We talk a lot about how the person you are racing is yourself and that is the most important measure and that you can only control what you do,not what the competition does.At the same time we have medals and AAs and records and TT etc.So which is more important to you? I was musing on this for myself after the SPMA meet.I went my best time in the 100M BR in 5 yr,but was beaten by Jim Clemmons.In the 50 BR I won,but was .3 sec slower than last yr.That got me wondering about goals.So,where do you stand?
Former Member
As a coach, I enjoy the race! As a swimmer, I'll take a personal best over a win.
It's all about the personal best, however this question has a hidden answer. Every swimmer wants to win, or at least they should. Often times we don't swim our personal best unless we have a race. So they're both very important, but in swimming you bring home times, not stories. Mine is 100 fly in under a minute, but I wouldn't have swam that if I didn't have a race
Yep, that's why I haven't answered this poll, because the answer I'd choose isn't there :applaud:
I remember watching the 84 games and the US backstroker Rick Carey was upset when winning the Gold Medal in a time that was well off his best. .
Mind you, it's understandable in this case. Had he done a PB he would STILL have won Gold and would have killed two birds with one (how much does a stone weigh anyway?)
It's all about the personal best, however this question has a hidden answer. Every swimmer wants to win, or at least they should. Often times we don't swim our personal best unless we have a race. So they're both very important, but in swimming you bring home times, not stories. Mine is 100 fly in under a minute, but I wouldn't have swam that if I didn't have a race
As a relatively new swimmer, PB's are satisfying but don't mean a whole lot. What I really want is to get my times down to where they would be considered fast in my age group and in the ball park of the truly fast. I consider that winning here.
As long as you have the training time, I think it is healthy to compare against the best in any catagory and say if he can do it, so can I. I am still in the process of getting my times down and someday I know it will change to just being satisfied with a PB.
No offense to those in my age group, but I would love to line up next to Chris Stevenson and Mike Ross in the 100 back at nationals.
Maybe I was just born six years too late.
Anyway. I mentioned this in another thread, but if the Long Beach had been seeded by age group, the 100 and 200 IMs would have been quite boring for me. Without Erik running me down on the freestyle, I would not have swum my fastest Masters 200 IM and second-fastest 100 IM.
I am thrilled with this discussion. For a long time, I thought I was the only one who wanted nationals seeded by time.
No offense to those in my age group, but I would love to line up next to Chris Stevenson and Mike Ross in the 100 back at nationals.
Maybe I was just born six years too late.
Anyway. I mentioned this in another thread, but if the Long Beach had been seeded by age group, the 100 and 200 IMs would have been quite boring for me. Without Erik running me down on the freestyle, I would not have swum my fastest Masters 200 IM and second-fastest 100 IM.
I am thrilled with this discussion. For a long time, I thought I was the only one who wanted nationals seeded by time.
Jeff you can always weare a scuba weight belt to the tune of 50lbs and race me in the 200 BR...
I think it's good to race by times...some of us aren't in the same catergory beyond our ages...a close heat is better than being DFL by 30 seconds with my age group!
Jeff you can always weare a scuba weight belt to the tune of 50lbs and race me in the 200 BR..!
I think I can speak for just about everyone when I say that I'd pay to watch that.
