When I started swimming masters a few years ago, I soon found myself wanting some time standards to compare myself against. Sure, tracking my own PRs is motivating, but I also wanted some sort of objective mark to measure myself against.
There is the Top 10 list, of course, but I'm not close enough to those times for them to serve as realistic motivation. Nationals qualifying times provide a slightly lower bar, but these are still out of many masters' reach. It seems like there should be some sort of time standards that are more widely applicable -- like the A, AA, ... motivational times in kids' age group swimming.
I did use those USA Swimming motivational times for a while, but I got tired of comparing myself to 12-year-olds. Eventually I decided to create my own masters' motivational time standards, using the same method that is used for the kids.
I have really enjoyed using these motivational times over the past couple of years, and I'm guessing they might be useful to others as well. Especially for those, like me, who are competitive enough to be motivated by a quantitative benchmark, but not fast enough to aspire to the Top 10 list.
I have just updated the SCY list, and figured I would post it here for others to use.
Please enjoy. I'd also love to hear any feedback.
Thanks. I will talk to the undertaker about the hull speed of my future coffin.
Perhaps this will keep me afloat as I cross the river Styxx, joining Dylan Thomas on the far banks in the not too distant future.
LOL. One of my best ever masters races was a 200 SCM free in a lane right next to Dave Radcliff, who was 74 at the time. I was 47. I had a modest lead at the first 50 and kept it until the final lap - he outkicked me and had a great finish. I was happy with my time (a 3 second PR) and really enjoyed the race. I shook his hand and offered congrats on a great race. A couple of weeks later he was in our area and worked out with us - a really fun guy to swim with and dangerous in any distance of free. He has a younger spirit than some of my 9 year old age group swimmers and calls me and my hubby, who is your age, "kids". It's all perspective.
I also just had a relay experience where I was down over a 1/2 lap of the pool on the fly leg of a 400 Medley Relay and chased down and caught a swimmer 12 years my junior. She knew I was coming fast and her swim was a PR of 4 seconds - again, great race. I think one of the very best things about masters is getting to race against anyone who is close to you in speed.
--mj
p.s. I never get any sympathy from the DH about my age, as he's always 8.75 years older.
Thanks. I will talk to the undertaker about the hull speed of my future coffin.
Perhaps this will keep me afloat as I cross the river Styxx, joining Dylan Thomas on the far banks in the not too distant future.
LOL. One of my best ever masters races was a 200 SCM free in a lane right next to Dave Radcliff, who was 74 at the time. I was 47. I had a modest lead at the first 50 and kept it until the final lap - he outkicked me and had a great finish. I was happy with my time (a 3 second PR) and really enjoyed the race. I shook his hand and offered congrats on a great race. A couple of weeks later he was in our area and worked out with us - a really fun guy to swim with and dangerous in any distance of free. He has a younger spirit than some of my 9 year old age group swimmers and calls me and my hubby, who is your age, "kids". It's all perspective.
I also just had a relay experience where I was down over a 1/2 lap of the pool on the fly leg of a 400 Medley Relay and chased down and caught a swimmer 12 years my junior. She knew I was coming fast and her swim was a PR of 4 seconds - again, great race. I think one of the very best things about masters is getting to race against anyone who is close to you in speed.
--mj
p.s. I never get any sympathy from the DH about my age, as he's always 8.75 years older.
