This is a motivation question, not a reprise of an old debate.
I'm wondering if there are any swimmers posting Top 10's in the ultra-competitive middle age ranges who did NOT swim in college, or were not standout HS or age group swimmers.
I swam age group as a kid, then took a break for HS because we had no pool until my senior year. I swam my senior year, and was supposed to swim at my Div. III college, but bailed because I thought it would take too much time away from my chosen major of beer drinking, guitar playing, and chasing (invariably unsuccessfully) women.
After swimming off and on over the years, I joined masters in September, and swam my first meet in November. I'm in the 45-49 age group.
So I'm currently in those heady early days when my times are dropping, I've lost some weight, and I'm feeling stronger. My meet times suck, but at least they are all PB's because I can't even remember what strokes I swam in HS, much less any times (it was the 70's. Hmm)
I understand setting personal, achievable goals. I have those and am working toward them.
But like any red-blooded competitor, I look at the Top 10's and records to see just how high the bar is set. Pretty damn high is the answer. "Who are these guys," I wonder, and so I read the bios. "Former NCAA record holder" or "standout swimmer for Texas/Stanford/fill in blank here" jump out at me.
So are there any swimmers at the elite levels who are certified late bloomers? Or are we latecomers to the game doomed to be mid-level cannon fodder for the fast crowd?
I think it has a lot to do with learning to swim when you are young and have good muscle memory, which you did. But the HS and college swimming gives you a base for knowing how to train.
As someone who started in my late 30's, as a somewhat overweight, but fairly fit person, what I struggle with is technique. Something that people who learn as children just "know" how to do. I am not giving up though, and hope to outlive all the fast ones, and be in the top ten when I am 95!
:D
I think it has a lot to do with learning to swim when you are young and have good muscle memory, which you did. But the HS and college swimming gives you a base for knowing how to train.
As someone who started in my late 30's, as a somewhat overweight, but fairly fit person, what I struggle with is technique. Something that people who learn as children just "know" how to do. I am not giving up though, and hope to outlive all the fast ones, and be in the top ten when I am 95!
:D
