The Fastest Age

After I posted that reply, the count went to 75! Does anyone out there understand this? :rolleyes: :confused:

Originally posted by gull80 My comments about VO2max were made with the assumption that the technique is good. Popov trains overdistance but not at the expense of his technique. Here's a question: Today while I was warming up with a slow 800, one of the other regulars was sprinting a 50 free. His stroke rate was twice mine, yet I easily passed him. I was swimming at a fraction of my VO2max, while he was probably at 100% of his. Why the difference? Could it be technique? No, Craig, you are an early bloomer which explains all unexplainable aquatic phenomenons.

I thought my position was clear: Everything else being equal , VO2max (or better,%VO2max) will in most cases win a race. But VO2max, like other adaptations to exercise, begins to decline when training stops. So I believe that adults with a background of age group and/or college swimming have an advantage due to their technique which was imprinted years earlier. Remember that VO2max is more of a factor in endurance events; most former age groupers can swim a decent 50 without much training, but will struggle at longer distances unless they put in the yardage. Is VO2max important? Of course it is, but Ion seems to underestimate the importance of technique. I disagree with his statement that swimming is not ballet. This is basic physics--swimming with poor technique is an inefficient application of force and wastes energy (which is a limited resource).

I understand why different people would have different page counts depending on their settings. What I don't understand is why MY count changes from 25 to 75 after I post!? WEIRD! :confused:

Well about summer league swimming. Yes, it helps. Back in the late 1960's and early 1970's, there were a lot of novice programs that were also year round. And I swam over 2 years on them, they are helpful for the 50's and 100's but weaker in developing people in longer distances. The best summer league swimmer I heard was Kristy Kowal, who just swam in summer league and high school, and by the time she was a sophmore in high school she went year round and made the pan-Am team. But the drawback in summer league swimming or novice swimming is that it doesn't develop endurance as much. In community college, I could beat people in the 500 free that just did either summer league or year-round novice swimming that could kill me in a 50 or 100 free.

while were referring to vo2max,although its been said that "missing out in certain periods of age swimming"has so called catastrophic effects later on in swimming...i have to make a point...even if you miss out swimming at certain key ages for swimming..you may have still attained good if not excellent vo2 max from other endurances in those years.......just a point worth noting...i myself have done certain fitness training when younger in certain occupations and pastimes other than swimming and i think that these have to be taken into account when calculating certain fitness measurements...also back to my original start of this thread as weve digressed more than once.....what is in your oppinions...the fastest age???(i think i've obtained a new record in the length of this post...by the way!!!and i can attain that maybe to my vo2 MAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX);)

Originally posted by Msparks378 ... ION - What exactly would you like to happen? Do you want the USMS to start a second list of top times for "Late Bloomers?" Michael You are a Johnny-come-late to this question that was asked before. I appreciate awareness.

HEE HEE! Maybe so. You made me laugh! Thanks! ;) I'll just accept that my computer is weird!....or maybe it is in the "Twilight Zone":eek:

I have only read the last few posts (I don't think I have the time or the mind to read all 24 pages :) ), but even I a perpetual lurker was driven to comment. I do not think that all would agree that the tri folks are mostly fitness swimmers. (I am not one and as a primarily open water swimmer, my friends would never forgive me for defending them.) Anyway, Ion I know that you live in San Diego and used to train at SDSM before changing to your current location at Swim Smarter. I was wondering how aften you attended the lunchtime SDSM work-out at UCSD. I used to live in San Diego in the early/ mid-90s and would occasionally swim that work-out with the triathletes. At least, one of the people you name (MJ) was a regular to that swim and swam with the fastest group. There were many other world-class triathletes as well. I have a log book where I have written down my work-outs and I don't think they would be classifed as primarily fitness. As a typical example, (I have written down that it was a noon work-out and I remember it vividly for other reasons), the 90 minute work-out was 5700 yards with the main set being 9 x 300 (3 on 4:00, 3 on 3:45 and 3 on 3:30, each group descending). I know this was a long time ago and the program may have changed, but I have a hard time thinking that MJ has changed her swimming regimen so drastically since she has been performing at the top of her sport for over a decade. Anyway, I just wanted to provide some evidence that not all tri folks are swimming for fitness.

Originally posted by sparx35 ... ...also back to my original start of this thread as weve digressed more than once.....what is in your oppinions...the fastest age??? ... The fastest age is the age of the Olympian winners because that's where the competition peaks.