In the False Start thread we got off on a tangent about fat and thin swimmers. I'd like to start a thread about this topic.
Since having my three children (2000, 2002, 2004) I have struggled with losing that belly. My husband, Mr. Exercise Physiologist, guesses I have about 15 pounds in my stomach. The rest of me is back in shape, the extra weight is just in my tummy. And boy do I feel it in the water. I equate it to carrying a 15 pound weight. That's a lot to swim with!
That being said, I get a physical every year (cancer runs in my family, I found out a few years ago). My NP said that my BP (104/62) and HR (56 resting) were good. And to my surprise both my HDL and LDL were really good (I don't remember the numbers). My blood cell counts were good, yaddy, yaddy, yaddy.
My point is that even though I'm 15-20 pounds overweight I'm REALLY healthy. She's never suggested that I need to lose weight. However, as a swimmer, the benefits of losing it are obvious. I'd swim faster.
The fastest FEMALE Master's swimmers I've seen are super thin, but not anorexic (sp?). Laura Val, Alison Zamanian, Laureen Welting, Beth McGee, Karlyn Pipes-Neilson, etc. are all really trim and super fast. Now, I'm not saying that if you're skinny, you're automatically fast... I've just noticed that thin, talented swimmers seem to swim the fastest. I don't consider myself in either category, so these are just my observations.
Parents
Former Member
I am undoubtedly an exception to the rule in women who swim. When I was training for the Olympics way back in 1966-67, I was 5'8 and weighed 160-170. Shoot, when I was in the 9th grade, I was 5'8 and weighed 150 ish. Now that I am 59, I am still 5'8" (thank goodness) but weigh 200 and most of my weight is evently distributed. I'm just a big woman. I was fast when I was at 160-170 or I wouldn't have swam fast enough to qualify for the Olympics. Today, I am not sure that my weight hinders me too much (guess I don't know the difference anymore); what I notice is my response time for everything is just getting slighly less, so I have chosen endurance swimming because of my size and the fact I live on an island. Plus, I never liked sprinting ever in my life; it just plain hurt; I loved the 200s, but I had to sprint anyway because I was doing the 50 and 100 back all the time.
And you can tell from the picture of me in Swimmer magazine's March/April issue I am not thin, but at least all my lab numbers are great and I would consider myself healthy and probably getting healthier since I am piling on the mileage now in prep for my 18 mile swim.
My sister is 5'1 or so, weighs around 98 to 100 pounds and is the most unhealthy person I know because she does NOT exercise; all her lab numbers are off the charts and is on meds to control everything; I don't want to go that route.
So maybe most of the fast swimmers today are thin as toothpicks; as long as they are healthy that is all that matters. Back when I was seriously training, the women were much, much larger.
And to be very truthful here, the most I would want to lose would be 20 pounds; I am just so comfortable right where I am, but if and when my med numbers start to change for the worse, I'll take care of whatever needs to be done. In the meantime, let's hear it for distance swimming:groovy:.
Donna
I am undoubtedly an exception to the rule in women who swim. When I was training for the Olympics way back in 1966-67, I was 5'8 and weighed 160-170. Shoot, when I was in the 9th grade, I was 5'8 and weighed 150 ish. Now that I am 59, I am still 5'8" (thank goodness) but weigh 200 and most of my weight is evently distributed. I'm just a big woman. I was fast when I was at 160-170 or I wouldn't have swam fast enough to qualify for the Olympics. Today, I am not sure that my weight hinders me too much (guess I don't know the difference anymore); what I notice is my response time for everything is just getting slighly less, so I have chosen endurance swimming because of my size and the fact I live on an island. Plus, I never liked sprinting ever in my life; it just plain hurt; I loved the 200s, but I had to sprint anyway because I was doing the 50 and 100 back all the time.
And you can tell from the picture of me in Swimmer magazine's March/April issue I am not thin, but at least all my lab numbers are great and I would consider myself healthy and probably getting healthier since I am piling on the mileage now in prep for my 18 mile swim.
My sister is 5'1 or so, weighs around 98 to 100 pounds and is the most unhealthy person I know because she does NOT exercise; all her lab numbers are off the charts and is on meds to control everything; I don't want to go that route.
So maybe most of the fast swimmers today are thin as toothpicks; as long as they are healthy that is all that matters. Back when I was seriously training, the women were much, much larger.
And to be very truthful here, the most I would want to lose would be 20 pounds; I am just so comfortable right where I am, but if and when my med numbers start to change for the worse, I'll take care of whatever needs to be done. In the meantime, let's hear it for distance swimming:groovy:.
Donna
