Why does it appear many masters swimmers are taking USMS so seriously?
What's the difference between the typical "selfish train all day", "it's all about me" triathlete and a masters swimmer who seriously trains as hard as they can.... particularly to focus on setting masters records?
Seems like there is a growing parallel between triathletes and many masters swimmers these days.
Isn't it just "masters swimming" for health and fun in the end?
Does a masters record really mean that much?
Is this a good thing? ..... or a turn off for those who look on with amusement.
I think in some ways I can understand what Mr. Negative is saying. I think, unfortunately, there is a "take things too seriously crowd" in every aspect of life. For example, when my husband took a job in the little town we now live in, his firm offered to pay the dues if we joined the local country club. At first, I really didn't want to join because there were people that belonged to it that acted like they were royalty simply because they belonged to the little town country club. I liked to refer to them as the "nouveau riche" or "nouveaus" for fun. I really didn't want to be around it.
When we decided to start a family, I reluctantly agreed to join. I did have to swallow hard for awhile and even came close to buying an $800 rusted out pick-up truck that you had to turn on with a screwdriver for the purpose of driving it up to the club. I couldn't decide whether I should wear a pair of Daisy Dukes and get out at the swimming pool or borrow a $2,000 dress from a friend and get out of the truck at the clubhouse for Sunday brunch.
In the end, I decided not to buy the truck and to shape up my attitude as my sister pointed out that I had a reverse form of snobbery. If the "noveaus" looked down their nose at me for not acting like they did, I was just as bad as they were for mocking them.
It is a shame that the former champion swimmers don't join masters. With their laid-back, let's just have fun attitude, they would be good role models for the over-the-top swimmers. In the end though, the ones that don't join are only hurting themselves.
I think in some ways I can understand what Mr. Negative is saying. I think, unfortunately, there is a "take things too seriously crowd" in every aspect of life. For example, when my husband took a job in the little town we now live in, his firm offered to pay the dues if we joined the local country club. At first, I really didn't want to join because there were people that belonged to it that acted like they were royalty simply because they belonged to the little town country club. I liked to refer to them as the "nouveau riche" or "nouveaus" for fun. I really didn't want to be around it.
When we decided to start a family, I reluctantly agreed to join. I did have to swallow hard for awhile and even came close to buying an $800 rusted out pick-up truck that you had to turn on with a screwdriver for the purpose of driving it up to the club. I couldn't decide whether I should wear a pair of Daisy Dukes and get out at the swimming pool or borrow a $2,000 dress from a friend and get out of the truck at the clubhouse for Sunday brunch.
In the end, I decided not to buy the truck and to shape up my attitude as my sister pointed out that I had a reverse form of snobbery. If the "noveaus" looked down their nose at me for not acting like they did, I was just as bad as they were for mocking them.
It is a shame that the former champion swimmers don't join masters. With their laid-back, let's just have fun attitude, they would be good role models for the over-the-top swimmers. In the end though, the ones that don't join are only hurting themselves.
