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??
1:00 without prior USAS experience is something to be really proud of:cheerleader::cheerleader:(eat your heart out "he who must not be named".:mooning:)
It’s funny, because I so envy the people who were allowed to keep swimming to and through college. I wanted to keep swimming so badly and was not allowed to by my parents. But when I see posts like yours (bcm), I wonder if it’s good to have missed out on the toughness of some of those years, because of how thoroughly I enjoy and appreciate swimming for having waited to do it again for so many years.
I’m sorry that you’re having a hard time refocusing on swimming, but best of luck, whether you decide to continue or move on.
to answer the "why don't people swim after college"
some of us do! I actually swam masters THROUGH college, and am still going
But a list of reasons why people wouldnt swim after college:
- burnout :frustrated:
- hate toward swimming fostered by intense college environment:censor:
- general despise of competition :cry:
- desire to do something else (ie drink heavily, water polo, flag football) after focusing almost exclusively on training :drink:
- grad school/ med school :coffee:
- swimmer doesn't know about masters swimming :dunno:
- occupational conflicts (ie new job; no vacation time; working long hours) :notworking:
- lack of funds :2cents:
- marriage/ parenthood (a little too much partying after that victory at conference champs/ncaa's) :banana:
Its funny, this just about covers it as to why I stopped swimming and never started again after my first year at college. I swam with a pretty elite club right up until college, then quit my first year at penn state. I was done, burned out, sick of swimming and swimming people, and wanted to have a more standard college experience, which I did, and I don't regret.
Just getting back in the pool the last few weeks, all these feelings/reasons have resurfaced again... along with some shoulder pain, which I never had before... and its going to be tough mentally to really embrace swimming with any commitment again. I miss that feeling of swimming strongly and effortlessly, but I'm not sure how much I miss the work it took to get there. It is hard for me to do things half-assed, so I really am not sure what I will end up doing in the next few months. I think moderation may be good for a while... but its not really 'my thing'. Anyway, thanks for the replies, this is a great forum.
Check the different age groups. Sounds like you are under 30, there's a big jump in competition the older you get. People often come back to the pool round about 30 - 35.
On the other hand, it seems like there was a clump of fast people who are aing and not *entirely* being replaced by the younger folks. Last week in sandpoint the two front groups were full of guys over 40, mostly anyway.
