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:
Former Member
I have to agree also. It's a relief getting ready to swim the 1000 or 1650. It's agonizing for the 50.
Then again watching Fort or Wookie(e) on the blocks for a 1000 would be a sight to behold.
If you mess up a turn or anything else on one of the 50's during the long distance events, at least you can have a do over.
There's many more 50's to get it right.
One doesn't typically worry about "pacing" during a 50 ...
It's like the difference between a drag race (in, say, Concord, NC) and a Formula One race (in Austin, TX).
Of course there are those who would rather grab a bag of fried pork skins and a six pack and watch a drag race.
Well said. You know, before the start of my 1000 in Atlanta, I was so relaxed the timers had to wake me up. There are just so many things to think about during a 50--strategy, pacing, breathing pattern. Now I understand why all of the really smart people swim 50s.
You mock but that's the beauty of a 50 I can shut my overactive brain down and just fire the systems. Conversely nothing causes more thinking about interesting things like countless boring laps in a pool as you try to endure the ennui of a 400+ swim.
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:
Again, I repeat: :mooning:
And, I believe Swim Stud added perfect words to accompany my mooning "Smilie".
To all of the Forumites who are with me on this: :applaud:
It's nice to know we agree on this after the disasterous thread I posted on "Why I hate Tech Suits". :blush:
And, finally, USMS Fan: If you are truly a USMS fan, you would understand the wisdom of keeping ALL 50 yd events in USMS competition! I believe Chris, Fort, Wookie, and the others summed it up nicely. :cheerleader:
10x50 stroke of your choice on 2:00 interval - goal on each is best time +5s (from a push)
Distance swimmers could make this set going on a 1:00 interval.
Could you be a little more disrespectful to people that like to swim and are good at 50's and the 100 im? Training for sprint events requires just as much thought and effort put into their training as distances swimmers do(hate to break that too you)
They may not log thousands of yards of continous slow swimming each practice but when it is time to get up and go, they race at full speeds, very intensely. A distance swimmer that tried to honestly do a good sprint workout would see that speedsters train just has hard as distance swimmers, just without the long, slow yardage
first of all, the "summer League" comment was just a joke.
I have the utmost respect for sprinters who bust their hump in the pool(and out of the pool as well, :applaud:), aka The Fortress, Cesar Ciehlo and Jason Lezak just to name a few.
When our group did alot of sprinting workouts last summer, I scived at the thought of it but manned up and did it. I was also thinking, "Man, I would die if I had to sprint everyday!"
