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
Former Member
Regarding the racing suit issue, I had also heard the 3% figure, so I did the math. In a 30 second 50, 3% is .9 seconds. That seemed significant enough to me to justify a race suit. posted by BillS
I totally agree.....I definitely could tell a difference when I wore my fastskin at SCYNats in 2004.
Newmastersswimmer
God, I am so aggravated right now I can barely stand it. Could you please get back on topic ASAP? You could at least talk more about fastskins. I don't want to hear another single word about Rich's hottub. I will not even try to be polite about it.
:rofl:
Answer to 1....in addition to what Donna and Heather said, I also refer to it as the Paul Evil Smith stroke....b/c when I saw Paul swim the 50 free at SCYNats in 2005 I was thinking the exact same thing....He looked almost like he was warming down...very effortless looking at least (although I doubt it was truelly effortless)
I went to the men's Pac-10 championship Saturday night and had the same feeling watching Larsen Jensen in the 1650. Especially at the beginning of the race it looked like he was out there just crusing. He went a 14:41 with a 50. split at 100, 1:43 at the 200 and 4:23 at the 500! :eek:
He did keep a strong six beat kick going the entire race and uses a very "front quadrant," almost catchup type stroke. I could tell he was tiring out in the back half, but still a very good swim. It will be interesting to see what he can do at NCAAs. He has his work cut out for him to beat Rouault of Georgia.
I'll also add that Stanford won the meet in convincing fashion for their 26th consecutive Pac-10 title. That is truly a staggering accomplishment in what is consistently one of, if not the best conference in Division I college swimming.
2. a bit of both....I love the feeling of diving in after having shaved for the first time in months...however, removing that extra drag and dead skin also is a benefit.3.any athlete swimming the breaststroke/im will likely opt not to wear jammers and especially not legs because they limit your "feel for the water" and since feeling the water with your calves is important in the breaststroke kick they are actually not advisable.However, in the other events, I would reckon that many of those swimmers who won in a regular tank or speedo will wear a fast skin of some sort at NCAAs....if they were seeded first and were a definate NCAA canidate there would be little point in wearing their fastest suits, completly tapering, or shaving for this meet. 4. At my championships they had to run two time trials because the swimmers tied for 8th place...which is the last place to make it into the championship final. So they had a swim off for 8th and the loser had to bump down to 9th place and got stuck in the consolation heat A. It's likely that happened here too. They tend to run actual time finals for people who want to get a time in an event or try again for an NCAA cut on the Sunday morning of competition after the morning session before the 1650 starts. That's have the NCAA writes it out in the meet schedule
Rich, as some have pointed out here before, you are an inspiration when it comes to getting in and doing it. I want to do it, but I am embarrassingly slow right now. I'm sure techinique is one part, and I'm looking around for someone to give me some lessons, but the other part is that I still need to build strength to get me where I want to go. My goal is to swim more strongly, correctly and (please God) faster by the fall. After that? Save your toll change, because we may be headed to Jersey after the first of the year.
Barb...I am a Brit. To us winning means less than putting on a "jolly good show" then heading to the pavillion for tea and cucubmer sandwiches and handshakes all round.
Barb when you're ready, you'll be ready..but don't worry too much about your speed. When you set your goal and train a bit you'll be surprised. when you're on the blocks and up against others at your speed you get quite a rush.
As for Jersey tolls...I have got, and everyone will understand why I chuckle at this, the EZ Pass....:joker:
I'll be there if you want me to come and cheer you on.
I'm not a college swimmer. I'm just just a masters swimmer, getting in as many workouts as I can for fun and fitness, but I'd like to do some more meets. I haven't dropped the big bucks for a fastskin yet though. College budget. (Plus, I have to spend some on beer. :drink:) What do people recommend? Can you get the fastskin I version or aquablade on sale anymore or on line?
Barb,
I think you will be very surprised at how well you can do in a meet. Masters swimmers are very supportive of individual effort....not necessarily who is the fastest. Speed and "winning" are all relative to each individual. Its more about setting goals, working towards achieving them and doing the best you can. :D The satisfaction comes from knowing you did the best you could.
You all are making me think that even I (for the first time in my life) might consider doing a meet -- as slooooow as I am :joker: . I don't know when that would be, but I just might start keep my eye open for something close by.
For the wonderful ladies a little nervy of swiming slow.
I saw a man of 89, and another of 72 swim 200 back recently. Nobody stood watching and giggling. They watched and rooted them on in their final 25...and gave a round of applause.
Now I doubt either of you are that slow to merrit such a virtuoso performance, but if you are...sowhat. How many of your peers are around you growing unhealthy and fragile through lack of excercise.
Nobody was more worried about appearing like a fool than me at my first meet. I was really happily at how much encouragement I got. In the hottub at the end, a couple of women were really happy for me when they asked about how my meet was and such, and I told them it was my first in some time.
Just pull on your speedo and get to it ladies...
Rich
Nobody was more worried about appearing like a fool than me at my first meet. I was really happily at how much encouragement I got. In the hottub at the end, a couple of women were really happy for me when they asked about how my meet was and such, and I told them it was my first in some time. posted by Richie Rich
o.k Rich....does it always have to be about you and the ladies and a hottub?....lets clean it up a bit o.k. chap....(just j/k of course Rich!....sorry but I can't resist tossing puffballs at you....you're just soo.....I don't know...soo British or something...LOL!!)
Newmastersswimmer
