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 Ion Beza
I reported your attitude.
I have a feeling you're going to annoy the heck out of the administrators of this board with your frivolous reports, especially right now while they're short handed since many of them are actually competing at the Nationals that you didn't go to.
I thought you were all competetive and tough and 'swimming uber all else'... How come you didn't go to SCY Nat's?
quote:
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Originally posted by Ion Beza
I reported your attitude.
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Your reporting anyones attitude is akin to John Mac Enrow giving anger mgmt classes to the side judges at the US Open......
Originally posted by Tom Ellison
The reason behind Ion’s posts is not the issue .....
Snipped Tom's great post for brevity
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.
It makes him look like he's very insecure, and hypersensitive, with a fake superior attitude to try and cover it up.
Sort of turns you off from wanting to interact with him, even if he has some valid points.
It's the lack of people skills that comes along with it that, for me makes it not really worth it. I'm sure it's like that for many others, and that inadvertantly just makes Ion feel more invalidated, and more defensive etc...
With him, you sort of have to give him special consideration that you wouldn't give most people, and ignore his abrasive remarks. Like dealing wioth someone who has a disability in human interactions.
To me it's all pretty ironic, considering how he toots his horn of physical, mental and intelectual superiority so hard.
I mean, when someone is really superior, or worth noticing, they get noticed. There's no need for them to say someting tanamount to: "Hey, let me point out to you, I'm better than..." When you really are, people notice.
I bet Ion would get more noticed if he wasn't trying so hard to get noticed.
Originally posted by Rob Copeland
My mother, but she didn’t start swimming until her 50’s. Would this count?
How about Rita Simonton?
She has world records too!
She didn't start swimming till she was around 40 or 50. I'd need to look up her bio to remember exactly.
I know when I think of Hall, Jr I also think of Beza. After all, they are both shameless self promoters but only one has the hardware to back it up.
Next time I get a PB, I'll start a thread begging for congrats. I might even start my own web site: geeks-PB-in-clownsuit.com
The teenagers miss you on USSWIM.org, head back promptly.
Originally posted by LindsayNB
It would be interesting if someone could point out one or more people with top ten times who didn't start swimming until in their thirties.
I've posted this before. My dad taught himself to swim (by watching Johnny Weissmuller movies, I believe) growing up in New York City in the 20s and 30s. He never had formal instruction or swam on a team. He joined USMS at age 80 and began competing for the first time. Now 82, he has three individual top ten times (for short course meters). If he'd swum the mile in Savannah he'd have picked up one for long course. Arguably the 80-84 age group is less competitive than, say, 45-59. On the other hand, you have to keep in mind that these guys haven't just managed to stay alive (most of them had to survive WWII) but physically are still able to train and compete. No small feat.
Thanks for answering my question. I know turns are also difficult for me, and for the longest time my open turn was faster than my flip turn. I have been working on them alot in practice, and was able to race 1000 yards in a meet doing all flip turns. I hope you keep working on perfecting your turn, because I think that is one area you can reduce your time a great deal, especially in the distance. I did not mean to imply that your 200 was slow at that NAtionals, just that the turns were one area that I think can greatly improve your time. I know that is easier said than done, as I have worked 5 years on them and still cannot do them really well.
Unfortunately, my son has decided that other activities were more worth his time, and has not swum since February. He is still growing, and has made some noise about swimming again in the fall. I am laying low and letting it be his decision. Maybe someday he can swim Masters, and enjoy the sport again.
