Interview(s) with the Champion(s)

Chris, What are your best times? Significantly slower than current times; here are a few I can remember without looking the old times up. 100 LCM fly 1986: 55.4 2007: 59.1 200 LCM fly 1986: 2:01.8 2007: 2:15.4 (sigh. I used to love this event. Don't know how Baker does it.) 100 SCY back 1986: 49.8 (old turns) 2007: 51.4 200 SCY back 1986: 1:48+ (old turns, I forget the exact time, not a race I swam much) 2007: 1:53.9

Oh I will get there. There are two meets that are closer that I will try and get to. They both conflict with my daughter's meets though, and right now she comes first. Soon enough she will be grown and then my time is more my own. Meanwhile I keep working out, and hopefully getting better. 8 years ago a 25 was all I could muster to swim without stopping. I have now done a 400 IM and a 1000 free in a meet, and was not last! My goal for the 1000 free was to do flip turns through the whole thing, which I did. The IM was just to keep the strokes from breaking down, which I did. I like the sprints, but my starts and turns are not good, so I lose a lot on that. I can work the turns where I swim, but not the starts. Anyway, I am happy to be in the pool, and have come a far way in 8 years. Dorothy, Yep, you are a Champion! That's the idea of this thread... You know, if you are keen on improving, and still swim regularly, then you are a winner, for sure... You have an advantage over many master swimmers, because for us the goal is to reduce the decline, and we probably won't ever see a PB on the board... but we do get to have fun over again, by "aging-up"... It's a PB in a new age-group! That's a great way to think about aging...

Having the time of my life. Ya, seeing improvement is very rewarding. I remember a good solid 10 years in my youth, from about the age of 10 to the age of 20, where I went best times pretty much every swim meet... That was a great experience, for sure... See, I do envy people that are new to the sport, for that reason. You might not know what your absolute best may have been if you trained as an age-grouper, but yet you still have room to improve... You can still have adaptation, and you can still acquire a new skill, which reduces your times... Who knows when you'll stop improving? Maybe when you're 60? From a pure mathematical point of view, I often think about what a graph of this sort might look like. An experienced athlete tries to reduce the decline over time, whereas a new athlete continues to improve... At what point do the graphs cross-over? Which is a greater accomplishment? I'll save my opinions on this, for now...

Well, that maybe a stretch too. That requires me to drop about 3 seconds for both 50 Free and 50 Fly. Not sure that's gonna happen. But the point was go, challenge yourself, have fun, meet new people. Paul Paul, I've been reading your blog, and I watched the races you posted... Your 50 free looked very strong... Well done! Also, I agree with you about the benefits of networking... There is an opportunity in meeting people. It's interesting how we can connect in this forum on the basis of our thoughts, and not just on the merits of our physical performances... Validation for a performance "feels" equally as good, even when it is solely literary art.

My swimming life in a nutshell: I grew up (mostly) in San Jose, California and started swimming year-round at 8 years old. And have been doing so ever since (though we moved first to Greece and then to Raleigh, NC). I swam all four years in college, at UNC (= University of National Champions...I mean, U of N Carolina). I was a two-time All-American in college. I went to grad school at U of Florida and almost immediately met a former Gator swimmer while we were swimming laps at the gym pool. She had started swimming masters and raved about it ("Short practices! You can skip any set you want! Or skip entire practices!") I started and was hooked. The beers after Friday practices helped, too. I met my wife thru masters swimming (I've often wondered how many "USMS couples" there are out there. I think it would make a nice story.) I have gone thru long periods of reduced workouts and not competing (especially on the path to tenure) and experimenting with other sports (well, one other sport: cycling) but I have not spent more than about 2 months completely out of the water. About 2-3 years ago I had some poor blood test results in a checkup. I subsequently lost 30 pounds and decided to train swimming more seriously, and start lifting weights again. And here we are today. Chris, Thank you for providing that information... That's the missing link I was looking for... Just another question champ, if you would be so kind... What are your best times? My hat... or should I say, swim cap is off to you...

So true. I remember hearing some older guys at Colonies Zones being elated with their 31s and 32s in the 50 SCM Free... first thinking "boring!" and then realizing they're 60+ and thinking "holey moley, I hope I am that fast in 40 years!" They were pretty appreciative of my "great swim, gentlemen" when they got out too... we are all champions in our own right. That's right! Also, I'm interested in that story you mentioned, where you went 3 seconds faster on the relay. That's incredible!! You know, that's part of this equation also, it comes down to motivation... You brought out your best that day, for her... Very interesting...

Significantly slower than current times; here are a few I can remember without looking the old times up. 100 LCM fly 1986: 55.4 2007: 59.1 200 LCM fly 1986: 2:01.8 2007: 2:15.4 (sigh. I used to love this event. Don't know how Baker does it.) 100 SCY back 1986: 49.8 (old turns) 2007: 51.4 200 SCY back 1986: 1:48+ (old turns, I forget the exact time, not a race I swam much) 2007: 1:53.9 WOW!! You went 55 100 fly long course in 1986? and 2:01 for the 200... incredible!! Wasn't the WR for 100 fly only a 53.8 back then, or something like that? That makes sense, that's why you're the champ now....

I won my first Masters National Championship in 1976 (100 BR LCM) and my reaction was stunned disbelief.How could little old me win a National Championship(and go faster than I had in college.)My favorite and most personally exciting race was 240+ Mens 200 MR at the 2001 LCM Nats. 3 teams broke the WR(though one was DQd) and a fourth broke the NR but we(OREG) won! I yelled in pleasure and amazement.:banana::banana:

WOW!! You went 55 100 fly long course in 1986? and 2:01 for the 200... incredible!! Wasn't the WR for 100 fly only a 53.8 back then, or something like that? That makes sense, that's why you're the champ now.... 100 FLY LONG COURSE PABLO MORALES JUNE 23, 1986 52.84 WR

I won my first Masters National Championship in 1976 (100 BR LCM) and my reaction was stunned disbelief.How could little old me win a National Championship(and go faster than I had in college.)My favorite and most personally exciting race was 240+ Mens 200 MR at the 2001 LCM Nats. 3 teams broke the WR(though one was DQd) and a fourth broke the NR but we(OREG) won! I yelled in pleasure and amazement. Great story. Aren't those breakthrough, "stunned disbelief moments," a lot of fun? I respect those who don't like to compete but they sure do lose a lot by missing such moments. It looks like you have continued your success -- I see you were a USMS all-american this year, over 30 years later! Your stroke of choice (breastroke) may make me shudder, but I am envious that you could best your college times in a masters meet. Have you been swimming masters ever since 1976?