We have a lot of threads about the new magic suits. People are asking, do they work? How do they work? Is it cheating? Are they ruining our sport? Is it fair? What size do I get? Will I become sweaty?
So, my apologies for starting a new thread about bodysuits in the context of masters swimming. Most of this is my personal opinion and experience, but I hope other people have similar ideas.
We have to admit that masters swimming is more laid-back than elite swimming. It's competitive, sure, but I've always seen it as a social organization above all else. There's less on the line, here. We aren't going for endorsement money, Olympic berths, or anything like that. If we want to go to the big meet, we just sign up for it. There's no need to do everything possible to qualify.
Maybe this is where I differ from other masters swimmers, but I swim for myself. I compare my performance to what I've done before and what I know I can do. I don't seriously compare my performance to other people, although I'm always down for a good gridge.
With these things in mind, I've thought about what I would gain from buying, say, a nero comp. The anecdotal evidence suggests that I could drop some time in my events. But if I only compete with myself, I really wouldn't be gaining anything at all. With a time drop comes an uncertainty: did that happen because of me, or because of the suit? If the suit makes me faster, eventually I would be able to establish a new standard of fast for myself, and compete against that. But there's no net gain for me.
My current personal scale of fast times involves wearing a first-generation jammer or legskin, and shaving. I've been on this scale since high school. Thinking about why I don't want a bodysuit has also made me think about whether I should even bother shaving for big meets. This might be where I make a personal distinction about the bodysuits that has been discussed here before in an integrity-of-the-sport context.
I experience swimming as the relationship of my body to the water. When I shave down for a meet, I'm not disrupting that relationship. I'm adapting my body to be better suited for the water, which is exactly what I'm doing when I'm training. Swimming shaved is still just swimming, to me. Swimming with a bodysuit is something else. I don't expect everyone to agree with this, and maybe it's something I could even get used to with enough time. But my current feeling is this: a suit that constricts the form of my body, makes me float, and separates me from the flow of the water is a technological intrusion into my swimming experience. It's not something I want.
I can't assume anything about why you swim, but if your reasons are like mine, it might be worthwhile to ask if the latest technology in our sport will benefit you in the same way it benefits a professional athlete.
jazz
if you throw an empty suit in the water, it goes nowhere.
I don't mind suits because I want to discover what I am capable of, test my limits, and attempt to improve my times. Part of this is making good choices in training and with equipment.
If you want to be a purist, good for you.
I've heard of a cycling race where people compete using 1972 bike technology.
Which era of swimming technology are you going to allow yourself to use?
There's 1896 - 2008
you could go head to head vs
Johnny Weissmuller, Mark Spitz, Rowdy Gaines
If you want to be a purist make sure you the meet uses the right kind of blocks, pool, lane lines, and timing system
We have to admit that masters swimming is more laid-back than elite swimming. It's competitive, sure, but I've always seen it as a social organization above all else.
I completely dispute this assertion and think it depends on your personality and the team you train with. I promise you I'm not getting up at 4:30 am to go socialize. Find yourself a serious USMS team and report back. You are fast but aren't as fast as most sprinters on my team twice your age and they put in about 4-5X your yardage a week. Don't confuse your intentions with those of all adult competitive swimmers.
I think characterizing it as a social organization is pretty darn insulting. Sure there's a great social aspect but there are a lot of social groups that don't revolve around physical fitness.
Wear a bodysuit or not, I could care less. It's your money, spend it as you wish.
I am very serious about swimming fast, and although I don't put in a lot of yardage, I do spend something in the neighborhood of 10 to 15 hours a week training.
Whether this 10-15 training hours a week is pool or otherwise, that's definitely much more than a social endeavor, unless you are a noodler, which I know you are not.
Maybe this is where I differ from other masters swimmers, but I swim for myself. I compare my performance to what I've done before and what I know I can do. I don't seriously compare my performance to other people
Do you really believe this? I swim for myself, too, but I can't deny I love beating the guy next to me or my friend in a different heat. And if they are wearing the LZR or Nero and I'm wearing a nylon training suit they've got the advantage.
Maybe this is where I differ from other masters swimmers, but I swim for myself. I compare my performance to what I've done before and what I know I can do. I don't seriously compare my performance to other people, although I'm always down for a good gridge.
With these things in mind, I've thought about what I would gain from buying, say, a nero comp. The anecdotal evidence suggests that I could drop some time in my events. But if I only compete with myself, I really wouldn't be gaining anything at all. With a time drop comes an uncertainty: did that happen because of me, or because of the suit? If the suit makes me faster, eventually I would be able to establish a new standard of fast for myself, and compete against that. But there's no net gain for me.
Who can ever tell precisely what times drops are due to unless you always have a taper in your pocket and life goes exactly as planned? I usually can't, there are too many variables: have I been sprinting enough, have I been training too much/too little, have I been sleeping well, have I been lifting, did I hit my turn, did I do a lawn chair start, am I broken down, did I run too much, what pool am I swimming in, is there a flippin bulkhead, are the events too close together, am I injured, am I swimming relays, do I have bronchitis, is there a gridge, am I psyched for the particular event ... How can all that crap be calibrated?!
In general, I think the racing suits definitely make some difference. I don't know how much. Looking back over the last couple years, I can say I've done my fastest 50 free in the FS I, my fastest 50 fly in the Pro and my fastest 50 back in the nero comp. I'm not sure of the difference between the nero comp and the FS Pro because, when I debuted the nero comp, I had been lifting heavy for 5 weeks and I KNOW that made a difference. It also made a difference, for example, that I scratched my 100 IM and just swam my 50 back. (Although I disagree with Tall Paul about the nero comp helping SDK. Not for me.) So I'm not going to throw out swims I've done with technicals suits. So many other factors seem equally or more important. For me, I think "feel" of the water is overrated. I'm a speed freak, not a feel freak. So I think the technical suits rock! You feel freaks can all stick with your briefs.
Think I'm a mixture of Jazz and Geek. :eek: :dunno: I swim because I like it, because I want to be fit and healthy, because I love to race and love meets, because I'm very competitive, because I love the social aspect and because it is fantastic to have a hobby/identity outside of my usual life. But I would not get up at 4:30 to swim. No way. Blech. (I tried getting up at 4:00 am for awhile to take my kid to practice and I was an uber byatch.) I would also note that most of my fastest swims have been swum in the afternoon!
The only place where I really dig beating other people is in OW where you can not only beat their time but also swim over top of them. After the butt whooping (S)he-Man put on me I no longer am concerned about what goes on around me in a pool meet. And, there was little glory in my showdown with gull since he's about 35 years older than me, and a super nice guy.
Oh, and 4:30 am will make a byatch out of anyone, man or fegirl-just ask my family.
I'm off to judge a meet and not dq anyone, get some of that HULK!
My wife and I spend way to much time in the car as our work requires it...we also drive for "social" reasons.
Given the amount of time spent in this endeavor when we bought a new car we looked at a Prius and settled on the new VW Tiguon which were in the same price range. The Prius gets better gas mileage but the VW is cool, fast...and a LOT more fun to drive.
just like for you the bodysuit is for me = cheating, it'a a shortcut, just like steroids.
So are competitors at the Trials are cheaters or just masters swimmers?
Geek, I think my Monday officiating is getting rained out. I always let the one hand touches go. But the blatant scissor kicks?
