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?
Since no one can seem to stop themselves from chiming in, I might as well join the party.
I do not believe swimming is any different from any other sport in regards to this whole late blooming point of view. Any sport you take up as a kid and practice for years on end you will probably, almost certainly, be better at as an adult. By the time I graduated college I had been in and around the pool for my whole life. But, I had also been playing basketball, baseball, skiing, etc. So, if I get hustled into one of those games now, while rusty, the basic sports skills and mindset are still there.
Here's where I might dovetail. If you are good enough to swim in college, at any level, you obviously have the drive and skills beyond non athletes and know what it takes to excel. Whereas I may think I'm working my tail off in the pool, someone who did it in college probably has a whole different mindset and training knowledge for pushing to get to the elite level/Top 10. For example, the other day we did 8 X 200 @ 2:45. I thought I was Capt Shark by leading my lane of 5. We have a swimmer who swam at a top 5 college program but is well into his 30s now. He did those 200s all *** on the same interval. So much for me being Capt. Shark, more like PFC Guppy.
For those who potentially lurk on this forum, please note that I do not, nor will I ever, agree that because you started late it is somehow unfair to judge you against other swimmers of the same age group, bloomin' or not.
Since no one can seem to stop themselves from chiming in, I might as well join the party.
I do not believe swimming is any different from any other sport in regards to this whole late blooming point of view. Any sport you take up as a kid and practice for years on end you will probably, almost certainly, be better at as an adult. By the time I graduated college I had been in and around the pool for my whole life. But, I had also been playing basketball, baseball, skiing, etc. So, if I get hustled into one of those games now, while rusty, the basic sports skills and mindset are still there.
Here's where I might dovetail. If you are good enough to swim in college, at any level, you obviously have the drive and skills beyond non athletes and know what it takes to excel. Whereas I may think I'm working my tail off in the pool, someone who did it in college probably has a whole different mindset and training knowledge for pushing to get to the elite level/Top 10. For example, the other day we did 8 X 200 @ 2:45. I thought I was Capt Shark by leading my lane of 5. We have a swimmer who swam at a top 5 college program but is well into his 30s now. He did those 200s all *** on the same interval. So much for me being Capt. Shark, more like PFC Guppy.
For those who potentially lurk on this forum, please note that I do not, nor will I ever, agree that because you started late it is somehow unfair to judge you against other swimmers of the same age group, bloomin' or not.
