Distance Distance Distance

When did a 200 become a distance event? I gotta agree with old dog, the last 75 of a 200 might be the most painful thing known to man. Maybe not, shopping for jeans with my wife and daughters is pretty awful also.

C'mon Connie... I love distance..still waiting for an official event such as the 800/ 1600/2000 IM. But then again you've seen me swim an 800 IM in Long Beach. Who do think swam four one hour postals this year, one of each stroke? The best ever reliable award is the 200 fly, its never failed me an award even at (selective) nationals. See you next Friday! Karla

Perhaps we should look to the land Down Under, they swim every distance from 25 meters(my speciality) to 400 meters of each stroke. Now a 400 fly or breaststroke should get the distance people going. I think PMS does a 1650 IM each year! At least that would put the TRi's down for a while.

DEAL! I'll take clothes shopping with my family, your whole family at Christmas and Thanksgiving. You agree to take my mother in law. I'll even swim a 1000 in boiling hot coffee from McDonalds in my clown suit if you agree to these terms.

Originally posted by knelson You know, it is sort of strange. Most of us train nearly year-round, several days per week. Yet we get to a meet and decide a 400 IM is too much pain. Heck, you're done with it in 5 minutes, give or take! One problem with distance events (200s of stroke, 400 IM, or 500 and above free) is you can't fake your way through them. Anyone who's a good swimmer could step up on the blocks and knock out a nice 50 even if they haven't been in the water for a couple years, but I'd like to see them try a 500 free :) So maybe that's part of the problem. In Masters many of us can't devote a huge amount of time to training and it's just to humiliating to swim the longer events where you come nowhere near the times you swam when you were 12 years old. So this might be one area where you "late bloomers" have an advantage!! What I found kind of ridiculous that I place second in a SW Zone meet doing the 200 back in 4 minutes 38 seconds. (35-39 age group) Painfully slow!!! (It was my first time doing it). I'm baffled that in the entire SW Zone all of the 35-39 year olds... there were only two of us dong the event. I mean, anyone that had swam that event more then once or had trained that stroke t least a little bit, or has some age group experience would have easily placed above my time. Wouldn't even have to swim it race-pace... just stretching it out would do. Not that I mind a medal in an individual event, but getting second in 200 Back, and third in 100 back and third in 50 back in my age group at Zone championships (all first-time events for me and very slow)... getting 2nds and thirds for that is just plain wrong. Not that I mind the medal... but it was by default. It was similar with 200 fly and 200 *** (I didn't swim those as I don't know those strokes well enough to not get DQ'd) Then, on the other hand, we had people clamoring to swim 1500 free and 800 free, and few of them being little bummed that we had to limit that event to 8 heats. I;'m not sure where I;m going with this... it's just an observation, and it's making me go Hmmm? What's up with that? Is 200 fly not "enough of a distance?" or does distance only count for freestyle? Would you guys niot get a sense of accomplishment out of finishing a 200 *** or 200 Fly? Is 1500 free easier tham 200 Fly? Even one of my close friends that in practice often does 800 fly screatched her 200 fly. I don't get it. Or should I say, I can't relate... where's the hangup? It must be some sort of a mental block? Maybe we should give special heat winner prizes for those events?

Originally posted by breastroker Perhaps we should look to the land Down Under, they swim every distance from 25 meters(my speciality) to 400 meters of each stroke. Now a 400 fly or breaststroke should get the distance people going. I think PMS does a 1650 IM each year! At least that would put the TRi's down for a while. Hey, Wayne, would you like to make an exhibition event at our next meet, and do a 400 ***??? Maybe during the 400 freestyle? Challenge a few people? Maybe we could do a 400 anything but free event... one of the unofficial events... like we had that fun-fin relay earlier this year. Okay, I'm not sure where I'm going with this.. maybe after I see some feedback the ideas will start taking more of a final form. I have to say, one of the gals from Mountain view did, I believe an 800 IM last winter during the SCM Zone meet, during the 800 free event. Lot of people were impressed.

and... one more thing... There are a few people that complain about awards being based on how fast you are alone.... Well, in traditional swim meets and races it is the speed that counts the most. here's an idea about allowing dedicated people whom may not be abler to become the fast elite still get some recognition... and it may increase interes in meet attendance, which I understand is pone of the things that USMS would like to see. Why not keep a point system, similar to how it's done in ocean swimming? I mean, I know it would require additional work at USMS and local levels, and even with meet organizers levels to make it happen, and this may be difficult to make happen... Hypothetically speaking, let's assume that logistic can be worked out here's how it could work... This is just a first draft, I'm sure it would need a lot of refinement to make it fair and balanced. - Every USMS or LMSC sanctioned meet would be required to use the point system - not just championship meets. - Swimmer would get a point for attending the meet - A point for not scratching the event - A point for each 100 yards or meters swum... perhaps double points for stroke other than freestyle? - A point for each relay swum... or maybe double points for relays? - Poinst as usual for placing 1- (is it 8th? I forget off the top of my head.) - Any others? Maybe a point or two for volunteering in a meet? - Points would be cumulative for each season SCY SCM and LCM and people would be ranked and recognized for their achievements. (this being the most important part) So other than top 10 in speed, you'd have top xxx in involvement, which I think is nothing to sneaze at. Thsi way, one of the principles of masters swimming, where even though speed does matter, just showing up matters too is reinforced from the top down, and gives people a chance to get recognized for their consistency and involvement in the sport. Look at the race car driving.. it's one of the sports where the point system has helped and instilled that just finishing the race counts too, even if you're not first. I mean, a story about a person that perhaps never placed higher than 5th, but had attended every meet in their area for years and years could be inspiring too. Perhaps even more so than someone who is naturally gifted and only comes to two meets a year. Celebrity and human interest can come in many forms. If we want to expand, we may need to look at other ways of recognizing and acknowledging people, which in turn will breathe new life and interest in the organization and the sport. I know, it's a lot of work and bookkeping to do for organization that relays mostly on volunteers to keep it running, then on the other hand, good things don't happen woithout little hard work and sometimes looking outside the bokx (or past the same ole gutter) Anyway, just some thoughts I wanted to throw out there.

I have been most competitive in the longer races--500 and 1650. I have raced all distances in all events. IMO, nothing hurts more than the last 40 seconds of any 200 event. 200's just hurt too good.

Originally posted by aquageek Maybe not, shopping for jeans with my wife and daughters is pretty awful also. HA! I'll go jeans shopping with your family if you will attend a family function (e.g. Christmas) with mine. By the time they are done with you, you'll beg to carry your family's purchases. -LBJ

Is 1500 free easier than 200 Fly? I think for most people that only started swimming as adults completing a 1500 free is a lot easier than completing a 200 fly. I suspect that many of us who took up swimming later in life are blissfully unaware of how slow our 1500 times are, most of the "real" 1500 swimmers don't do it anymore so we mostly compare ourselves to the triathletes, many of whom suffer from poor technique, thereby making us look good... :) When we swim in the shorter events and non-free events we are usually swimming against former age-group swimmers and it's all too obvious how slow we are!