2025 Goal - PR !!!

Makes sense - goal in swimming should always be there - and PRs - personal records are the biggest goal there is for me. That's the harder part though for "us" college swimmers - but I came close - pretty much even in my early 40s - shorter distance from 200 to 50 but very good experience.

My own challenge - can I reach that goal - 21.00 in yards / not sure yet if LC will be this year - but 24.24 for that - and time now - 15y later - age 56 - swim a PR in the 50 Free - faster than at age 20 when I trained at the max volume. 

Why is that not insane in my view ? We never ever trained speed - the lack of sprint training still is insane looking back. I trained more all out 25s in a week in December than at USC under Peter Daland or Schubert. 

Why am I posting this - to show our USMS group that I think us older folks still train too much the old way - if you don't use it - it goes to sleep ... I used to think "you lose it" but our body is incredible - its still there - just sleeping. So I have activated my Fast Twitch muscle fibers who have been held hostage by them slow moving folks for decade after decade but they are waking up - so lets see whats possible - 50 Free for now ... shorter to longer maybe next year :)  

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  • It seems we are on similar paths. Never trained for speed and spent so much time swimming wasted yardage. At 56- soon to be 57, I’m close to being faster now than ever. 
    I swam with you in Santa Monica in 06-07. Then a very bad accident put me in a wheelchair. I was hoping to see you at Spring Nationals, maybe next time. If I didn’t have the goals, I wouldn’t be paying much attention & probably just swimming for the heck of it. Now? I’m going all out for 6 National Records. And at the next long course nationals, 6 more. I’ve been at this training for 10 weeks (started back Feb 4 2025) super excited and stoked to see just how fast I can become. I certainly feel a team and competition ramps up my training! I train on my own now, & can see the lack of being pushed by teammates. I’ll find a team somewhere, (Sarasota?) and kick utter ***…. Don’t stop training- I’d be disappointed 

  • Hi there - if I see you I will remember you ... hard with names with me - just being honest -- and I SOOO wanted Nationals but too many moving parts for that one - and while I can train every day, leaving kids for 3 days or so is a challenge - but fair warning - I am super close to 2 of those records you may be looking it and I very much would have liked to break them with the "holder" of them being there - Rich Abrahams - I should have listened to his style of training 20 years - but never too late - we do Evolve not just get "older" 

  • Love it!! From a push today, I went 26.8 50 back-

    and a 24.8 50 Free… my fly is super fast- I’m running around 25- from a push. I’ve never been off the blocks with a wedge, or a ledge for backstroke. Also- I found a new way of swimming backstroke- I predict it will be the norm in 4-6 years…. It’s all in the recovery! I plan to unveil it at Nationals. I know you’ll remember me once you see me, as we had a good relationship, albeit a short one. I was there, on the side of lane 1- when you broke the 400M record while swimming the mile in the valley… 09 if memory serves.

    your kick was what amazed me the most- super fluid and smooth. Ya should’ve had kids early on- but we can’t really control when our wives get pregnant. Mine are grown & gone. 
    if you google my name, you’ll recognize me. I was a stuntman for 25 years and just retired at 55. 
    keep training Eric, look forward to catching up in the future.

    cheers

    Greg Sproles

  • Oh yeah searched you - I "see" you now .... Awesome ... I think I smell a RELAY somewhere in the making - got the back or fly and free covered :)  --- them new blocks - I was annoyed with first - hard to find and use - they want to "protect us" and won't allow it ....... , but they are faster than our old blocks - at least 0.2s ... actually folks now get off the blocks in 0.6s and 0.7 was norm in my time ... I make it a fun new thing to experiment with now - but does need some reps to get used to them for sure. Excited to learn and see your new tech - learning the straight arm free has been really fun for me ... as you saw me in 09  - I was close to catch free and all kick -- now totally different for the 50F at least 

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  • Oh yeah searched you - I "see" you now .... Awesome ... I think I smell a RELAY somewhere in the making - got the back or fly and free covered :)  --- them new blocks - I was annoyed with first - hard to find and use - they want to "protect us" and won't allow it ....... , but they are faster than our old blocks - at least 0.2s ... actually folks now get off the blocks in 0.6s and 0.7 was norm in my time ... I make it a fun new thing to experiment with now - but does need some reps to get used to them for sure. Excited to learn and see your new tech - learning the straight arm free has been really fun for me ... as you saw me in 09  - I was close to catch free and all kick -- now totally different for the 50F at least 

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