Mequon Man wrote:
A swimmer cannot pick up running in their mid-30's and become good at it. Running well is more of a genetic gift than a learned trait, so most of you have this gift. Swimming on the other hand is mostly a learned trait, with technique and strength. That's why you can find mid-30's guys/gals pick up swimming and become quite good at it. Cycling anyone can do well with practice and a good bike.
Hard swimming workouts are actually more difficult than any
run workouts you could come up with. Sure you'll feel it more after the run workouts because of the impact your body takes, but swimming is much more strenuous to your cardio system and you recover quickly from it, unlike running workouts.
Runners already have a leg up on most triathletes with their run ability, so get off your lazy butts and learn to swim runners. Don't be such wimps. The only runners with legit excuses are runners who fall into category 2,3,6 and 7 above.
You can thank me later after you start winning triathlons.
Mequonman.
So much of this is so bogus I hardly know where to begin. Oh but I will.
1) You wrote - "A swimmer cannot pick up running in their mid-30's and become good at it. Running well is more of a genetic gift than a learned trait, so most of you have this gift." Huh? If running is mostly a genetic gift (which I agree with by the way) then unless you're super fat you should be able to pick up running quite easily in your 30s. In fact many many people do and become quite good too.
2) While swimming requires technique, people are definitely genetically geared for it. Long arms and legs to start with and then it goes from there...ability to perform aerobically, just like with running - there's a HUGE genetic component at work here.
3) While swimming workouts are difficult, I agree, you can't say they are harder than any running workout. Hills, sprinting, etc. You can only get your heart rate up so high with either activity and since you can reach your max with running, then NO, swimming workouts aren't harder, just different. In fact, when you crap out while swimming you've got to stop so you don't drown. With running you can crap out but still keep going to finish the workout.
4) Some people are just not very good at swimming. I swam all the time as a kid, and in informal races with my friends, I always lost, and usually by large margins too, even though I would KILL them all running or on a bike. I can swim far. I can swim well, just not fast.
I ran a tirathlon in the 80s when I was in very good running shape. 400 meter swim, 10 mile bike, 10K run. 100 people in this race, and with both men and women in it of all ages, I was the very last person out of the water. Caught half of them on the bike and then all but one of the remaining competitors in the run to finish second overall. The guy who won the thing was 50 and was at the time the best triathlete for his age group in the country. He smoked everyone in the water and just was so far ahead that I had no chance of catching him. Point is I've had enough tries with the swimming and it just isn't for me. Actually, it's the only sport I've ever given a moment's thought to trying that I completely suck at. Not everyone can be a swimmer.