Freestyle Snobs?

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

Rob Copeland — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 12:33:52 GMT

Having said that, one of the Forum moderators knows exactly who I am talking about, and I'm guessing he will either: A.) Warn me not to say another word about her. :censor: or B.) He is sitting there laughing, because he can visualize exactly what I'm describing above! :lmao: A little bit of both.:shakeshead::agree:.:shakeshead:

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

Elaine Krugman — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 05:55:35 GMT

A little bit of both.:shakeshead::agree:.:shakeshead: Yeah, I figured. :D :worms:

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

Elaine Krugman — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 04:08:11 GMT

Prepare for your ass to be kicked. You did ask for it. The answer to your question is simple. Medals. Why swim 200 freestyle where 1 medal is up for grabs? Add the 200 fly, 200 back, 200 ***, and 200 IM you now have 4 more medals up for grabs for a total of 5. It also makes for longer swim meets where we get better opportunities for socializing and stay away from home. Yeah, you have a good point. There were no medals or ribbons in the last meet we both swim at each year; however, it counts for our Grand Prix series. I'm sure she is after that trophy at the end of the year. I can relate; been there, done that! When I swam at Nationals in Mission Viejo (2013), I really wanted to win a medal, because they were so cool! It was the best design EVER: A palm tree on one side, and a surfboard on the other, with water in between. Being a Long Beach native myself, I just had to win one of those medals. I ended up with two, and they are displayed in my home office.:D Evidently, this lady is willing to swim the scariest looking vertical fly EVER (with all of her long hair hanging in her face) just to (possibly) win that trophy at the end of the year. Having said that, one of the Forum moderators knows exactly who I am talking about, and I'm guessing he will either: A.) Warn me not to say another word about her. :censor: or B.) He is sitting there laughing, because he can visualize exactly what I'm describing above! :lmao:

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

smiley92407 — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 03:41:02 GMT

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

Elaine Krugman — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 12:39:45 GMT

There is a USA Swimmer - NOT Masters - in her late 60's that participates in meets at one of the nicer pools my kids' team attends. She does 400IM's and 200 Fly in most meets. Takes her a while, right at 8 minutes on the IM, but I love it. Very nice lady. Several years ago, I got a picture with one of my kids with her. 8 minutes? That's not bad for a 400 IM in her age group. That's an AA on the motivational charts. This gal is more than 4 minutes OFF the chart! She literally swims her fly and freestyle vertical, not horizontal. She has long hair that she doesn't put in a cap or tie back, it's in her face as she swims, and she looks like she is drowning. Really. :drowning:

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

Elaine Krugman — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 12:32:44 GMT

Yep--that's how they've handled this swimmer too. It's a bit startling at first--when they start a heat with someone still swimming, but everyone realizes the time saved. :-) I have only seen the officials do this at a developmental meet. I WISH they would do this at all of the meets, especially LCM when she does, in fact, take more than 16 minutes for a 400 IM. (It used to be 18...)

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

Elaine Krugman — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 12:29:24 GMT

We have a 93 year old in our LMSC that loves the long events. Kudos to him for still going for it, but a 10:00 400 IM is... not enjoyable to watch. 10:00? That's would be a sprint for this gal who is in the 65-69 age group. Her short course 400 IM is more than 4 minutes longer. :bed:

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

Elaine Krugman — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 12:26:33 GMT

I know that swimmer. It's a....challenge.....swimming at meets with them. Why do they like those long events?? That's a really good question, and I haven't a clue! She has been "competing" in USMS for longer than I have, and I have been competing for nine years. During that entire time, she has not made any effort that I know of to improve her technique at all. I don't think she has ever taken a lesson, watched a video, or done anything else to attempt to become a better swimmer. You would think after all of those years at meets, she would have learned something from watching the other swimmers or even asked for help. At one of the meets, my husband offered (for free) to shoot video of any swimmer who wanted their races recorded, so she took him up on it. We were hoping that, finally, she would see how she looked in her 400 IM and see how much all four strokes were in desperate need of help. You know what? I don't think she ever watched it! If she did, it sure didn't make an impact! One side of me (the nicer, empathetic side) thinks, good on her for participating and doing what she enjoys! At least she is here rather than sitting home and watching TV! The other (more annoyed!) side of me thinks, HAVE SOME CONSIDERATION for the rest of us who want to get on with our races! This gal delays a long course meet by 20-30 minutes, when you take into account all of the extra time she is "racing" all of her long events when everybody else is finished! (Now, I know that I, too, race the 400 IM, and my 200 Butterfly is really slow; however, an official at my last meet told my husband that "she has a beautiful fly." :bliss: I have been working on it relentlessly...) I don't feel this way at all about any other slow swimmer that tries to use decent stroke technique and tries to get better. We have a very slow 75-59 freestyler on our team who at least keeps her body horizontal and does ok. She tries hard! I also have a teammate who is now 102 and doesn't race anymore; however, she was the first woman in the country to race the 200 LCM freestyle in the 100-104 age group. She rocked the pool and looked pretty darn good! :applaud:Shetried much harder and looked much better in the pool at 100 than my teammate did at more than 35 years younger! Delaying the meet to watch Anne Dunivin swim was so worth it and a memory I will never forget. The heart she showed in that race was my favorite Masters memory EVER. I want to grow up to be just like her. :agree: :rantonoff:

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

67King — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 10:23:10 GMT

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

Sara Dunn — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 09:45:27 GMT

I don't even... how? Exactly.... That was a very long LCM 4IM....

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

Jeff Enge — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 09:44:14 GMT

I'd applaud a 93 year old doing a 4IM. I've seen this swimmer take 16 minutes for a 4IM. Do that math.... I don't even... how?

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

Sara Dunn — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 09:32:13 GMT

For our much slower long distance swimmers at our local meets, they will start in an outside lane in heat one.. The heat 2 will start before they finish, maybe heat 3. Yep--that's how they've handled this swimmer too. It's a bit startling at first--when they start a heat with someone still swimming, but everyone realizes the time saved. :-)

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

Sara Dunn — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 09:31:01 GMT

We have a 93 year old in our LMSC that loves the long events. Kudos to him for still going for it, but a 10:00 400 IM is... not enjoyable to watch. I'd applaud a 93 year old doing a 4IM. I've seen this swimmer take 16 minutes for a 4IM. Do that math....

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

Allen Stark — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 09:27:54 GMT

For our much slower long distance swimmers at our local meets, they will start in an outside lane in heat one.. The heat 2 will start before they finish, maybe heat 3.

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

Jeff Enge — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 09:10:51 GMT

I know that swimmer. It's a....challenge.....swimming at meets with them. Why do they like those long events?? We have a 93 year old in our LMSC that loves the long events. Kudos to him for still going for it, but a 10:00 400 IM is... not enjoyable to watch.

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

Sara Dunn — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 08:53:26 GMT

:lmao: That reminds me of a meet I was at last year. One of my teammates (the slowest swimmer in her age group with the worst technique in the country), seems to enjoy entering all of the longest events, which has caused a tremendous delay in our meets. The official (who we consider a friend), casually walked by Bruce while he was officiating her event and said (while pointing to this swimmer), "That is why officials no longer use starting guns!" :D I know that swimmer. It's a....challenge.....swimming at meets with them. Why do they like those long events??

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

67King — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 02:01:00 GMT

8 minutes? That's not bad for a 400 IM in her age group...... Well, except that since it is USA Swimming and not Masters, her "age group" is Senior......as in 15 and up. :) But like I said, she is a complete joy. It is rare that "masters" age swimmers compete in any of the USA meets my kids do. A different team let a few of their masters swimmers compete in one of their meets in late 2017, but they opted not to let them do it, again. Those guys were all my age, though (mid 40's), and only did a couple of 100's. They were in the middle of their heats (albeit slow heats), so they didn't slow it down any. The one I mentioned that does the 400IM's slows down the USA meets. MOst of the slower senior girls are in the 5 minute range. Anyway, same context as what you experience - meet delays, but like I said, everyone loves this lady.

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

Jeff Enge — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 12:12:10 GMT

Do you swim with a team & coach? If you only want to swim free then swim alone 'cuz our team coach requires all to learn 4 strokes. Our team has Mon/Wed designated as "freestyle days" to accommodate some of the triathlete types and the real beginners. But I usually still mix it up a little on those days, and some people that prefer freestyle do that on stroke/IM days too. One of the advantages of usually having a lot of pool room.

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

orca1946 — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 11:51:54 GMT

Do you swim with a team & coach? If you only want to swim free then swim alone 'cuz our team coach requires all to learn 4 strokes.

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

67King — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 11:34:48 GMT

You work different muscle groups with the different strokes. And I would be inclined to bet that your cardio conditioning is enhanced by the variety, as well. Besides, my fly is actually faster than my free, at least for short distances.

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

Former Member — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 11:18:04 GMT

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

flystorms — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 11:06:09 GMT

As someone who mainly likes and does distance free, the others are nice to break things up a bit and use different muscles. I'm not a fan of *** at all, but tolerate it on occasion - which is to say, I do it like some of the bobbers/noodlers. I prefer the term "aficionado" or "specialist" to "snob" :)

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

Elaine Krugman — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 06:50:13 GMT

Double arm backstroke is just as official as "standard" backstroke. Per the rules, just about anything goes in backstroke as long as you are on your back. If double arm is faster for you, go for it. I have seen it used in meets, once I did it in a meet to see if it was faster(my normal backstroke is so slow that I need to notify the officials to have a calendar watch to time me.) :lmao: That reminds me of a meet I was at last year. One of my teammates (the slowest swimmer in her age group with the worst technique in the country), seems to enjoy entering all of the longest events, which has caused a tremendous delay in our meets. The official (who we consider a friend), casually walked by Bruce while he was officiating her event and said (while pointing to this swimmer), "That is why officials no longer use starting guns!" :D

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

Allen Stark — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 05:45:31 GMT

What I really want to know is why isn't the double arm back one of the official strokes. I've been told that I have the fastest double arm back in the team. Just saying... Double arm backstroke is just as official as "standard" backstroke. Per the rules, just about anything goes in backstroke as long as you are on your back. If double arm is faster for you, go for it. I have seen it used in meets, once I did it in a meet to see if it was faster(my normal backstroke is so slow that I need to notify the officials to have a calendar watch to time me.)

RE: Freestyle Snobs?

ssumargo — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 05:21:28 GMT

before I joined a masters team, I was primarily swimming freestyle. But once I joined masters, I started learning how to swim the other strokes just because I didn't want to mess up with my lane's "flow". I started liking it, especially when I feel my arms are getting too tired doing the same motion over and over again. It's good to switch to another stroke just to keep moving when I'm swimming solo. I found that I really like backstroke. Its basically freestyle on your back and you don't have to worry about breathing! Also, I read somewhere that you can build a better endurance if you swim different strokes. So why not... What I really want to know is why isn't the double arm back one of the official strokes. I've been told that I have the fastest double arm back in the team. Just saying...