2011 USMS LCM Zones

Over 400 people competing here this weekend (2nd largest USMS LCM meet this year, apparently). I'm really looking forward to this. PACIFIC Championships in Santa Cruz this weekend! Psych Sheet: www.swimphone.com/.../event_order.cfm Thanks Swimphone.com!!

Northwest Zone meet is this weekend at Mount Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon (same pool as 2008 Long Course Nationals). www.clubassistant.com/.../meet_information.cfm I'm swimming the 1500 free on Friday and the 100 free, 400 free and 200 IM on Saturday. In preparation I've been training hard. I swam almost 6,000 yards yesterday, but today and tomorrow I'm swimming very easy. We'll see how the two days of rest plan works out!

Colonies already happened (leading the way, as usual): www.middleburymuffintops.org/.../Default.aspx

Here are a dozen photos I took at the Colonies Zone meet: www.niagaramasters.org/.../50-colonies-zone-lcm-championship-2011 They ran a very smooth meet. They beat the timeline both days. There was ample warmup and warmdown time and space. I observed them have a problem with the timing system/starter's device once and it was quickly fixed. The timers were very friendly and encouraging. There was plenty of deck space, although some swimmers preferred to sit upstairs in the spectator area. Restroom size and space was more than adequate. The only criticism I have is that the meet had more of a NE LMSC Championship emphasis. The listed meet records were not the Colonies Zone Championship meet records, they were the NE LMSC meet records. The team scores were organized by NEM size groups and then everyone else lumped together. I realize this was because Middlebury hosted the NE Championship meet the several previous years, but it would have been nice if they made the appropriate changes so as to have it represent the meet they were hosting. I haven't attended other Zones meets, so I don't have anything to compare it to on that level. I would definitely recommend the meet and will probably attend again in the future if they host it.

Northwest Zone meet is this weekend at Mount Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon (same pool as 2008 Long Course Nationals). www.clubassistant.com/.../meet_information.cfm I'm swimming the 1500 free on Friday and the 100 free, 400 free and 200 IM on Saturday. In preparation I've been training hard. I swam almost 6,000 yards yesterday, but today and tomorrow I'm swimming very easy. We'll see how the two days of rest plan works out! I'll be there as well. 400 free, 100 back, and 200 IM on Saturday, followed by the 100 fly, 100 ***, and 800 free on Sunday. :chug:

Muffintops? That's pretty funny! www.pacificmasters.org/.../11pacmlcm.pdf Over 400 people competing here this weekend (2nd largest USMS LCM meet this year, apparently). I'll be swimming the 50 and 800 freestyles on Saturday, putting my roughly 2200 yards/3 x week to the test. :D Having not swam a meet since our SCY zones last year, I'm really looking forward to this.

Colonies already happened (leading the way, as usual): www.middleburymuffintops.org/.../Default.aspx This was my fourth year going to that meet, and unfortunately it will be my last. The Muffintops just announced that they won't be hosting again next year due to declining attendance, even with the Zones designation. It's a damn shame, that meet has capped my season every year since I joined USMS, and I've always looked forward to returning.

swam the 1500...The time wasn't exceptional, but I'll take it. HA!!! sometimes you are too funny!! Your time was off the charts... :applaud:

The Northwest Zone meet is off to a good start. I swam the 1500 free today and felt great. The time wasn't exceptional, but I'll take it. Really nice weather today, too. Low 70s and sunny. Looking forward to tomorrow!

Thanks, but I've been under 18 minutes in that same pool a couple years ago! Yes, it was with a now illegal suit, but just FS Pro legs. I'm confident I'll get back there again if I keep training like this. This year I competed in my Speedo Endurance practice suit. I noticed on Saturday upon arriving at the pool that my Tyr Tracer Light jammer was falling apart. In a section where there were two layers of fabric, just the outer layer was coming apart at the seams, so I did not pull a Paul Smith the last time I wore it! My Tyr Tracer Light jammer lasted over a year so it had a good run. The suit vendor at the meet was selling only practice and recreational-type suits so I just wore my (reasonably new) practice suit for the meet. I'll probably order a Yingfa to replace the Tyr. Perfect weather, fantastic pool, fun meet. Did I swim fast? No, not really, but what can you do. :chug: