Well, I'm coming back to swim at Master's meets after a 5 year hiatus (surgeries, etc) and find that I cannot wear my "Farmer John" suit bought in 2000 and worn in 4 previous national meets (except this spring). Not a "tech" suit by any means but a hell of a beer-gut bra! Not sure I would get on the blocks without it so the hiatus may continue. Is it worth alienating us "plus-sized" guys over this silly rule? I suppose it will give me yet another reason to dump some weight. Looks like those other 50+ breaststrokers won't get beat by this fat guy any time soon.
Anyone else out there feel the same? I know most of you out there don't have this problem but to have a rule that reduces participation seems counterproductive.
Lee Rider
Fort Bragg, CA
If you tell me that, honestly, you find such behavior distracting and (more importantly) detrimental to you own race then perhaps I will reconsider my stance...
It's absolutely distracting and absolutely detrimental to someone else's race.
If I'm next to you, and we're the same speed (which would be expected if we're seeded next to each other), then there are at least two issues:
Distracting: I don't notice anything during fly, since you're doing fly. During the backstroke, I probably don't notice anything because I'm on my back, and you're probably just out of my view. However, when I turn onto breaststroke, I'm going to naturally spend the entire breaststroke length wondering why the %$#$% you're still doing fly. That distracts me from me race. Maybe I don't notice the person on the other side of me who's catching me on the breaststroke.
Detrimental: Butterfly is a stroke that naturally causes a lot of water turbulence. Anyone who has ever done a butterfly set with more than one person per lane knows this. In the aforementioned race, when I turn onto the breaststroke, you're going to at least then be pulling ahead of me. I'm going to be doing my breaststroke eating your butterfly kick wake, which is quite turbulent. That will slow me down since my water will be far less smooth.
So there you are... distracting, and detrimental.
-Rick
If you tell me that, honestly, you find such behavior distracting and (more importantly) detrimental to you own race then perhaps I will reconsider my stance...
It's absolutely distracting and absolutely detrimental to someone else's race.
If I'm next to you, and we're the same speed (which would be expected if we're seeded next to each other), then there are at least two issues:
Distracting: I don't notice anything during fly, since you're doing fly. During the backstroke, I probably don't notice anything because I'm on my back, and you're probably just out of my view. However, when I turn onto breaststroke, I'm going to naturally spend the entire breaststroke length wondering why the %$#$% you're still doing fly. That distracts me from me race. Maybe I don't notice the person on the other side of me who's catching me on the breaststroke.
Detrimental: Butterfly is a stroke that naturally causes a lot of water turbulence. Anyone who has ever done a butterfly set with more than one person per lane knows this. In the aforementioned race, when I turn onto the breaststroke, you're going to at least then be pulling ahead of me. I'm going to be doing my breaststroke eating your butterfly kick wake, which is quite turbulent. That will slow me down since my water will be far less smooth.
So there you are... distracting, and detrimental.
-Rick
