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.
I know its an eternity, so just wondering what the shave gets me. As for the “what’s this hairy dude doing” question, well as soon as I dive in, you know exactly that my technique matches the “what the heck is that guy doing”. If I shave down for a 54 year old, I’ll be kind of reasonably ripped (between all my miles and weight training) at which point people may confuse me for being some type of a fast swimmer…thus a bit of reluctance if it does not gain me much.
Stop thinking. Right now is the time that you need a coach to just tell you what to do, you have a tendency to overthink everything.
Shave down the night before. (With a proper razor, not just clippers) Enjoy the silky smoothness as you climb into bed. Swim fast. Don’t think, just swim.
I typically gain 2-3s on my shave & taper in a 100. 4-5 in the 200.
I used to be that guy. Since I’m no longer on a team and the Wife has an opinion, I’ll no longer be shaving down for events of any kind. Note: She was around back in the day when shaving for the team was a thing, meaning she has a basis for comparison.
For sure you should shave down, and remember it is not just the legs. Arms, chest, back, hands, and of course face…You may not get the full advantage this fist time around, as your body is not aware of the feeling. First time I jumped in with a shave I thought I was going to drown!! I just fell down in the water, lost all perspective. But then it was magical, felt like a dolphin swimming.
For sure you should shave down, and remember it is not just the legs. Arms, chest, back, hands, and of course face…You may not get the full advantage this fist time around, as your body is not aware of the feeling. First time I jumped in with a shave I thought I was going to drown!! I just fell down in the water, lost all perspective. But then it was magical, felt like a dolphin swimming.
In addition to the time savings, shaving helps gets me into a racing mindset. When you step up onto the block you will know you are ready and have done everything you can to prepare for the moment.
Didn’t you just go on a bit of a diatribe about how people should just train more and ignore marginal gains?
But the answer is yes, if you are pursuing something a bit beyond health/wellness/fresh air/fun into even a small % of performance, then you should maximize that performance to the extent that it matters to you individually.