I took my daughter to a collegiate conference meet yesterday. I saw some things that I didn't quite understand, and my 6 year old asked me some questions I couldn't answer. I can guess at some of this, but would appreciate it if you would weigh in. Would you please help us out?
(1) I saw an incredible swimmer in the men's 100 free. His stroke count was so much lower than the other swimmers that he almost looked like he was swimming in slow motion and his kicking wasn't as frenetic as the others, yet he easily won by a body length. Was there something special to his technique? Does it have a name? He was poetry in motion.
(2) About shaving: I stayed off the recent shaving thread as it seemed to be a guys' discussion, but I am curious - does shaving off body hair (and in the case of some of these college swimmers, head hair) appreciatively cut down drag and increase speed or is it more of a psychological "feel for the water" type feeling? Or something in between or something else altogether?
(3) About suit choice: All suit types were represented: for women, tanks and fastskins: for men, tiny speedos, jammers and bottom half fastskins. If not at the elite (and I mean really elite) level, does suit choice really make a difference or is it again psychological? At this meet anyway, the majority of fastest times were swam by women in tanks and men in the tiny speedos.
(4) At the end of the morning prelims, we saw a time trial for two female swimmers in the 100 free. Was this because they had a dead tie in the prelims?
(5) In one of the races, it might have been a men's 200 ***, there were 3 heats. The first had 8 swimmers, the third had 8 swimmers, but the middle heat only had 3...any ideas?
Thanks much. It was great to be able to tell my daughter that I didn't know, but I knew who I could ask.
Barb
There a pair of ladies in their early 90s who swim for DC Masters in Potomac Valley. They attend quite a few meets, and it seems that every event they swim, one is setting a new national (and possibly world) record for women 90-94. They're very spunky as well, and you'd never know they were in their 90s by looking at them.
I believe they were at my first masters meet (when I was young whippersnapper at 19, 20 in USMS years), and the mere fact that "grandparents" were there, competing and some still moving along quite quickly, left me awestruck. and hooked.
Keep it up!
:dedhorse:
Muppet,
I remember a similar moment of epiphany for me! I was getting ready to swim the 100 free, my best event, at the Nationals in Ft. Lauderdale. I was sooo nervous because I had a pretty rough week leading into the meet - not enough sleep and too much stress. I was too nervous. I watched the first heat of women. They were in their 90's and 80's. It was so inspiring to see them barely able to get up on the blocks but then doing beautiful racing dives, swimming strong and gracefull, even doing flip turns and the joy on their faces when they finished. I was so touched by it that I literally cried! It made me realize that I was being way too serious and needed to relax and enjoy my swim. I ended up swimming great! I hope I am still swimming into my 100's!:groovy:
There a pair of ladies in their early 90s who swim for DC Masters in Potomac Valley. They attend quite a few meets, and it seems that every event they swim, one is setting a new national (and possibly world) record for women 90-94. They're very spunky as well, and you'd never know they were in their 90s by looking at them.
I believe they were at my first masters meet (when I was young whippersnapper at 19, 20 in USMS years), and the mere fact that "grandparents" were there, competing and some still moving along quite quickly, left me awestruck. and hooked.
Keep it up!
:dedhorse:
Muppet,
I remember a similar moment of epiphany for me! I was getting ready to swim the 100 free, my best event, at the Nationals in Ft. Lauderdale. I was sooo nervous because I had a pretty rough week leading into the meet - not enough sleep and too much stress. I was too nervous. I watched the first heat of women. They were in their 90's and 80's. It was so inspiring to see them barely able to get up on the blocks but then doing beautiful racing dives, swimming strong and gracefull, even doing flip turns and the joy on their faces when they finished. I was so touched by it that I literally cried! It made me realize that I was being way too serious and needed to relax and enjoy my swim. I ended up swimming great! I hope I am still swimming into my 100's!:groovy:
