Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

Former Member — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 14:56:29 GMT

I did a tri with a 1000m swim leg as a complete non swimmer and went around 26min. I do this tri every year as a relay and I slowly moved it down to 16:30, but it took five hard years of swimming to do it and it did not all come the first year. In fact the biggest time drop was the second year of training. If this guy cut it in half in the first year to an 18min, then I think he was on track to make an Olympic Trials bid with five more years of training or so. Where did the rest of his swimming career take him? I don't know what the trial cut in the 1500 was in 1992, I am going to guess around 16:20. If someone went from 36:00 to 17:45 with their goggles falling off (and a run of the mill masters meet where they probably lapped the field) then the implication is that said swimmer could qualify for trials with just a few more months of training.

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

Former Member — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 07:33:49 GMT

as for you, stop Comparing and Despairing Read Tip 80 Comparing and Desparing you can Swim Faster Faster Read em & reap, now get to work Ande Thanks, I needed that:blush: Your thread is great btw. I'm getting to work now:agree:

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

Former Member — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 14:33:34 GMT

So as not to derail this thread, GIYF (as is the search function here). Other details of the blogger's story may be implausible, but I don't find that aspect to be. When the founders of this forum established the framework their intention was to have threads be alive. Threads change direction to reflect the changing views and spin off topics that are inevitable when conversation progresses. And besides, pointing back to older threads as rule of law implies that innovation does not occur. Oh and I don't know what GIYF means. Tothe original question: is it possible to improve from 36:00 to sub 18:00 in one year in the 1500M, I think the answer is *maybe* but it probably has never been done before.

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

Former Member — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:28:24 GMT

Is this for long course, Chris? What about short course, or heck, even the 1650? One of the guys in that list, Chris Krupiarz, was a teammate and friend of mine in age group swimming! Hey Kirk, long time no see! :) My sister stumbled across this thread and let me know. I see later that Chris clarified that it was LCM, but I really think it was a SCY 1650 time at UMBC. My memory may be foggy, but I really don't recall doing any long course 1500s during that time. That's back when Teresa and I were training for Chesapeake Bay Swim in case you were wondering what the heck I was doing trying to be a distance swimmer. ;) Chris Krupiarz

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

rtodd — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 08:35:21 GMT

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

pendaluft — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 04:30:43 GMT

http://www.acronymfinder.com/ has answered a lot of these questions for me.

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

Chris Stevenson — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 01:20:25 GMT

Oh and I don't know what GIYF means. "Google is your friend." At least, that's what I found out when I googled it... :) And it seems to make sense in the context of the post.

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

Former Member — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:34:16 GMT

I wonder if push ups were his secret weapon. :bolt: Maybe 100 x 100's on 1:10 :bolt::bolt::bolt: (I promise this comment was for comedic reasons only!)

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

Former Member — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:33:00 GMT

I am having deja-vu. The claim of the 5,000M swim in 48 minutes is...well... outrageously stupid. It is funny the things people claim when they think noone is listening. I wont say who, but an Olympian claimed he was going to swim an openwater 1500 in 13 minutes to a group of star-struck triathletes. Maybe he was planning on drafting, I hear you can get some amazing results from that strategy.

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

Former Member — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:28:31 GMT

I wonder if push ups were his secret weapon. :bolt:

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

Former Member — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:24:28 GMT

Based on other info he was born probably in 1969. He says he was 21 when he did that swim. The guy is certainly a great athlete. He was 11th in the Hawaii Ironman in 1994 and won Ironman Canada one year. In Hawaii he was 15th coming out of the water with a time of 51:44. That's a pace of just over 20 minutes for 1500 meters. ironman.com/.../1994.pdf Yeah the dude has awesome credentials. He Q'd for Boston with a 112 Mile Bike as warmup.

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

Former Member — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:06:23 GMT

Lefty- I think in cycling and in running, 5K is either 2.7 or 3.2 miles. I can never remember. Definitely do-able in 48 minutes. :twocents: Read the article. It is very clear he is talking about a 5,000 swim (he mentions breaking it up into 10x 500's) The only question is meters or yards.

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

Former Member — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 15:01:39 GMT

okay not to pooh-pooh anyone but I do have one small problem: This was in the blog: "So, JD, ready for some 5K TTs at Scott Carpenter Pool when I return to Boulder?! Give me 12 weeks and we'll get you down to 48-minutes!" Not one single soul in the world can do 5,000M in 48 minutes. It is possible he was referring to a 5,000Y in which case I would say there are a few people who can do that but none of them are swimming Masters, much less triathlons. Sub 19 would have easily been a top 10 swim in 1990 in the 1500M (when the swim feat was accomplished) Hmmm, I wish the top 10 went back that far so we could see exactly what this guy did.

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

Former Member — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:40:35 GMT

1500M in 18 min is just 1.x min over world record time. Some people are fast bloomers Actually it is 4 minutes from the world record, which is a significant amount. I only frame that because a 15 minute 1500 (ie 1 minute off the WR) would be close to world class and I doubt that any non-swimmer could pull off that feat in one year. BUT clearly this guy has a ton of raw athletic / endurance talent and I am super-impressed with this achievement. I also suspect that the 36 minute 1500 was not exactly a best effort. Kind of like the Biggest Loser: contestants pack on weight the week before the first weigh in.

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

aquageek — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:41:14 GMT

I wont say who, but an Olympian claimed he was going to swim an openwater 1500 in 13 minutes to a group of star-struck triathletes. Maybe he was planning on drafting, I hear you can get some amazing results from that strategy. There are some OW events where this is theoretically possible for top swimmers, rivers and ocean with a serious current. But, I think this guy is full of it.

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

knelson — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:40:47 GMT

My gut feeling is this guy did make incredible improvements in his swimming in a short time, but he may be exaggerating a little, or maybe just not remembering his time from 20 years ago exactly. We can throw away the 48 minute 5K bit. Hopefully that part was a joke.

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

aquageek — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:23:18 GMT

I just posted on his blog asking which meet he did this in. I'm not buying it.

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

knelson — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:20:18 GMT

I think in cycling and in running, 5K is either 2.7 or 3.2 miles. 3.1 miles, actually. Definitely do-able in 48 minutes. Yeah, running or on a bike! :) By the way, the fastest USMS time for the 5K postal is 58:23:56 by Jeff Erwin. Swimming a 5K in 48 minutes requires a pace of 57.6 seconds/100 meters and that's faster than Hackett's WR 1500 pace.

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

mctrusty — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:14:25 GMT

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

knelson — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:01:27 GMT

Is this for long course, Chris? What about short course, or heck, even the 1650? One of the guys in that list, Chris Krupiarz, was a teammate and friend of mine in age group swimming!

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

Chris Stevenson — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:57:43 GMT

Sub 19 would have easily been a top 10 swim in 1990 in the 1500M (when the swim feat was accomplished) Hmmm, I wish the top 10 went back that far so we could see exactly what this guy did. Top Ten from 1990 in 18-24 age group (sorry for the poor formatting): Michael D Collins 24 17:29.87 Chris Sikes 24 18:39.30 Craig Paradee 21 18:42.40 Thorsten Anderson 23 19:25.30 Steve Olson 21 19:47.00 Geoff Ellett 21 20:15.27 Bruce D Christenson 23 21:00.39 Christopher J Krupiarz 23 21:12.42 Keith J Yost 21 21:45.10 James R Moore 23 21:55.13 The following swims are the only recorded TT times faster than 18 min that age group: Keith Ryan 23 17:12.07 2007 James D Allen 24 17:12.51 1991 Brad Winsor 23 17:12.53 1995 Keith R Ryan 24 17:17.48 2008 David Spires 22 17:23.27 2005 Keith Ryan 22 17:24.11 2006 Steve Cohen 21 17:28.17 1993 Michael D Collins 24 17:29.87 1990 Sam J Chestnut 22 17:34.63 1992 Michael D Collins 23 17:43.31 1989 Matthew Roper 23 17:44.50 2004 Keith R Ryan 21 17:45.50 2005 Matthew D Roper 24 17:54.18 2005 Thomas A McCleary 24 17:55.72 1987 Jamie Lipszyc 24 17:56.71 1996 Shawn l Kline 24 17:57.59 1992

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

knelson — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:41:34 GMT

We need to get more facts about his situation and the actual swim, like: scm or lcm, how old was he? Based on other info he was born probably in 1969. He says he was 21 when he did that swim. The guy is certainly a great athlete. He was 11th in the Hawaii Ironman in 1994 and won Ironman Canada one year. In Hawaii he was 15th coming out of the water with a time of 51:44. That's a pace of just over 20 minutes for 1500 meters. ironman.com/.../1994.pdf

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

tjrpatt — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:39:32 GMT

I'm wondering if it's a case of "the older I get, the faster I was." Remember he said he swam 1500 meters in "less than half the time" he did (36:00) a year before, so that means he went under 18:00. It's possible, but I'm definitely skeptical. I looked at the USMS archive site and a search for his last name (Veylupek) didn't come up with any matches. He could have done a Recognized Masters meet. You don't to be registered with USMS to do it. Don't get me started on these meets! :bitching: But, still, why would you swim a 1500 and not be registered with USMS so it could be in the Top Ten. That is the main reason why I do the 1500. OH yeah, I don't have any fast twitch muscles for sprinting.

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

knelson — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:27:33 GMT

Sub 19 would have easily been a top 10 swim in 1990 in the 1500M (when the swim feat was accomplished) Hmmm, I wish the top 10 went back that far so we could see exactly what this guy did. I'm wondering if it's a case of "the older I get, the faster I was." Remember he said he swam 1500 meters in "less than half the time" he did (36:00) a year before, so that means he went under 18:00. It's possible, but I'm definitely skeptical. I looked at the USMS archive site and a search for his last name (Veylupek) didn't come up with any matches.

RE: Is it possible to improve THAT fast?

Karen Duggan — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:25:21 GMT

Lefty- I think in cycling and in running, 5K is either 2.7 or 3.2 miles. I can never remember. Definitely do-able in 48 minutes. :twocents: