I’m 76 and a swimmer, my mom taught me, she grew up summers on a lake in NE Pennsylvania. I swam in the women’s pool in college for exercise, it was separate from the men’s and 25 yds opposed to their Olympic size for the swim team. I went to Maryland which had 30,000 students and no women’s sports. Pre title 9. I took up running in the mid 1970s and became a competitive distance runner for decades which I totally loved. My first Boston was 1978, my last 2003, we felt like pioneers. We had to wear shoes and clothes from the boys department as there was nothing for women then. I still swam at the pool in the apartment complex. Now I go to the Y all winter and swim in the sea all summer. I moved to Cape Cod 50 years ago when it was cheap and all young people so I have great places to swim.
I don’t do any classes at the Y, but I’ve gotten to know many of the water aerobic “gals”. The Y is across the bridge in a blue collarish town, the women are mostly seniors and many have never exercised, they come in all shapes. They worked in the service industry mostly and some have only recently learned to swim at the Y. The classes are packed! I swim after they are done but I got to tell you they are having a blast, oldies but goodies blasting, lots of laughter. It’s not my jam, I’m a loner and love my zen laps but I like the energy they bring.
What a great story of passion, dedication, lifelong athleticism despite discrimination, & open-hearted enjoyment of other older women, each doing their/our thing. Running & swimming your way through life. Thanks 🙏 for sharing, Betty! Happy swimming 🏊🏻♀️
Mike and I have followed Terry Lauglin's swim concepts and I incorporate some into my swimming. I think he was from that eastern upstate New York area so probably swam in Lake George himself!
We have practiced it in the ocean where it is more challenging. The lake will be easier! Not sure strike synchronization is needed but it might happen naturally. I did some synchronized swim shows in high school so I can call on that experience! Another strategy we have used in practice is to have me swim behind him and hit his right foot if he is drifting right and vice versa. I actually think that is a better technique so we might do that too in the swim and I can drag the tether behind me. And if all else fails and 5K prices too long we will be rescued by rowboat! But we are determined swimmers so I think we will make it.
I love New Guy-who was bold enough to greet you personally, if a little incorrectly.
My new sport is playing MahJong, the game of many spellings and oh so many rules. I came home after the first OLLI clubwhere I’m learning, “Gosh, they’re all older women.” My old-guy husband simply replied, “you mean, like your age?” Touché.
Ha - exactly. No one expects to grow old. Even though we've got plenty of evidence that we will. And plenty of time to prepare. :-) Still: Prepare for what? How? We Boomers are redefining what aging means. I hope.
Great story and glad New Guy now gets it. Although I purposely try to look old so I can get the senior discount without pulling out my license. I share your passion for swimming and cycling and that is where I am at home too. Don't usually want to swim forever but am doing a 5K swim this summer tethered to my friend Mike who is a blind swimmer. It might seem like we swam forever by the time it is done! Also gave up golf years ago for the protection of others. And go Caitlin! What an amazing talent and leader.
Hey Al, What a marvelous thumbnail sketch of your own sports story. Funny about golf. Heck yes, go Caitlin.
5K is about 3 miles, last I checked - farther if you're swimming crooked, which everyone does in open-water swims, since the water has its own ideas about where it wants you to go. So kudos in advance on that forever-swim.
How does tethering work? How long of a tether? Attached where? Do you mass start or get some cushion from the masses of elbows and feet?
The tether goes around each of our waists and he will swim next to me. We can position ourselves on the edge of the start wave to avoid traffic. But we can throw elbows with the best of them if it comes to that! And we will swim crooked so it is gonna be a project!
How interesting, Al. I've seen this but never knew the mechanics of it. Synchronized freestyle comes to mind. I studied Total Immersion with the late great Terry Laughlin, who used to go for long swims in sync with other freestylers, matching them stroke for stroke. I imagine even in quiet lakes, such timing would require sight as well as sound, though I'm not sure; maybe one person's sight would be enough. The goal seemed to be the simple satisfaction of coordinating strokes and pace. Maybe that happens naturally to some extent in your dyads as well? Anyway, go team!
Oh I get it...sometimes I notice "it" when I (or others) choose the past or present tense. Am I a cyclist? I was a cyclist. I think I'll go pump up my tires, in case it's warm tomorrow.
Ha, hi Phyllis, that's practically a poem, and a delightful statement about how past, present, and future can merge into one lifelong determination to keep moving. So glad to have you on this new team. :-)
I’m 76 and a swimmer, my mom taught me, she grew up summers on a lake in NE Pennsylvania. I swam in the women’s pool in college for exercise, it was separate from the men’s and 25 yds opposed to their Olympic size for the swim team. I went to Maryland which had 30,000 students and no women’s sports. Pre title 9. I took up running in the mid 1970s and became a competitive distance runner for decades which I totally loved. My first Boston was 1978, my last 2003, we felt like pioneers. We had to wear shoes and clothes from the boys department as there was nothing for women then. I still swam at the pool in the apartment complex. Now I go to the Y all winter and swim in the sea all summer. I moved to Cape Cod 50 years ago when it was cheap and all young people so I have great places to swim.
I don’t do any classes at the Y, but I’ve gotten to know many of the water aerobic “gals”. The Y is across the bridge in a blue collarish town, the women are mostly seniors and many have never exercised, they come in all shapes. They worked in the service industry mostly and some have only recently learned to swim at the Y. The classes are packed! I swim after they are done but I got to tell you they are having a blast, oldies but goodies blasting, lots of laughter. It’s not my jam, I’m a loner and love my zen laps but I like the energy they bring.
What a great story of passion, dedication, lifelong athleticism despite discrimination, & open-hearted enjoyment of other older women, each doing their/our thing. Running & swimming your way through life. Thanks 🙏 for sharing, Betty! Happy swimming 🏊🏻♀️
Mike and I have followed Terry Lauglin's swim concepts and I incorporate some into my swimming. I think he was from that eastern upstate New York area so probably swam in Lake George himself!
We have practiced it in the ocean where it is more challenging. The lake will be easier! Not sure strike synchronization is needed but it might happen naturally. I did some synchronized swim shows in high school so I can call on that experience! Another strategy we have used in practice is to have me swim behind him and hit his right foot if he is drifting right and vice versa. I actually think that is a better technique so we might do that too in the swim and I can drag the tether behind me. And if all else fails and 5K prices too long we will be rescued by rowboat! But we are determined swimmers so I think we will make it.
Oh yes. Of course you will!
I love New Guy-who was bold enough to greet you personally, if a little incorrectly.
My new sport is playing MahJong, the game of many spellings and oh so many rules. I came home after the first OLLI clubwhere I’m learning, “Gosh, they’re all older women.” My old-guy husband simply replied, “you mean, like your age?” Touché.
Swim on.
Ha - exactly. No one expects to grow old. Even though we've got plenty of evidence that we will. And plenty of time to prepare. :-) Still: Prepare for what? How? We Boomers are redefining what aging means. I hope.
Great story and glad New Guy now gets it. Although I purposely try to look old so I can get the senior discount without pulling out my license. I share your passion for swimming and cycling and that is where I am at home too. Don't usually want to swim forever but am doing a 5K swim this summer tethered to my friend Mike who is a blind swimmer. It might seem like we swam forever by the time it is done! Also gave up golf years ago for the protection of others. And go Caitlin! What an amazing talent and leader.
Hey Al, What a marvelous thumbnail sketch of your own sports story. Funny about golf. Heck yes, go Caitlin.
5K is about 3 miles, last I checked - farther if you're swimming crooked, which everyone does in open-water swims, since the water has its own ideas about where it wants you to go. So kudos in advance on that forever-swim.
How does tethering work? How long of a tether? Attached where? Do you mass start or get some cushion from the masses of elbows and feet?
The tether goes around each of our waists and he will swim next to me. We can position ourselves on the edge of the start wave to avoid traffic. But we can throw elbows with the best of them if it comes to that! And we will swim crooked so it is gonna be a project!
How interesting, Al. I've seen this but never knew the mechanics of it. Synchronized freestyle comes to mind. I studied Total Immersion with the late great Terry Laughlin, who used to go for long swims in sync with other freestylers, matching them stroke for stroke. I imagine even in quiet lakes, such timing would require sight as well as sound, though I'm not sure; maybe one person's sight would be enough. The goal seemed to be the simple satisfaction of coordinating strokes and pace. Maybe that happens naturally to some extent in your dyads as well? Anyway, go team!
Oh I get it...sometimes I notice "it" when I (or others) choose the past or present tense. Am I a cyclist? I was a cyclist. I think I'll go pump up my tires, in case it's warm tomorrow.
Ha, hi Phyllis, that's practically a poem, and a delightful statement about how past, present, and future can merge into one lifelong determination to keep moving. So glad to have you on this new team. :-)