As an "outsider" to the world of "hardcore" swimming ...
Former Member
I swim a lot and really enjoy it. It's something I've done all of my life, growing up in Southern California, and it's my main form of exercise. I'm good at it, but I do it primarily for health and enjoyment.
I've noticed from lurking around this board for several years that there seems to be a very self-congratulatory, cliquish tone to many threads and posts. It seems like it's often a small group of people who post relentlessly, as if they are engaged in some sort of private conversation where they're trying to outdo each other.
Maybe I'm the only one who feels that way. Maybe that's part and parcel of the world of "hardcore" competitive swimmers. Or maybe it's because there wouldn't be anything else to talk about, unless there weren't a constant focus on who's the "best" at this or that.
A race is something that happens once in a while, whereas a lifetime of swimming lasts, well, a lifetime. Yes, it's great to break a certain time in a certain race, but it's also great to have the self-discpline to keep at a daily swimming program and work on improving one's technique and endurance. Both are valid, and, to my mind, neither is more worthy of praise than the other.
Jim Thornton, if I recall correctly, noted a while ago that there were a lot of people lurking around the board and not really participating. If that is the case, I would propose that may be due to the general off-putting tone of things on here. (I won't give examples at this point, although I could.)
People here like to talk about successes in training and competitions because they know they'll have a receptive ear. This is something as swimmers we might not get at home or among non-swimming friends.
This is certainly true! It took my loving family 18 months to resume talking to me once I acquired a swim coach ("What is she doing THAT for?!")
"sftom," a lot of the conversations on these forums are continuations of conversations happening off the forums, at meets and elsewhere, as people get to know each other in person (I don't swim at that level, but I think it's kind of fun to drop in on long-running movies that don't star me, LOL!). And the amount of work to shave maybe a second off a time -- which generally indicates an overall increase in fitness, and improved technique -- is extraordinary.
Posters have been very generous with me, giving me lots of tips and plaudits for trifling achievements, such as a first dive after 40 years.
Any bb develops its own personality, and a few posters will lead the convos for a time. Bring your goggles, pull up a chair, and join in!
:)
People here like to talk about successes in training and competitions because they know they'll have a receptive ear. This is something as swimmers we might not get at home or among non-swimming friends.
This is certainly true! It took my loving family 18 months to resume talking to me once I acquired a swim coach ("What is she doing THAT for?!")
"sftom," a lot of the conversations on these forums are continuations of conversations happening off the forums, at meets and elsewhere, as people get to know each other in person (I don't swim at that level, but I think it's kind of fun to drop in on long-running movies that don't star me, LOL!). And the amount of work to shave maybe a second off a time -- which generally indicates an overall increase in fitness, and improved technique -- is extraordinary.
Posters have been very generous with me, giving me lots of tips and plaudits for trifling achievements, such as a first dive after 40 years.
Any bb develops its own personality, and a few posters will lead the convos for a time. Bring your goggles, pull up a chair, and join in!
:)
