Last Friday while doing sprinting and drills, a fellow yelled at me and asked me if I needed a doctor (I was huffing and puffing naturally), and I said No, just sprinting. He insisted on trying to have a conversation with me about his long distance swimming. I will point out I know this fellow and he is not athletic, he does the bar scene, very unfit.
He told me he swam 10 miles in an hour, and the instant he told me that I broke out in hilarious laughter. He was shocked. I told him it was humanly impossible without an attached motorized device and that our dive boats here don't even go 10 miles an hour.
So, he said we could meet and he would show me, I said how about tomorrow because Saturday is my distance day. He said, Oh, I can't because I got a tatoo and I have to stay out of the water for 2 months!!
Don't people realize we didn't just fall off the turnip truck? Anyone ever brag to you about some swim facts that could not be true? Maybe this is something a person can say to a non-swimming person, but I am in the water training 4 days a week; I am the last person to make such an outrageous statement to!!!
donna
Here is one that is true and will only be seen as unbelievable by those that swim: (as read on some forum) 10,000 yards (scy) doing 100 repeats of 100 every minute. The workout would last one hour and forty minutes. I know it is doable and has been done, nonetheless, I get tired thinking of it. What do I do? Repeats of 100 meters every minute and thirty or forty? Maybe 20 repeats? billy fanstone
My team does an annual 100x100s, shortly into the new year. I've never done it, but after chatting with some folks who have, they tend to vary it every 10. Start on 1:50, then maybe subtract 5 sec every 10, down to 1:25 then repeat the last 4 (if they want a tough set they'll go down to 1:20 or even 1:15). The coach stays until everyone who wants to finish is done.
I like to vary my sets somewhat, otherwise doing the same repeats gets very boring. It also gives you a chance to 'warm up' to the fast repeats.
Oh, I've talked to a few guys that tell they had a great 50 IM in high school. I'll bet they did. I smile and nod. Then walk away with the drink they bought me ... :drink: :rofl:
I also used to work with people who would tell me they swam a lot the night before I'd ask how much they'd say, at least a couple miles, I swam 20 lengths. I'd try not to laugh and explain that, that wasn't even half a mile ... then they'd ask far I swam in lengths ... :dunno:
I would have said he really should be sure the Olympic committee knows about him since he swims 2.5 times as fast as the current world record holder.
Hacket's WR for the 1500M is a bit under 15 minutes, or 4 miles per hour.
Yo, everyone, I am cracking up at all of your experiences and thoughts with this; I had no IDEA (say, where's our lightbulb icon for the word idea?) that I was not alone. I can just see that fellow taking 150 strokes to get down the pool and seeing nothing but whitewater. And, Fortress, AM can also stand for early in the morning; maybe it needs to be over on that terminology thread.
Rich: 275 yards a minute, how long would it take me to swim those 18 miles I am training for? Maybe there is a shortcut I don't know about, please share.
And a mile in 8 minutes, that means I could swim to Utila in about an hour plus some change; and how about the English Channel? 2 hours or so!! Man, maybe this fellow IS someone I want to know (NOT!)
Calling ESPN!!
I will point out I know this fellow and he is not athletic, he does the bar scene, very unfit.
He told me he swam 10 miles in an hour, and the instant he told me that I broke out in hilarious laughter.
Obviously alcohol seems to be involved. :) Even a svelte and speedy runner would face a physical challenge repeating (10) six minute miles.
As far as the fairly tales...I swam on the same team as the guy who did the (100) 100's on a minute. His name was Bobby Hackett and he competed at the '76 Olympics. He was holding them in the mid to low 50's on the last ones.
But in terms of bragging by novices...I've heard some pretty fierce talk in the locker rooms amongst the triathlete/lap swimmers. The same ones who do a fifty... and then lean on the wall for five minutes ...just staring blankly back at the ocean they crossed. Animals. Yep they are.
Love these stories! (And SwimStud, really love the sandbagging avatar!)
Most people I know go to the opposite extreme. When I tell them I'm swimming the 1500 at a meet, they'll ask, "How long will that take you? A couple hours?" When I politely laugh and explain that we swim 3000+ meters in a 1-hour practice, they think I'M telling fish stories. There have been times I've had to pull up event results to prove that it really doesn't take an hour to swim a mile... even for a non-Olympian!:frustrated:
Dana
All of these are making me do this :rofl: so I am getting in my ab work today. DANA: I have the opposite problem here about how long a certain distance takes. For instance, when people stop me and ask me how long it will take me to swim the 18 miles coming up, I always say around 9 hours. And they say: That Long? It takes our sailboats 5 hours to sail 18 miles.
And here is one more comment that is true, true, true. Many people start training for our triathlon here the week before!! I mean they see me out there training in high seas in January/February swimming my heart out and shake their heads.
They've told me it's not necessary two months ahead of time!!! A week is all an athlete needs to get ready. And I always say the same thing; THEN I WILL WATCH YOU FINISH.
I mean, two months for me isn't even hardly enough time to even consider a taper because the conditioning is just starting to set in!! In this instance, I have to say: CI=Complete Idiots.
Now, if it were me and IF I could have kept a straight face, I would have "looked" very impressed and would have suggested to him that since this was a very impressive feat, he should contact the local (or National or even International) media who would surely appreciate the opportunity of printing/publishing his accomplishment................
Donna:
Just show him the article about you in USMS mag and tell him to send in his own story. I'm sure they'd love to interview him. LOL.
I like that you laughed in his face too. Arrogant male. ;)
BTW, I think I fell off the turnip truck ... and clunked my shoulder ... Maybe a Monkey La La is good for pain management? Nah, I'll just do some tireless swimming. ;) :rofl: Oops, is that bragging?
I dated a guy once who proudly told me that he set his high school's 400-meter Butterfly team record. His time for the 100 back was also way faster than the state record. Well, that was the beginning of the end ... ;)
I believe that Mike Bruner(sp?) made the impressive 100X100yds on one minute famous.
I think Mike's great success was in the 1976 or 1980 Olympics.
That was a while ago. I wonder what he could do now?
Miles
