Why do some return and some do not?

- Lack of knowledge about the range of performances in masters swimming - not every former swimmer is Mike Ross, Chris Stevenson, Paul Smith-esque when returning to the pool Jim, great point. And not everyone was at that level to begin with. There are lots of articles and features featuring many of USMS' best performers in USMS Swimmer, the website, these forums, etc., and I think this is part of the reason why we find so many casual swimmers doing rec swim at our pools who see no benefit to joining USMS. I hear it all the time: "Masters - oh, that's for fast people, I'm not fast..." All of us here know this is a misconception... but is it? Aside from the handful of these swimmers, there are tens of thousands of others who are working just as hard who break barriers of the non-world record kind. I think it would help to showcase more of the Average Joe and Joanna swimmer, who makes up probably 95% of our membership, and paint a fuller picture of the swimmers that make up USMS. To address the thread topic, I think it would help if more people understood that most of our membership have a 40+hour/wk job and put our kids ahead of our own schedules and still somehow find time to squeeze in workouts and swim a meet or two now and then. That may help some of our missing comrades back into our sport.

Jim, great point. And not everyone was at that level to begin with. There are lots of articles and features featuring many of USMS' best performers in USMS Swimmer, the website, these forums, etc., and I think this is part of the reason why we find so many casual swimmers doing rec swim at our pools who see no benefit to joining USMS. I hear it all the time: "Masters - oh, that's for fast people, I'm not fast..." All of us here know this is a misconception... but is it? Yes it is. At any Masters meet, who gets the biggest cheers? The oldest and/or slowest competitors. Consistently. Contrast that with some elite-level performances that I've seen that were met with (admittedly, awed) silence. I think most outsiders' light bulbs go on once they see the raucous cheering for the 90 year olds, but then again... if they never actually see it, then that light bulb never goes on.

what would people (or he) think if he didn't match his old times? Nothing. If he did match his old times, most people's jaws would drop. You are not supposed to be as fast as you get older as you were in your prime. Not everyone understands that of course, but when you are conning Vols into competing again, don't tell him about the swimmers who are actually getting younger as they age up.

I will be sure not to pass that on to him :) By the way, I am getting faster as I age. I am now, at 39, beating my high school times. Probably not something I want to tell Jeremy to get him to compete, huh?! I guess I wasn't in my "prime" back then though. You are not alone, and I hope to join you. I hope you are in your prime now, and it continues for another 70 years or so ;) But what I really meant is that there are a lot of masters swimming faster in later age groups then they did in their earlier age groups as Masters. Some were so fast to begin with that I have accused them of actually getting younger.

I believe he's one very, very fast Breaststroker with the initials JL who went to Tennessee in the 90s. Nice racing yesterday, btw, especially the 400. Jeremy Linn, okay, got it! Thanks, was content with my frees for a first (and only) LCM meet in 18 years.....and considering we are in jammers none. You pretty much have to throw the conversion thing out the window from the meet last month.

I believe he's one very, very fast Breaststroker with the initials JL who went to Tennessee in the 90s. Nice racing yesterday, btw, especially the 400. Sorry, but WHO is your coach?

Time is a commodity. How you spend it matters. Realizing this led me back to swimming. :applaud:

I think a key word is missing here. I think that word is "meters." :bow: Not quite. It was a yards meet in a slow pool, though. I don't know how Jeremy stays in shape on a regular basis but I can tell you that when he demonstrates the ab work to us, he's perfect. His abs are super strong. I would guess he still does the whole routine at home every day. He also occasionally runs with us as part of dry land. Although that doesn't happen as often since he broke 3 bones in his foot last Nov 13th - same day I had my ankle surgery. We had matching walking boots.

You could try to tell him that he doesn't have to swim breastroke. He could do other events. As graceful of a breastroker that he was, I am sure he would do just as well in other strokes. He started out his age group days as a backstroker. The last meet he swam in was in 2006 where he did a sub 1:00 100 IM. I only wish I were that fast! You are not alone, and I hope to join you. I hope you are in your prime now, and it continues for another 70 years or so ;) But what I really meant is that there are a lot of masters swimming faster in later age groups then they did in their earlier age groups as Masters. Some were so fast to begin with that I have accused them of actually getting younger. Gottcha! I hope to be in that same category as I age. As I've gotten older not only have I changed teams and there fore, I feel, gotten better coaching, but I've also added dry land and doing things differently (ART stretching, protein after workouts, etc) which I think has helped a lot!

For whatever reason, if I ever quit I would certainly return. It's already my 2nd year swimming, and right now I feel I'm in it for the long haul. One thing, I have only attended 2 coached practices because I am very lazy towards workouts. I love racing and just swimming on my own