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.).
Parents
Former Member
Originally posted by gull80
A personal best is impressive at any age. Your "process" seems to work. But look at it this way. In eleven years you've improved your 200 time by .43 seconds. Yes your results are impressive for someone joining the sport late. But .43 seconds can be lost (or gained) in a single turn or on the start. The fact that you've gained ground while the aging process is pulling in the other direction is not insignificant. I can relate to that. However, isn't it possible that you've already acquired the aerobic base and strength you need, and now you need to focus more on technique? There are seven turns in a 200. Shave off a second on each turn and you've qualified for nationals. Without swimming any more yardage. As for your stroke, I've never seen you swim, but as *** Jochums said, build a Porsche. Changing your stroke may require that you miss some intervals at first, but so what? It took me about three months to change to a four beat kick, now I'm swimming faster in practice.
You don't get it, Craig.
11 years were mostly wasted in the wrong masters programs across U.S..
The ones that have the likes of Scansy here say that they are 35 years old and a lazy 50 year old is faster than them.
My process is not either aerobic or turns.
My process is all of them.
Read the list that I put up for Lindsay.
Carefully.
It's a work in progress to hit the perfect race.
It's just that old dog and company had and have unqualified advice.
Beware of unqualified advice.
Reply
Former Member
Originally posted by gull80
A personal best is impressive at any age. Your "process" seems to work. But look at it this way. In eleven years you've improved your 200 time by .43 seconds. Yes your results are impressive for someone joining the sport late. But .43 seconds can be lost (or gained) in a single turn or on the start. The fact that you've gained ground while the aging process is pulling in the other direction is not insignificant. I can relate to that. However, isn't it possible that you've already acquired the aerobic base and strength you need, and now you need to focus more on technique? There are seven turns in a 200. Shave off a second on each turn and you've qualified for nationals. Without swimming any more yardage. As for your stroke, I've never seen you swim, but as *** Jochums said, build a Porsche. Changing your stroke may require that you miss some intervals at first, but so what? It took me about three months to change to a four beat kick, now I'm swimming faster in practice.
You don't get it, Craig.
11 years were mostly wasted in the wrong masters programs across U.S..
The ones that have the likes of Scansy here say that they are 35 years old and a lazy 50 year old is faster than them.
My process is not either aerobic or turns.
My process is all of them.
Read the list that I put up for Lindsay.
Carefully.
It's a work in progress to hit the perfect race.
It's just that old dog and company had and have unqualified advice.
Beware of unqualified advice.
