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.)
Yes, I also broke Jim Ryun's HS mile record.....kinda. I ran under a minute for the first quarter and it felt so good I figured I could hold that for three more, so I just eased up and called it a sure thing.
Here is a mistaken identity story:
Back in 2006 we ran the 40 and over 4x400 at the Millrose games. We were in the athlete warm up area with all the Olympic athletes and some HS girls asked one of my team mates (I guess he has the look) to autograph their program figuring he was a "somebody", so he did. We crack up big time thinking back on that because we were just as star struck watching the Olympians warm up.
I went with Turnip
giggle giggle inside joke giggle giggle did you see I had an awesome race this summer? tee-hee butt slap towel flick!
Jim Thornton will never be able to resist this little ditty ...
Tom, and I don't mean to sound harsh here, but I do think there have been a lot of very well intentioned replies here to the issues you've raised. I concede that I am a bit of a yuckster, one who is guilty of occasionally yucking it up with other yucksters, some of whom I have gotten to know as friends right here on this very forum, and that is something we yuckster-oriented friends do, i.e., yuck it up with each other.
Anyhow, as Mick Jagger so nicely put it, Confound them if they can't take a joke.
My advice: start a thread of your own, entitle it something like "fitness swimmers unite" or whatever you would like to discuss, then steer the topic towards what you would like to discuss. Chances are good that you will get plenty of responses. Sometimes you might have to prime the pump several times, vis a vis, posting on your own thread to keep it high in the queue. But you can raise any topic you want here (although some of mine have been jerked away, but that's another matter); anyhow, good luck. People here are nice! But you will find that, as in most venues, the tone you set is the one you will most likely find comes echoing back atcha.
So clique-ish yuckstering is the equivalent of calf's liver with bacon and onions?! Ew.
:)
Not exactly. I was referring to threads, not necessarily the comedy shows.
Example of what I meant...
No offense to the breaststrokers, but I tend to pass on those threads.
And the feminine personal topics = deep fried escargot. No thanks! :)
Interesting responses, and I see it gave the regulars a chance to yuck it up amongst themselves--once again. Sigh.
Oh get a life.
Previous posts to this thread have tried to be welcoming. You're just being a jerk.
I'm a 99% fitness/1% competitive. I tend to "lurk" these days. (Thanks for pulling me out of that, btw.) Many (too many to name) of the posters here are responsible for encouraging me to try new things. I met them here first here as a newbie working on stroke improvement; I've since met them at meets (which they encouraged me to give a try). Many of my forum friends are "elite" FINA TT swimmers, who have congratulated me as I've progressed and laughed with me as I've regressed. A couple of these "elites" whom you've maligned have watched nearly every race I've swam and have taken the time to find at least one positive aspect of my swim as well as comment or two. I might add that I am 44 and am competitive in the 70-74 age group...some of the time.
If you don't like this sandbox, go find another to play in.
Interesting responses, and I see it gave the regulars a chance to yuck it up amongst themselves--once again. Sigh.
Lest anyone think I'm not familiar with the nature of internet message boards, I have participated in quite a few and continue to do so.
I had to laugh at the abrupt shift in the tone of this thread after sftom's comment. Not only is sftom familiar with the nature of internet message boards, he is a master at trolling.
Clicks not here. I always get good advice and different opinions when I post here. I was impressed a while back when I posted about my first postal event and so many of the regulars posted with advice. Several of them event sent PMs wishing me good luck even though I only new of them virtually. My wife and I were really impressed that people had taken the time to write a note in todays hectic pace.
As for the magazine it has a little bit of everything in it depending upon the issue.
Thanks for the great forum from an infrequent poster.
Paul
And what about the Holier Than Thou Stereotype?
I went with Turnip
giggle giggle inside joke giggle giggle did you see I had an awesome race this summer? tee-hee butt slap towel flick!
