Shubert digs Masters Swimming

Craig68, While Paul and I appreciate your confidence, we must be honest and tell you that there is NO way WE could approach and equal our best times from college in our early '40s. If I quit my job and trained full time, I would be lucky to come within 1.5 seconds of my 100yd free and 4-5 seconds of my 200yd free. Long Course is only a worse comparison. My body does not have the strength it once did, and without serious drugs I could not rebuild it to it's former condition. Even then, it is questionable as to whether I could make a US national cut anymore. Keep in mind, Paul and I are about 3 seconds off our best 100yd free times and about 8-10 seconds off what we once did in the 200. The 100 may seem decent for a masters swimmer, but it's WAY out of the ball park when compared to real swim at US Nationals. The norm for guys like us now that swam at Nationals in the 1980s is usually around 3+ seconds slower on a 100 and 8+ or more on a 200. The 50 is about a 8 tenths to a second slower and getting worse ever 3-4 years. Paul and I can't even fathom going a 43 in the 100yd free at our age anymore. We simply don't have the raw power and the testosterone to do it. There's just NO comparison to what Dara is doing. We are not in the same league with her anymore...... and believe me, there was a day when it wasn't a problem for us to beat her in a 50 or a 100 ...... :-) What she is doing is truly unprecedented. Remember the more elite of a swimmer you were, the more difficult it becomes to approach your old performances. Susan Vonderlippe's and Dennis Baker's times are what I would expect on the high end for a person in their 40's with serious talent and motivation.... both are right about at national cuts. John Smith

Craig68, While Paul and I appreciate your confidence, we must be honest and tell you that there is NO way WE could approach and equal our best times from college in our early '40s. If I quit my job and trained full time, I would be lucky to come within 1.5 seconds of my 100yd free and 4-5 seconds of my 200yd free. Long Course is only a worse comparison. My body does not have the strength it once did, and without serious drugs I could not rebuild it to it's former condition. Even then, it is questionable as to whether I could make a US national cut anymore. Keep in mind, Paul and I are about 3 seconds off our best 100yd free times and about 8-10 seconds off what we once did in the 200. The 100 may seem decent for a masters swimmer, but it's WAY out of the ball park when compared to real swim at US Nationals. The norm for guys like us now that swam at Nationals in the 1980s is usually around 3+ seconds slower on a 100 and 8+ or more on a 200. The 50 is about a 8 tenths to a second slower and getting worse ever 3-4 years. Paul and I can't even fathom going a 43 in the 100yd free at our age anymore. We simply don't have the raw power and the testosterone to do it. There's just NO comparison to what Dara is doing. We are not in the same league with her anymore...... and believe me, there was a day when it wasn't a problem for us to beat her in a 50 or a 100 ...... :-) What she is doing is truly unprecedented. Remember the more elite of a swimmer you were, the more difficult it becomes to approach your old performances. Susan Vonderlippe's and Dennis Baker's times are what I would expect on the high end for a person in their 40's with serious talent and motivation.... both are right about at national cuts. John Smith