Newbie coming out of LONG retirement

I just started my swimming comeback last fall after a 27 year layoff. I was quite a bit younger than you are now (45), but I was also coming off 24 years of virtually no fitness training at all. With a decade+ of triathlon training, you probably have a much better cardio-base than I did. After 6 months, I'm reasonably competitive in my age group in freestyle events from 50-500 yards. Actually swam two qualifying times for Summer Nationals at my last meet, in the 200 and 500 yard free. My advice, if you're looking to improve your race times, would be to do more short, high intensity workouts than fewer, longer, less intense workouts. 2500 yards, 6 times a week canbe better than 5000 yards, 3 times a week. USRPT (Ultra Short Race Pace Training) is the specific method I've been using. In the meantime, I think a technique clinic would be a great idea. If Swimspire were coming to someplace near me, I would figure out how to be there. Effort without good technique can almost be counter-productive in swimming.

Any words of wisdom? Have fun? I happen to be on Longboat Key for vacation this week. I just swam this morning with the Sarasota group at the Selby Y complex. First time in the water in a long while. Might try again Thursday. We'll see how my shoulder feels...

I just met a guy who took off 23 years and was cruising along in practice after being back just two months! I bet you'll be fine. Good luck! (sorry, no wisdom here, I've never been out of the water more than three months)

Welcome back Kotter sing along ----- ooppss - wrong song. Enjoy the water again & don't try to be fast too soon and take all the fun out of it. Can you find a masters team to workout with?

Hi Mark, Welcome back to competitive swimming! I think you're coming in to this with a great attitude. It is most important to enjoy the sport, take it slowly, and appreciate any progress you're making (even if it is in small steps). One additional important factor is to focus on technique to avoid any possible injuries as you're making your comeback, especially if you want to do IM work. This is especially significant now as you're returning to competition at a later age. Just as an FYI, I'll be in Florida on April 26th giving a stroke clinic at Coral Springs. I know you're in Sarasota and it's quite a hike, but just in case you can check out the Swimspire website for more info! Good luck and hope to see you at the pool!

Welcome back! I returned to swimming about 10 years ago, in my mid-40s, and it has made a dramatic difference in my quality of life. I use competition to keep me focused, and it works. My in-laws live in Sarasota, and one of my favorite pools in the world is there--that outdoor SCM pool at Lido Beach. Fantastic!

I am 45 and 16 months back in the water after about a 17 year layoff with little or no fitness/cardio training, except for a brief 2 year stint of water polo about 15 years ago. I got back into swimming only to get myself into shape with no plans to do anything competitively. I got suckered into picking up the swim leg on a sprint triathlon relay and my competitive nature took over. I swam in my first masters meet last month and it was a huge eye opener. A few things about coming back to swimming generally and what I saw at my first masters meet. 1. Technique has changed a lot since we last swam competitively. Head position is different, backstroke turns are different, *** stroke is different. Be prepared to learn the new techniques or you won't be as fast as everyone else. 2. I was a distance swimmer in HS. I figured I'd ease back into competition with shorter distances, and realized why I was a distance swimmer. Also, there will be a lot more swimmers in the shorter distances and a lot of them have been swimming continuously. Being that you are a triathlete, you might have better luck at a little longer distance. 3. Dive off the blocks a bit in the weeks leading up to the race. I had not been off a block in 17 years, aside from about 8 times the week before the meet just to see what it would feel like. Plus, I had not really been focusing on turns in my 16 months back, just using them to turn around and not thinking about speed in and a good push, and not breathing inside the flags, etc. Starts and turns are important in the shorter distances and that killed my times. 4. I was not mentally prepared to "race". Have a game plan for each race. 5. Masters meets move very fast. Heats can start before the previous heat is out of the water. You need to be on your toes and alert and watching for your heats. 6. Have fun. I agree with all of the above. I'm about 3 years older than you are Mark and also started swimming somewhat seriously after 30+ years of only leisurely swimming and a few summer masters sessions with friends. Like you, I started Triathlons too at age 63 and my first USMS meet too. I was a mid D swimmer in HS and two yrs of D1. But, swimming is not like riding a bike, you do forget, and the sport has moved on. Things like goggles, starts, free and back turns, touch pads, underwater breakouts, inch-worm breaststroke, and these whippersnappers are swimming the 200Fr like its a 50. I think keeping the first meet to 100s and under was a good idea, that's pretty much what I did too. I did swim a 400 fr (scm) to see what my splits would be (got lapped by younger women in the next lane who swam it IM!). After all the competition in my early years (100s of meets), I didn't think I would be nervous going into a first USMS meet, but I was. Between the nerves and some coffee I had to urinate about 6 times (my bladder is still in great shape for an old guy), so don't drink too much ahead of the meet. I brought way to much stuff with me to the meet (food, drinks, towels, sweats, shirts etc.) and really needed less than about 1/2 the stuff). At least in NJ, the local meets are somewhat informal, although fully officiated and they do move fast, typically with some breaks. What I took away from that first meet was not to worry about what I did, how I looked, or what other swimmers were doing. There are lots of younger faster swimmers and some fast swimmers in the 60+ AGs too. My events went well (except for a backstroke turn that I thought I would never come up from). I got times under race conditions, benchmarks, and that mattered to me. But most importantly, it was a lot of fun doing something again that I'd loved growing up. Just being willing to race is quite an accomplishment in itself. If you are a little jittery going in, the feeling will pass after the first event. I wish you lots of luck and enjoy!

Agree with what many have said. Technique and training methods have changed drastically and you can definitely use that to your advantage now. Take it slow, learn some new tricks and have fun. After a 17 year break myself, I found masters competitions to be super motivating and fun - no pressure except what you put on yourself, and an open and accepting community of folks. I still get nerves before a race, but I think that is a good thing. But now I have the age, wisdom and other aspects of my life to put results in perspective. Its fun to get out there and try, and you might even surprise yourself with what you can do.

I am 45 and 16 months back in the water after about a 17 year layoff with little or no fitness/cardio training, except for a brief 2 year stint of water polo about 15 years ago. I got back into swimming only to get myself into shape with no plans to do anything competitively. I got suckered into picking up the swim leg on a sprint triathlon relay and my competitive nature took over. I swam in my first masters meet last month and it was a huge eye opener. A few things about coming back to swimming generally and what I saw at my first masters meet. 1. Technique has changed a lot since we last swam competitively. Head position is different, backstroke turns are different, *** stroke is different. Be prepared to learn the new techniques or you won't be as fast as everyone else. 2. I was a distance swimmer in HS. I figured I'd ease back into competition with shorter distances, and realized why I was a distance swimmer. Also, there will be a lot more swimmers in the shorter distances and a lot of them have been swimming continuously. Being that you are a triathlete, you might have better luck at a little longer distance. 3. Dive off the blocks a bit in the weeks leading up to the race. I had not been off a block in 17 years, aside from about 8 times the week before the meet just to see what it would feel like. Plus, I had not really been focusing on turns in my 16 months back, just using them to turn around and not thinking about speed in and a good push, and not breathing inside the flags, etc. Starts and turns are important in the shorter distances and that killed my times. 4. I was not mentally prepared to "race". Have a game plan for each race. 5. Masters meets move very fast. Heats can start before the previous heat is out of the water. You need to be on your toes and alert and watching for your heats. 6. Have fun.