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!
Former Member
Jim Thorton and some others are able to do good times older. But even ex-olympics are effective by age. Shane Gould who now holds the world record in my age group 45 to 49 swam a 2:38 in the 200 meter Im, when she was 15 years old way back in 1972 she swam a 2:23,so age does effect different swimmers differently and if you swam a lot of yardage as an age grouper versus swimming a lot less as masters that a factor. The older swimmers like Jim swam in an area where yardage was a lot less than today because their was no goggles. So, if he workout about 2,000 yards less than as a teenager maybe he has more natural speed than someone who swam a lot of yardage as a teenager and only swims between 2,500 to 4,000 as an adult. So, I would not worry about your times. I have some of the same problems as you. I workout on my own and a young man in the same lane wipe me out in freestyle but when he swam breaststroke it was the opposite.
Well, Ms Gould is going to swim at a masters natonals here. Maybe, she can bring the IM time lower. Like I stated if Shane Gould swims 200 meter Im why should be so concern about times.
Sorry about not responding sooner, as I was on vacation for a couple weeks. I appreciate all the different perspectives. Matt S, your post was especially insightful.
Cinc and USMSarah, I can tell we are in similar places. I think for most women (Dara Torres aside), if you peaked in your teens, it is pretty much a given that as a Masters swimmer, your times will be no where close to the teens. It's hard because the masters times in the 30's are still very competitive ... so I am holding out w/ my 200 FLY and maybe 400 IM until my 40's to compete.
One thing no one mentioned is the way in which some strokes/turns etc have gotten faster since most of us swam as age-group swimmers...e.g.,
- WAVE breastroke (my worst stroke as an age-grouper and the one thing I might be able to do more respectablly now)
- Backstroke flip turn
Anyway, thanks for all the input.
Anyways, I have am update on this. I swam my 100 meter breaststoke just 13 seconds off of my youth. and that was a big improvement compared to the first time I did it. I made the national qualifying time in that and the 50 meter in my age group but the 200 meter *** I still need to learn how to swim it better and was 11 seconds off of National qualifying time. And my 200 meter Freestyle is about 43 seconds faster than the 200 meter ***. Its a medocre free time but if I could do it in *** or fly I would make top ten in the nation in my age group,oh well.
