I wondered if any of you can help me with some perspective on this. I was a respectable age-group swimmer (age 8-18 - peaked around 16). Swimming was my life. I went on to do triathlons in college and casual running and swimming after that. Now in my late 30's. Have always swum to keep in shape, but getting slower every year.
How do those of you in the 30's, 40's etc. who had a previous swimming career deal with the disappointment of getting slower, and slower? It is so frustrating. I get particularly frustrated with myself when people in practice who I should be much faster than (ie they didn't swim competitively and have ummmm...less than ideal strokes), are beating me. I still have that competitive mindset.
Since I don't think I would swim respectable 30-something times in a meet (and I have little kids right now that are keeping me pretty busy) I am waiting until 40's to compete. My butterfly is still OK so thinking if I can do a respectable 200 butterfly in my 40's that would be an accomplishment.
Anyway I just wondered how others put this into perspective. Thanks!
thanks, ion, for defending the honor of my youth!
actually, i did swim in the pregoggle era, but I am sure I did more yardage then then I do now as a master (for one thing, in high school and the one year I swam for Michigan, we did at least one workout every day, sometimes two; today, i have three "official" workouts a week, then try to squeeze in an extra swim or two during the week on my own.)
I think the factors that have made the biggest difference are, perhaps in this order:
1) better swimming suit technology. not everyone is helped by the body suit; i feel i have been helped tremendously. it's sad to have to admit this, but i truly believe this has been the single biggest contributor to my swimming well in my late 40s, and now early 50s
2) better workouts. my coach was able to get me to swim harder than any previous coach i've had. he subtlely and incrementally increased the quantity and quality of swims over the course of our season, and somehow motivated me to stay with it, even though this sometimes meant taking a nap and drinking a cup of coffee before our 6:30-7:30 pm workouts
3) better stroke technique. it sounds hard to believe now, but I never practiced "modern" streamlining in my youth, but rather pushed off walls in arm's slightly spread "Superman position". I also had the water level hit me mid forehead, which was the old theory back then that you'd go faster by hydroplaning. Streamlining and keeping my head down in freestyle are two examples of better technique that have made a difference--neither of these things were coached, at least to me, back in the early 70s.
final word: I was at best a very mediocre swimmer as a young youth. I feel that masters offers people like me a second chance. If you were great as a youngster, it's going to be difficult to come close to matching your times by age 50. if, however, you were mediocre back then, the odds are at least somewhat plausible you can become less mediocre now! Again, check out that formula, plug in your best time and the age you did it, then see what an "equivalent time" would be for your current age. Chances are that mathematically speaking, you're right on the predicted slope.
thanks, ion, for defending the honor of my youth!
actually, i did swim in the pregoggle era, but I am sure I did more yardage then then I do now as a master (for one thing, in high school and the one year I swam for Michigan, we did at least one workout every day, sometimes two; today, i have three "official" workouts a week, then try to squeeze in an extra swim or two during the week on my own.)
I think the factors that have made the biggest difference are, perhaps in this order:
1) better swimming suit technology. not everyone is helped by the body suit; i feel i have been helped tremendously. it's sad to have to admit this, but i truly believe this has been the single biggest contributor to my swimming well in my late 40s, and now early 50s
2) better workouts. my coach was able to get me to swim harder than any previous coach i've had. he subtlely and incrementally increased the quantity and quality of swims over the course of our season, and somehow motivated me to stay with it, even though this sometimes meant taking a nap and drinking a cup of coffee before our 6:30-7:30 pm workouts
3) better stroke technique. it sounds hard to believe now, but I never practiced "modern" streamlining in my youth, but rather pushed off walls in arm's slightly spread "Superman position". I also had the water level hit me mid forehead, which was the old theory back then that you'd go faster by hydroplaning. Streamlining and keeping my head down in freestyle are two examples of better technique that have made a difference--neither of these things were coached, at least to me, back in the early 70s.
final word: I was at best a very mediocre swimmer as a young youth. I feel that masters offers people like me a second chance. If you were great as a youngster, it's going to be difficult to come close to matching your times by age 50. if, however, you were mediocre back then, the odds are at least somewhat plausible you can become less mediocre now! Again, check out that formula, plug in your best time and the age you did it, then see what an "equivalent time" would be for your current age. Chances are that mathematically speaking, you're right on the predicted slope.
