Today, I swam the 200 yards free in 2:09.11.
This beats my previous best of 2:09.54 from April 1994.
I challenged the 2:09.54 in the past 11 years, over 20 times, many times under what I learned the hard way to be the wrong preparation, and never came close.
My result will be posted officially in the USMS databse.
I won't be able to make the 2005 Short Course Nationals, but hopefully I will make the 2005 Long Course Nationals.
The reason that I bring this success here is that there are some lessons to learn from it:
1.) to pursue virtue and excellence by meeting the intrinsic requirements that come to having a worthwhile goal (in my case, the goal is to stay in my prime intellectually and physically, for longtime), that's intelligence and tenacious work;
I immigrated to U.S. and relocated within U.S. on job skills in science to live my lifestyle;
this lifestyle comprises now, over 39 weeks of the 2004-2005 season so far, of 1,093 kilometers of training (an average of 28.025 kilometers per week, or 30,828 yards per week, no matter the holidays, tapering or illness, that includes kicking, strokes, and technique quotas), the most mileage I slowly built my late starter physiology up to in life, mostly under a Masters club with primarly college and age group swimming expertise, which I searched for and choosed;
I also cross train consistently in weights and running;
2.) I scrutinize self-indulgence and greed (to an employer who was asking me to work overtime like his Japanese employees do, even though I was ahead in schedule in a project, and who thought that I am a slave to him giving me a work visa, I stated "You know, my life doesn't depend on you." and I walked away from a near six-figures salary because it was jeopardizing my swim training; I looked for and found another) and I scrutinize good intentions backed up by feelings without hard data.
2:09.11 and staying in my prime, that's a tribute to 1.) and 2.).
Ion
my 30 minute 1000 yards was 5 years ago when I started at age 38. That was when I first was learning and gaining confidence and had never swum anything over 50 yards before. If you read my posts, you know I refer to this when people are struggling to swim any distance at first. I slowed way down to achieve the distance, and to especially achieve the mental thought to be able to achieve the distance.
Last March I swam 1000 yards in a race. I did it in under 16 minutes. So I would say I had a PB, and have you had that percentage of rate of improvement in 5 years?
Guess what. This year I could only get in the water 3 times a week 45 minutes at a time because I changed from part to full time, and still kept my full time Mom job(never give that up).
I did what I could each practice, concentrating alot on form, and really focused on turns. Because my goals are not soley based on times. My goals are to be able to finish races such as the 1000 free, and the 400 IM and the 100 fly. Things that 5 years ago I could not even dream of. My goal for the 1000 was to 1. finish 2. do all flip turns 3. get under 16 minutes. In that order. I also even split it, 7:56 and 8:00 500's, which I was actually very please with.
My goals are very different than yours, please honor that other people have different goals. I tried to do that with you, you want to be faster and faster.. work on your turns and other problems with your stroke. You can prove that as you approach 50, you can continue to train massave yardage, but I got news for you. At some point, your body will not be able to do that. It is a fact of life. We age. And the way you are going to improve after that is technique.
:) My breaststroke is OK, but my fly is better, and my IM not bad(except backstroke!) Thanks guys you made me laff again.
Got to get in to work way to early so I can make the Friday night set-up at the meet. Later gators.
Edited later for Ion. Be careful about cutting other peoples times down. I am well versed in what age group kids times are around the country. The record in Illinois for 10 and under girls for the 200 free is 2:03. That girl was on our age group team, and she was a little teeny tiny thing. So you compare your times to mine, I can compare your times to a 60 pound 10 year old girl! Since VO2 is really not developed until the 12-13 year old in girls(yes Ion, I actually have heard your theory from coaches, I am not just a dumb middle age woman, I have a little knowledge), those 10 year olds that are faster, have not developed it yet. She had, and still has massive talent and great technique.
Ion
my 30 minute 1000 yards was 5 years ago when I started at age 38. That was when I first was learning and gaining confidence and had never swum anything over 50 yards before. If you read my posts, you know I refer to this when people are struggling to swim any distance at first. I slowed way down to achieve the distance, and to especially achieve the mental thought to be able to achieve the distance.
Last March I swam 1000 yards in a race. I did it in under 16 minutes. So I would say I had a PB, and have you had that percentage of rate of improvement in 5 years?
Guess what. This year I could only get in the water 3 times a week 45 minutes at a time because I changed from part to full time, and still kept my full time Mom job(never give that up).
I did what I could each practice, concentrating alot on form, and really focused on turns. Because my goals are not soley based on times. My goals are to be able to finish races such as the 1000 free, and the 400 IM and the 100 fly. Things that 5 years ago I could not even dream of. My goal for the 1000 was to 1. finish 2. do all flip turns 3. get under 16 minutes. In that order. I also even split it, 7:56 and 8:00 500's, which I was actually very please with.
My goals are very different than yours, please honor that other people have different goals. I tried to do that with you, you want to be faster and faster.. work on your turns and other problems with your stroke. You can prove that as you approach 50, you can continue to train massave yardage, but I got news for you. At some point, your body will not be able to do that. It is a fact of life. We age. And the way you are going to improve after that is technique.
:) My breaststroke is OK, but my fly is better, and my IM not bad(except backstroke!) Thanks guys you made me laff again.
Got to get in to work way to early so I can make the Friday night set-up at the meet. Later gators.
Edited later for Ion. Be careful about cutting other peoples times down. I am well versed in what age group kids times are around the country. The record in Illinois for 10 and under girls for the 200 free is 2:03. That girl was on our age group team, and she was a little teeny tiny thing. So you compare your times to mine, I can compare your times to a 60 pound 10 year old girl! Since VO2 is really not developed until the 12-13 year old in girls(yes Ion, I actually have heard your theory from coaches, I am not just a dumb middle age woman, I have a little knowledge), those 10 year olds that are faster, have not developed it yet. She had, and still has massive talent and great technique.
