Solo Swimmers

This is the third in a series of articles I have written dedicated to the solo swimmer: www.swimspire.com/.../ Elaine, it was such a pleasure reading and publishing this article! Great inspiration for staying motivated!

Year: 1977Overall Record: 8-1Conference Record: 8-1Awards: Co-Conference ChampionsTeam Roster:NameCindy CurranCindy DakisJean JenkinsJoan PhilbinKathy HamiltonKaty SchneiderKelly HamillKim DecomaKim McGuyLenise LesterMary HughesPam NoukouPatty StrangeRoberta StockStacey FresonkeWendy DakisCoaches:Sandy Carney-Golden West Community college. I use my nickname Cindy in those days. Working for some workouts in my senior years and proof I swam when I was younger.

I also enjoyed Elaine K's post. I think one thing I see as a huge problem is people unwilling to go out of the comfort zone. That means I'll only swim the one stroke I like, or am good at, or is easy. Continuously challenge yourself in an area. I find that is a key issue. Too many won't do it. Thanks, Nichollsvi! I respectfully disagree with your statement that it's a "huge problem" when people are unwilling to go out of their comfort zone. Masters swimming is ultimately an individual sport. In my opinion, it's up to the individual to do what makes them happy. For some people, the stress of going outside their comfort zone outweighs any happiness they would have doing so. Isn't masters swimming all about doing what makes you happy? Some people are perfectly happy swimming one stroke that they like, are good at, and find easy to swim. Different strokes for different folks-- pun intended. :D Elaine, I find your articles very inspiring. :banana: Thanks, Denise! That was my intention, so I'm glad I accomplished my goal. :agree:

Elaine, I find your articles very inspiring. :banana:

I'm still half dead and recovering ... but if people don't want to improve, what's the point of meets, the US Masters, coaches, etc. I saw this morning HUGE evidence of more than a couple dozen people in the cold and wet pay for a coach flown in. I saw in another spot in my area, where a third coaching seminar is going on. If you don't want to improve, you aren't going to join teams, join relays, join meets, buy a lot of suits because the emphasis isn't there. It drags down all of us. I went thru a lot just to get the women in my group to swim 2 relays. I swam the harder fly and another the ***, just so we could get another relay. All the revenue and help that goes into making people better swimmers makes them glad they did it. YMMV. Improvement is like any other area in life: if you don't want to improve, you stagnate off. If you look at leaders, its those who continuously change, who make the difference. You become what the people call millenials: snowflakes. They are ridiculed, derided for a lot of good reasons. Want some reasons why relationships die or they're not formed? The ability to grow. I go out of my comfort zone quite a bit. Stress can be a positive thing. The non native Americans in my workplace and the like have blessed my life because they introduce new and different. I love a lot of the positives and the exchange we have back and forth. America was built on incorporating great things from others, and new ideas. I hope it never dies like that. That applies to swimming. Instead of saying I can't, how about I'll try. I hear a lot of "I could never do that" but until you have stress in your life you never know what you can accomplish. I used to say it about the 100, 200 fly, 400 IM, any breaststroke. I'm not great at it by a long shot, but I know the satisfaction and the courage of looking fear in the eyes, and saying yes I can and the ability to achieve and overcome.

As you know from my other posts, we approach competition with the same attitude and perspective. Hey, I don't just swim the Ironman Pentathlon each September (400 IM, and 200's of each stroke); I choose those events at most meets I enter. I would also still be racing the 1650 if it weren't for some physical issues (injuries outside of the pool now affecting me IN the pool). I thrive on challenge, and I see it as a positive stress for me. That's just me. What others choose to do, though, is their choice, and I don't see it as a "huge problem". Choice is what U.S. Masters is all about.

I think one thing I see as a huge problem is people unwilling to go out of the comfort zone. That means I'll only swim the one stroke I like, or am good at, or is easy. Continuously challenge yourself in an area. I find that is a key issue. Too many won't do it. Honestly, I tend to think like you, and pursue things like you............but frankly, I don't think that people who don't think like me are a "problem" so much as it is a problem to let them get to you. I can tell you that from my experience, very, very few people really are capable of and know how to push themselves in a lot of facets. I remember seeing it as a kid doing competitive stuff. I remember BEING it when I was a kid doing other things. I certainly remember it in my professional life. But........no one can be the best at everything they do. Some people's passions lie elsewhere. I personally have no desire to do a meet. I am into racing cars and stuff, and I would much rather do that if I have a free weekend (I have a very good swimmer kid, and am actually out of town at a meet for her right now). But I do push myself to try to get better when I do workouts. So who is the bigger problem? A swimmer like me who pushes himself at a solo workout, based off of workouts I find here, but won't even attend a meet? A person who ignores their worst events to prep for bigger things in their best ones? Or a person who just is comfortable doing what they are comfortable doing, but at least goes and competes? But speaking of my kid......she's trying to make the zones team this year, which is taken from the top 8 in each LSC based only off of the top 3 events at the LSC championship. She's a AAA Butterflyer, a AAA backstroker, a AAA/AA freestyler depending ont eh event, and a A/AA *** stroker. So would is it a "problem" that she is focusing on her Fly and Back to give her the best shot to make zones, and ignoring ***? I don't think so. I think it is pretty smart.....but we're off to a pretty poor start on the long course season so far :( But is she a big problem? I'm not trying to be a jerk. I'm really just trying to urge you to not assume that you understand what is going on with other people and their reasoning for stuff. Jsut be happy they are there promoting the sport and helping it grow.

When you are handicapped and have people tell you they couldn't swim/do X, and they're not handicapped, what would you think? Unless it is their knees on breaststroke, the issue is not physical. There's a Mount Everest difference between can't and won't. I'm not the best at swimming, both for being handicapped and didn't learn until I was in my middle 40's. I'm overweight. Yet I'm told "I could never do that". Yeah you can. I was in a club where we had 2 lanes for masters. 1 for the 3 guys who were same level. I and everyone else got the next one. The problem is that the others who you never knew would show up, how many of them did, the level of their abilities to not interfere/know lane etiquette, made it so I couldn't get in consistent coaching & practicing. So not only did they end up showing up off/on more off than on which didn't help them (and several leaving), I ended up leaving because of the inability to meet my goals and have my teammates support that. The club is half of what it was. That's not good for any one because it was getting to where it was not worth it to have adults swim. I'm not referring to kids. I'm referring to adults. Totally separate - only talking about masters. I know of another club where the kids showed up more than the adults. So the adults time got moved and over half the group left because the times weren't good for them to practice any longer. Unlike the big California or DC or NC areas, my area basically supports the kids, and after that, that's it. We need active adults showing active lifestyles. The more people drop out, are inconsistent, the harder it is for the smaller and middle size areas to support adult swimming. Back when I was a runner (long before swimming), in one of the top 10 running clubs in the nation, I was first, then second, then third, on the yearly scoring event for awards at the end of the year. At the time, it was the largest AG. That was because I hit all the events and just kept on plugging away at it, although not a fast person. People congratulated me and I said no, that says a lot more about the people in this group that someone overweight and slower beats prime age runners. It should never be that way. When people were pushed out of the comfort zone, they did really well. Admitted it. Had a good time. Then leave so that you end up with a club or two only in the area and they are probably not at times you can do. How does this help swimming overall? If people don't want to swim, what about volunteering? Most groups I know put on one event a year. One Saturday, no one can help? Do you see where I'm getting at? They're not growing the sport. They are making it so that people like me trying to grow it and get others to do things end up failing, to where the adults are the ones who get put out first. Do I know all that goes on in people's lives? No. I do know what I see, I'm handicapped/not a good swimmer/not swam as a kid, and then get confronted with "I can't", makes a difference. Ask a handicapped person. 1111211113

Honestly, I tend to think like you, and pursue things like you............but frankly, I don't think that people who don't think like me are a "problem" so much as it is a problem to let them get to you. I can tell you that from my experience, very, very few people really are capable of and know how to push themselves in a lot of facets... I'm not trying to be a jerk. I'm really just trying to urge you to not assume that you understand what is going on with other people and their reasoning for stuff. Jsut be happy they are there promoting the sport and helping it grow. Well said, 67! :applaud: We are definitely on the same page. :D

Do you see where I'm getting at? They're not growing the sport. They are making it so that people like me trying to grow it and get others to do things end up failing, to where the adults are the ones who get put out first. Nope, I don't. And I actually disagree with you much more strongly now than I did, initially. I would have quit every single endeavor I have ever undertaken and quit every job I had ever had had I let those who didn't try as hard as me, or were more risk averse than me push me out. I share resources every day with people who don't, but I fully recognize that they pay as much for those resources as I do, and have as much right to them as I do. Maybe they have different goals. I don't know, and I don't care. It isn't my business. I certainly appreciate those who show courtesy while using said resource, and I try to reciprocate. The difference that I see here is that I don't let it bother me. Pat Hogan, former head coach of MAC and director of club development for USA Swimming has said "I think 50 to 75 percent of summer league swimmers who choose to swim year-round do so to get better for their summer league." It reads to me like you would classify these kinds of swimmers under the "problem" grouping. I'm sorry, but these kids grow the sport, as adult counterparts (e.g. triathlon or fitness). "Can't" is a bit of a semantics game. It can mean literal ability, will, justification, or sacrifice. I "can't" do meets because my kids activities (swimming!) are a higher priority for me. I "can't" swim with a locals masters program because it would mean my kids would have to give up the sport. I don't think that makes me a problem for USMS. I "can't" justify the cost of some things because I'm unwilling, not unable to pay for them. I don't think that makes me a problem for the economy (of course, I'm sure the local Porsche dealer would say I'm a problem!). I "can't" do a 200 Fly because......well I'm not physically able to, at least legally. Not liking one's reasoning does not make it less valid. Again, the only problem I see is letting things beyond one's control affect their enjoyment of things they can control. It is disheartening to read that others think that people who at least make an effort to participate are a problem. I sure would hate for "can't" to start having a peer group judgement criterion, but that is what it reads like.