What's more important: striving for maximal health/fitness and a long life or setting WRs or national records or team records in swimming?
I think the latter is overrated. I'm all for improving one's stroke and striving for PBs. Who isn't? PBs produce euphoria and pride and keep you on the path to improvement. But I wonder if restorative, technique based workouts that might help you improve in swimming and/or achieve world or local fame really help make one extremely fit or improve one's health? I think someone referred to Gary Hall as doing "sprinter" type high intensity training and doing his aerobic/strength training outside the pool, which seems perfectly sound. He's getting it all in. I think you need to get it all in and work hard. You gotta break a sweat. A lot. Frequently.
So will TI-ing your life away and looking pretty make you as fit as you can be? Isn't there something to be said for hard training? Not necessarily because it will improve your 50 free (everyone seems to agree it won't), but just to improve health, mental outlook, physical well being and keep the bod hot and the spouse interested? Plus, if you're a distance swimmer you gotta have some endurance. Talent and technique only get you so far, at least IMHO.
I just thought we were supposed to exercise more, and more intensely for optimal health.
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Former Member
I haven't swam in a meet in over 3 years and honestly speaking, I don't miss it. Sure I would like to test myself and see how fast I can go, but my weekend are too precious with my family. I love to workout hard, and I understand it might not make me any more healthy than 20 minutes of exercise. Mentally, it makes me feel great. Swimming outside at 5:30 am for 1 1/2 hours and going 5,000 yards just helps my mental state more than anything. When I don't workout, I feel sluggish all day.
After swimming with Ande this week (see his blog), he did inspire me to try some racing at least in practice. But if I had to pick one or the other (no reason why we should) I have to say hands down the exercise factor far outweighs the records factor in my book.
I hate to beat a dead horse (insert goofy emoticon), but with my health issues I have had the past few years, being able to complete workouts like I am able to do now is so much more rewarding.
I haven't swam in a meet in over 3 years and honestly speaking, I don't miss it. Sure I would like to test myself and see how fast I can go, but my weekend are too precious with my family. I love to workout hard, and I understand it might not make me any more healthy than 20 minutes of exercise. Mentally, it makes me feel great. Swimming outside at 5:30 am for 1 1/2 hours and going 5,000 yards just helps my mental state more than anything. When I don't workout, I feel sluggish all day.
After swimming with Ande this week (see his blog), he did inspire me to try some racing at least in practice. But if I had to pick one or the other (no reason why we should) I have to say hands down the exercise factor far outweighs the records factor in my book.
I hate to beat a dead horse (insert goofy emoticon), but with my health issues I have had the past few years, being able to complete workouts like I am able to do now is so much more rewarding.
