When I read the post title I thought that I would have cut off my ears and hair if I could have shaved 3 seconds off my 50 free in college." I could have been a contender" I am not sure I would do the whole body shave for Masters, because I never thought of Masters Nats as a big deal. But if you do think it is a big deal, shaving is all part of the psych in giving a 100% effort for something you have trained for. I would probably do it if that is what you think.

Thanks to all on this thread. 1500m done and 29 second PB. I guess the Mark Spitz gorilla man look is slow

Never did the full body shave down for any sport. I have Cdn Masters Swim nationals in a week that i have been "training for" for 11 months since being run over by a bus last June. I have gradually improved my body strength and actually surpassed all of my times from before the accident and right now I am 3 seconds off my 200 fly and 1500 free and 6 seconds off my 400IM target that I actually set right after my first swim nationals last year....then I got run over by a bus a month later in a bike crash. These times are my main athletic goals for the year. Guys in the fish thread know roughly how hard I have been working.

But as I am a "slow" masters swimmer, I feel it would be a poser move to shave down. But if its really worth even a second on 200m it gives me a better chance at my year long goals and if I can break them it will be a real personal achievement.

So what's it worth? I kind of feel that I need to be swimming as fast as "real" shaved down swimmers to step up to this level of seriousness.