I wonder who from the people I talked to in competitions, shows up in three weeks for the Short Course Nationals in Tempe, Arizona.
Jim Thornton, maybe? After good training, maybe?
(I follow Jim's posts in this forum, even when I don't post).
Or Ian Smith? After training to the tune of 10,000 meters a week, for sprints only?
(Ian is maybe a long shot to come to Arizona, since he came to the 2002 Long Course Nationals in Cleveland because of the proximity to Montreal).
Fritz Lehman? Who trains backstroke, and tries to remember freestyle when getting on the blocks for a freestyle race?
Gail Roper? Who was having surgery after the Long Course Nationals in August 2002?
Paul Smith?
The Winner of many sprints and middle distance drop-dead races?
Laura Val? Who was saying in August 2002 "I will look forward to seeing it." regarding a promised interview of me by a magazine, interview that never materialized because I didn't hear again about it?
I will be in the 2003 Short Course Nationals in Tempe, Arizona, for the 1000 free, 100 free, 200 free and relays.
I trained for these races since last August, and I hope I will do well.
Ion,
Sorry about that; I'll plead the operational tempo of the U.S. Armed Forces as my excuse. I trust that we have known each other long enough that your tongue was firmly placed in your cheek when you spoke of a grudge.
Paul-meister,
Fear not! (Or, perhaps fear a little more, depending on your point of view.) I have not lost my zest for swimming, just SC Nationals. Let me explain. My definition of a good meet is one where swimming a good time (instead of a so-so or poor time) for me does move me up a few places. If I am one of two people in my age group, and one of us is clearly superior, the race is kind of like the sound of one hand clapping (local meets). If the talent in my age group is so spread out, I could be great or I could get a calf cramp in the middle of the race, and I will still be in the same spot in the middle of the pack, it lessens the feel of being in a real meet (Colony Zone SC the one year I went). If the talent is so fast and so deep that I am at the very bottom of the age group with 20 seconds separating me and the next swimmers, and swimming an unattainable PR from when I was 20 would only move me up marginally, I ask myself, what else is there about this meet that would cause me to want to come (USMS Nationals). When I look at SC Nationals, I know it will be a zoo, with my swims coming potentially at 7 p.m. or later, I do not particularly like to swim SC because my races feel like a turning contest, and it ain't cheap traveling to one or getting time off from work and the indulgence of my family. Other than seeing a few smiling faces like yours, I have to ask myself why am I there when I could do a 200 for time at a local meet. LC Nationals, on the other hand are much more interesting. Mostly because I LOVE that format, and most U.S. swimmers do not. The wait for my events may be long, but not insane. The sights for LC Nationals, for a number of personal reasons, have been much more attractive than the SC sights recently. And hey, if I can see you folks once a year to a year and a half, I'd much rather be at the LC meet.
In the next 14 months or so, northern NJ is not exactly on my top 10 list of places I'd like to visit (and my wife wants to spend our vacation visiting her relatives in RI). Whereas Indianapolis is within driving distance and I'd like to compete at the IUPUI pool I have heard so much about. On top of that, I am VERY interested in Masters Worlds next June, and SC Nationals would be a good dress rehearsal. So this year I am doing lots of basic stroke mechanic work, and building the summer around open water swims. I'll be skipping LCN's, but going to SCN's for specific reasons.
And, oh Tallness, I am expanding my horizons. I have begun dappling with the IM's. (Try not to laugh too hard.) I have little desire to do a straight backstroke or breaststroke race. However, I'd like to get them to the point where the degree to which they suck has diminished to the point of actually using a stop watch instead of a calendar to time my IM's. It would give me two more events in that 200-400 range that I like so well.
So, swim fast. I'll be interested in seeing how you do in the 500; I'll be particularly interested in your splits.
Mad Matt
Ion,
Sorry about that; I'll plead the operational tempo of the U.S. Armed Forces as my excuse. I trust that we have known each other long enough that your tongue was firmly placed in your cheek when you spoke of a grudge.
Paul-meister,
Fear not! (Or, perhaps fear a little more, depending on your point of view.) I have not lost my zest for swimming, just SC Nationals. Let me explain. My definition of a good meet is one where swimming a good time (instead of a so-so or poor time) for me does move me up a few places. If I am one of two people in my age group, and one of us is clearly superior, the race is kind of like the sound of one hand clapping (local meets). If the talent in my age group is so spread out, I could be great or I could get a calf cramp in the middle of the race, and I will still be in the same spot in the middle of the pack, it lessens the feel of being in a real meet (Colony Zone SC the one year I went). If the talent is so fast and so deep that I am at the very bottom of the age group with 20 seconds separating me and the next swimmers, and swimming an unattainable PR from when I was 20 would only move me up marginally, I ask myself, what else is there about this meet that would cause me to want to come (USMS Nationals). When I look at SC Nationals, I know it will be a zoo, with my swims coming potentially at 7 p.m. or later, I do not particularly like to swim SC because my races feel like a turning contest, and it ain't cheap traveling to one or getting time off from work and the indulgence of my family. Other than seeing a few smiling faces like yours, I have to ask myself why am I there when I could do a 200 for time at a local meet. LC Nationals, on the other hand are much more interesting. Mostly because I LOVE that format, and most U.S. swimmers do not. The wait for my events may be long, but not insane. The sights for LC Nationals, for a number of personal reasons, have been much more attractive than the SC sights recently. And hey, if I can see you folks once a year to a year and a half, I'd much rather be at the LC meet.
In the next 14 months or so, northern NJ is not exactly on my top 10 list of places I'd like to visit (and my wife wants to spend our vacation visiting her relatives in RI). Whereas Indianapolis is within driving distance and I'd like to compete at the IUPUI pool I have heard so much about. On top of that, I am VERY interested in Masters Worlds next June, and SC Nationals would be a good dress rehearsal. So this year I am doing lots of basic stroke mechanic work, and building the summer around open water swims. I'll be skipping LCN's, but going to SCN's for specific reasons.
And, oh Tallness, I am expanding my horizons. I have begun dappling with the IM's. (Try not to laugh too hard.) I have little desire to do a straight backstroke or breaststroke race. However, I'd like to get them to the point where the degree to which they suck has diminished to the point of actually using a stop watch instead of a calendar to time my IM's. It would give me two more events in that 200-400 range that I like so well.
So, swim fast. I'll be interested in seeing how you do in the 500; I'll be particularly interested in your splits.
Mad Matt
