I think we can all be certain that the suits are here to stay -- love them, hate them, it does not really matter -- Speedo, TYR and the others will not allow the suits to all over sudden disappear.
But, we as Masters swimmers have to make a decision about our own reasoning to compete -- why do we compete in swim meets ?
There are many reasons - social, participating in a sport beats the hell out of watching one on TV and so on --- but for me, 2 of the main reasons are the competition aspects. We obviously compete against other swimmers --- but more than maybe many other sports, we compete against ourselves. I can tell you my best 100 Free from every season over the last 30 years (10 of which I did not compete).
I have used most of the suits and did very well -- I set some personal bests and also achieved some record swims, but I have no idea how my times really compare to other seasons. I can keep telling myself that all that speedwork and lifting paid off - but I just don't know.
I like to give a golf comparison -- let's say you have a home course and you always shoot in the low 90s going from the Blue Tees --- well guess what, if you are going from the white tees you will probably average high 80s and going from the red you may get down to the mid to low 80s. But you are not a better player because of it. The LZR seems to be the "white tees" and the new Jaked suit may be the "red tees".
I think we really have to make a decision now to what matters more -- your personal records and history of swimming or the competition against other swimmers ? For me, this may change from meet to meet - but I must be able to stay honest with myself and be able to compare my times -- I do not want to be cheating myself.
Old generations suits (Fastskin Pro) only for: all major Masters meets (individual swims) except for Worlds. That means, I am ok to lose a few places in a meet, in order to know what my time really means. I could just go really old school -- but I think the older generation suits are pretty equal to shaving -- and they allow you to be "shaved" and swim fast in season, which is a huge plus.
LZR / Blue70 for: relays, Worlds and maybe some USS meets, if I am going for a time standard. I want to give any relay my fastest time possible - I swimming Worlds to win the title, so if others use the suits, I will have to do the same - if I go to USS meets, I may use them to get into the finals or to make a time standard for a big meet.
It may take some adjustments - but I think it will work --
Who is with me ?
the new tech suits look feel and smell like neoprene. they are neoprene. so yes they are a form of cheating. FINA already blew it. the suits have been worn and records shattered. like i said before, its over. too late to go back. just as MLB blew it now swimming has blown it. damage is done. the integrity of the sport has been compromised.
this forum blasted Vlad P for doping yet all those that blasted him wear tech suits. is there a difference? which form of cheating gives a better time drop, PEDs or tech suits? arent we all cheaters?
again the root of all of this evil is the mighty $$$$$$$$. does anyone think that the makers of these suits give a sh*t about the integrity of the sport or the records of the past swim champions? nope. they just want their money.
where do we draw the line? suits, PEDs? what about creatine, muscle milk, ZMA, HMB, mahuang, Tribulus, and so on.....
what makes PEDs different from the chemicals you buy at GNC? why are they legal? non of this garbage was around when spitz swam, that dood had a mustache and didnt lift weights, he wore a nylon baggy suit.
to me the line between cheating and not cheating is very blurred.
so i think its over. is this progress? can you build a fence around progress and limit it? prob not. let it go. let it go down this path. its the new culture of sports and the world we live in.
all the crooked funny business started with politics. so i was disgusted and turned to sports for reality and clean healthy competitiveness. well, turns out that boxing went ugly. then baseball to save itself financially after a strike cancelled the world series, MLB turned its head to the drug problem and let mcguire, barry and sammy ruin it. then NASCAR blows up and those fellas get caught cheating on a weekly basis. then the track athletes, then the cyclists, then the NBA finds out refs are cheating................now swimming has been offically tainted, the one last clean sport, the sport we all grew up with that had a bunch of clean honest families participating.
ITS OVER FOLKS.
this isnt Mark spitz aau swimming anymore
its bong hittin self made millionaires like phelps wearing a crooked flatbill hanging out with ray lewis and lebron james and partying with rappers and strippers and warren sapp. its dopers trying to get sponsorships and fame. the sport has been pimped out to big money corporations run by CEOs that want to "get theirs"
all this being said - there are a couple of ok dudes left -
the only good guys left are lezak and piersol....soul guys full of heart, genuine throwbacks.
we as humans are our own worst enemies. we are imploding.
who really cares about any of this nonsense anymore...
we'll all be dead soon
the new tech suits look feel and smell like neoprene. they are neoprene. so yes they are a form of cheating. FINA already blew it. the suits have been worn and records shattered. like i said before, its over. too late to go back. just as MLB blew it now swimming has blown it. damage is done. the integrity of the sport has been compromised.
this forum blasted Vlad P for doping yet all those that blasted him wear tech suits. is there a difference? which form of cheating gives a better time drop, PEDs or tech suits? arent we all cheaters?
again the root of all of this evil is the mighty $$$$$$$$. does anyone think that the makers of these suits give a sh*t about the integrity of the sport or the records of the past swim champions? nope. they just want their money.
where do we draw the line? suits, PEDs? what about creatine, muscle milk, ZMA, HMB, mahuang, Tribulus, and so on.....
what makes PEDs different from the chemicals you buy at GNC? why are they legal? non of this garbage was around when spitz swam, that dood had a mustache and didnt lift weights, he wore a nylon baggy suit.
to me the line between cheating and not cheating is very blurred.
so i think its over. is this progress? can you build a fence around progress and limit it? prob not. let it go. let it go down this path. its the new culture of sports and the world we live in.
all the crooked funny business started with politics. so i was disgusted and turned to sports for reality and clean healthy competitiveness. well, turns out that boxing went ugly. then baseball to save itself financially after a strike cancelled the world series, MLB turned its head to the drug problem and let mcguire, barry and sammy ruin it. then NASCAR blows up and those fellas get caught cheating on a weekly basis. then the track athletes, then the cyclists, then the NBA finds out refs are cheating................now swimming has been offically tainted, the one last clean sport, the sport we all grew up with that had a bunch of clean honest families participating.
ITS OVER FOLKS.
this isnt Mark spitz aau swimming anymore
its bong hittin self made millionaires like phelps wearing a crooked flatbill hanging out with ray lewis and lebron james and partying with rappers and strippers and warren sapp. its dopers trying to get sponsorships and fame. the sport has been pimped out to big money corporations run by CEOs that want to "get theirs"
all this being said - there are a couple of ok dudes left -
the only good guys left are lezak and piersol....soul guys full of heart, genuine throwbacks.
we as humans are our own worst enemies. we are imploding.
who really cares about any of this nonsense anymore...
we'll all be dead soon
