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.).
Former Member
Originally posted by LindsayNB
What I would find interesting would be for you to contrast the training that didn't work for you with the training that did and perhaps your experience of what made the most difference.
Our circumstances are quite a bit different in that you are a lot faster and you have been swimming much longer, so not everything that worked for you will necessarily be right for me right now, but it should be interesting none the less.
The main difference is that I would do anything to cut practice in high school. We didn't really have an individualized approach to swimming.
As an adult, I want to go every day when I'm really in the routine. I coach myself, and do what my body tells me to do.
I guess those are pretty major differences...
Former Member
Originally posted by LindsayNB
What I would find interesting would be for you to contrast the training that didn't work for you with the training that did and perhaps your experience of what made the most difference.
...
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.
Former Member
Originally posted by aquageek
I can tell you this, swimming 28K yards per week with a family and a job would mean a quick trip to divorce court for me!
I swim 20K/week, most of it at 6am weekdays. I get up at 5 so I have time to make a steaming hot (180 degrees) latte for my wife before I leave for the pool. As she likes to say, she loves me a latte!
Former Member
Originally posted by Ion Beza
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;
Work definitely can get in the way of swimming!
I guess you're familiar with *** Jochums' quote regarding technique: You build a Volkswagen, you drive a Volkswagen. You build a Porsche, you drive a Porsche.
Former Member
Originally posted by gull80
...
I guess you're familiar with *** Jochums' quote regarding technique: You build a Volkswagen, you drive a Volkswagen. You build a Porsche, you drive a Porsche.
I know the quote, yes.
And I saw you posting it in a thread about famous quotes, recenly, when I was still on strike from posting.
That quote applies to bodies in formative years.
Me, I pretty much have a Volkswagen since I started at 28.
I only fine tune it and change the tires, to race Porsche engines.
Former Member
In my experience, this:
Originally posted by Karen Duggan
...
Whether you start swimming at...50, you are talented...
...
doesn't exist, someone starting at age 50 and making a 200 yards free in 1:38, or 1:49 never existed in the USMS database with results.
But there are people starting at 50 and making the 200 in 3:30.
Former Member
And to think I joined the team I did because the people were cool ...
Former Member
way to misquote her ...
Former Member
Originally posted by SwiminONandON
way to misquote her ...
What did I miss?
She said that no matter the age of starting, talent is there.
I quoted that.
And said no, talent is related to the age of starting.
Here, is this better?
In my experience, this:
Originally posted by Karen Duggan
Yes, as we get older it does become harder for VW's to race with Porsches. However, that is why Masters is in age groups (one of the reasons I believe).
I also know that there are people in their 50's plus that have Porsche bodies.
I tend to believe that the fastest swimmers (elite) have many positive training habits, good nutrition, etc., but they also have one more thing that very many lack, talent.
Whether you start swimming at 15 or 50, you are talented or you're not. You can only control the hardworking part, etc.
doesn't exist, someone starting at age 50 and making a 200 yards free in 1:38, or 1:49 never existed in the USMS database with results.
But there are people starting at 50 and making the 200 in 3:30.
Former Member
Originally posted by Karen Duggan
Whether you start swimming at 15 or 50, you are talented or you're not. You can only control the hardworking part, etc.
