is it too late to compete?

I have not tried a fifty yards in many a year, I have almost forgotten my time for 50 yards. Since Canada changed to metric system they only build metric pools. 25 meters is approx. 82.5 feet, 25 yards 75 feet. I still hold the Canadian record for 50 yards LC. But it is no longer recognized in Canada. George Park www.swimdownhill.com

The article doesn't say he started swimming 5 years ago. It says he didn't start full time until he was 13. For all we know, he'd been swimming for 10 years before that. "Late to Bloom, Early to Rise Jensen didn't get his start in competitive swimming until late. He was already 13 before he began to swim full time."

Here's a link to the article. www.swiminfo.com/.../200410-01st_art1.asp

Originally posted by Fritz The article doesn't say he started swimming 5 years ago. It says he didn't start full time until he was 13. For all we know, he'd been swimming for 10 years before that. Exactly! I swim on the same team as he does, and have little more acces to info about him... If I remember correctly, his mom was an elite swimmer, and Larsen 'swam at home' sine a little kid. It was when he was 13 that his mom decided he's got talent and asked Bill Rose if Larsen can train with him, sonce where they lived there was no really good swim team where he could excell. So, Larsen didn't exactly start from nothing at age 13.

What a great testament to the sport. Let me offer my own anecdote. I just turned 40 this summer. I was a good (not great) age grouper before I turned in my kick board and paddles for beer and girls at age 18. I competed in triathlons for a few years in college, flirted with bicycle racing while in my first year of law school and then dropped all forms of exercise to work. (I still drank beer... or carbo loaded as someone called it.) A few years ago I realized I was no longer shaped like an upside down triangle and more like the Michelob bottle. Last year the local YMCA built a new facility with a great new pool. So I started hitting the pool again. I have been back at it consistently four days a week. I print out Coach Mo's workouts now and do them pretty religiously though I have to adjust some of the leave times to match my level of endurance and recovery. But I feel better than I have in years by getting 3000 to 3500 yards in about 1:15 in the morning. This afternoon I put in 3600 yards. I'm still only 6'0 and about 205 lbs. But the body responds pretty well. (I still like beer too.) Believe this 40 year old: swimming is a lifetime deal. BTW, check out the record times for the 40 - 44 age group on this website. THose guys are as fast as (or faster than) many of the younger age brackets. Good luck.

Fred Let me tell you about my own experience. I was 5'11 around 205 when I was 39. In about a year I was down to 165. I've trained consistently for the last 5 years and improved every year from 39-44. At 45 I swam as well as 44 and then had surgery which kind of made it a difficult year. I'll be 46 Sunday and don't seem to have slowed down in workouts. If people get back in, are patient, train and race consistently, keep it in perspective and quit thinking old then it's reasonable to swim well and continue to improve over time. You may never be as fast as when you were 18 but you'd be amazed how close you can get.

Fred, Fritz is too modest; he left out the fact that he holds several national and world records in the 40-44 and 45-49 age groups.