Getting Older,Getting Slower

I question how much of my decline is due to mental rather than physical factors. Over the last several years I have moved out of the fastest lane in workout and I am content with swimming slower intervals. I know there was a point at which I could have continued at the faster intervals and I probably could now, but I don't have the desire that would make the pain worthwhile. Does anybody else feel like a major part of a decline in performance is mental rather than physical?

Does anybody else feel like a major part of a decline in performance is mental rather than physical? I'm not in the same category of swimming eliteness as most folks here, so my experience might not be typical. I started swimming masters at age 50, and had a nice run of eight or nine years, then I started being plagued with shoulder issues. I've been in and out of the water for much of the past five years. The first two or three times I tried to get going again, I fairly quickly hurt my shoulder and was back out of the water for an extended period. (I was mentally prepared for surgery, and the orthopedic surgeon was sharpening his scalpel. Then an MRI failed to show the expected rotator cuff tear.) This year, I started very slowly, after concentrating on rotator cuff exercises for several months. I've managed to be in the water for the past year (FLOG goal in 2016 was 50 miles, 100 for 2017). Even though I'm back in the water with some regularity, I no longer consider "garbage yards" to be garbage. Yards are yards. :) I warm up carefully, don't get carried away trying to build back up to anything like "speedy" (not that I really ever was), and my workout distances are much shorter. I think I hit 2500 yards once or twice last year. 1000-1500 is more typical. That's okay. I have a bike and know how to use it. I have no idea how much of that is mental, but I'm pretty sure a sizable chunk of it is.

Some great observations Scales! I never thought of being “looked up to” by the younger oldguys. I’ll try to be a better role model from now on. Maybe even stop feeling like the “real” swimmers are laughing at me. :drowning: Go Lobos! It is absolutely true. On time I was sitting with some older swimmers at a social, and they started complaining about the things they 'used to' be able to do in the pool. It was more than I was doing, and I realized I was still 10 years away from the years they were looking back on. It is significant when we realize what a lifetime sport swimming can be.

It is absolutely true. On time I was sitting with some older swimmers at a social, and they started complaining about the things they 'used to' be able to do in the pool. It was more than I was doing, and I realized I was still 10 years away from the years they were looking back on. It is significant when we realize what a lifetime sport swimming can be. I originally chose to try swimming because I knew it could be a lifelong sport. Other contenders were recreational boxing and cycling. I love swimming so much now, I look back and wonder how I could have considered anything else. I am so thankful for the privilege to swim, and I hope I can keep it in my life forever.

I wanted to share my perspective, and hopefully inspire a bit of confidence, as a brand new 28 yo. swimmer in Masters. The first meet of my life was in November of last year. It was a blast, obviously, but I will tell you the two most memorable things for me at that event. The first was watching a 18-24 competitor put on an Olympic performance in the pool, which had everyone out of their seats obviously. It was incredible, and helped me understand how much dedication, training, and technique is required to achieve that level of swimming. But the second was far more important to me in my growth as a swimmer. My coach is 61 years old. He was a former NCAA All-American in backstroke, but I had never seen him swim. Some of my teammates were competing in the same heat as he was. Now, I knew my coach was a good swimmer, obviously, but he doesn't appear outwardly "in shape" to me. Like he maybe let himself go, or something. I didn't think about this daily, nor did I judge him for this or anything, but I just had that picture in my mind. Watching him swim was one of the most incredible things I've ever seen in athletics. That someone of his age and body could demolish the other swimmers in his heat (all half his age), and do so while looking like he's taking a leisurely swim... I mean it blew me away. It was the most inspiring thing I've seen in a very long time. I internalized every moment of that race. When one of my teammates congratulated me on my performance at the meet I said "Yeah, I've got a long way to go, though", and they said "You have a long stroke like Bill (the coach), you will be great". That was the greatest compliment I could've received that day. Or this entire month/year, etc. That statement, and his performance, are what continue to inspire me in the pool just as much as the Olympic level swimmers that I look up to. The difference is that my coach is with me everyday. Why am I saying this? Because even if you feel you are not performing your best any longer, you are still setting an example in the pool. If you need another reason to perform, imagine some brand new kid to the sport sitting in the stands watching you display a complete mastery of the art of swimming. What could be more inspiring? I like to observe my age-group peers because they help me develop realistic standards, but it is the older people in the pool that I look up to. My goal is to be a swimmer for life, not to be the fastest man in the pool for 5 years and then walk away from it.

I like to observe my age-group peers because they help me develop realistic standards, but it is the older people in the pool that I look up to. My goal is to be a swimmer for life, not to be the fastest man in the pool for 5 years and then walk away from it. Some great observations Scales! I never thought of being “looked up to” by the younger oldguys. I’ll try to be a better role model from now on. Maybe even stop feeling like the “real” swimmers are laughing at me. :drowning: Go Lobos!

My only regret is that I didn’t like swimming in the 1970s as much I love it now. I walked away from swimming in 1978 (a little bitter I'll admit)... I wish there was a good way to capture some of those folks earlier who burned out of college. We have a young lady (22-23ish?) on our team who just started recently who has been so excited to not have the same level of intensity that she had in school. She quit after 2 years because it was just too much and not fun anymore. Wouldn't it be great if we could get some of these "kids" back in the pool and enjoying the fun side of it that we all know well? Scales, what a great story, thank you for sharing it. I love seeing this from a new perspective.

I originally chose to try swimming because I knew it could be a lifelong sport. Other contenders were recreational boxing and cycling. I love swimming so much now, I look back and wonder how I could have considered anything else. I am so thankful for the privilege to swim, and I hope I can keep it in my life forever. My only regret is that I didn’t like swimming in the 1970s as much I love it now. I walked away from swimming in 1978 (a little bitter I'll admit) and didn't look back until 2015. Haven't done a swim meet yet, or even a time trial.

I question how much of my decline is due to mental rather than physical factors. Over the last several years I have moved out of the fastest lane in workout and I am content with swimming slower intervals. I know there was a point at which I could have continued at the faster intervals and I probably could now, but I don't have the desire that would make the pain worthwhile. Does anybody else feel like a major part of a decline in performance is mental rather than physical? Yes, I do. I train on my own and sometimes it is difficult to motivate myself. It is for this very reason I always have a tempo trainer in my swim cap and a stopwatch on my wrist. I use the tempo trainer to keep my intervals strict and the stopwatch to measure my progress. In addition, I always give myself a goal for each practice: a specific time for say a 50M, a 100M or a 200M. Sometimes it might even be a goal for 25M of dolphin kick, but I always have a goal. Despite this, I have noticed my times getting slower over the last year. Mind you, I always have a good excuse. It's usually: I didn't get enough sleep the night before, feeling sick, arms too tired after the morning strength workout, got leg cramps, etc. More recently, it's been pressure at work and water too cold. I'm sure everyone recognizes some, if not all, of these. Every now and then, I get some external motivation. This motivation comes in the form of a high school student who likes to train with me when he has the time. My transformation is remarkable Suddenly, I am making intervals a full two seconds faster than the previous day and interval times I had all but given up hope on of ever achieving again. I am throwing down multiple repeats of these intervals as if I were a 20 year old. It is at times like these, I realise I have been slacking off and allowing myself to settle for second best. I realise that it is 90% mental and not age or any of the other excuses I have been feeding myself. Recently, I took a look at the USMS Top Ten list and saw that some people in my age group(45-49) are still doing 53.XX for the 100M Free. That's a time I only dream about. But that is a huge inspiration for me. I see no reason why I can't do a time like that if they can. I am the same age, physically in good shape... I tell myself it is in the mind. I can do it if I really want to do it.

totally agree Syd. - if we want to continue to swim fast we need to compare ourselves against the best and say if they can do it then with more training i can get my times closer to theirs. They only got 'there' in the first place by hard work. I'm reminded of something that Rich Abrahams said motivated him, what he called "SIISCIWHTY." Some idiot in Southern California is working harder than you. I know for me, wondering what Bob Strand is doing motivates me.