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.).
OK, I do see in the original post you had technique quotas, good.
Now I go back to the original question I had. What was the purpose of your post. You did not want congratulations for a PB.
You wanted to explain the process that lead to the PB, and posted your list. People asked you to be more specific, and that is when things turned a little ugly(and I realize, not entirely do to you). But because you were defensive about the congratulations, it became distasteful.
So understand, if you post a PB, and here is my list:
1. people are going to want to congratulate you. It is our nature to be happy when someone achieves a goal.
2. Ask questions about what you changed to do it, and want more intricit details on that training.
3. Give advise on how you can continue with your success, whether you want it or not. Again, something people like to do and when a thread like this is opened up, people are going to share what worked with them, because you shared what work for you. That is how a forum works. Ask Mark Shubert.
Originally posted by Leonard Jansen
OK... To distill all posts and points of view on this thread (and add a few that haven't been argued about - YET), here's the training plan for EVERYONE:
1) Train as much as you can.
2) Train as hard as you can.
3) Work on your technique.
4) Do some stretching.
5) Do some weight work, esp. to prevent shoulder injuries.
6) Have a non-swimming life.
7) Find a sane balance between the first 6 points.
8) Get a good coach.
9) Don't eat a lot of crap. (Happy Birthday, George - the halibut and fries is forgiven. Ande can have a beer or two for his.)
10) Get some sleep. (No more ER for Craig. Besides, don't you get enough doctor-stuff during the day at work?)
11) Pick your parents correctly.
12) Have the foresight to start swimming while barely post-natal. If lacking in said foresight, emphasize 1) - 11).
13) Don't get into fights with Russian watermelon vendors. (ask Popov about this)
14) Marry Alexandra Paul and then chuck swimming completely. (Oh, wait - that's my personal plan...).
Did I miss anything?
-LBJ
I love your list, but I would miss cake!!
Originally posted by Ion Beza
When I joined my first swimming club at 28 in 1986 in France, coming from public swim only, I looked promising, while getting early successes:
29 in the 50 metter free short course, 1:04 in the 100 meter free short course, 20:32 in the 1500 free short course.
But when progress got harder to do, then I developed a process that I refined over the years, including:
a.) go to the country that has the most Olympic medals and adult swimmers;
b.) in that country, go to the state that has the best climate and facilities;
c.) in that state, go to the club that has in Masters Swimming the spirit most closely matching age-group and college swimming, since age-group and college swimming have a mission to produce lifetime bests, while Masters Swimming doesn't;
d.) make sure the Masters workouts address five types of training (Aerobic, Threshold, VO2Max, Sprint Race, Explosive), diving from the blocks, technique in swimming and in flip turns, strokes, exactly like age-group and college program do;
e.) make sure the program is filled with competitive, faster swimmers;
f.) supplement the program with kicking with a board for a quota of 1/3 of your weekly mileage being spent on kicking (as a reference, with my power in legs I was able to kick repeats of 100 yards leaving every 1:30 last December, which is college caliber kicking), a quota spent on swimming in 12 strokes per 25 yards, a quota spent on no breath swimming, a quota spent on strokes, a quota spent on swimming while rotating the hips;
g.) supplement the program with weights and running;
h.) achieve a weekly quota of training mileage, no matter the holidays, storms, illness, tapering;
i.) achieve a yearly quota of races, so that racing is blase.
j.) involve the coaches in your goals;
k.) make sure that work doesn't tamper with swimming, i.e.: keeps your mind serene, not stressed, doesn't ask you for overtime and interfere with recovery, allows you to sleep plenty;
l.) once every so often, break the cycle by amusing yourself unpredictably, improvising fun to get out of the monotony;
m.) eat a diet rich in minerals and vitamins.
Ironically, when there is improvement from how I started in 1986 at 28, it's only in the magnitude of tenths of a second, the ballpark of what I do was pretty much set by the physiology that I got at the end of teenage years, the physiology of a non swimmer.
It's like taking a Volkswagen and hoping that with a V6 engine and fine tuning oil and tires, I can race V12 engines.
Gotcha Ion, I'm satisfied.
However, if ALL 10 year olds have this miracle of the heart and all that, than many more would be at Katie Hoffs level. Instead, the ones with the most talent, and cleanest technique are the ones you see on the podium. And their technique is such, that you just look in amazement when you see them swim. I am fairly certain your age group program that you swim with is stressing this alot at the younger levels, and somewhat at your level.
So I will go back to my simple minded life, and get back to work, tata.
Former Member
Originally posted by aquageek
Ion:
At this pace, what are you hoping to accomplish?
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My goodness, comrade, it took you 11 years to do this.
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But it works.
As in opposed to it works not.
As for 11 years, it would be less if I was doing what I do now, and not stumble on the wrong Masters programs across U.S..
Originally posted by Ion Beza
And you said last year to tape my defects at the 2004 Short Course Nationals.
But lied.
How is your last year's 2:57.77 in the 200 free coming along, Connie?
Any progress?
Actually Ion, if you follow the forum, you would know that Connie's percentage of improvement is quite inspiring. Once again you are pulling very old times.
You make fun of her times, or my times, but our percentage of improvement is quite good, so I guess we must be doing something right.
I have determined(and have probably known for a long time) that you are just not a nice person. Most people here want to help others, not so with you.
Former Member
Originally posted by dorothyrde
Ion
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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?
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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.
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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.
Then you speak from the height of a 15:xx in the 1,000 and different league, different goals.
Be careful about unqualified advice.
As for the 10 years old, it means that she has more hormones than an adult, swims on energy not on technique, and that she burns out.
There is someone in Florida doing 5:10 in the 500 free, at age 10.
She has more hormones than an adult, swims on energy from her hormones, not on technique, she overtrains and burns out.
Former Member
Originally posted by Tom Ellison
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What I am not impressed with is his ongoing need to ALWAYS throw the Late Bloomer equation into the mix.
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...yet he continues to hide behind this Late Bloomer nonsense. OK, you are a Late Bloomer, but you cannot change that,
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To Tom and his echo (Mark):
this is saying that you don't want to know the conditions under which an action is performed.
Like a truck driver doesn't want to know the conditions under which he drives on the road.
Nice education...
Former Member
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.
Former Member
Originally posted by aquageek
So, let me understand your point here. If you improve your time, we are supposed to pay homage to the great Ion. If, on the other hand, you grind out big yardage but don't improve, it's the fault of the Masters program. Seems your process is more about making excuses.
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More crumbling
No:
it works as in producing lifetime bests.
This is not just one instance of lifetime best, in this Masters program I got a lifetime best 50 free in 2003, a fourth lifetime best in 200 yards free in 2004, a fourth lifetime best in 200 meters free in 2004, a second lifetime best in the 100 yards free in 2003.
Former Member
Originally posted by Conniekat8
I don't even mind the late bloomer thing so much... It's his People skills and contradictions that he falls into when he gets all riled up and defensive and starts belittling people.
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You speak like if you ever achieved charm and consistency.
