This has been something I've wondered the last few years. I used to be a college swimmer, fit and trim, but the 10 years since then I've drank my fair share of beer and ate plenty of cheeseburgers. Just curious what peoples' take is on how much the extra baggage really effects swim races.
I don't really fit the swimmer mold anymore. I'm 31, 6'2", and 270lbs with a huge beer gut. I got some strange looks since the meet i was in recently was a USAS meet and I outweighed my competition by 100lbs in many cases. My first race in about 5 years i went 23.4 in the 50y free. I didn't expect to be that fast at this weight but at the same time I almost wonder if the added intertia is helping me more on the start and turns. Followed it up with a low 52 in the 100y free but I had a horrible reaction on the start and incorrect pacing. I think if i raced again today that'd be deep in the 51 range. For reference, typical non-taper times for me in college were in the low-mid 22 range at just a tick over 200lbs but I was obviously a lot stronger, younger, and doing a TON more yards at the time, that's why it makes me wonder just how much the weight is actually holding me back.
How much time do you think I stand to drop if i were 50lbs lighter? Could it be a measurable difference or something just slight? I guess I ask that to see if it'd be worth my while to drop that much weight quickly by dieting in addition to the swimming i'm doing. I don't really like dieting, and i generally eat what I want, when i want. Not gorging myself at every meal doesn't really seem to fit into my lifestyle :blush: Anyone have a similar story? "I dropped XX lbs and went XX seconds faster because of it."
Maybe it's an immeasurable, but I thought I'd ask for opinion anyway. I'm hoping it doesn't turn into a "to diet or not to diet" discussion though.
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Former Member
No, no! Keep posting your times. In a way, having a range of times at your current weight is very helpful because it will show the range of fluctuation that's due to variables other than weight. In other words, if your 50 time remains around 23.3, give or take a few tenths here and there, while your weight remains at 258, give or take a few lbs. here and there, then it will make for a much more convincing case in the future, when you are swimming 20 lbs. lighter and (we all hope!) a half second faster.
A couple additional notes:
Personally, I would recommend not getting too hung up on your weight.
..
Two things that might help in the weight lost department...
Didn't want to quote it all so i kindof abbreviated your post.
For the times thats exactly what I was thinking, it kindof averages things out at a given weight even though theres not much change the last few results.
Definately not mentally hung up on weight loss or anything like that. Alcohol... not a daily or even weekly thing lately. Just social. And I sleep great, no snoring, and always wake up feeling fresh and well rested. My bad habit is food. I eat junk food, and a lot of it :angel:
Slowly but surely its dropping off though. What isn't reflected by lack of updates was a weight gain back to the upper 260's around nov-dec... :)
I'll email you soon though. While I don't feel the apnea applies to me, i'd like to read the metabolism article. Thats always been intriguing to me.
Thanks for the thoughts and input. :woot:
No, no! Keep posting your times. In a way, having a range of times at your current weight is very helpful because it will show the range of fluctuation that's due to variables other than weight. In other words, if your 50 time remains around 23.3, give or take a few tenths here and there, while your weight remains at 258, give or take a few lbs. here and there, then it will make for a much more convincing case in the future, when you are swimming 20 lbs. lighter and (we all hope!) a half second faster.
A couple additional notes:
Personally, I would recommend not getting too hung up on your weight.
..
Two things that might help in the weight lost department...
Didn't want to quote it all so i kindof abbreviated your post.
For the times thats exactly what I was thinking, it kindof averages things out at a given weight even though theres not much change the last few results.
Definately not mentally hung up on weight loss or anything like that. Alcohol... not a daily or even weekly thing lately. Just social. And I sleep great, no snoring, and always wake up feeling fresh and well rested. My bad habit is food. I eat junk food, and a lot of it :angel:
Slowly but surely its dropping off though. What isn't reflected by lack of updates was a weight gain back to the upper 260's around nov-dec... :)
I'll email you soon though. While I don't feel the apnea applies to me, i'd like to read the metabolism article. Thats always been intriguing to me.
Thanks for the thoughts and input. :woot:
