Hi everyone:
I just turned 37 years old and I'm going through midlife crisis. Long story short, I just started swimming again last week, and timed myself in the 200 meter free. I came in just under 2:35. When I was a youngster many years ago, I tried the Pentathlon (Shooting, fencing, swimming, equestrian show jumping, running). I quickly excelled in all the disciplines and finished 5th in the US. What kept me from being a contender to make the U.S. team, was my swim. Back then, I swam a 2:31 (after 6 mo practice). In order to be a contender, I'd have to swim about a 2:12. I have no swim coach, but I have all the free time to dedicate myself, and just for my own sake I want to see if I could at some time in my life achieve something close to a 2:12. For all you older swimmers who I admire so much, can you give me some realistic words of encouragement - or a reality check?
Paul, let's face it. PETA stepped in early during your modern pentathalon career and protested that it's animal cruelty when the rider is bigger than the horse.
My one bit of advice to give to you, agingpentathlete, is to not go too crazy from the get go.
You have a long time to get in shape for the 2010 event. I fear that if you start swimming with the masters team next week (good idea) but push yourself to swim the entire practice in the fastest lane (eventually a good idea, but not a good idea without building up to it), you are asking for trouble. Read these threads long enough, and you will find that one of the most recurring topics is injuries, especially shoulder problems.
Mid-life crisis suggests to me a push to make a radical change, perhaps some kind of wiping-the-slate-clean rebirth, possibly following some sort of traumatic event. You mentioned you now have a lot of free time, which could mean a job loss, or a broken relationship, or a recent release from or incarceration in prison (I understand some of the California prisons have pools.) Whatever your situation, swimming will help you tremendously. But swimming too much too quickly will leave you open to injuries that you can avoid by a steady increase in yards and intensity over a reasonable amount of time (months, not days!)
One of the best swimmers I ever knew was a pentathlete. I also think that Gary Hall Sr. might have done this at one point in his career, but I am not certain.
Good luck.
Paul, let's face it. PETA stepped in early during your modern pentathalon career and protested that it's animal cruelty when the rider is bigger than the horse.
My one bit of advice to give to you, agingpentathlete, is to not go too crazy from the get go.
You have a long time to get in shape for the 2010 event. I fear that if you start swimming with the masters team next week (good idea) but push yourself to swim the entire practice in the fastest lane (eventually a good idea, but not a good idea without building up to it), you are asking for trouble. Read these threads long enough, and you will find that one of the most recurring topics is injuries, especially shoulder problems.
Mid-life crisis suggests to me a push to make a radical change, perhaps some kind of wiping-the-slate-clean rebirth, possibly following some sort of traumatic event. You mentioned you now have a lot of free time, which could mean a job loss, or a broken relationship, or a recent release from or incarceration in prison (I understand some of the California prisons have pools.) Whatever your situation, swimming will help you tremendously. But swimming too much too quickly will leave you open to injuries that you can avoid by a steady increase in yards and intensity over a reasonable amount of time (months, not days!)
One of the best swimmers I ever knew was a pentathlete. I also think that Gary Hall Sr. might have done this at one point in his career, but I am not certain.
Good luck.
