Since kaelonj came clean, it made me wonder as well if I fit the late bloomer category. Ion, please tell me.
I swam summer city league only from age 7-14. 2.5 months per year, not AAU. We had 5X weekly practice and 1X weekly meets for a total of 7 meets per summer. Quit to pursue the pleasures of the vine, women, etc until age 27 or 28 when I got relatively serious.
Or, is this whole late blooming thing that you can't have ever seen a pool, smelled chlorine or donned a Speedo until your late 20s? What is the arbitrary cut off point that makes you a late bloomer?
Ion, answer me this - is it possible you and me are actually late blooming brethren? Could it be true, the east european malcontent and the fat southern swamp dweller are actually kin? If so, I shall immediately use the late blooming excuse more freely.
This should end the VO2Max argument once and for all. If you disagree, well... you should go away and do more homework! ;)
Cold exposure increases running O2 max and cost of transport in goats.
P. J. Schaeffer, J. F. Hokanson, D. J. Wells, and S. L. Lindstedt
Abstract:
We inadvertently subjected a group of goats to 5 mo of cold exposure (mean minimum temperature less than 13°C) during an experiment designed to examine the effects of training by daily running on one member of each sibling pair. During the three coldest months, the sedentary but cold-exposed goats experienced a 34% increase in maximal oxygen uptake (O2 max, P
Ion - I had my suspicions that you wanted to remain the only person in your faux category.
By the way, what is your theory or basis of saying 3 summers equals a year, especially since that type of disjointed practice schedule probably means that it would take me 3-4 weeks to get back to where I was the previous summer?
Originally posted by Ion Beza
I go for 1).
Absolute fast times, not top 10 in a niche group.
So in other words, your definition should have more universality than just the ages 40-44 ("niche group").
Lefty, those of us arguing with Ion are not arguing about your point (1). Maybe kaelonj, AquaGeek, or someone else will correct me, but this is what we are discussing:
1) Ion claims that VO2Max is the key to swimming, whether it is sprint or endurance.
2) When discussing the merits of an issue, Ion will say you are wrong if your times are slower than his. (The most glaring example is when Ion did this to a woman more than 10 years older.) If you apply this tactic to Ion himself, he says that is not a fair comparison, because he did not swim in his teenage years.
We are debating (1). Point (2) is a blatant double standard, but Ion uses point (1) as a justification.
Originally posted by Ion Beza
Well it is documented that it worked like this for Rowdy Gaines, Steve Crocker, Ed Moses and others.
That is a circular argument, Ion. You are assuming that their summer training developed VO2Max, and that VO2Max is thus responsible for their swims.
Maybe you would be so clear as to state how Rowdy Gaines, Steve Crocker, Ed Moses and others support your point that a few summer leagues leads to a lifelong increase in VO2Max.
(Since this is data to support your theory, do not use your theory during this explanation. That way you avoid a circular argument.)
You really expect any of us to believe the three world class elite swimmers you reference had no more training and experience than a few summer leagues? While I'm honored you think my 7 summers of swimming put me in that company, c'mon, Ion, that's crazy talk.
But, if you stick to this ever changing point of yours, that certainly means V02Max is irrelevant and it's all based on natural ability because no summer league only swimming like mine produces Olympic swimmers.
So, Ion the road diverges again. This time you have to choose between your V02Max mantra and natural ability. Maybe a Visio diagram would be helpful.
Ion:
Do us all a favor, send us the URL on this forum for the category that you are referring to from any USMS meet results. Send it or shut it! Repeat - send it or shut it once and for all!
I told you Ion that I won't do that without that person's consent. Get over it. I wouldn't do it to you and I won't do it to them. Many of us swim with late bloomers, or whatever your current definition is, and would certainly respect the privacy of others. Privacy is big in the US, maybe it's a cultural thing you aren't on to yet.
Now, where's that URL? Send it now Ion.
Lefty:
I think you are right, I have never been clear. Basically I agree with you but downplay the role of V02Max. I think it might be one very insignificant factor. I prefer to look ahead and feel training and hard work NOW represent the path to success, not dwelling on things I can no longer control (i.e. - the age I started swimming).
Ion - based on what I've heard, your sorry technique is a bigger impediment than V02Max but you can tell yourself any story you want to feel better.
