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 have a theory about those of us older/aging swimmers who aren't swimming top ten times, but use them for comparison, and as I understand it, USMS uses top 10 times to set NQTs.
Here goes: as we age the number of swimmers in our age group is decreasing resulting in a smaller sample size and the top 10 become a bigger and bigger portion of the AG sample size.The swimmers who are still at it, tend to be the better/faster swimmers, as many of the slower swimmers have fallen by the wayside. So, reaching a NQT becomes tougher and tougher. At this point in my 65-69 AG there is a preponderance of really good swimmers still standing and competing.
I'd have to look at the math behind age-grading more closely to understand the impact this winnowing has on computed age-grading, but it seems to me that the impact on NQTs is to make them harder and harder to achieve as you get older if you aren't a really good swimmer.
Combined with the increased injuries and ailments, muscle loss, and life getting in the way that accompanies aging, I've really lost any thought of improving, but who knows. Think I started back at it to late too. At one point I had some goal times in my head, but now its just hang on and get slower, slower.
I have a theory about those of us older/aging swimmers who aren't swimming top ten times, but use them for comparison, and as I understand it, USMS uses top 10 times to set NQTs.
Here goes: as we age the number of swimmers in our age group is decreasing resulting in a smaller sample size and the top 10 become a bigger and bigger portion of the AG sample size.The swimmers who are still at it, tend to be the better/faster swimmers, as many of the slower swimmers have fallen by the wayside. So, reaching a NQT becomes tougher and tougher. At this point in my 65-69 AG there is a preponderance of really good swimmers still standing and competing.
I'd have to look at the math behind age-grading more closely to understand the impact this winnowing has on computed age-grading, but it seems to me that the impact on NQTs is to make them harder and harder to achieve as you get older if you aren't a really good swimmer.
Combined with the increased injuries and ailments, muscle loss, and life getting in the way that accompanies aging, I've really lost any thought of improving, but who knows. Think I started back at it to late too. At one point I had some goal times in my head, but now its just hang on and get slower, slower.
