I might have some insight. For the record, I'm not an Olympian and I'm not setting any world records yet?! But every time - every single time - I swim those races I don't think I can go that fast. ...The fear of not meeting your seed time is a real thing, whether it's rational or not.
So your theory of why top level masters swimmers add 8 seconds to minutes on their seed time is fear of failure? It would seem if the pain and fear of failure is that profound, that not competing would be a healthier solution (as well as moving back with mother and getting back on the psychotropics) to the angst.
As far as cherry picking swimmers for teams, I was against it 20 plus years ago, but it has grown on me. It's all kind of part of the charm and personality of USMS. If one has not noticed, it's part serious and part free-for-all. We have national championships, but don't drug test. We have great swimmers who can enter whatever times they want. We have swimmers from one state, swimming and breaking records in another state. Perhaps, no other organization (us cycling, us triathlon) allows foreign athletes to complete for national championships and break national records like we do.
I love masters swimming and USMS. A lot of people work very hard to make it all run and I am grateful for its presence. If a fix is needed (and I'm not saying it is), perhaps the solutions are too expensive and time consuming. So, despite my episodic whining: Thanks USMS, you are my favorite serious free-for-all!😀
I might have some insight. For the record, I'm not an Olympian and I'm not setting any world records yet?! But every time - every single time - I swim those races I don't think I can go that fast. ...The fear of not meeting your seed time is a real thing, whether it's rational or not.
So your theory of why top level masters swimmers add 8 seconds to minutes on their seed time is fear of failure? It would seem if the pain and fear of failure is that profound, that not competing would be a healthier solution (as well as moving back with mother and getting back on the psychotropics) to the angst.
As far as cherry picking swimmers for teams, I was against it 20 plus years ago, but it has grown on me. It's all kind of part of the charm and personality of USMS. If one has not noticed, it's part serious and part free-for-all. We have national championships, but don't drug test. We have great swimmers who can enter whatever times they want. We have swimmers from one state, swimming and breaking records in another state. Perhaps, no other organization (us cycling, us triathlon) allows foreign athletes to complete for national championships and break national records like we do.
I love masters swimming and USMS. A lot of people work very hard to make it all run and I am grateful for its presence. If a fix is needed (and I'm not saying it is), perhaps the solutions are too expensive and time consuming. So, despite my episodic whining: Thanks USMS, you are my favorite serious free-for-all!😀
