Rise of the "Professional" Masters Swimmer?

It's certainly a mixture of all of the above. We see the same types in triathlon as well. They are all dsicplined, that's the first thing. Putting in 20+ hours per week takes discipline. But then you get a mix of genetic gifts and a fair chunk of people who have reached a point in their professional and family lives that allows them more time to dedicate to the pastimes. Often they worked their asses off for many years to get in that position. And the rest of us are still punching the clock, putting in 8 hours per week and trying to hang in there. I still think it's fun.

Nice observation Fort. I have thought about this subject more than once and each time I come to the same conclusion. I could put more time into swimming but it would mean a sacrafice of something else. In my life, that would mean less time with my wife and kids, less time to take care of things around the house, less time to enjoy my photog addiction, etc. There are only so many hours in the day and we all need to make decisions about how much time USMS is allowed to consume. I suspect as my kids get older and become more independent there will be more time to swim but I don't ever want to look back after they have graduated from high school and think ..."Man, I wish I would have spent more time enjoying the days of their youth rather than preparing for that Masters Meet that nobody even remembers". Well, that's pretty much what I think as well; it's a sliding scale and most of us need to sleep some. Not going to put the kids up for adoption so that I can swim more either. I'm sure most of us feel that life-swim "tension" whether we have kids or not. But, still, it seems like masters swimming is getting more and more competitive in general, hence the apparent rise of the quasi-professional. What accounts for that?

Leslie, I actually thought of you as one of the "elite" in Masters swimming. The only way I can hope to crack top ten is through attrition! Thanks Gull! I'm happy with how I've done given my training/shoulder limitations. And Peter's words ring very true. Yet on that 50 back from zones you saw (as well as in the 100 IM), I was beaten by Vibeke Swanson, a super engine builder who spends all her time training. Hard to compete with that. She would absolutely destroy me in, say, a 200 back. And KPN -- forget it. So I focus on sprinting, which is fine and I love it. It would just be nice to be a bit more versatile ... the lure of engine building still burns strong. And you wouldn't want to see my 500 free or my evilstroke, I promise! So why the trend toward faster and faster? It seems odd to assume that people have more time nowadays?

I'm having a hard time writing a meaningful response to this, so I'll just go with two points. 1. On the whole, I don't think masters is getting appreciably more competitive. My observation has been that times needed to make USMS Top Ten haven't changed that much.* 2. There are a few phenoms who are rewriting the record books and many of these folks take swimming very seriously. I'm talking about people like KPN, McConica and Dennis Baker. I think these people are extremely rare in their combination of dedication and swimming talent. * my perspective could be too narrow, though. It could be a different story in other age groups or on the women's side.

Fort, you sure have an interesting observation. Some of these folks are lucky enough to have the means, the discipline and the talent to make this happen. The KPN's, SVL's, Abrahams' and McConica's, etc., of the world, they're practically the only ones up there at that level. So yeah, it takes a special person to compete against them. But last time I checked, most of us are pretty happy with the times we've done. Sure we want to be faster, thats why most of us are still training. But it isn't going to kill me to not be the #1 in every event, world record holder, national champion, etc. I'm happy and honored to compete with these guys. McConica blew me out of the water in the same heat of the 500 last year at Nationals. Rich Abrahams is 2x my age and can go under :60 in the 100 LCM free. They are certainly motivation and inspiration.

Nice observation Fort. I have thought about this subject more than once and each time I come to the same conclusion. I could put more time into swimming but it would mean a sacrafice of something else. In my life, that would mean less time with my wife and kids, less time to take care of things around the house, less time to enjoy my photog addiction, etc. There are only so many hours in the day and we all need to make decisions about how much time USMS is allowed to consume. I suspect as my kids get older and become more independent there will be more time to swim but I don't ever want to look back after they have graduated from high school and think ..."Man, I wish I would have spent more time enjoying the days of their youth rather than preparing for that Masters Meet that nobody even remembers". I still have goals in USMS (my first LC meet this July and NQT's for Austin in a few events next year) and swim workouts that challenge me at least 3 times a week but it's not going to be my primary focus in life anytime soon, you can count on that.

Between those who choose to devote scads of time and those (hopefully very few) who might choose to take 'shortcuts' there is a lesson for the individual: you know what your PB's are, you know how much you have (or haven't) put into the process and what barriers you might have overcome so the only real measures of success are your own health, happiness and humanity.

Leslie, I actually thought of you as one of the "elite" in Masters swimming. The only way I can hope to crack top ten is through attrition!

Based on my performances last weekend in Federal Way, I'm not quitting my day job. I don't see how anyone has the right to complain about someone performing at an elite level because they are gifted athletes and manage to do what it takes to train and swim fast. It seems like sour grapes to me. I say, more power to them. I sit back and am impressed, and inspired. I'll review my own life choices, and maybe wish I had their options, but I need to live my version of reality, not theirs. This is a jerky comment. If you were refering to me, I wasn't complaining, Steve. And, since you're an infrequent poster, I will assume you know nothing about my times, training, goals or frequently expressed admiration for our great masters athletes. Frankly, I'd love to quit my day job, train more, and swim in more meets. That doesn't make me guilty of "sour grapes," it makes me guilty of wanting to improve and being periodically frustrated by obstacles. I don't think anyone will hang me for that. Maybe they'll just start reading ande's blog with me. In any event, my main inquiry really went to the issue of whether competition was increasing in masters ranks. I see Kirk thinks it isn't. I had just observed that in my age group it definitely has and wondered why. (For the record, I couldn't swim at 6:00 am. I have 3 kids to get off to 3 different schools.)

We all (mostly) tend to focus on the things we do well and get positive feedback for doing. For some that means spending more time in the water than for others - all a matter of choice and priorities. For me, I choose the 6:00am hour to workout as it doesn't interfere with my family commitments. Yet I hear others complain about taking away time from family but they will only workout in the evening as 6:00am is "too early" to get up to swim. :violin: Just as the records keep getting faster, I believe average times will decrease over time as well. Sure, we'll still have those not as fast as others but someone has to be last.