When I was younger, I considered myself much more of a sprinter (defined arbitrarily by me as 'm 50, I find I do much better in the latter (as judged by my rankings on Top 10 types lists.) I am wondering if other masters swimmers have noticed this kind of change, so propose the following poll questions (which assume, of course, that you swam when your were "younger"--be that high school, college, or early adulthood.)
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Originally posted by jim thornton
...
...(which assume, of course, that you swam when your were "younger"--be that high school, college, or early adulthood.)
For me "younger" means not the age of 25 -which is when I started to learn swimming by myself during public swim, and no one counts public swim as being competitive-, but it means the age of 28 in September 1986 -when I joined for the first time in my life a coached swimming club-.
I am now age 44, so since the age of 28 it has been sixteen years of competitive swimming.
1) In 1987 I was doing in practice, 50 meters freestyle in Long Course pool, in 29.xx, starting from the diving block.
In the 2001 USMS Long Course Nationals, I did a 50 meters freestyle -as the lead-off in 4 x 50 free relay- in 30.84, and I was happy considering worse results in recent years.
So, I lost in sprints.
2) October 1992 I did in a 50 meters pool, alone, without drafting, 5 x 100 meters free leaving every 1:15, and October 1995 I did in a 50 meters pool, 4 x 400 meters free leaving every 5:30.
In the 2001 USMS Long Course Nationals, I did a 800 meters freestyle in 11:20, and I was happy considering worse results in recents years.
So, over time and per 50 meters pace, I lost in distance a bigger chunk of time than in sprints.
3) Hopefully I can reverse both slowing-downs, in 2003.
If not, then competing in order to do it, is still a better life to me than not trying to do it.
4) As for you Jim, consider that when you were a sprinter and now you don't make the Top10 in sprints but you make the Top10 in middle-distance, others your age were sprinters and they do make the Top10 in sprints.
Richard Abrahams is doing that in 50 yards free with a lifetime best 21.5 in 1965, a 21.7 in 1998, a 21.8 in 2000, and is doing that in 50 meters free Long Course with 24.6 in 1998.
A counter-example of someone who improves now within his age group in sprints to the point of domination and has been a middle-distance swimmer before, is 'Tall' Paul Smith.
Originally posted by jim thornton
...
...(which assume, of course, that you swam when your were "younger"--be that high school, college, or early adulthood.)
For me "younger" means not the age of 25 -which is when I started to learn swimming by myself during public swim, and no one counts public swim as being competitive-, but it means the age of 28 in September 1986 -when I joined for the first time in my life a coached swimming club-.
I am now age 44, so since the age of 28 it has been sixteen years of competitive swimming.
1) In 1987 I was doing in practice, 50 meters freestyle in Long Course pool, in 29.xx, starting from the diving block.
In the 2001 USMS Long Course Nationals, I did a 50 meters freestyle -as the lead-off in 4 x 50 free relay- in 30.84, and I was happy considering worse results in recent years.
So, I lost in sprints.
2) October 1992 I did in a 50 meters pool, alone, without drafting, 5 x 100 meters free leaving every 1:15, and October 1995 I did in a 50 meters pool, 4 x 400 meters free leaving every 5:30.
In the 2001 USMS Long Course Nationals, I did a 800 meters freestyle in 11:20, and I was happy considering worse results in recents years.
So, over time and per 50 meters pace, I lost in distance a bigger chunk of time than in sprints.
3) Hopefully I can reverse both slowing-downs, in 2003.
If not, then competing in order to do it, is still a better life to me than not trying to do it.
4) As for you Jim, consider that when you were a sprinter and now you don't make the Top10 in sprints but you make the Top10 in middle-distance, others your age were sprinters and they do make the Top10 in sprints.
Richard Abrahams is doing that in 50 yards free with a lifetime best 21.5 in 1965, a 21.7 in 1998, a 21.8 in 2000, and is doing that in 50 meters free Long Course with 24.6 in 1998.
A counter-example of someone who improves now within his age group in sprints to the point of domination and has been a middle-distance swimmer before, is 'Tall' Paul Smith.
