Lots of folks on this board are pretty experienced competitive swimmers (and you're awesome), but I'm wondering how many of us are in it just for fun/fitness. Is Masters really about competition, or is there room for the fitness swimmer, too?
Of course, I'm looking to get better, improve my stroke and kick and get a little faster. But only because it ups the fitness quotient. I didn't get into swimming to compete, but because my hereditary arthritis started kicking in and I figured it was a safe, effective way to exercise and drop those pounds my doctor's been hounding me about.
Who out there is a non-competitor, how many times a week to you swim, and do you count laps, time, or just do whatever feels good?
... how many of us are in it just for fun/fitness. Is Masters really about competition, or is there room for the fitness swimmer, too?
For me, going to meets and competing *is* the fun, so to me, the title of the thread, "Swimming for Fitness/Fun Not Competition", implies an either/or distinction that isn't there for me. The competition is the fun. It's what keeps me motivated. When I compete I get to travel, visit different places, meet old and new friends, and enjoy a more active & interesting life. What's not fun about that? Ok, maybe spending money ...
That said, different strokes for different folks, right? In my experience, even most people who swim with organized masters teams never enter a meet, or do so only rarely. I once swam with a 40-something ex-NCAA Division I guy who popped off a Top 10 time in a 400 IM in the middle of practice. Could he be bothered to go to a meet? Heck no. In the same practice there were all kinds of other non-competitive swimmers, of all speeds. They were all there for fun & fitness.
Some people are motivated by GTD, or marathon open water swims, or just the ritual of swimming every day. It's all good. At the end, it's all about fun & fitness, wherever you find it.
... how many of us are in it just for fun/fitness. Is Masters really about competition, or is there room for the fitness swimmer, too?
For me, going to meets and competing *is* the fun, so to me, the title of the thread, "Swimming for Fitness/Fun Not Competition", implies an either/or distinction that isn't there for me. The competition is the fun. It's what keeps me motivated. When I compete I get to travel, visit different places, meet old and new friends, and enjoy a more active & interesting life. What's not fun about that? Ok, maybe spending money ...
That said, different strokes for different folks, right? In my experience, even most people who swim with organized masters teams never enter a meet, or do so only rarely. I once swam with a 40-something ex-NCAA Division I guy who popped off a Top 10 time in a 400 IM in the middle of practice. Could he be bothered to go to a meet? Heck no. In the same practice there were all kinds of other non-competitive swimmers, of all speeds. They were all there for fun & fitness.
Some people are motivated by GTD, or marathon open water swims, or just the ritual of swimming every day. It's all good. At the end, it's all about fun & fitness, wherever you find it.
