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?
Parents
Former Member
To give USMS credit, from what I'm seeing in replies to this post, pretty much everybody is in competition with themselves. What I don't see are articles in the magazine or online geared toward the fitness swimmer. I'd like some articles on nutrition advice, some easy drills to build up stamina, alternative exercises that improve stamina in the pool, and so forth. Maybe there have been but I haven't seen them since I've been a member.
The Sep/Oct issue of SWIMMER magazine is in the mail. It is already posted online so you can take a sneak peek if you have set up your MyUSMS account.
On Page 38 is an article titled "Swimming to Lose," with the subtitle "Swimming and a Healthy Diet Can Add Up to Weight Loss."
Turn to Page 25 for a technique feature, "Get Hip With Your Hips," about the role that hip rotation plays in the freestyle stroke. It is accompanied by an EXCELLENT three-minute technique video, which can be viewed here:
www.youtube.com/watchwww.usms.org/.../usms_create_forums_acct.pdf ]
To give USMS credit, from what I'm seeing in replies to this post, pretty much everybody is in competition with themselves. What I don't see are articles in the magazine or online geared toward the fitness swimmer. I'd like some articles on nutrition advice, some easy drills to build up stamina, alternative exercises that improve stamina in the pool, and so forth. Maybe there have been but I haven't seen them since I've been a member.
The Sep/Oct issue of SWIMMER magazine is in the mail. It is already posted online so you can take a sneak peek if you have set up your MyUSMS account.
On Page 38 is an article titled "Swimming to Lose," with the subtitle "Swimming and a Healthy Diet Can Add Up to Weight Loss."
Turn to Page 25 for a technique feature, "Get Hip With Your Hips," about the role that hip rotation plays in the freestyle stroke. It is accompanied by an EXCELLENT three-minute technique video, which can be viewed here:
www.youtube.com/watchwww.usms.org/.../usms_create_forums_acct.pdf ]
