This may have been covered before; I'm new here, so I apologize in advance.
I've been cycling rather than swimming for the past 10 years, and I recently got back in the pool as end-of-season cross training. Which of course got me curious about masters programs. I checked out the Masters Nationals psyche sheets and I was really surprised at the lack of depth of the competition.
So heres the question: why do so few swimmers choose to compete after college? In comparison to cycling, or running, it seems there are hardly any swimmers competing at a high level over the age of 22 or so. For example, the mens 30-34 100 m free nationals psyche sheet shows 10 people, ranging from :56 to 1:03! 10 people? Is that because most people don't pre-register? Or are there really only a handful of 30-34 men out there who can go under a minute in the 100m free??
Don't judge masters swimming based on the number of people at summer nationals.
Most people don't swim long course nationals for many reasons: family obligations prevent them from training in the summer, they tapered for the spring meet and don't want to train hard in the summer or they don't want to suffer through the heat of the Woodlands in August.
Take a look at the results from last spring's nationals for a more accurate picture of masters swimming.
If you look at the men's 30-34 100 free, 19 guys posted a time that would be equivalent to breaking 1:00 in long course. That's a lot of sub-1:00 swims.
Our top 10 listings will also show you how deep masters swimming is. The short course top 10 for 2007 will be published in a couple of weeks.
I hope you decide to give masters a try. If you swim at spring nationals in Austin next May, maybe we'll be in adjacent lanes in the 100 free! (Unless I wimp out and only swim my normal events.)
Don't judge masters swimming based on the number of people at summer nationals.
Most people don't swim long course nationals for many reasons: family obligations prevent them from training in the summer, they tapered for the spring meet and don't want to train hard in the summer or they don't want to suffer through the heat of the Woodlands in August.
Take a look at the results from last spring's nationals for a more accurate picture of masters swimming.
If you look at the men's 30-34 100 free, 19 guys posted a time that would be equivalent to breaking 1:00 in long course. That's a lot of sub-1:00 swims.
Our top 10 listings will also show you how deep masters swimming is. The short course top 10 for 2007 will be published in a couple of weeks.
I hope you decide to give masters a try. If you swim at spring nationals in Austin next May, maybe we'll be in adjacent lanes in the 100 free! (Unless I wimp out and only swim my normal events.)
