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 don't have any records and probably never will, but I don't understand why they are so meaningless. Are only records set in USA Swimming meaningful? Having a masters NR or WR seems pretty impressive to me. Are recent swims by Mike Ross or Rich Abrahams or SVDL or other masters studs really meaningless? Don't they reflect excellence at a given age? Or is age 40 or 50 just intrinsically less important than age 20 or 25? To me, my current life seems far more important than the past.
I don't mean that what Mike Ross, Rich Abrahams, SVDL and many others accomplish is not important to them and many of us. I am personally in awe of their accomplishments as masters. I am not elite by any means as well, but I think in swimming what you do when you are at your peak is more important than when you are not (due to age, lack of fitness, etc.). I think Ande has a general rule that how fast you can go as a masters swimmer is largely defined by how fast you were at your peak. I am sure there are some exceptions, but not many. The only reason I have ever made a top ten in masters is because the many people that beat me in my youth don't participate in masters for whatever reason. Am I a better swimmer than them because I participate now? No, absolutely not. The participation in masters for health and fun is what is most important. Masters records and top tens are merely a side-show to keep some of us participating, motivated, and our egos stroked.
Tim
I don't have any records and probably never will, but I don't understand why they are so meaningless. Are only records set in USA Swimming meaningful? Having a masters NR or WR seems pretty impressive to me. Are recent swims by Mike Ross or Rich Abrahams or SVDL or other masters studs really meaningless? Don't they reflect excellence at a given age? Or is age 40 or 50 just intrinsically less important than age 20 or 25? To me, my current life seems far more important than the past.
I don't mean that what Mike Ross, Rich Abrahams, SVDL and many others accomplish is not important to them and many of us. I am personally in awe of their accomplishments as masters. I am not elite by any means as well, but I think in swimming what you do when you are at your peak is more important than when you are not (due to age, lack of fitness, etc.). I think Ande has a general rule that how fast you can go as a masters swimmer is largely defined by how fast you were at your peak. I am sure there are some exceptions, but not many. The only reason I have ever made a top ten in masters is because the many people that beat me in my youth don't participate in masters for whatever reason. Am I a better swimmer than them because I participate now? No, absolutely not. The participation in masters for health and fun is what is most important. Masters records and top tens are merely a side-show to keep some of us participating, motivated, and our egos stroked.
Tim
