Re: why required weight?

[Susan Evans Garlinghouse <suendavid@worldnet.att.net>]

Trishmare@aol.com wrote:
> 
> Dear Susan,
>     So what would the best stratagy for a light or middleweight person be?
> Same thing?  That is, getting that 100 yd head start?  I guess what I am
> asking is how would a lightweight rider best use their weight (or lack
> thereof) to their advantage?
> 
> Trish & pretty David, TNG
> Grand Blanc, Michigan


Probably just not letting the heavyweight get HIS head start.  Use the
same strategy on the trail.  Push him/her from behind and drive him into
anaerobic levels---the lightweight horse will also be burning sugars but
at a slower rate, which should equate to a longer time until fatigue
(glycogen depletion and lactic acidosis) sets in.  It doesn't have to be
just at the finish---the more time during the race the Hwt has to spend
in anaerobic to stay up with/ahead of the Lwt, the more glycogen he's
expending, and the more lactates are building up.  At some point, that
gas tank is going to run dry and because the Lwt still has fuel left,
you'll pass him by.

But that's only if you make the other horse run on sugars---if you both
run at submaximal speeds/subanaerobic, your metabolic fuels in both
cases are going to be primarily fats---and his gas tank will never run
dry, and the playing field is much more level.

Susan G