So do other people feel diappointed with their times as adult versus as an 18 year old or 20 year old. I understand that I was out of swimming for almost 26 years. And I didn't practice that much during the first 2 years because I was badly out of shape and had to changes jobs and for about 9 months my work didn't workout that much with swimming, only swimming a couple of days at week. I guest we are not that young and many of us who take a very long break from swimming and are middle age are going to be slower. This is workout times according to a pace clock.
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Former Member
Cinc310-
I am also a mid-40's swimmer. I wasn't a great age-grouper and I'm not a great masters swimmer either. The first 5 years after my 20-year lay-off, though, I did get faster. Now I seem to be facing the "inevitable decline." (Or maybe I'm not working out as hard...) I'm envious of those that have continued to get faster in their 40's an beyond, but for most of us mortals, it can't go on forever.
I find it hard to revise my goals. Many of us have spent our lives with the goal of being faster. I can't do the times or the sets in practice that I used to be able to do. I work out alone, mostly, so I often only have the unsuspecting lap swimmer in the lane next to me to race against. So I have been trying to take some advice from friends who say what I need to do is have new goals. Just swimming faster (with better technique or better training, or both) can't continue to be a goal, I don't think. Especially if you are measuring yourself against your age-group or college times.
Although, intelectually, I know that health and fitness are the over-all goals, I still like to have that feeling of "beating the clock," doing a really good set at practice. It is hard not to be discouraged when you can't make the same time or intervals. Instead, I set a goal this summer to make some nats qualifying times for long course next year since I'll be aging up. That has giving me something to work at. I try to make the times/intervals that I think will allow me to swim my goal time for the next meet (and try to forget about how much faster I was swimming in previous years....).
Cinc310-
I am also a mid-40's swimmer. I wasn't a great age-grouper and I'm not a great masters swimmer either. The first 5 years after my 20-year lay-off, though, I did get faster. Now I seem to be facing the "inevitable decline." (Or maybe I'm not working out as hard...) I'm envious of those that have continued to get faster in their 40's an beyond, but for most of us mortals, it can't go on forever.
I find it hard to revise my goals. Many of us have spent our lives with the goal of being faster. I can't do the times or the sets in practice that I used to be able to do. I work out alone, mostly, so I often only have the unsuspecting lap swimmer in the lane next to me to race against. So I have been trying to take some advice from friends who say what I need to do is have new goals. Just swimming faster (with better technique or better training, or both) can't continue to be a goal, I don't think. Especially if you are measuring yourself against your age-group or college times.
Although, intelectually, I know that health and fitness are the over-all goals, I still like to have that feeling of "beating the clock," doing a really good set at practice. It is hard not to be discouraged when you can't make the same time or intervals. Instead, I set a goal this summer to make some nats qualifying times for long course next year since I'll be aging up. That has giving me something to work at. I try to make the times/intervals that I think will allow me to swim my goal time for the next meet (and try to forget about how much faster I was swimming in previous years....).
