For people who have never competed before, races can represent a rather daunting goal. However, we need to keep in mind that between the Masters races, the distance between people who start competing at a young age and professionals is small??? There are many people, probably too many, who frequent the swimming pool, 2-3 per week. They swim for 45-60 minutes but they are not confident enough to approach a masters group. They say, “I swim on my own, I go slow; you all train seriously.” These are just some of the more common excuses. To break this spell the solo swimmer must see that Masters do not take themselves too seriously, which is the opposite of what most people think. During a typical week when they train just 2-3 times for an hour like everyone else.
To sum everything up, you realize that they are not abnormal. The athletes who train seriously do something else.
Then comes the the first wave of negative comments like, “I’m not good enough. The others go too fast for me. I’m not a competitive guy. What if I lose?” Although they are just excuses, you must admit that they are understandable. These are the false illusions that need to be conquered.
The only aspect that should worry a beginner is the start. Usually you never start from the blocks during training, however, with a few practices you can overcome this obstacle. Of course the Phelps style start is a thing of the past, but at least you can have your first satisfaction: to begin with a dive. If the starting blocks are still an invincible enemy, no problem. In the Masters races you can start in the water.
The other swimmers are really fast, right?
First: it is impossible for you to know if you have never raced.
Second: everyday of the year in each situation there is somebody that swims very fast and appears out of reach, but you cannot give up because of this. It is true that there will be a fast guy in the water. Nevertheless, you will swim in the same pool gaining the same respect from him, your teammates, from those who swim in the other lanes of the pool, from judges, and from organizers alike.
What if you are are not a competitive person? Perhaps you believe this about yourself because you have never competed in sports. But each day you compete to please one or more clients, in order to receive a bigger hug from your child, to get a smile from your grandmother, to surprise your partner, or to receive a compliment from your boss. You just think that you don’t know what competition is… In the pool competition is among athletes at the same level, on day it’s your turn to arrive first and next time it is mine. But in the end the real competition is between ourselves. It will be great to brag about having finished a race, (something you couldn’t even imagine a month before) to reach the end of a race, be able to dive from the starting blocks, to enjoy the training, and to transmit your happiness to the other people in your life. You will never finish learning the value and the meaning of sport even if you’re not that young anymore.
“But what if I lose?” Technically speaking the person who arrives first is the winner. Practically speaking everyone is a winner. Faster swimmers obviously receive more accolades and they provoke a little healthy rivalry, but the loudest applause is for the slowest swimmers, beginners, and those who have bad technique but give it all the’ve got.
Yes, even the guy who comes in last gets a loud applause. In the pool they arrive last but they will certainly never be lonely.