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:
First of all, I would like to thank USMS Fan for provoking a lively discussion. I do not think he is a troll, whatever this means exactly, but rather just a lively provocateur of debate for its own sake. Face it: without the suit issue to dead horse beat to death again and again, we argument buffs need fresh meat. I think USMS Fan has simply provided a fine hamburger slurry of it for our respective opinings.
The way I look at it is humans like to test the full spectrum of genetic/epigenetic/trainable attributes in the population at large.
Obviously, if you are a fast twitch predominate lunkhead, you are going to love sprinting. If you are a slow twitcher you are going to love distance. And if you are an amalgam of the two, you will love middle distance.
If your legs are bowled and/or you suffer other monstrous limb deformities, you might even like breaststroke!
The world is filled with all morphs of us, enough in each bin to create little competitive microcosms.
I, for instance, would love to see a middle distance swimming event during which the competitors must simultaneously come up with amusing vlog topics and worry themselves sick about their health. But there just aren't enough of my kind to justify creating a bin into which a competitive microcosm for such a parochial event might take place.
On the other hand, there are plenty of Leslie's and Paul Wolfe's who like to sprint (because, quite frankly, they just don't have the character to truly suffer); and there are plenty of Dave Barra's and Amanda Chickens of the Sea who like to circumnavigate populated islands nonstop (because, quite frankly, they are damaged goods.)
There are very few of us middle distance freestylers who truly define what swimming is all about--a magnificent bouillabaisse of elegance, power, endurance, courage, beauty, and magnetism to the young women who actually jockey about for the chance to shave our silvermane backs!
But do I want to consign sprints and distance or even that ludicrous breaststroke to the platypusary of swimming?
No.
For I understand that such comic events only serve as a foil to the grandest event of all: the 200 freestyle, race of the Lochtes, Biederbixbindernedermens, Thorntons, and similarly glorious Boy Kings of the Water!
First of all, I would like to thank USMS Fan for provoking a lively discussion. I do not think he is a troll, whatever this means exactly, but rather just a lively provocateur of debate for its own sake. Face it: without the suit issue to dead horse beat to death again and again, we argument buffs need fresh meat. I think USMS Fan has simply provided a fine hamburger slurry of it for our respective opinings.
The way I look at it is humans like to test the full spectrum of genetic/epigenetic/trainable attributes in the population at large.
Obviously, if you are a fast twitch predominate lunkhead, you are going to love sprinting. If you are a slow twitcher you are going to love distance. And if you are an amalgam of the two, you will love middle distance.
If your legs are bowled and/or you suffer other monstrous limb deformities, you might even like breaststroke!
The world is filled with all morphs of us, enough in each bin to create little competitive microcosms.
I, for instance, would love to see a middle distance swimming event during which the competitors must simultaneously come up with amusing vlog topics and worry themselves sick about their health. But there just aren't enough of my kind to justify creating a bin into which a competitive microcosm for such a parochial event might take place.
On the other hand, there are plenty of Leslie's and Paul Wolfe's who like to sprint (because, quite frankly, they just don't have the character to truly suffer); and there are plenty of Dave Barra's and Amanda Chickens of the Sea who like to circumnavigate populated islands nonstop (because, quite frankly, they are damaged goods.)
There are very few of us middle distance freestylers who truly define what swimming is all about--a magnificent bouillabaisse of elegance, power, endurance, courage, beauty, and magnetism to the young women who actually jockey about for the chance to shave our silvermane backs!
But do I want to consign sprints and distance or even that ludicrous breaststroke to the platypusary of swimming?
No.
For I understand that such comic events only serve as a foil to the grandest event of all: the 200 freestyle, race of the Lochtes, Biederbixbindernedermens, Thorntons, and similarly glorious Boy Kings of the Water!
