I just got back from the SPMS meet and I am in a funk. I have talked to several of my contemporaries who share my dysphoria at getting slower. From age 50-62 I slowed down very little. Ages 63 and 64 were one injury or illness after another, but at least there was a cause and I felt I would do better. Age 65 I aged up and for most of the year was healthy. That was a great year,but my times were all significantly slower than at 62. Since then it is very unusual to have one swim that is faster than I did the previous year.At 67(almost 68) I am notably slower than at 65. I have seen the graphs of how times slow with age, intellectually, if I am staying at the same rate of decline as my peers I should accept it, but I don't like it. I know most forumites are much younger and what I am saying may seem like something natural that I should just acknowledge and go on, that is what I thought until I was 63. I know that our having age groups every 5 years is a partial solution to the problem, but there is more difference between a 65 year old and a 68 year old than between a 40 year old and a 50 year old, in my experience. How do the other older swimmers out there cope and have a good attitude? The common saying in Masters Swimming is that "you are only competing against yourself",but my slightly younger self is kicking my butt and I am tired of it.
Getting older seems to mean that the injuries accumulate. Just saw the orthopedist today. Frayed biceps tendon and partially torn subscapular tendon requiring surgery. I was told I would be out of the water 3 mo and no pulling for 6 mo. The only good part is that I'm 69 so I should be healed by the time I age up next year. I will miss Nats this year of course, and I was looking forward to Indy.
Oh no, Allen! Oregon is going to miss you at Nats this year. What a bummer!
I've been having some pain in my biceps tendon lately and am worried that I might be causing some damage to it. What was the cause of your frayed biceps tendon (could it have somehow been prevented?) and how did the orthopedist diagnose it?
Good luck with your surgery and recovery.
Sorry to hear you have had pain as well, Fly Trap!
King Frog, what were your symptoms? Do you have pain all of the time or only when you swim? I thought it might be helpful for Fly Trap as well as others to be able to differentiate tendon pain from muscular or joint pain.
Oh no, Allen! Oregon is going to miss you at Nats this year. What a bummer!
I've been having some pain in my biceps tendon lately and am worried that I might be causing some damage to it. What was the cause of your frayed biceps tendon (could it have somehow been prevented?) and how did the orthopedist diagnose it?
Good luck with your surgery and recovery.
I was having some pain at the top of the arm(biceps insertion) and then I tripped and caught myself (hard) to stop my fall. Then I had pain on the insweep of BR and the back part of free pull. Dr. said the injury likely was the last straw, but it was a repetative movement problem in that once it started to fray it rubbed against the bone and got worse. Iftwas diagnosed by MRI. Surgery is May 10, first day of Indy.
I was having some pain at the top of the arm(biceps insertion) and then I tripped and caught myself (hard) to stop my fall. Then I had pain on the insweep of BR and the back part of free pull. Dr. said the injury likely was the last straw, but it was a repetative movement problem in that once it started to fray it rubbed against the bone and got worse. It was diagnosed by MRI. Surgery is May 10, first day of Indy.
Thanks for all of the details Allen. I'll be thinking of you when I'm in Indy.
I was having some pain at the top of the arm(biceps insertion) and then I tripped and caught myself (hard) to stop my fall. Then I had pain on the insweep of BR and the back part of free pull. Dr. said the injury likely was the last straw, but it was a repetative movement problem in that once it started to fray it rubbed against the bone and got worse. Iftwas diagnosed by MRI. Surgery is May 10, first day of Indy.
Yes, thanks King Frog. It sounds typical of repetitive stress injuries, which I have experienced plenty of over the years! Typically, there is that last straw. When I had a repetitive stress back injury when I was 25, a terrible sneeze is what finally blew out one of the disks. There was a "last straw" with my other two major RSI injuries that led to surgery as well.
I wish you the best with your surgery. I hope it is successful! :agree:
Yes, thanks King Frog. It sounds typical of repetitive stress injuries, which I have experienced plenty of over the years! Typically, there is that last straw. When I had a repetitive stress back injury when I was 25, a terrible sneeze is what finally blew out one of the disks. There was a "last straw" with my other two major RSI injuries that led to surgery as well.
I wish you the best with your surgery. I hope it is successful! :agree:
Thank you. And to Matt, swim fast at Indy.
Here is my general thought, who cares. You are in the pool and in the 1% of Americans that regularly swim for fitness. I am 57 and started late to swimming I am still improving, but not as fast. I also notice that weight training does not result in as much muscle development as when I was in my 20's. Keep at it, and set realistic goals...For me I hope to be in great shape in retirement and for my future Grand Kids :)
