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 had never even looked at the top ten times before reading this thread. I found it very interesting.
It appears that I have top ten times in four of the six events in which I competed last year, including the top time in one event. That was in the 25-29 age group. I've been swimming forever, and I did swim in college, but I was not a stand-out swimmer. I was only a walk-on at a Div. I school. My coaches have always appreciated me for my work ethic, but I've never been the one that they're going to put on an "A" relay.
My training partner, a 45 year-old male, placed in the top ten in one event, the 100 ***. He did not swim in college, but was an age group swimmer. He only started training seriously again when I recruited him out of a lap lane three years ago. He is very close to the top ten in several of the shorter freestyle events, and the way he's training now, I would be surprised if he doesn't get in there this year.
We have a great coach, and I think that makes all the difference.
I had never even looked at the top ten times before reading this thread. I found it very interesting.
It appears that I have top ten times in four of the six events in which I competed last year, including the top time in one event. That was in the 25-29 age group. I've been swimming forever, and I did swim in college, but I was not a stand-out swimmer. I was only a walk-on at a Div. I school. My coaches have always appreciated me for my work ethic, but I've never been the one that they're going to put on an "A" relay.
My training partner, a 45 year-old male, placed in the top ten in one event, the 100 ***. He did not swim in college, but was an age group swimmer. He only started training seriously again when I recruited him out of a lap lane three years ago. He is very close to the top ten in several of the shorter freestyle events, and the way he's training now, I would be surprised if he doesn't get in there this year.
We have a great coach, and I think that makes all the difference.
