Seems inevitable, no? Even though my practice times seem to be pretty consistent with intervals I was able to hold 5 to 7 years ago (mid to early
30's), now that I am 40, my races just seem to get slower. Its an odd scenario to be in. As an age grouper and into college, the older you got, the more you trained, the faster you swam. Now, it seems, mother nature is kicking things in reverse. While I still love to train, I'm finding less incentive to compete.
Anyone else come to this conclusion?
don't buy the lies
it's totally possible to improve as you age
but you have to train properly
eventually time catches up with you
I'm 44, I'm swimming faster now than I did 4 years ago
I've blogged my workouts for the last 3 years
Strength is a very important part,
if you get stronger
you should swim faster
Seems inevitable, no? Even though my practice times seem to be pretty consistent with intervals I was able to hold 5 to 7 years ago (mid to early 30's), now that I am 40, my races just seem to get slower. Its an odd scenario to be in. As an age grouper and into college, the older you got, the more you trained, the faster you swam. Now, it seems, mother nature is kicking things in reverse. While I still love to train, I'm finding less incentive to compete.
Anyone else come to this conclusion?
Celebrating more "swimming faster than age" results, this time non-free, youngest only, all SCY::applaud:
100 back John C Smith, 67, 1:06.61 (2006)
100 fly Richard Abrahams, 55, 54.49 (2000)
100 IM Richard Abrahams, 62, 1:00.13 (2007)
I like Erik's list. I will say that -- barring injury -- I think flexibility need not be lost to such a great degree if you really work on regaining it, though it may take awhile.
I remember reading somewhere that max heart rate declines with age and there isn't much we can do about it through exercise/training. Seems like that -- and similar factors -- might provide the ultimate limit with age, though I agree that we are nowhere close to those limits yet.
I don't often train with the high school kids, but I do so every once in a while. I notice that there are some I can beat regularly in practice -- or at least keep up with them -- who can just thrash me in meets. Somehow they have an extra gear that I just don't have anymore, no matter how much race pace training I do. Wally Dicks mentioned to me that he has had similar experiences.
The fact is that you will slow down at some point. But I think we are not even close to what may be possible in terms of performance levels at an "older age".
But we can still try to figure out what exactly "slows us down" as we age - here is my top 5 list (this is meant for swimmers that used to train at a high level):
- time spent working out: I work out quite a bit right now, but it is less than 1/2 in terms of time spent working out as a youngster.
- simple body weight: are you the same weight as in college ? Just 10 pounds can be a big difference.
- flexibility: this is very underrated, but coming back from a shoulder surgery, I noticed the HUGE difference between having full shoulder flexibility and maybe 98% -- and "full flexibility" now is still much worse than 20 years ago.
- Recovery rate: It just takes me a lot longer to recover from a hard workout. It is no surprise that Dara Torres spends so much time on massages and stretching.
- Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results: this really applies to all levels of swimming - if you keep doing the same thing, you will actually get worse over time. If you keep doing the same intervals, the same sets, the same intensity, the weights, you may stay at the same level, but I think you will actually get worse over time. Your body and mind always needs new challenges - you need to push further, smarter, push yourself in different ways in order to improve.
Here is inspiration for us older people.
Willie Gault, who turns 48 in September ran a wind legal 21.80 200m. He also holds the M45 record in the 100m at 10.72 less than a second off the world record. This is hard to comprehend.
To put it in perspective, in my opnion that 200 is equal to a 23.4 sec 50m free in swimming parlance. Not bad for someone pushing 50.
Can you pick Willie out of this lineup from this years Mt. SAC Relays? The one on the right is Tyson Gay, world outdoor champion and world record holder in the 100m.
www.masterstrack.com/.../b21.jpg.html
Good points on the "injury free" importance -- that may rank number 1 out of all factors.
I am really not sold on the max heart rate decline notion. I believe that this is also very much a factor of training to reach your max heart rates. All the Age minus 40 or whatever lists seem rather silly (just a personal opinion - no hard facts). How often does a typical 55 year old approach maximum heart rate vs. a 15 year old ? You lose it if you don't use it -- would love to know the max heart rates of some of the top sprinters in the older age groups.
I didn't actively start swimming until I was 28, and my times have gotten dramatically faster since. Most recently, since I began a new job 2-1/2 years ago that allows some flexible hours and work from home (both a blessing and a curse), I've been able to get serious with weights and running. This has helped me drop my weight down to pre-college levels (I'm similar now to what I was at 22 and in the Army). For a long time I had hit a plaeau that just recently started to break through.
I'd imagine at some point I'll slow, but I'm trying to fight it as much as I can. I made a goal with my coach to swim a sub-minute 100 SCY free by the AZ state meet next March, and he's holding me to it.
Age is it important. The British Columbia Medical Card for seniors is gold colored. Chuckie went to have here eyes tested for contact lenses, of course covered by BC Med.
The receptionist said to her that she had not seen a card like this before. Chuckie said all seniors in BC have a gold card. The receptionist said you don't look like a senior. It Made Chuckie's day.
:dunno:I get kinda depressed about this getting older thing too. It's definitely not for sissies. My question is how much extra do you have to do to get better? I have limited time (as do we all) - I only get to swim 3 times a week right now - and I try to get in 3500-4000 yds. I keep telling myself that I will get better if I put more time in the water, but I don't know if this is really true. Sometimes I think that what I need to do is train with the kids, draft off them for a few weeks & see if that helps me speed up. It's depressing and demoralizing to be "stuck" at my speed....even if that speed is faster than some others, its not as fast as I want to be going:dunno:.
Count me as another believer in more race-pace swimming, if your goal is your best possible performance in shorter races. I am 40 and I have been swimming masters since I was 27. For several years I focused primarily on OW racing, so my main workout objectives did not include maxing out my speed or my heart rate. This season after I decided to go to Nationals I spent more time in workout swimming at a faster pace with more rest, really working on being able to recruit all my muscles at the same time and on getting my heart to go fast enough to serve them. I swam best masters times in every event this season. A lifetime best in the 100 back now seems possible whereas if someone had suggested that goal to me a year ago I would have laughed.
I'm 49 and I am faster than I was at 47. Kinda hoping that trend continues as I age up later this year.
I have no intention of swimming more than I do today. I average 4 times/wk, and always 't like long events anyways).
If you are stuck - I suggest changing your focus. Swim different events - maybe shorter.
