Getting Older,Getting Slower

?..................... 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 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. I reset my PRs every five years to help with this.

Personality, I went to local senior Olympics in town because I wanted some nice medals. Lost most from childhood because of moving. My Times were not hot for 55-59 and even for 60-64 which I will be in another 3 months. Interesting I swim a 100 yard Breaststroke now better than a 50 yard breaststroke because my body can't handle the all out sprint anymore. Its like I only had a three seconds spread from the 50 while when I was younger it was 4 to 5 and when I swam in my 40's one meet it was 6 seconds between 50's.

My targeted meet is in June, national senior games, so I have a few months to tweak how I'm training. unfortunately, what I swam in the state games was all the 200 strokes, 500 free and 400 IM. So now I'm kind of stuck doing at least some distance at that meet. I'm able to enter shorter distances only if I do the event I qualified in as well. For example, I can enter 50 fly only if I swim the 200 fly also. So I'm thinking I should focus on 200 pace training and not add too many dimensions to what I have to practice. If I train for 200 strokes, I should be able to swim 400IM without too much suffering. So maybe I should focus on USRP as 50s at 200 pace, which wouldn't actually be sprint. What's the better adaptation if I'm not able to hold my dream pace at 20 sec rest? Accept a slower pace? Or give myself more rest?

Tired of getting of getting older and slower? Consider weights, sprinting & T E S T O S T E R O N E 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.

Tired of getting of getting older and slower? Consider weights, sprinting & T E S T O S T E R O N E I sure hope you are joking Ande. BTW, the slope gets much steeper after 70. Learning to cope.

Tired of getting of getting older and slower? Consider weights, sprinting & T E S T O S T E R O N E I thought that was cheating, but if you say it is OK...

My targeted meet is in June, national senior games, so I have a few months to tweak how I'm training. unfortunately, what I swam in the state games was all the 200 strokes, 500 free and 400 IM. So now I'm kind of stuck doing at least some distance at that meet. I'm able to enter shorter distances only if I do the event I qualified in as well. For example, I can enter 50 fly only if I swim the 200 fly also. So I'm thinking I should focus on 200 pace training and not add too many dimensions to what I have to practice. If I train for 200 strokes, I should be able to swim 400IM without too much suffering. So maybe I should focus on USRP as 50s at 200 pace, which wouldn't actually be sprint. What's the better adaptation if I'm not able to hold my dream pace at 20 sec rest? Accept a slower pace? Or give myself more rest? Betty, we are in a similar situation. I qualified at the Georgia Senior Games in 200 fly, 200 ***, 400 IM, 500 free, and 50 ***. I'm picking up the 200 IM as my extra event. I started focusing on USRPT doing 50's at 200 pace, and I am also doing 25's of *** at 50 pace to train for the National Senior Games. I've only changed to this type of training just last week, so it's new to me. So far, I'm already seeing improvements, and it's giving me more confidence. I love that first 50 after a failure and sitting out a send-off. It feels great, and it gives me encouragement to keep going. For butterfly, I have been able to swim a lot more yardage per session and with better results. Look for me in Birmingham. I would love to meet you and cheer you on! :cheerleader:

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. Thanks to this comment I have moved back to the fast lane and swimming more often. For me it was "those idiots in the next lane are working harder than me."

Elaine, I'd be delighted to make a new friend! I guess we'll see each other at the blocks! 400 IM, bring it on! I think you're going to kick my butt on 200 ***! Look for me in the cheetah cap.