masters swimming complaining about triathletes filling events

Triathletes showing up for swim events and practices is good for everyone.  I got started in triathalons after helping a couple of triathletes to swim better at the pool.  If I had not met those nice people I would still be looking down at the black line exclusively as opposed to enjoying the bike and trying to run better.  No hard feelings here. Thanks everyone

Meh...I sort of get their point of view.  It is rather "elitist", but pool swimming isn't something that can open to huge registration numbers.  You only have so many lanes and so many hours you can reserve the pool for.  It's not like a running race where you can literally have thousands of people do a 5k and only have the course closed for an hour.  The logistics of running events makes it much more open to people of all abilities without impacting those that are very competitive.

I'm guessing they will simply learn they need to register early for distance events.

Maybe they are just concerned someone will freak out over something minor and start swearing at them in the warm-up pool.  Based on the threads about swimming here recently it would be a legitimate concern. (I really can't decide if that qualifies for sarcastic font or not.)

(In many years of swimming through college I never saw the drama I see here over swimming.)

Perfect answer.

I'm on the USMS forums.

Mostly I've seen complaints that, because triathletes are comprising an ever-larger proportion of the crowd at Masters swimming, workouts are increasingly tailored to distance free, and it can actually be difficult to find a stroke or medley-based regular workout.

I see their point, but dem's de market forces right now. I'm thinking that a good coach and flexible workout can accommodate most swimmers.

I should actually read the thread--but hey, there's always the 200 fly and 400 IM, right? What triathletes are going to sign up for that?!

Me lol. Those were my two favorite events when I was a swimmer.

Well, the 7th post down said: "I just checked and they all are in fact registered USMS swimmers."

That is soooo true - oh wait I think I'm wearing an Auckland 70.3!  I am one of those! 

I have no swimming background.....but I'm involved in my kid's club team and I watch alot of practices/meets.  The kids are so good to each other that it's absolutely comical to read some of the threads about.....whatever goes wrong at the pool.  I've watched kids run into each other, swim under each other, over each other, many times 6-8 to a lane, smacking arms, and heads....and never a problem.  And from age 10 on they can swim faster than at  least 75% of any "triathlete" I've ever seen. Yeah, if you have never been to a decent kids meet, go watch the 11-12 year olds swim sub 30 50's and sub 1 minute 100's.....then maybe you won't be so quick to get on your high horse while you trudge up and down the pool at your "fast" 1:20 - 1:30 per hundred.  Those kids do their intervals at less than that.

I happen to think, from what I have seen, that triathletes, as a group, are some of the most rude, self-absorbed people to grace a swimming pool.

I am new to this sport and a former competetie swimmer.  What's the problem here?  If a swimmer, be it a traihtlete, swimmer or ping pong player can meet the minimum required time to enter an event then they are eligible.  If there are too many entrants then make the qualifying time harder to eliminate any massive over qualifying.  This is not rocket science.

If the complaint is that this is some kind of big national event or qualifying event etc...please read my first paragraph.  If the complaint is some triathletes are faster than some of thier dedicated swimmers...bite me!

While I am too new to have experienced it I have heard that some masters swim club member, cycling clubs and likely running clubs don't think much of triathletes.  That is their problem not mine.  If I can qualify for a swimming event I will enter, same with a cycling event (never happen for me in running unless they take anyone no matter how slow).

I began riding with my local LBS group ride.  I think I am the only thriathlete.  They know I am a triathlete and could not be more welcoming and friendly.  I think this is much ado about nothing.

Have you ever read slowtwitch? 

yes,

And if I met another triathlete the pool, I'd prolly chat about triathlon too. A shared interest?

Crazy me. 

meh.. of all the thousands of us BT'rs who swim several times a week, there is only an "occasional" swim crazy thread that gets exaggerated for fun. I wish my workouts had more drama.... sigh...