Hello Everybody!
This is my first post to this forum. I'm Joe, 36, from Vancouver, BC. I joined a masters swim club last month after a 19 year layoff from competitive swimming.
My how things have changed since then:
* Times are faster, I am slower. :-)
* You don't have to wear a tiny, weeny Speedo bathing suit.
* There are more goggle designs than there are stars in the sky.
I'm currently using Speedo Hydrospex goggles for training. They fit great, they're comfortable and the silicone strap hasn't rotted yet. However, there is almost no peripheral vision in those things! Peripheral vision is not that important to me for training but it is for racing. Can someone please recommend a racing goggle that has good peripheral vision? I've heard that the TYR Socket Rocket (a Swedish style goggle) has good peripheral vision.
Now for some goal setting questions. I'm trying to set some time goals for my first masters swim meet (6 weeks from now) as well as some long term time goals for the end of the season. I remember my best times from when I was a teenager. How much should I adjust those times (achieved 19 years ago) when I'm setting my new goals? For example, I used to swim 50 meters freestyle in about 26.1 seconds. What would be a realistic goal for my first swim meet? 28 seconds? 30 seconds?
Cheers,
Joe
Before you enter your meet seeding, ask your coach what they think you should put down. Obviously you want it to be something realistic, so you have a good race.
A few weeks before one of my early meets, one of my coaches (Ron Johnson) timed me off the block for a 50 yd free. From that he gave me times for all the free events (including an 800). Even for the 800 he was only off by 5 seconds (up to the 200 he was right on).
I just got TYR Racetech Reveals, a unibody goggle. They allow pretty good peripheral vision. I also ordered a pair of TYR Socket Rockets to try. I had trouble with them leaking, but had better luck today by really shortening the nose bridge piece. The peripheral vision is outstanding, but they fog up easily, the strap system is an old school righteous pain in the ***, and I currently have no confidence they will stay on in a dive. I'm going to try an anti-fog cloth or a homemade treatment, and see if I can get used to the straps -- but I don't really know why, because the Reveals work fine. Stubborn, I guess, and I hate to waste five bucks.
Although the swedes do exude that "real swimmer" aura -- which is pretty funny since I end up hanging on the wall pretty often dweebing around with them. :)
So far I wear the Reveals for practice and mess around with the swedes on off days so as not to offend my lane mates.
Your mileage may vary.
Hey there! Welcome to the USMS boards...
As for periph vision goggles...I was actually just looking at the Tyr X-Sight on Kiefer. I'm a backstroker (or becoming one) so periph vision is really important for me...here's the link:
www.kiefer.com/.../productr.asp
Originally posted by Peter Cruise
Joe- welcome back to swimming; we have a one-day meet Dec3 (ish)- is that the meet you're going to?
Hi Peter! It's good to be back!
As shown in the sidebar on my swimming/running blog (shameless plug), I do indeed plan to go in that Nanaimo meet on December 3rd. I was born and raised there. Also, my parents still live there, so I'll have a place to stay. I wouldn't miss it for the world!
However, my first meet will actually be the UBC Masters on November 20th.
Originally posted by Peter Cruise
Joe- I just saw the listing for UBC & I'll be going to that one as well, thinking of entering the 400 free just for a lark...
Peter, I'll see you there. Maybe you'll "cruise" to victory in the 400?
