When a new masters swimmer asked on a different thread for a meters to yard conversion utility, I referred her to the following site:
www.swiminfo.com/.../conversions.asp
Unfortunately, as another poster quickly pointed out, this site will soon be available only to those who pay for it.
I am wondering if someone with some computer savvy could recreate this very useful utility for us masters, then post it in an area of the USMS web site where we could access it for free.
This same area could also include some other useful tools for swimmers. There is, for example, a fun (though perhaps somewhat suspect) "future times predictor" for aging swimmers at:
http://n3times.com/swimtimes/
In addition, my friend and teammate Bill White wrote an Excel spreadsheet (so far not posted on the web) that allows you to easily calculate your 100 pace for distance swims. You can either input the total distance and total time and it will give you your average 100; or you can input the average 100 you hope to swim and the total distance, and it will crank out what your overall time will be if you can hold that pace.
Anyhow, I propose the USMS web site add a new section called something like "Swimmers Tool Box" that collects, in one place, all these useful and/or just fun-to-play-around-with utilities we can come up with. I know many of the posters here are brilliant amateur mathematicians, who enjoy inventing these things; maybe we could even have an annual award for whatever new calculator we users vote as the most interesting! Kind of like a Touring Prize (is that the right name) for swimming math esoterica!
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Former Member
This is all way off topic but...
I'm one of those old coots in the 45-49 200 back. There are indeed some of us swimming as fast or faster now compared to high school or college. I have some theories as well. Some are repeats.
1) Some of us are bigger and stronger than we were at 19-21. That certainly pays a dividend on the sprints. At this age we are all as physically mature as we are going to be. It wasn't always as equal growing up.
2) Some of us may not have achieved what we should have at earlier ages. Lots of reasons for why that could be. Sex, drugs, apathy. Who knows.
3) New styles/stroke techniques allow us to go faster with less training and effort.
4) Our attitudes are changing. We believe we can continue to swim fast. I'm pretty certain that's a big part of it.
One question/comment. Would people agree that the longer the race the more likely you are to be slower than in your youth? Not always but more likely.
This is all way off topic but...
I'm one of those old coots in the 45-49 200 back. There are indeed some of us swimming as fast or faster now compared to high school or college. I have some theories as well. Some are repeats.
1) Some of us are bigger and stronger than we were at 19-21. That certainly pays a dividend on the sprints. At this age we are all as physically mature as we are going to be. It wasn't always as equal growing up.
2) Some of us may not have achieved what we should have at earlier ages. Lots of reasons for why that could be. Sex, drugs, apathy. Who knows.
3) New styles/stroke techniques allow us to go faster with less training and effort.
4) Our attitudes are changing. We believe we can continue to swim fast. I'm pretty certain that's a big part of it.
One question/comment. Would people agree that the longer the race the more likely you are to be slower than in your youth? Not always but more likely.
