Hi everybody,
I am a new contributor to the forum, though I have been reading the threads here for a long time.
I am interested to hear stories from masters swimmers who are competing because of 'unfinished business' from their high school swimming days/college swimming days.etc
I swam in college and graduated in 2006. The college was D1 but one of the slower conferences. I was not close to making NCAA's. I have swam a little bit of masters on and off since then. It's been on my mind for quite a while but recently I realized how much 'unresolved swimming regrets' I have. I have decided to up my training and see what I can do.
So I guess my question is, for all of you who have returned feeling like you have some gas left in the tank, how has your experience been? Any words of advice or wisdom to share? And the ultimate question, have you managed to exorcise any of those swim demons by returning?
Thanks in advance for reading this.
Parents
Former Member
Hmmmm good question - I often find myself in the land of "what if?" with my swimming.
I swam at a semi-competitive club as a kid (in the UK), never made a district qualifying time let alone a national one, but was top of our very much B-grade leagues. Went to college and basically gave it up as I was then going to be relegated to the reecreational-only lane. The competitive squad was made up of those who had swum daily in the "big leagues".
Eight years later I started masters having put on a bit of weight and got really unfit. Anyway, I got the competition bug back, met some great people who convinced me I was actually pretty good. We had a great coach and at the ripe old age of 30 I lucked out and won a national gold for my 800 free just 9 months after having my 1st baby. The following year I set 4 best ever freestyle times in the 200,400,800 and 1500. Since then I have had another baby and moved to the US, and only got back into competing last summer when my oldest was swimming summer league.
I train on my own right now, but once my youngest is in school I'll likely join a team. So I often wonder what if I had swum with the big leagues as a kid and had "proper" training? would I still enjoy it now? would I be trying for records instead of the top 10 on unpopular events? Or would I have been burned out and not got back in the water?
So yes - I guess I still have a lot of unfinished business :laugh2:. Here's some of my "unfinished business" I hope to complete in the next 3 or so years.....
To break 1.00 for 100 SCY free
To break 6.00 on a 500 yd free
To swim a 400 IM in competition
To swim 200 fly again
If I don't have a goal, I'm not motivated to swim as hard in the pool. :D
Hmmmm good question - I often find myself in the land of "what if?" with my swimming.
I swam at a semi-competitive club as a kid (in the UK), never made a district qualifying time let alone a national one, but was top of our very much B-grade leagues. Went to college and basically gave it up as I was then going to be relegated to the reecreational-only lane. The competitive squad was made up of those who had swum daily in the "big leagues".
Eight years later I started masters having put on a bit of weight and got really unfit. Anyway, I got the competition bug back, met some great people who convinced me I was actually pretty good. We had a great coach and at the ripe old age of 30 I lucked out and won a national gold for my 800 free just 9 months after having my 1st baby. The following year I set 4 best ever freestyle times in the 200,400,800 and 1500. Since then I have had another baby and moved to the US, and only got back into competing last summer when my oldest was swimming summer league.
I train on my own right now, but once my youngest is in school I'll likely join a team. So I often wonder what if I had swum with the big leagues as a kid and had "proper" training? would I still enjoy it now? would I be trying for records instead of the top 10 on unpopular events? Or would I have been burned out and not got back in the water?
So yes - I guess I still have a lot of unfinished business :laugh2:. Here's some of my "unfinished business" I hope to complete in the next 3 or so years.....
To break 1.00 for 100 SCY free
To break 6.00 on a 500 yd free
To swim a 400 IM in competition
To swim 200 fly again
If I don't have a goal, I'm not motivated to swim as hard in the pool. :D
