T minus 11 days until I race the long distance pentathlon (200 LCM back, 200 LCM free, 200 LCM ***, 200 LCM fly, and 400 LCM IM) against an unknown challenger. I have it on good authority that this mystery swimmer will be wearing a Mexican wrestling mask and will not remove it between events. There are also unsubstantiated rumors that this person uses performance enhancing carbohydrates and caffeine, and may have even considered sandbagging once before chickening out. I'm told that our gridge hinges upon our total pentathlon time, but the stakes of this gridge have not yet been revealed even to me. Who is this enigmatic maverick, and why has he never been photographed with Gotham's caped crusader Bat Guy?
Former Member
Obviously if the Unknown Swimmer loses they will have to take off the mask,if they win it will remain a mystery and everyone will ask "who was that masked man."
Since Allen has taken on a pro rasslin theme, let's add one more stipulation. Loser leaves town race!
It's a good thing that the Long Distance Pentathalon is keeping all the strokes the same distance (200 m). It would suck to have to repeat the 1500 LCM Free that I just did tonight! :afraid:
It's a good thing that the Long Distance Pentathalon is keeping all the strokes the same distance (200 m). It would suck to have to repeat the 1500 LCM Free that I just did tonight! :afraid:
I stumbled upon a blog entry somewhere that said that someone went 18:52 in the 1500 LCM. Good job, whoever may or may not have done that! :applaud:
I am planning to swim the 800 LCM next month, but I have no plans for the 1500. If I did swim it, I'd probably use it as a training swim. That's why I entered the 800 SCM free last month, to force myself to do some freestyle training for a change.
I stumbled upon a blog entry somewhere that said that someone went 18:52 in the 1500 LCM. Good job, whoever may or may not have done that! :applaud:
I am planning to swim the 800 LCM next month, but I have no plans for the 1500. If I did swim it, I'd probably use it as a training swim like you did. That's why I entered the 800 SCM free last month, to force myself to do some freestyle training for a change.
My entering the 1500 over a month ago, it did in fact force me to get right back on track after my poor showing at USMS Nationals. The 1500 was definitely a kick in the backside though. Not an event to enter unless you're really ready for it! I was on the tip of the iceberg as far as ready or not! Luckily I didn't fall apart. My mind was trying to go negative on me during the race but I pushed away the urge to quit.
With all the sandbagging/split request :blah: stuff going on lately, I thought I would join the show during the pentathalon meet. I'm thinking about split requesting my 100 Back in the 200 Back event. It's my last/only shot at the 100 Back LMSC record, and the Corvallis pool is indoor which is a big YIPPIE! for backstroke events.
Thing is, I'm going to sprint like crazy for the 100, finish legal, old school turn and keep going so as to not damage the total time too much for the pentathalon gridge. Who knows...I'm probably just shooting myself in the foot attempting this, but why not try???
Backstroke split requests are the tricky ones. Along with the paperwork, the swimmer must finish the split-request distance with a hand touch, and the hand touch must be judged as legal, so the swimmer should let the ref know what's going on prior to the heat.
The Inland NW LMSC record for M30-34 100 LCM back is 1:11.21. I've raced the 100 LCM backstroke faster than that, but I've never taken my 200 LCM backstroke out that fast. So someone who (hypothetically of course) wanted to break that record in a split request fashion would need to be well ahead of me at the 100, keeping in mind that I might use that swimmer as a pacing device to ensure that my first 100 isn't too slow, since that's a common problem for me. :cane:
Regardless of the outcome of the totally hypothetical 100 split request by possibly existing peoples, I would give no quarter in any pre-existing gridges, subsequent throwdowns, or miscellaneous bar-brawls. But further attempts to distract or rattle me are strongly encouraged; it is as our gridging forefathers intended when they walked the plank of the Mayflower and raced butterfly through the Bermuda Triangle to see who could be the first to discover Disney World. :bliss:
While we're at it...since we're both self-described butterflyers...I make a proposal that the only true way to win the 200 Fly (in this gridge only) is to be first at the 50, 100, 150 and 200. :banana: That way we can see if the piano will be playing it's tune for you, me, or both of us.
