New here so apologies if this is well-trodden territory, but I'm a 41 year old former age group swimmer. I was pretty good, not great but decided to quit swimming at 17 to pursue "other interests" in college. Basically, I just burned out.
Recently, I found myself back in the pool and have swum a few meets and really love it. My times have been pretty good but I wonder if I can ever do a lifetime best at this age? Anybody out there in their 40's or so continuing to kill it in the pool? What are my chances? So far I'm within 2 or 3 seconds of my best 100fr (:49+) and 100br (1:03).
My guess is that if those times are for yards then I would say you've got a good shot. I had a similar time for the 100yd free back in the day and I am within 1/2-1 second of reaching that time. Also, I think that given the swimsuit technology today (he said as he opened the can), I think it should be very "doable."
Ultimately go in with the mindset of beating that time and start training for it. Good luck. :bouncing:
I don't see why not. Just train smarter, not harder and you should be able to reach those times. Especially the ***. The new Breaststroke rules ROCK compared to when you and I were swimming it.
Yes, it's entirely possible, but it depends upon how much and what kind of training you do from now until you develop the ability. Recently I swam times that were close to what I did as a Senior in high school. If swimming those times is your goal, it is likely to take considerable effort.
Ande
New here so apologies if this is well-trodden territory, but I'm a 41 year old former age group swimmer. I was pretty good, not great but decided to quit swimming at 17 to pursue "other interests" in college. Basically, I just burned out.
Recently, I found myself back in the pool and have swum a few meets and really love it. My times have been pretty good but I wonder if I can ever do a lifetime best at this age? Anybody out there in their 40's or so continuing to kill it in the pool? What are my chances? So far I'm within 2 or 3 seconds of my best 100fr (:49+) and 100br (1:03).
I'm 36, so a little younger, but I've already eclipsed my best 100 FR time from my youth, though I rarely swam that race back in the day. I was and am a breaststroker, and so far I'm about 1.5 seconds off my personal best 100 BR time.* My best Masters 200 BR time is about 6 seconds slower than my "all time" PB. The significant reduction in yardage from my youth really hurts me there, I think. But with smart training, I think that you can still swim as fast as you did as a kid at the shorter distances you're talking about. I certainly hope to!
*Full disclosure--I *was* wearing a B70 when I swam my best Masters time (though it was the older pointZero3 model) so that might have helped a little.My Masters personal best in a "regular" suit is about 2.0 seconds slower than my lifetime PB, so at most the suit can be credited for .5 seconds, though many other factors could have been responsible for some or all of the difference in my times as well.
I am 32 and 15 seconds off my lifetime best in my 200 LCM fly(2:28.59). I did a 2:13 at 18 and when I was 70 lbs lighter. If I can do that kind of time in a middle Linebacker's body, it is possible. Then again, when I was 70 lighter, I still sort of have a middle linebacker's build
I would say so. I have beaten or am less than a half a second off my best time for my 100 Free and 100 Fly. 100 Back I'm still a couple of seconds off. I have not swam my HS events, 500 fr, 200 fr, 200 IM, as a master though. I had only been back in the water after a shoulder issue that kept me out of the water for over a year. Also I was just wearing regular jammers, nothing fancy.
At 40 years old, my times are all faster than my high school best times (except for the 200/500 free). Some of the time drops are significant (23.5 to 21.9 in the 50 free). But I never took any time off and weigh the same as I did in high school, so I may not be a good data point. But to answer the original question: yes, it can be done.
Lastly: nobody has mentioned it yet, but Dara Torres has been setting American Records in her 40s (and obviously doing lifetime bests in order to do so).
My sister, Aida Davis, swam competitively for 5 years and quit at 16. Her PB in 100m free was 1'10"
13 years ago at 46 she started training again. Her first international masters championship was in Michigan, 1996, her time 1'17".
Her last one was Perth, 2008, at 59, 1'11", and a gold medal. Shortly afterwards she went 1'9"95, improving her PB. She wore a B70.
She trains smarter now, swimming being her main activity.
