This new thread occurred to me while reading posts comparing Spitz to Phelps, as well as reflecting upon mortality considering heart attacks etc. In swimming we immortalize individuals or teams for various feats or contributions, but do little to preserve a feeling for subsequent generations of enthusiasts about what it was like to train and compete 'back in the day'. Just what day am I talking about? Exactly: there have been many 'days' or more properly 'eras' that can be narrowly characterized by differences in equipment, distances swum and trained, coaching methods or more widely by larger factors: world war, global depression, racial segregation, inequality of the sexes. All of these can contribute to very different experiences than what are common today to the younger swimmer; hence, 'what was it like'. I visualize a thread that continues to be added to as new people read it and remember their own experiences. As well, experience can vary with national origin, not just era. There have already been posts on this topic scattered in various threads, please feel free to copy or quote material from them to here.
Please remember that this is not about how fast a particular swimmer was, but about the conditions that defined competitive swimming of that day.
We also have a priceless resource out there: aging swimmers in their 80's or 90's who may be less likely to read or hear of this thread; why not ask them for some of their memories or impressions and pass them on to us, while we still can?
Parents
Former Member
This is a perfect thread for me as I started swimming at the Y in 1958 before moving into AAU in 1961.
No goggles whatsoever so we used Murine for the eye/chlorine problems.
Ropes for lane lines, no buoys
Gutter start for backstroke; starting blocks had no rail to hold on to.
Backstroke flags were further out.
Breaststroke DQ if your head went under water or water went over your head.
Backstroke backflip turn then the spin turn came into play.
Moving up to AAU: no pull buoys so we used rubber straps to isolate our legs for pulling.
No bilateral breathing at all; one side or the other only plus breathing every stroke was commonplace (still do this today, sigh).
Took salt tablets every single day to replace salt lost in two, 3 hour workouts every single day, no days off.
No one ever suffered swim injuries; only ear infections.
Ate steak and chocolate all the time for protein and quick energy.
Wore mu-mu's at swim meets (all the girls did).
Swim suits: 3 to pick from: black with blue stripes/or green stripes or red stripes--that was it.
No one wore swim caps or ear plugs.
While training for the 68 Olympics, Coach Easterling would punish us if we didn't make a set. Every time we missed a send-off, we would have to swim 20 lengths of butterfly. He kept me one time 3 hours after workout because I kept missing my sendoffs; I imagine I did at least 2 miles of fly that evening.
3 timers per lane and they would average their times to get your swim time. And the person who touched the wall first won regardless of the swim time. This was another component everyone worked on; we were great finishers. Became proficient at stretching out on our sides to out touch people; hey, I can still do this today, it's a great skill.
Donna
This is a perfect thread for me as I started swimming at the Y in 1958 before moving into AAU in 1961.
No goggles whatsoever so we used Murine for the eye/chlorine problems.
Ropes for lane lines, no buoys
Gutter start for backstroke; starting blocks had no rail to hold on to.
Backstroke flags were further out.
Breaststroke DQ if your head went under water or water went over your head.
Backstroke backflip turn then the spin turn came into play.
Moving up to AAU: no pull buoys so we used rubber straps to isolate our legs for pulling.
No bilateral breathing at all; one side or the other only plus breathing every stroke was commonplace (still do this today, sigh).
Took salt tablets every single day to replace salt lost in two, 3 hour workouts every single day, no days off.
No one ever suffered swim injuries; only ear infections.
Ate steak and chocolate all the time for protein and quick energy.
Wore mu-mu's at swim meets (all the girls did).
Swim suits: 3 to pick from: black with blue stripes/or green stripes or red stripes--that was it.
No one wore swim caps or ear plugs.
While training for the 68 Olympics, Coach Easterling would punish us if we didn't make a set. Every time we missed a send-off, we would have to swim 20 lengths of butterfly. He kept me one time 3 hours after workout because I kept missing my sendoffs; I imagine I did at least 2 miles of fly that evening.
3 timers per lane and they would average their times to get your swim time. And the person who touched the wall first won regardless of the swim time. This was another component everyone worked on; we were great finishers. Became proficient at stretching out on our sides to out touch people; hey, I can still do this today, it's a great skill.
Donna
