If you have a free moment, please check out an article/proposal of sorts that I wrote for the USMS website. You can find it here: www.usms.org/.../articledisplay.php
I realize it's a bit lengthy, but I think it's an idea that could really help motivate swimmers to keep at it over the lifespan.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
I apologize for my tendency to go on and on and on and on....
However, the easiest way that individual swimmers can get an idea about how age grading works is to visit Ed Gendreau's very useful site that he does for the New England LMSC.
Just click here: www.egswim.com/.../RatingTimeOut.php
To see how you are holding up as you age, just take two of your times from a favorite event swum at different ages. Enter the info as requested and it will crank out your respective ratings for both.
Here, by way of example, is a comparison of my 100 LCM butterfly swum at age 65 vs. the same event at age 50. I am nearly 3 seconds slower than I used to be, but despite this, my rating has gotten a lot better. For me, at least, this is motivating to keep on trying my best--if not to get a lifetime PR, then maybe to get a lifetime high rating.
EVENT: Men 100 Fly
COURSE: LCM (long course meters)
AGE: 50
TIME: 1:07.68
RATING: 84.99
EVENT: Men 100 Fly
COURSE: LCM (long course meters)
AGE: 65
TIME: 1:10.63
RATING: 97.74
I apologize for my tendency to go on and on and on and on....
However, the easiest way that individual swimmers can get an idea about how age grading works is to visit Ed Gendreau's very useful site that he does for the New England LMSC.
Just click here: www.egswim.com/.../RatingTimeOut.php
To see how you are holding up as you age, just take two of your times from a favorite event swum at different ages. Enter the info as requested and it will crank out your respective ratings for both.
Here, by way of example, is a comparison of my 100 LCM butterfly swum at age 65 vs. the same event at age 50. I am nearly 3 seconds slower than I used to be, but despite this, my rating has gotten a lot better. For me, at least, this is motivating to keep on trying my best--if not to get a lifetime PR, then maybe to get a lifetime high rating.
EVENT: Men 100 Fly
COURSE: LCM (long course meters)
AGE: 50
TIME: 1:07.68
RATING: 84.99
EVENT: Men 100 Fly
COURSE: LCM (long course meters)
AGE: 65
TIME: 1:10.63
RATING: 97.74
