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.
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!
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!
