Good morning! I have a question for any other US Masters swimmers. How long did you train before going back to compete again at meets? Did you jump right back into both or did you take a couple of years go get fully back into the swing of things? I have been out of the water for around 15 years, been back in for about a year but feel I am progressing slowly but surely. Thanks in advance!
I really like how this one person put it (forgive me, I don't remember who exactly said this): "Many swimmers think you practice to compete, when in fact you are best off thinking of your races as a way to practice." When you race, yes there is nervousness and permanence to your performance, but in the thrill of it you usually do your best, and that is what's amazing. If you do your best in a race, you know what it feels like to do your best, then you should try to feel like your best at practice sets, too. I personally agree that for anyone who likes to compete, you will be most happy if you race as a way to practice. This mindset is a fantastic one to have in Masters, where you have an almost infinite amount of chances to improve your races. In high school and college, you're under the gun to perform before you age out. But in Masters, you only age up, so no need to put pressure on to practice enough before even trying a race. Just have fun at your meets. Take them seriously only if you want to. I personally try to attend every meet I can afford or am close enough to drive to.
When I started HS swimming at 16, I had little to no prior sports or exercise experiences. August of that year, I could not swim 25yds without my lungs feeling like they'd burst, and my body failing me. Shortly after, in November, I was racing other high school juniors and seniors in 50 and 100yd sprints. All that came between rust and competition was a few months of coached practices, 5 days a week most afternoons. I would say going immediately from learning competitive swim into actual competition was a fantastic idea. I did not have time to worry if I would be good enough, or had practiced enough, the choice to join swim team entailed race entries, once I was fit. For me it was very non-negotiable, especially at high school: "You're going to be a competitive swimmer and so you must participate in regular competition."
I love competing and participating in meets so I don't save this as the reward for the end of the road - instead I enjoy it as soon as the opportunity presents itself in my area. For me, practices are the "filler" between as many meets as I can make, and meets or races are "checkpoints" that are part of my holistic practice regimen. :)
I really like how this one person put it (forgive me, I don't remember who exactly said this): "Many swimmers think you practice to compete, when in fact you are best off thinking of your races as a way to practice." When you race, yes there is nervousness and permanence to your performance, but in the thrill of it you usually do your best, and that is what's amazing. If you do your best in a race, you know what it feels like to do your best, then you should try to feel like your best at practice sets, too. I personally agree that for anyone who likes to compete, you will be most happy if you race as a way to practice. This mindset is a fantastic one to have in Masters, where you have an almost infinite amount of chances to improve your races. In high school and college, you're under the gun to perform before you age out. But in Masters, you only age up, so no need to put pressure on to practice enough before even trying a race. Just have fun at your meets. Take them seriously only if you want to. I personally try to attend every meet I can afford or am close enough to drive to.
When I started HS swimming at 16, I had little to no prior sports or exercise experiences. August of that year, I could not swim 25yds without my lungs feeling like they'd burst, and my body failing me. Shortly after, in November, I was racing other high school juniors and seniors in 50 and 100yd sprints. All that came between rust and competition was a few months of coached practices, 5 days a week most afternoons. I would say going immediately from learning competitive swim into actual competition was a fantastic idea. I did not have time to worry if I would be good enough, or had practiced enough, the choice to join swim team entailed race entries, once I was fit. For me it was very non-negotiable, especially at high school: "You're going to be a competitive swimmer and so you must participate in regular competition."
I love competing and participating in meets so I don't save this as the reward for the end of the road - instead I enjoy it as soon as the opportunity presents itself in my area. For me, practices are the "filler" between as many meets as I can make, and meets or races are "checkpoints" that are part of my holistic practice regimen. :)
