I think it was Ande that said "it's not how fast you swim, it's how fast you slow down." I read that a few years ago and keep on coming back to it as I have watched my kids grow in their USA Swimming careers. When kids are around 8-10, many of the races are 50s. Lots of kids can swim relatively fast 50s compared to other kids even when their stroke technique is truly awful. But then once the clock strikes 11 (years old), all of the 50s go away (less one) - and magically many of the kids with bad technique who seemed fast start losing to kids in the 100s and 200s with superior strokes. My question is at what age are we masters swimmers when we start thinking 50 backstroke, 50 butterfly and 50 breaststroke are OK to race again? It is not OK. It brings our sport down to a level where people who train only 100s or less and focus on 25s are taking over our pools. No more I say!!! I think USMS rules should only allow these races for people in their 70s and older. Who is with me?!!!
:worms: :bolt:
And one suggestion: I was recently in a track pentathlon that involved EVERYONE running 3000, 800, 200, 1500, and 400. So distance people and sprinters mixed it up, some excelling at the longer races, others the shorter distances. Everything was age graded, and person the highest overall age grade percent over five events won. How cool would it be if there were something similar in swimming! Wouldn't have to be five events... maybe 3-4, maybe more... They could range from, say, the 50 to the 800. It would give everyone a chance to appreciate the challenge offered by others' distances. (And everyone would be in equal need of pain relievers, lol!).
What this also offers is the chance to discover abilities at events one hadn't thought were "strong" ones. Just a thought.
The Kedron pool in Peachtree City, Georgia, hosts a USMS meet every September that is a Pentathlon. You have the choice of doing one of the following:
1. 50 yd. race of each stroke, as well as the 100IM
2. 100 yd. race of each stroke, as well as the 200IM
3. The Iron Man: 200 yd race of each stroke, as well as the 400IM. (And, yes, it's all in one day! :afraid:)
As a breaststroker who would like to eventually compete in fly (and possibly IM if I can ever get my backstroke speed faster than my breaststroke speed), this is a great meet for me to try! But, there is no way I would enter it if I didn't have the option of doing just the 50's and 100IM.
And one suggestion: I was recently in a track pentathlon that involved EVERYONE running 3000, 800, 200, 1500, and 400. So distance people and sprinters mixed it up, some excelling at the longer races, others the shorter distances. Everything was age graded, and person the highest overall age grade percent over five events won. How cool would it be if there were something similar in swimming! Wouldn't have to be five events... maybe 3-4, maybe more... They could range from, say, the 50 to the 800. It would give everyone a chance to appreciate the challenge offered by others' distances. (And everyone would be in equal need of pain relievers, lol!).
What this also offers is the chance to discover abilities at events one hadn't thought were "strong" ones. Just a thought.
The Kedron pool in Peachtree City, Georgia, hosts a USMS meet every September that is a Pentathlon. You have the choice of doing one of the following:
1. 50 yd. race of each stroke, as well as the 100IM
2. 100 yd. race of each stroke, as well as the 200IM
3. The Iron Man: 200 yd race of each stroke, as well as the 400IM. (And, yes, it's all in one day! :afraid:)
As a breaststroker who would like to eventually compete in fly (and possibly IM if I can ever get my backstroke speed faster than my breaststroke speed), this is a great meet for me to try! But, there is no way I would enter it if I didn't have the option of doing just the 50's and 100IM.
