Enough!

All these new-fangle coaching methods and stroke drills are way over-rated. Let's get back to the old days. Make us suffer! That was really fun. Who needs creative workouts? Panzies that's who. Why waste time on stroke drills? Just swim fast and you'll figure it out. And while we're getting back to basics, let's look at the equipment issue: - Low drag suits, what a waste of time. In fact, all artificial fibers are suspect in my book. Let's go back to the Johnny Weissmuller all wool numbers. Real men know how to deal with drag suits. - Goggles, what? Can't your eyes stand up to a little chlorine? - Lane lines, when I was an age group swimmer, we used to have to swim between home and school, up-hill, both ways, 15 miles, in a driving snow storm. And now, you can't take a little splashing from the guys in the next lane? Puhlease! - Kick boards and pull buoys, you actually need things that FLOAT to help you when you are swimming?! Try doing a pull set with a 35 lb dumb bell between your legs, like real men. And don't get me started about fins, short-blade fins, zoomers or paddles. - Water bottles and sports drinks, hydration is for whimps. Water is nothing but an excuse to have to go to the locker room "to go" right in the middle of the main set. Did Washington and the Continental Army have water bottles when they crossed the Delaware or at Valley Forge? Did Mark Spitz stop for a Gatoraide in the middle of his 200 fly world record? Did Moses and the Israelites have water when they wandered in the desert for 40 years? I don't think so! And while I'm at it, what is all this nonsense about the butterfly anyway? It's nothing but a concession to breaststroke cheaters! Get rid of it! Bring back the 150 and 300 IM, I say. And of course, once we get rid of all this "popular" fluff and nonsense, the entire civilized world will realize what a pure sport we have. They'll get rid of their Air Jordans, and put down the video games, and they'll all flock to the pools, where the water slides will all be dismantled, so they can all suffer joyously for 8 hours a day, just like we did when we were kids. Like I was telling my pastor the other day, if the King James version and Windows 3.5 were good enough for Jesus Christ, then by God, they're good enough for me! Matt

What we really need are dancing girls on the deck so we can have fun while working out. These so called coaches who write codes for workouts are not making the workouts fun. They are running skill testing games. Not swimming skills but brain teasers. I can't read their stuff because they write too small, so I make my own fun trying to beat the clock in my own lane at the open swims. Johnny Weismuller was a great guy and is the reason big guys swim now. Sure we have made gains but is not from drills it is because the good coaches know how to make stroke corrections. I met Johnny even had lunch with him. I also met Jesus in Mexico he ran the campground at Boca De Iguana he could not swim a stroke until I taught him.

Amen! They are to confusing trying to remember the workout, especially when oxygen debt sets in.

I still love my 1000 meters a day workouts. No fancy lingo like descending times I just go fast for each 25, 50, 75 or 100.

Originally posted by Matt S All these new-fangle coaching methods and stroke drills are way over-rated. Let's get back to the old days. Make us suffer! That was really fun. Who needs creative workouts? Panzies that's who. Why waste time on stroke drills? Just swim fast and you'll figure it out. And while we're getting back to basics, let's look at the equipment issue: - Low drag suits, what a waste of time. In fact, all artificial fibers are suspect in my book. Let's go back to the Johnny Weissmuller all wool numbers. Real men know how to deal with drag suits. - Goggles, what? Can't your eyes stand up to a little chlorine? - Lane lines, when I was an age group swimmer, we used to have to swim between home and school, up-hill, both ways, 15 miles, in a driving snow storm. And now, you can't take a little splashing from the guys in the next lane? Puhlease! - Kick boards and pull buoys, you actually need things that FLOAT to help you when you are swimming?! Try doing a pull set with a 35 lb dumb bell between your legs, like real men. And don't get me started about fins, short-blade fins, zoomers or paddles. - Water bottles and sports drinks, hydration is for whimps. Water is nothing but an excuse to have to go to the locker room "to go" right in the middle of the main set. Did Washington and the Continental Army have water bottles when they crossed the Delaware or at Valley Forge? Did Mark Spitz stop for a Gatoraide in the middle of his 200 fly world record? Did Moses and the Israelites have water when they wandered in the desert for 40 years? I don't think so! And while I'm at it, what is all this nonsense about the butterfly anyway? It's nothing but a concession to breaststroke cheaters! Get rid of it! Bring back the 150 and 300 IM, I say. And of course, once we get rid of all this "popular" fluff and nonsense, the entire civilized world will realize what a pure sport we have. They'll get rid of their Air Jordans, and put down the video games, and they'll all flock to the pools, where the water slides will all be dismantled, so they can all suffer joyously for 8 hours a day, just like we did when we were kids. Like I was telling my pastor the other day, if the King James version and Windows 3.5 were good enough for Jesus Christ, then by God, they're good enough for me! Matt Oh your a smart one are ya?

Originally posted by Matt S Did Moses and the Israelites have water when they wandered in the desert for 40 years? I'm getting an image of a sports-drink ad maker, reading this line and yelling "Eureka!" (Or maybe Nike... "Trying to reach the Promised Land? Just Do It.")

Thats funny-now I know why I get all those looks at the pool. :)

Matt S, Great post, I haven't laughed that hard in a while. I love a dry sense of humor. From what I can tell it was a prerequisite for admission. Either that or a complete lack of any sense of humor. Hook'em Blue

Originally posted by BillS And to those women swimmers who feel self-conscious about squeezing into a workout suit, in my book there's nothing a whole lot sexier than an athletic looking woman in a tank who can swim. Even better than bikini-clad sunbathers. Too funny! :) In all honesty I don't have time to check out lifeguards or recreational swimmers and have yet to meet anyone who felt self-conscious in their suit. Pool staff told me to watch for good eye candy at a particular pool however my job is to go there to work not to look. But of course... From time to time - quite rarely though - I'll see another swimmer pop up with slick black cap or hair and goggles and think, "Wow. There's a hot seal!" Then out of the pool while passing the seal in the lobby? Not so hot anymore. Clothes are so overrated.

And on that topic . . . there was a very attractive woman in a bikini swimming (slowly, rec swimmer style) next to me yesterday. She then got out and pulled a lounge chair up right at the opposite end of my lane to sun herself. Pretty much directly below the pace clock. By some fortuitous happenstance, yesterday's workout included a whole bunch of 25's and 75's (really, I'm not making this up, check Mo's workout for yesterday). It made it pretty tough to watch the clock and hit the intervals -- at least until her boyfriend/husband/significant whatever got out and pulled his chair up next to her. From his glares, I'm guessing he was a little suspicious as to why I was doing all that stopping and starting right in front of her, then looking directly at/past her to the clock. And to those women swimmers who feel self-conscious about squeezing into a workout suit, in my book there's nothing a whole lot sexier than an athletic looking woman in a tank who can swim. Even better than bikini-clad sunbathers.