Anyone ever manage to swim all 18 events in meets during one short course season? I thought it would be kind of "fun" to do. Once. It seems that the only major difficulties are 1) finishing the 200 fly legally and 2) having enough meets to try to get them all in.
With our first meet of the season yesterday I have the 50, 100, and 500 free out of the way. Next Saturday I'll get all 5 200s done (that's going to be a fun day). After that only 10 more. I'm trying to figure out where I'll be able to get the 1650 in too, not too many meets offer that.
I'm curious to hear any stories from others who have tried it or were coerced to do it. I would imagine there are fun tales from sprinters who had to swim the 400 IM or backstrokers struggling through a 200 ***.
Justin,
I've swum them all a few times both scy, scm and lcm (17).
50's are the most annoying part of it to me. I mean, why bother? Getting wet for 24-34 seconds is a hassle. Anyway, you'll have to swim the 1650 at Championships unless you go to Nat's or travel elsewhere to swim it.
I agree. The 50s seem pretty silly to me. I feel like I'm barely just getting into the stroke and then it's over. That said I do enjoy swimming them, there's zero pressure. How can you get nervous or worried over a 's why I'm not much of a sprinter.
It looks like I'll need to pick up the 1650 at PMS. That gives me plenty of time to work on it though, my distance free is in a serious funk right now.
Now imagine if they let you swim as many events as you like in a single meet. It would be interesting to see how it would be to swim all 18 in a single weekend.
I agree. The 50s seem pretty silly to me.
Hmmmm, silly eh? Events where execution has to be spot on and where one mistake can completely pooch your swim. As opposed to the mile where a poor start can be made up for, one poor turn isn't game over, etc..
Please leave the word 'silly' out of discussion of sprint events. :bitching:
We sprinters respect the distance folks even while we don't understand the willingness to swim that extra 17-20 minutes. :eek:
By "silly" I of course mean silly to me, because I just don't get them. Doesn't mean I don't have a respect for those who can get up on the blocks and get right into a perfect stroke off the dive and then hold it for a whole 25 seconds.
Believe me, there are many mornings where I wish I could be a sprinter, swim a few hundred, maybe a couple fast 25s, and then spend 30 minutes in the shower. Sounds a lot better to me than 10x400 or whatever. :)
On the Italian circuit we call this the Iron Master and about 200 people complete it every year with a winner announced based on points accumulated.
As a result events like 200 fly and 800/1500 free have alot more competitors .
The achievement of finishing an Iron is well respected in the Master Community .
Ciao !
www.usms.org/.../checkoff :cheerleader:
Check-Off Challenge
The objective of this event is to challenge yourself by making a check list and swimming each of 18 swimming events found in pool competition. The participating swimmer will get a T-shirt in advance, which will list the 18 swimming events on the back. These events will include: 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 400 or 500 free, 800 or 1000 free, 1500 or 1650 free, 50 back, 100 back, 200 back, 50 ***, 100 ***, 200 ***, 50 fly, 100 fly, 200 fly, 100 IM, 200 IM, 400 IM. As you swim the events, simply check them off on the back of the T-shirt using an indelible marker. You can swim them during practice, during a swim meet, during an organized open water event, or during an organized open water training session -- any time, any place, at your own pace!
How awful! :drown: But then again it does sound kinda fun... when it's spaced out over a year.
havent done all 18 (did all except for 100/200 ***), but colorado has a fun thing at our state meet with "Brute Squad" (200 fly, 400IM, 1650) and "Sprint Squad" (50's of all and 100IM).. there were a few swimmers who did both programs. I ended up doing both and swam 12 events (more if you add in relays) over a 2.5 day meet (not recommended).
That sounds like fun. Maybe I'll make that a goal for some season.
I was hoping to do it this season because we have a lot of meets this year - but now, I am going to miss the first 2 meets.
Actually - my goal was to place in the Top 10 in all events - but I was going to use a split to place for the 1000.
I don't think it works the same in reverse! Sprinters are a faint hearted lot. Personally, I've never understood the desire to swim all events. 200 breaststroke?! :afraid:
I have never understood the desire to swim breastroke.
On the Italian circuit we call this the Iron Master and about 200 people complete it every year with a winner announced based on points accumulated.
I wish the US masters would do something like that. I've done the checkoff challenge before and it was fun.
I do think it's possible in some areas. Here in the DC area, we do, or did, have a few meets that run two days. You can do 10 at each one, if you're that crazy. I think the big problem might be getting both the 1000 and the 1650.
