58 | 14:54 | 24:50 | 49:40 |
| 5.50 | 330 | 12.30 | 01:30 | 03:01 | 06:03 | 04:52 | 14:37 | 24:23 | 48:46 |