2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

TomK3 — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:49:13 GMT

OK, thanks. Going to try that next workout. I've been working on bilateral to swim straighter in OW, but when it comes race time, I'm a right-only breather! Me too, the result being that I roll better onto my left side and get a better pull from my left arm.....Tom

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

pwolf66 — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 09:29:45 GMT

2011: Look Back What did you accomplish in 2011? Coaching: I became a much better technical coach in the past twelve months, I have a much better understanding of technique as it relates to a swimmers ability and am now able to recognize swimmers strengths and weaknesses as it relates to stroke execution. I have also greatly improved in the mental side of coaching but still have a long way to go before I would call myself accomplished. Swimming: Not a very impressive last 6 months for me as work, coaching, family issues, work issues, etc just kept getting in the way (or I kept allowing them to get in the way) 2012: Look Ahead Coaching: Cut back a tad on my coaching hours, I've been working 5.5 weeks in a 4 week month between both jobs so that is going to have to ease up. But I also need to work on workout planning, being more concise in my instructions, mental training and confidence building with my swimmers. Swimming: My goals for this year are simple - get in the pool three days a week. No competition goals, no grand strategies, just swim.

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

mjtyson — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 07:26:54 GMT

No, it means 2 breaths on the right, then 2 on the left, etc. Bilateral breathing by doing extra breaths, instead of by taking less breaths. OK, thanks. Going to try that next workout. I've been working on bilateral to swim straighter in OW, but when it comes race time, I'm a right-only breather!

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

pmccoy — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 06:03:19 GMT

When are their birthdays? I turn 50 on January 20th. We'll have to celebrate our big 5-0's! :cake: Are you guys going to the social on Saturday night?I think Dave M was the last one in November. Typically, we all get something to eat Saturday night and go to bed. I'm staying at Lake Martin so I've got a bit of a drive as well. Probably won't be at the social.

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

Elaine Krugman — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 01:50:23 GMT

Roger and Dave M age up to 50. Dave B made it there last year. Just glad I don't have to swim against them. When are their birthdays? I turn 50 on January 20th. We'll have to celebrate our big 5-0's! :cake: Are you guys going to the social on Saturday night?

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

Former Member — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 16:08:40 GMT

What a great line... Sometimes you just gotta invade Russia in winter. I remember when you first joined the forum. You're a natural in both swimming and writing. Thanks for sharing. ...and to everyone else with their goals for the year. Looking back at 2011: Never look back, unless you're a backtsroker Looking ahead my 2012 (fitness goals) are: reduce my stress and cholesterol levels be able to touch my toes with ease do a triathlon this summer and last but no least, try for 2 minutes in the 200 back. (The 50-54 record is 2:01+)

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

Former Member — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:54:06 GMT

I accomplished quite a bit this past year -like getting back into swimming for the first time since 1982. Two back surgeries have sapped some strength from my kick but if I can swim consistent with my goals I'll be pleased.

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

Elaine Krugman — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 12:23:43 GMT

What meets do you plan to go to? In Feb at the Auburn SCY invitational, I'll be swimming the 1650, 200 Fly (for fun), 100 Br and 200 free on Saturday. On Sunday, I swim the 500, 200 Br, 50 Br, and 200 IM. I'll look forward to seeing you and the Daves at Auburn and :cheerleader: you on! Good luck with your goals this year!

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

pmccoy — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 11:55:56 GMT

2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead Now is the perfect time to look back and look ahead It's a bit harder for me since I shave/taper once a year in February (Last year I shaved/tapered for Nationals as well but don't expect to this year). My goals tend to revolve around how I do at that meet. Still, this exercise can't really hurt so... here goes. 2011: Look Back What did you accomplish in 2011? * Swam at my first Nationals * Set personal bests in all of my events except 50 br (my 50 br converted from lcm is probably better than my best 50 br scy but those are hard to compare) * Swam my first 400 IM and 200 Fly in a meet. * Swam about 720 miles on the year (GTD is 690 but that excludes about 30 miles from January) What were some of your best swims? In Meets 200 Br at Nationals - Goal 3:04; Made 2:58.17 This wasn't my best swim (so far) just because of the time. It was on a bigger stage and I had two really good competitors next to me. Just an all around fun race. In Practice 5 x 100 scy on 1:10. Unthinkable a year ago (Meet time last Feb was 5:54). A couple months after Nationals, my freestyle started seeing some significant improvements and I began to think I could maybe make 10 x 100 on 1:10. We've been adding a 100 each week in pursuit of that goal. What were your goals? How'd your results compare with your goals * Make NQT in 50 Br, beat that time at Nationals - Success! * Make NQT in 100 Br, beat that time at Nationals - Missed NQT, Beat it at Nationals. * Make NQT in 200 Br, beat that time at Nationals - Success! * Make NQT in 50 Fr, beat that time at Nationals - Missed both * Make NQT in 100 Fr, beat that time at Nationals - Missed both What did you learn in 2011? Based upon my goals/results, I guess I'm better at breaststroke than free. But I already knew that. Reality is that I wanted the breaststroke times and I trained for them. I substituted IM sets for all breaststroke or breaststroke/free. I learned to turn better and faster. I learned to pull better. I strengthened my kick. I'm not a terribly good freestyle sprinter and I don't train for it. I would have preferred to do the 200 or 400 free but both would have impacted performance for my breaststroke events. So, they were an afterthought more than anything else and I didn't get great results. I do want to improve my 50 free times simply for getting better at relays. Hope that will happen despite my mid-distance geared training. Just didn't happen last year. What else should you ask and answer? Very thankful for a relatively injury free year. 2012: Look Ahead What would you like to accomplish in 2011? * Figure out backstroke * At least one 2+ mile open water swim. Considering a 10 mile swim in October * Swim 750 miles on the year What are your goals? * 10 x 100 - 1:10, hold 1:05s * 1650 in under 20 minutes (for Feb meet) * 500 in under 5:35 (for Feb meet) What are your plans? How are you going to train? What events are you going to race? What meets do you plan to go to? In Feb at the Auburn SCY invitational, I'll be swimming the 1650, 200 Fly (for fun), 100 Br and 200 free on Saturday. On Sunday, I swim the 500, 200 Br, 50 Br, and 200 IM. I'm targeting the 1650 (First time in a meet), 500, and 200 fr for significant improvement. Should see some improvement on breaststroke events. I should also be faster in the 200 fly just from major stroke improvements from last year and this will be my first 200 IM in a meet (no big expectations). For the next month, I'll drop most backstroke from practice and substitue in breaststroke. That might conflict with what I want to accomplish for the year but I had great success with fly after dropping it from practice before Nationals and then picking it back up afterwards. After the Feb meet, I'll begin pushing my backstroke more. Start looking at video and reading whatever tips I can fine. Haven't thought much about how I'm going to train for long distance yet. Not sure I even know where to start. I'll probably plan some postal swims and enter a couple smaller local triathlons (team swim) through the spring/summer. Next fall, I'll begin work on the 10 x 100 on 1:10, hold 1:05. Hopefully by Feb 2013, I'll be looking at 5:00 - 5:10 on my 500. What would you like to learn in 2012? Backstroke - don't need to be great at it... just want to quit giving up 15 yards in my IM events. What else should you ask and answer? Hope to be blessed with another injury free year. Look forward to the encouragement of my teammates, family and other swimmers I meet along the way. Why do you swim? Arthritic back. Swimming helps a lot. Three years ago, picking up my kids was risking a week in bed with severe pain. Not a problem anymore. But I'm a competitive person and it didn't take much to get me to race in a meet.

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

pmccoy — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 09:31:57 GMT

Ohhh yeah, Roger! Glad he'll be there, too! What age group will he be in? I can't remember... I age up, too (50), so we'll have to have an age-up celebration! Roger and Dave M age up to 50. Dave B made it there last year. Just glad I don't have to swim against them.

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

Elaine Krugman — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 09:23:51 GMT

We will be there! Don't forget Roger. He ages up for SCY this year and should be a lot of fun to watch. Looks like we will bring at least 5 this year. Ohhh yeah, Roger! Glad he'll be there, too! What age group will he be in? I can't remember... I age up, too (50), so we'll have to have an age-up celebration!

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

Former Member — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 06:45:02 GMT

Does that mean what I think it means? Breath 2 then 3 then 2, etc? No, it means 2 breaths on the right, then 2 on the left, etc. Bilateral breathing by doing extra breaths, instead of by taking less breaths.

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

Former Member — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 06:18:41 GMT

What did you accomplish in 2011? Getting back in shape, only to fall back out again, and then get back in shape better than ever. (Maybe to slip a bit b/c of my winter vaca but who cares) What were some of your best swims? The 2nd week of Dec I really felt like I was in the grove of things What were your goals? To get myself swimming 4-5k/day again, and I met that goal. What did you learn in 2011? It's never too late to start again 2012: Look Ahead What would you like to accomplish in 2011? Continue swimming 4-5k yards per day, I don't have time to do more Join a Masters Team in Boston What are your goals? Break a 23.1 50 Free, my HS record What are your plans? Just keep doing what I'm doing How are you going to train? Work on sprints What events are you going to race? Anything at this point! What meets do you plan to go to? Idk, 1 would be nice What would you like to learn in 2012? Anything, every day is a learning experience

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

pmccoy — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 05:32:27 GMT

I'll look forward to seeing you and the Daves at Auburn and :cheerleader: you on! Good luck with your goals this year!We will be there! Don't forget Roger. He ages up for SCY this year and should be a lot of fun to watch. Looks like we will bring at least 5 this year.

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

mjtyson — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 04:13:41 GMT

Stuck with my new 2/3 freestyle breathing pattern Does that mean what I think it means? Breath 2 then 3 then 2, etc?

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

Former Member — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:57:57 GMT

2011: Look Back What did you accomplish in 2011? I swam my first masters meets here in the US and realised that I'm not as slow as I thought I was. Best swim was the 400 SCM in November - went 5.21.x which annihilated my goal of sub-5.30 and my hopeful time of sub-5.25 Another good one was my 1500 LCM this summer. First time I have swum it LC and made number 4 in the TT What did you learn in 2011? I find it very hard to compete in yards. The 500 stinks. Although I started out 18 months ago swimming yards in the summer TAAF events and thought it was OK - put me back on metres and I'm right at home! I have been swimming under a "glass ceiling" for most of my life, and intend to shatter that next year. Just because I never swam at a high level as a kid, or at all in college does not mean that I can't compete with people who once did. I need to stop talking myself down. Yoga is really helping my swimming, flexibility, core strength and particularly streamlining. I hate lifting, and have let it slide in favour of more swimming and yoga classes. I did do a circuit round the gym a couple of weeks back immediately after yoga and found it a lot easier than the previous time I did it (like 4 weeks earlier). Based on that I'm sticking with the yoga that I actually enjoy. I'm still struggling to commit to my fly. Perhaps its time to admit that I am no longer feeling the racing love for the 100 and 200. Just like I don't really feel the love for 1500s. I do enjoy swimming fly though and I think it helps on the mid-d freestyle. 2012: Look Ahead So for 2012 I want to get TT in the 400 free SCM. Based on this year that means a 5.10. So that is one tall order - an 11 sec drop from this year and 4 seconds under my lifetime best of 5.14 done in 2005. Sub 30 on 50 yd fly would be cool too, but that's secondary. And I will be swimming a 400 IM in February to check off my pre-40 bucket list! GTD goal for 2012 is 500 miles on the basis that I can easily put in 16-18k LCM per week. And you know what - the more I swim the faster I'm getting, and so can swim further in my 90 min window. Meets in 2012 (well the first few months anyway): Jan 15 Winter Games of Texas. Entered this yesterday, to get benchmark times in 100 free, 50 fly and 200 free. They only offer limited events, but its a chance to see where I'm at now. Feb DAMM SCY meet - 400IM plus other events TBD. Maybe more IMs, maybe try the 500 again. Southlake Zones Wavering over Omaha - if I'm swimming Nationals, this is the one for me. Why do you swim? Because it is the only exercise I enjoy and I've caught the competition bug.

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

Allen Stark — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 12:54:30 GMT

2011 totally changed my expectations.I always considered the 100 M BR my best event ,but that I was versatile enough to swim the 50 and 200 BR well. I had been very happy with 2:52s in the 200 LCM BR for several years, being quite proud of myself for not slowing down.I thought if I swam a perfect race I could break 2:52,maybe even swim a 2:51.5. I went 2:50.44 at Auburn.Suddenly the 200 BR is my best event(at least that was my best swim) and I am re-evaluating my limits.It also has caused my to ask "what is my goal now that I have exceeded my goal." 2012 will have the answer to that question. I plan to work harder,get my head position better,get stronger ,get more streamlined and have another breakthrough.

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

knelson — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 12:47:29 GMT

I learned you can't slack off and expect to swim fast. For the first five months of 2011 I averaged around 35 miles per month. I was swimming mostly one hour workouts, and although it seemed like I was working hard, in retrospect I really wasn't working nearly as hard as I needed to. I paid the price at Short Course Nationals. Although I placed pretty well (was third in both the 1650 and the 400 IM, placed top ten in five of my six events) my age group was really wide open. If I had swam well I may have even won an event or two. It really felt like a missed opportunity. This really told me I needed to step it up and that's why I joined an age group team in June. My summer season was definitely better. I won the Fat Salmon OW swim. I swam well at the Gil Young Meet and placed top ten at Big Shoulders in a strong field. After being way off my GTD pace (500 miles for the year) at the end of May, I'm going to end up with close to 550 miles. I know I'm doing the things I need to now that will enable me to swim fast in 2012.

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

Former Member — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:08:16 GMT

Nice work, everyone. Your posts are inspiring. What did I accomplish in 2011? Swam my first open-water swim race. And my second, and third :) Completed the Fat Salmon 5K, which was my longest swim to date. Swam 2 miles in the cold waters of Puget Sound... once in July (58 degrees), and once in October (52 degrees). Not races, just awesome DIY events organized by the Western Washington Open Water Swimmers group. (you can find it on Facebook). Stuck with my new 2/3 freestyle breathing pattern and got my distance free times back up to where they were before switching. Also did a lot of sprinting while breathing on my left side. I am still faster breathing on my right, but my stroke is a lot more balanced than it was. Set personal best times in the 50 & 100 fly and 100 IM. Swam a whole lot of fly in practice, including distances up to 250 yds. Started a weight training program and stuck with it consistently. Swam all year without any swimming-related injuries. Goals for 2012 Continue to get stronger in the weight room. Do more kicking in practice and get kick times faster. Improve freestyle speed and speed endurance. Beat my 2011 Fat Salmon and pool mile times. The race I'm looking forward to most is the ITU triathlon in San Diego: http://sandiego.triathlon.org/ It's the first time that the series has been to the US since Washington, DC in 2009. And, it's the US Olympic team qualifier for the elites! Why do I swim? For health, stress relief, for the challenge, and the pure animal pleasure of being in the water.

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

mjtyson — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:02:32 GMT

2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead 2011: Look Back What did you accomplish in 2011? I finally did an OW marathon, swimming the Dart 10K in the UK. What were some of your best swims? I did manage to swim a sub 8:00 500 yard swim, which was a PR, especially since 14 years ago at the ripe age of 30 I swam the same distance in 9:33. What were your goals? How'd your results compare with your goals My goals included swimming 250 miles in the year, not take any time off from swimming except for illness or deployments, and complete the 10K. I managed all my goals, which feels great! What did you learn in 2011? I learned that the 10K distance is not impossible. As a matter of fact, I felt so good I could have swum longer. I already signed up for a 10-miler in October based on what I learned in 2011. 2012: Look Ahead What would you like to accomplish in 2012? Complete the 10-miler. Do another marathon, maybe 2. Join a masters team (there isn't one where I live now). What are your goals? 300 miles for the year; 10-miler in less than 5:10; How are you going to train? Add a dedicated 'long' day ("distance tolerance" whereby I swim a total of 8-10K along the lines of 10 x 800 with a 200 fast after each 800). Train according to Munatones' pyramid of OW success (highly recommended, btw). Really work on nutrition. Work with wife on kayak escorting and hand signals. Navigation for non-escorted swims (I suck at swimming straight). What events are you going to race? What meets do you plan to go to? Definitely Swim the Suck 10-miler; a 10K somewhere (Potomac?); Any other OW swims I can find/fit in. If I'm part of a masters team I'd like to do an actual swim meet, events tbd. What would you like to learn in 2012? To swim straight. (Yes, I know bilateral breathing is the answer. But try telling me that when I'm in race mode.) Why do you swim? Because it hurts less than running, and at least for marathon swimmers, my belly isn't a liability. ;)

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

Former Member — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 07:20:54 GMT

2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead Now is the perfect time to look back and look ahead 2011: Look Back What did you accomplish in 2011? Figured out I was more of a distance freestyler than a backstroker haha. Finished second in the league in the 200 freestyle :D What were some of your best swims? In Meets Apr 12, 2011 broke 1 minute for the first time in the 100 free Apr 15, 2011 best time in the 100 back 1:10.28 May 14, 2011 got my best time for the 200 free, jumped from 2:15.56 in prelims to 2:12.17 in finals to finish second in the league! In Practice The Stanford set every week during the high school season XD I don't know if you guys know what that is but it was pretty hard! What were your goals? Just to improve.. in the 2010 season we finished second in the league and I only put up 6th and 10th place in the league meet. I wanted to finish first as a team in the 2011 season. How'd your results compare with your goals I did improve! Finished 2nd and 5th in the league ^.^ What did you learn in 2011? If you kick fast and pull fast, you go fast. 2012: Look Ahead What would you like to accomplish in 2011? 2011 is my last year in high school swimming. Of course I want to move from my number 5 spot in the league to number one :D What are your goals? 200 Free - 1:55.45, would be a new school record 500 free - Around 5:30, good enough to win the league championship 100 Free - Under 55 seconds, good enough for the 4x100 relay 50 Free - Under 25.5 seconds, good enough for the 5x50 relay What are your plans? Focus more on less drag rather than what makes me faster. More technique work with sculling. How are you going to train? I will now train with addition to underwater video. It will help me see my flaws and drag. Improve my cadence, and stamina so I can actually help my team in the 4x50 relay after the 500. What events are you going to race? All freestyle up to 500 yards. What meets do you plan to go to? Well no big meets like you guys since I'm only in highschool XD. But my team is a 4A team and we will go up against 5A teams on duels (and win). And hopefully I will swim an individual event at state instead of just relays :D What would you like to learn in 2012? Proper freestyle technique, improve in cadence, improve in kick, improve in stamina, improvement in breathing less and needing less breathes, and improvement in being less nervous and having fun :banana: What else should you ask and answer? All I need is workouts, if you can give me em I'll do em :)

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

Elaine Krugman — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 02:32:47 GMT

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

Former Member — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:36:55 GMT

Essay here! Can't help it, I'm a writer. I tried to make it so there's no big blocks, just easily digested bits. 2011 in Review I began the year with 27.53, 58.93, 2:18.98, and 6:08.85 times in the 50, 100, 200, and 500 freestyle events, respectively. Last January, I dropped over a second in the 50 to bring that time down to 26.35. That was the last swim of a terribly disappointing meet for me, personally, but where I didn't give up and I kept on going, fighting the battle, fighting for every inch of ground so I could find victory sooner another day. That day came sooner than I thought when I finished the meet with that awesome 50 free. It was all the more surprising because I had been sick the week before and just two weeks before I had been out of the water for a week because of Christmas. That same month, I brought my in-season time in the 500 down to 6:19. The October before, it had been at 6:30. In February, I dropped the time down to 6:11- passing my taper PB of 6:08.85 from April '10 seemed quite imminent. At the same meet in February, I took a chunk out of my 200 time by dropping over 6.5 seconds to go 2:12.44. I also took a small nibble out of my 100 free time, just thirty milliseconds faster than what I started the year with. After a great start to the year, the month of March heralded the beginning of what was to me, well, a long march. I would have no meets until May, and just tons and tons of training before then. That April, most of the team began a taper that I would not be sharing, but I did experience the first half of the taper and I swam like never before. The end result was that despite the fact that I was once again sick the week before my May LCM meet, I had huge expectations. Disaster struck, my wax wings melted, and I slouched away from the meet, clearly still on the tail-end of being ill. What followed was two entire weeks out of the water, with very little sleep, while I crammed for my finals. One Friday in the middle of May, after my finals were over, I returned to the pool for a long-course practice. We did a set of 10x100s from a dive. I will never forget that feeling like I was flailing in water. It was the worst I felt in the water since, well, my very first day swimming for exercise in November three years ago. My target taper meet was but two months away! Before July was a period in my swimming that I've come to refer as my own "Invasion of Russia in Winter." Have you ever tried to invade Russia in the winter? Napoleon tried. He wasn't very successful. On the all-time top ten list of the most futile endeavors ever, invading Russia in the winter just might be at the very top. But it was something I had to do anyway- get back in shape and be ready for peak performance within two months after three of the most mentally and physically debilitating weeks of my life. Sometimes you just gotta invade Russia in winter. Between May and July's meets, I went to three LCM meets, including a Masters meet, and I did successively worse in each of them. I did get meet a fellow forumite at the Santa Clara Grand Prix, however- Ahelee Sue Osborn. She got me to enter my first Masters meet, where I shared with her my desire to get under 2:00 in the 200 free SCY in July. I had absolutely no positive indicators heading into July's target taper meet. Even my taper, which started a week and a half out, felt like it was the opposite of the truncated taper I half-participated in the April before- instead of swimming faster than ever before, I felt horrible and sluggish all the time. The Friday before the weekend of the meet, I was shaved down and I finally got to take solace in some good signs, like how I did the last 25 from a dive faster than the fastest person on the team. I remember how nervous I felt before my first race at that July meet. What if things just didn't work out? Apparently, nerves are perfectly fine before a race. They even help. The event was a 100 yard butterfly. My PB was 1:10.67, set in February. At two LCM meets during my Invasion of Russia, my 100 fly swims had been absolutely dreadful, closer to a converted 1:20 scy time than 1:10. Finally, the buzzer rang, I dove in, and touched the wall in 1:04.2, 6.5 seconds under the old PB. My 100 fly was even faster than a 1:05 freestyle time from the last July! The rest of the meet was I had been waiting for all year, all season. I took my 100 back time down to 1:08.6, a 5.5 second drop from February. My 100 *** came down four seconds to 1:20.20, which would keep pace with my very first 100 free race ever three years ago where I went 1:19.92. I took off 16 seconds in the 200 back. And in the freestyle, my three goals at the beginning of the season as I presented them to my coach had been to go under 25 in the 50, under a minute in the 100, and a 5:30 something in the 500. I accomplished the 100 free goal in December, and had made demonstrable steps towards the other two. I dropped 5.5 seconds going 53.13 in the 100 free. For that race, I also wore my Speedo LZR Elite Jammer for the first time. I wore it for just my freestyle events. The 200 free was my first event on the morning of the second day of the meet. My nerves had returned in full force, but I swam it in 1:59.75, breaking under 2 minutes and fulfilling the desire I had expressed to Ahelee a month before. For the 500 free, I bullseyed my goal with a 5:32 time, a 36 second drop from the old PB. And in the 50, I accomplished my third and last standing goal by going 24.58 and snapping off two seconds. That weekend, I celebrated my 23rd birthday with my family, including my parents and my brother who had come to watch me swim. My mom even counted my 500, providing her with some great conversation material. Thanks, mom! I know I've only reviewed half of the year, but if I went on to December, the story would get anti-climactic so I'll stop now. Plus, I think this post has gone on long 'nuff! :D Some things I learned -Keep going, fight the battle! Keep your nerve (or regain your nerve)! Last January, I probably had high expectations for a meet that was coming off just a week and a half of training punctured by three days of the flu. But my two meets before that one had been my best ever and I was determined to keep the ball rolling. Even though all six of my swims before that 50 free felt horrible, I finally put up a great race and dropped a lot of time for how far I had come in such a short event. -Don't put yourself in situations where you have to Invade Russia in the Winter. Take it as advice from me: never be out of the pool for two weeks with very little sleep. Especially two months before your taper meet! -If you are in a situation, god forbid, where you have to Invade Russia in the Winter, don't quail away from it. Do what's necessary. -Grab opportunities. I went to a long-distance meet in January that I could've just ignored. There I chose to swim the mile without any guarantee that I'd go faster than my taper/shave PB from April of the year before. I ended up going faster in-season! Nice little surprise. -Make the Decision. When you're in the middle of an arduous set, you can choose whether it will be good or bad, whether it will be a breakthrough or a drag. You'll either step up to the challenge or back down. You'll be courageous or chicken****. That's all I can recall for now. I'll do 2012 later.

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

Former Member — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 10:47:20 GMT

2011 Look-Back Last January, I timidly started to learn to swim, having had only 2 weeks of lessons at the age of 6. I found that I loved being able to work at a sport that demanded so much technical precision, and that swimming was a perfect match for my temperament and my body type. After blowing a disc in my back in June, I decided to stop pretending that I liked to run and bike, and I instead upped my swimming from 3x/week to 6x/wk. The added time paid off. I'm not "fast" but I'm "faster" than I was, and getting faster. I've been bugged by the idea that I hear that an adult who begins to swim will always be identifiable as an "adult onset" swimmer. I am doing my best to keep my adult onset status a secret, and I am now getting comments from swimmers that don't know me, asking "did you swim in high school?" :bliss: Why, no I didn't, but I'm so glad to confuse you!:) I also learned the other three strokes, with varying degrees of stamina at the present time. I'm finding that fly and dolphin kicking REALLY have had good crossover applications to freestyle. I love fly--just wish I could swim more than one pool length consecutively. I'm finding the love for breaststroke. Backstroke, to be honest, feels like a long drawn out drowning, but I'm sure that will improve as well. 2012 Look-ahead Lower my 100 m freestyle time to under 2 min. I think I'm getting close. I hope by the year end that my time is WAY under 2 min. Make flip turns SOP. More consecutive lengths of fly. I dunno--is 100 m attainable in one year? "Even out" my ability/technique in the non-freestyle strokes so that I can do (not race) an IM in a dignified manner. Meaning no EMT's on standby. I have a plan to swim in an open water swim relay race in fall 2012. Have team pretty much in place, a good group of swimmers that are faster than me and in it for the fun, because if I'm swimmin' it, we ain't winnin' it! As spring comes, I'll start doing open water work again.

RE: 2011 Look Back ++ 2012: Look Ahead

TomK3 — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 08:51:25 GMT

I joined masters in 2011 after about a 40 year break from organized swimming. This has been a huge positive in my life. No matter how much I have on my mind when I wake up, I feel great and peaceful after our morning 2500-3000 yd workouts. Actually I try to schedule difficult meetings right after swim. In addition to being a lot slower than I was overall, I discovered that my kick, which had been what I did best, had really deteriorated. Flip turns once were automatic, but, unlike riding a bicycle, it seems that I have to learn how to do them again. My goal for 2012 is to go under 30s in the 50, which I believe is a NQT for me. I know I can do this with a little more from the kick and turning the turn into a positive instead of a negative. So the plan is to work on the turn and SDK, getting some help from our coaches, do a lot of kick sprints, and start a little lifting. I'll do the 50 and 100 free and the 50 fly in meets. I never could do those "distance" events longer than 100 and I'm not gonna start now. Best to all....Tom