competing vs. not competing

RE: competing vs. not competing

Former Member — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 13:12:08 GMT

I train with people who train hard but never compete and I just don't get it. If I don't compete, eventually, I won't train very hard. That will lead to not training at all. I need to have goals and train for meets so this way, I will keep the training going. I think it depends, as Jeeves would say, on the psychology of the individual. Some get more gratification out of the daily workouts per se, and others want a long term structure to training with a big meet at the end of it.

RE: competing vs. not competing

__steve__ — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:30:33 GMT

I compete every chance I get but I don't practice too hard. This is my first season swimming, been to 3 meets, but I have only attended 2 coached practices. This is partially due to my work schedule, but another reason is my practice swimming is very laid back and enjoyable, maybe only 2 - 3 minutes of suffering throughout. Even if I'm slow and come close to last place, as long as my times still improve I will keep the same method. At some point I will hit a wall, then I might have to change things.

RE: competing vs. not competing

orca1946 — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 01:12:58 GMT

My wife calls it working out.

RE: competing vs. not competing

Former Member — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 16:04:06 GMT

I think people who can train hard and not need to compete are gifted. Unfortunately I am afflicted with the "must compete or I'll sleep in and have ice cream for breakfast" group. However, while I do most of my swim training in a pool, I only race in open water.

RE: competing vs. not competing

Former Member — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 12:38:09 GMT

I fall into the train and non-compete category, like the majority (around 70-80%) of registered USMS members. On my team, we have ample opportunity to do timed swims, before/during/after workouts, and I'll do those on a regular basis, and those are more than enough to satisfy any competition bug I may get. I used to do 2-3 meets a year, and did the USMS national meet when it was local, but I just saw little reason to compete when I'm not even close to NQT's. The primary reason I workout is for general health and fitness. The results I see in the mirror and hear from others (especially my doctor) are far more important than how fast I can or can't swim. I swim with USMS teams 99% of the time, and if I don't show for workout, I'll usually get a comment from the coach or a fellow swimmer when I miss. Once I'm there, I'll do whatever the coach says to do. The coaches do a fantastic job motivating me--and everyone else--by recording times, keeping team records, etc. I don't compete in pools anymore. I like OW races because it is about the race not the time. And in every OW rce there are always races within a race. For example in a 5K last year a group broke from the front so fast I never had a shot, but half way into the race a group of us had come together and we raced stroke for stroke, each of us trying to break away. It came down to the lake 400 meters. Lots of fun.

RE: competing vs. not competing

Former Member — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 09:19:45 GMT

People at the Y call me Michael Phelps, but I have to explain to them how in reality I really suck. Yeah, I get some of that non-reality-based feedback too. Good grief! But if I tell people that my swimming is just awful, that translates to them that they REALLY suck, a put-down for them. Most of the population can't even swim at all, so their even more humble abilities may still be something they are proud of (deservedly so). It could be convincing somebody who could enjoy swimming with a Masters group that they aren't good enough. So it's best to just smile and just tell them they are being nice/generous; and that you've been doing this for a long time, etc.

RE: competing vs. not competing

Former Member — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 08:47:39 GMT

I definately compete so I have goals to keep me working hard. Ironically, most all of my measurable improvement is from workouts and not races. I have dropped my repeat times per hundred about 10 seconds with 30 seconds less rest - yet my 100 race time has only improved 1 second. I hope this improvement will at least manifest when I switch back to distance races this summer! I don't care that much but I admit it is also a little humbling getting my butt kicked in meets. People at the Y call me Michael Phelps, but I have to explain to them how in reality I really suck.

RE: competing vs. not competing

aztimm — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 08:10:24 GMT

RE: competing vs. not competing

swim4me — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 06:10:58 GMT

I love to be in the water. I like the feel of it. I like how I feel as I swim. I sometimes compete, but I don't have to. I swim because I enjoy swimming. :fish2:

RE: competing vs. not competing

Former Member — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 05:47:56 GMT

If I were gifted, I would enjoy going to swim meets more. Finishing DFL or otherwise finishing slower than people who do much less training lacks appeal.

RE: competing vs. not competing

Michael Martin — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 01:56:29 GMT

Nancy, I have to say that's the position I find myself in currently. I think that's why I am questioning whether to compete or not.

RE: competing vs. not competing

osterber — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 01:07:14 GMT

I prefer to train hard, and then run meets. :-) -Rick

RE: competing vs. not competing

tjrpatt — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 01:05:19 GMT

I think people who can train hard and not need to compete are gifted. That takes discipline to just train and train without anything to shoot for.

RE: competing vs. not competing

Allen Stark — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 12:07:44 GMT

I couldn't motivate myself to train hard if I didn't compete,but that's just me.Ultimately swimming is something you do for yourself,so do it your way.

RE: competing vs. not competing

Rykno — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 08:59:24 GMT

I found it difficult to train hard without having a meet to compete in. setting goals for practice is one thing, but having goal times for races is what drives me.

RE: competing vs. not competing

Former Member — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 08:00:16 GMT

I definitely fall into the category of training hard and not competing.

RE: competing vs. not competing

Former Member — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 07:10:58 GMT

I compete with myself and the clock. That is why I like having "benchmark sets" at practice now and then. I don't enjoy workouts near as much if I am at a facility without paceclocks when I forget my wristwatch. It does help me to have a future focus meet to help motivation on feeling-lazy days.

RE: competing vs. not competing

Former Member — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:22:05 GMT

It's personal. If you're basically a lazy person, like me, then you won't stay fit unless you have an impending competition or some looming deadline.

RE: competing vs. not competing

Former Member — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 12:21:30 GMT

Is it wrong to compete hard and not train? Is it not hard to compete and train wrong? To train and compete hard, is it not?

RE: competing vs. not competing

floswimmer — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 10:13:06 GMT

Do what makes you HAPPY:)

RE: competing vs. not competing

jessicafk11 — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 08:22:39 GMT

If you want to train hard but don't want to compete for whatever reason, there's nothing wrong with that. I like competing although I don't get to do it much. I find it helps motivate me on days when that motivation is lagging although there are days I really push it without a meet in sight! It's all about enjoying your time in the pool, do whatever floats your boat!

RE: competing vs. not competing

Glenn — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 07:35:07 GMT

For those of us who love to compete, it is hard to imagine not doing so. However, there is certainly nothing at all wrong with working out hard and not competing. I know I get much satisfaction doing a descending set well or negative splitting a 400 or predicting my time on a repeat to within a tenth of a second. These of course are mini competitions or self competitions that make a swim enjoyable and challenging for me. Of course there is the fact that swimming hard and swimming well just feels good! All that said, I am looking forward to my next meet.:D

RE: competing vs. not competing

tjrpatt — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 07:13:05 GMT

RE: competing vs. not competing

Elaine Krugman — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 06:26:20 GMT

Is it wrong to train hard, but not compete? Do what makes YOU happy! :bliss:

RE: competing vs. not competing

swim4me — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 06:19:17 GMT

Not at all :fish2: