I always have good intentions, but often do not follow through on them.
THUS: I have signed up for the 400 IM in 2.5 weeks (the 0.5 being critical) without really having trained for it.
To put it politely.
My team mostly trains freestyle, so I have a good freestyle base. In the last 4 weeks I have gone to the pool twice (woo hoo) on my own and done sets of 50s of stroke on 1:00. 8 x 50 to be exact, twice through, both times. Twice at practice in the last month I have made myself do fly instead of free for warmup, and once I made myself do stroke (IM) (100s) instead of free on the free interval.
Yesterday we had a heavy stroke workout, rare.
After yesterday's practice I did my second 400 IM in 7 years, with a wonderful time of 7:10.
SO: What's the reality of any time dropped in the next 1.5 weeks? What tack would people in my position take (please be kind).
I signed up as a dare. I *had* thought I would be *self-disciplined* and train on my own but *I have learned I am not.*
Input appreciated!
P.S. For those of you with kids struggling with college entrance essays, I think this would be a great essay if you changed all the "I didn't do it even though I planned to" to "I am so proud of my self-discipline," etc., etc., "my ability to motivate myself for my own high challenges," etc. etc. etc., "I pushed myself without outside coercion," etc., etc.,
"This is a trait I was surprised to see that I have, and I have become much more confident in this, my senior year, in my ability to meet challenges head-on." "Swimming has made me a better person." "I am a good person." "I am just who you want in your freshman class."
Swimming has made ME a better person too but apparently I am still lagging in the self-motivation arena.
I would like to break 7 minutes in the 400 IM. I would mostly like not to die in the fly, which is my fastest, after free, but in which I die after a nice brisk 50.
Fast is relative. Please also keep that in mind with any comments.
izzzzzzzzy
P.P.S. I now know that real men swimmers and all men moisturize and use lip balm because they are now doing it on the T here in Boston. So the stigma is gone, dudes. You can lather up on public transportation.
Swim on, excellent forumites!!!!!
I can only make distance day, opting for 1650 in shallow end at Harvard.
I loaf the fly (opting for DPS with three kicks per arm cycle), then ramp up intensity to the end.
You will do great. Work the walls and get pumped for a great swim!
I look forward to seeing ALL the swimmers who are doing the NEM SCY Championships at Harvard in -- soon! Perhaps there will be a blizzard like a few years ago at BU? That would be cool!
I just remembered I also need to work on my during-the-swim focus. At the BU meet I looked up to breathe and there on deck was a coach from long ago, cheering for me. IT WAS ALL I COULD DO TO REFRAIN FROM STOPPING AND SAYING "HELLO! HOW ARE YOU?!" I really wanted to wave to her.
My current coach said he doubted Lazek (sp) ever thinks about anything other than his swims when swimming. Something else to work on.
Yeah! I am pumped! Ooh, another aside: too bad these distance events often occur at ungodly hours such as check-in at 8am. That is just wrong. Oops. Negative energy. Gotta get rid of that stuff. Time to check in to my hotel, etc., have people wait on me between my last-minute trains. Obviously work is out for the next 2.5 weeks. Also time to eat a lot of whatever I want, I mean, carb load. Etc. Just need to finish one slight deadline of a book by tomorrow. In which there is a quote, "Abandon all hope of fruition." This means focus on the process, without expecting a particular outcome. OK.
I can only make distance day, opting for 1650 in shallow end at Harvard.
I loaf the fly (opting for DPS with three kicks per arm cycle), then ramp up intensity to the end.
You will do great. Work the walls and get pumped for a great swim!
I look forward to seeing ALL the swimmers who are doing the NEM SCY Championships at Harvard in -- soon! Perhaps there will be a blizzard like a few years ago at BU? That would be cool!
I just remembered I also need to work on my during-the-swim focus. At the BU meet I looked up to breathe and there on deck was a coach from long ago, cheering for me. IT WAS ALL I COULD DO TO REFRAIN FROM STOPPING AND SAYING "HELLO! HOW ARE YOU?!" I really wanted to wave to her.
My current coach said he doubted Lazek (sp) ever thinks about anything other than his swims when swimming. Something else to work on.
Yeah! I am pumped! Ooh, another aside: too bad these distance events often occur at ungodly hours such as check-in at 8am. That is just wrong. Oops. Negative energy. Gotta get rid of that stuff. Time to check in to my hotel, etc., have people wait on me between my last-minute trains. Obviously work is out for the next 2.5 weeks. Also time to eat a lot of whatever I want, I mean, carb load. Etc. Just need to finish one slight deadline of a book by tomorrow. In which there is a quote, "Abandon all hope of fruition." This means focus on the process, without expecting a particular outcome. OK.
