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!
Parents
Former Member
I remember someone thinking that if Murray Rose could swim as fast as a 50 year old than he did when he was younger, then everyone else could do it. It was easily for Murray because he was a natural swimmer, went to the olympics in 1956 and 1960 and of course in those days few distance swimmers crack more than 5,000 yards a day, More like 2,500 to 3,500 in the late 1950's. On the other hand, Ms Gould at her peak, because goggles started to become available did 10,000 to 12,000 meters. And these days, she swims around 3,000 meters or so. Her times in the longer distances like 200's are off from the teen years, a 2:19 200 meter freestyle versus 2:03 and a 2:38 versus 2:23. in the 200 meter Im. I think more master swimmers are like me and Ms Gould they are not doing their best times in their 40's. I think that to encourage other swimmers is to admit that people are slowing down. I can swim 50 meter breaststoke faster than ex-olympians in the 65 and up women age groups but for my age group I'm more average.
I remember someone thinking that if Murray Rose could swim as fast as a 50 year old than he did when he was younger, then everyone else could do it. It was easily for Murray because he was a natural swimmer, went to the olympics in 1956 and 1960 and of course in those days few distance swimmers crack more than 5,000 yards a day, More like 2,500 to 3,500 in the late 1950's. On the other hand, Ms Gould at her peak, because goggles started to become available did 10,000 to 12,000 meters. And these days, she swims around 3,000 meters or so. Her times in the longer distances like 200's are off from the teen years, a 2:19 200 meter freestyle versus 2:03 and a 2:38 versus 2:23. in the 200 meter Im. I think more master swimmers are like me and Ms Gould they are not doing their best times in their 40's. I think that to encourage other swimmers is to admit that people are slowing down. I can swim 50 meter breaststoke faster than ex-olympians in the 65 and up women age groups but for my age group I'm more average.
