When I was swimming the 100 fly this morning, my shoulder decided we were done about 60 yards in. I really wanted to stop so that I didn't hurt it, but I didn't know the proper approach. I ended up just finishing and trying to keep my stroke legal, but it was slow and painful. Should I have just stopped and swam back to the wall?
While swimming in meets in high school I had two separate cases where I specifically recall just wanting to call it quits.
The first was a case where I was swimming the 200 Free and on the 3rd leg slammed my heel on the pool deck while doing my flip turn. (Many people have done this, and an unlucky group of us have done it at race speeds.) I think I finished that one just dragging my leg behind and not using it on the remaining flip turns. It was pretty smashed and bruised and I couldn't step on it or do full flip turns for a while afterwards.
The second, I did get out. I dove in for the 100 *** and my knee dislocated. I floated to the surface, tried to convice myself I could swim, couldn't, and just stopped and floated my way to the nearest exit after the other swimmers were out of the way. Getting pulled out of the pool with a dislocated knee SUCKS!
I've swam in all kinds of pain and injuries. That being said, in masters, I think if I did a heel smash like the one I did in high school I would have just gotten out. In high school I could get the team a couple points just by not coming in last and I could do that by pulling the entire race. In masters I would have nothing to gain and nobody to disappoint. And I certainly wouldn't be disappointing myself if I knew it meant preventing a possible major injury. Just break stroke and get to the end with whatever stroke, pull, or kick feels comfortable.
While swimming in meets in high school I had two separate cases where I specifically recall just wanting to call it quits.
The first was a case where I was swimming the 200 Free and on the 3rd leg slammed my heel on the pool deck while doing my flip turn. (Many people have done this, and an unlucky group of us have done it at race speeds.) I think I finished that one just dragging my leg behind and not using it on the remaining flip turns. It was pretty smashed and bruised and I couldn't step on it or do full flip turns for a while afterwards.
The second, I did get out. I dove in for the 100 *** and my knee dislocated. I floated to the surface, tried to convice myself I could swim, couldn't, and just stopped and floated my way to the nearest exit after the other swimmers were out of the way. Getting pulled out of the pool with a dislocated knee SUCKS!
I've swam in all kinds of pain and injuries. That being said, in masters, I think if I did a heel smash like the one I did in high school I would have just gotten out. In high school I could get the team a couple points just by not coming in last and I could do that by pulling the entire race. In masters I would have nothing to gain and nobody to disappoint. And I certainly wouldn't be disappointing myself if I knew it meant preventing a possible major injury. Just break stroke and get to the end with whatever stroke, pull, or kick feels comfortable.
