Are Triathletes worth the dues they pay toward Masters Swimming?
I say we force all Triathletes to spend one day a week in the sprint lane, one day a week doing stroke (i.e. IM) work, and then make them focus on their starts and turns.
This invasion needs to be controlled.... :-)
John Smith
:)
Former Member
Originally posted by Sam Perry
Triathlon: Why excel at one sport when you can be mediocre in 3? Ouch!! Glad I am not a Triathlete or I'd have to find some way in which to retaliate.
Originally posted by Peter Cruise
The problem is, you can buy speed in the bike portion. If I switched bikes with Lance Armstrong he would have a hard time keeping up with me (and I am not saying that for effect. It really is true).
But pools are expensive so - and I include aquarobics in this - it is important that they serve the needs of more than just swimmers lest they not be built at all.
Dear Evil Smith (and temporary holder of my 50 free record).
Please note that even though I completed a 2.4 mile swim 2 years ago.... which is equal to a HELL of a lot of 50 frees...... I did not get out of the water and hop on a bike.
My legs were made for dragging. Why do excercise upright when you can do it laying down.
John Smith
I actually do like the vast majority of tris that swim with us ... for the most part they swim the same sets and will swim all four strokes ... I get annoyed when we are swimming IM and they do free, back, free, free ... that is NOT an IM ... Worse is when we don't do much stroke work or IM work b/c the tris are all there ... that drives me nuts...
But they give the club money, some give USMS money, and while they'd kick my butt on a bike or a run, I can beat most of them in the pool, so ...
Paul- I guess you missed it when John explained that you were going into hospital for a surgical procedure to insert flotation devices into your shoulders since you realized that the flotatation effect from gas flowing from your prodigious intake of high test aussi beer propelled you recently to a new world record...come to think of it, I know some triathletes who would try that...
I usually swim in the morning with two triathletes - One regularly goes under 2:00 in the 200 back (not too long ago he did a 2:03 LCM,) and the other can go under 1:00 for the 100 yd ***. Needless to say, they do not swim exclusive freestyle, and rather than them getting in my way, it is usually the other way around!
It is true, however, that they did go to the dark (dim?) side a couple of years ago.
We have recently added a few triathletes to our Masters team and I have enjoyed their perspective. If they show up for practice, I'm happy to see our program grow.
However, nothing really thrills me as much as smoking a bunch of buffed up tri's at an open water swim. You can always tell the swimmers at an open water event, ratty suits, busted up goggles but first out of the water. The tri's have all the gear, mill about and congregate at the front, then proceed to come in dead last. But, the ones that swim with our masters team have improved greatly and I'm happy for them.
Sorry for the second post but wetsuits is another sore subject. Unless you are in danger of freezing, they should not be allowed. I was at an event in 76 degree water and all the tris had on wetsuits, which just gives me more motivation.
I think if I could learn how to run or bike, I'm gonna show up at a triathlon and ride a moped for those two legs and call it legal cause there was a little headwind preventing me from biking or running on my own effectively.
..you forgot to mention...no wet suits allowed in the pool :)
...Now brace yourself Mr. GoodSmith for the onslaught of verbal triathlete arrows about to besiege you. :)
They can be an unruly bunch.
