Swim happy

My swim happy: I actually negative split a couple events last weekend at the Bend, Oregon SCM meet!! :banana: The key was taking it out easy, and trying to descend 50s as I went. Actually pretty easy on the body to do it this way. Not sure why I don't do this more often...maybe the pain is fun?? :D Men 30-34 200 SC Meter Backstroke =============================================================================== Name Age Team Seed Finals =============================================================================== 1 Adams, James A 34 Hydropower Maste-35 2:29.60 2:37.06 39.60 1:19.97 (40.37) 1:59.78 (39.81) 2:37.06 (37.28) Men 30-34 200 SC Meter Breaststroke =============================================================================== Name Age Team Seed Finals =============================================================================== 1 Adams, James A 34 Hydropower Maste-35 2:51.55 2:50.31 40.51 1:25.47 (44.96) 2:08.82 (43.35) 2:50.31 (41.49) While the splits may look good like this, I didn't feel like I was actually "racing". This isn't my style. I guess I like to feel the burn.

Last June, my swim happy was swimming breaststroke on a 400m women's medley relay (200-239) that broke a Georgia state record, even though the official time was 18 seconds slower than we actually swam (long story). I was pretty jazzed about that until I learned our relay made USMS Top Ten. :ohyeah: Well, I recently heard our relay team made FINA World Rankings Top Ten, coming in at #9! (And, even if our official time would have been accurate, we still would have been ranked 9th.) :bliss: Now, if I could just make NQT's in my 100yd breaststroke to go along with my 50yd breaststroke, I would really be swim happy! :agree: But, I am very swim happy about our relay! :D

Last June, my swim happy was swimming breaststroke on a 400m women's medley relay (200-239) that broke a Georgia state record, even though the official time was 18 seconds slower than we actually swam (long story). I was pretty jazzed about that until I learned our relay made USMS Top Ten. :ohyeah: Well, I recently heard our relay team made FINA World Rankings Top Ten, coming in at #9! (And, even if our official time would have been accurate, we still would have been ranked 9th.) :bliss: Now, if I could just make NQT's in my 100yd breaststroke to go along with my 50yd breaststroke, I would really be swim happy! :agree: But, I am very swim happy about our relay! :D Great job! One of these years I will make the FINA rankings...

Great job! One of these years I will make the FINA rankings... Thanks, That Guy! So, what's wrong with this picture? You are a Top Ten swimmer and I am far from that! In breaststroke, I only rank in the top third or so in my best event. But, I end up in the FINA Top Ten and you don't. :shakeshead: You SO deserve to be there! Here is the way I see it: I am fortunate to swim on a large team (Georgia Masters Killer Whales) with a lot of good swimmers. And, we are fortunate to have Donna Hooe and Walter Leen who do a great job putting relays together. They look at records ahead of time and base their strategy around what records are up for grabs. In this case, Walter organized the relays and gave as many swimmers as possible the opportunity to break records. I have him to thank for giving me the opportunity. And, I have Jennifer Almand to thank for swimming the freestyle leg, rather than breaststroke, her best stroke (as well as mine). She is way faster than I am in breaststroke, but we needed her to anchor our relay. And, Cathy Jones swam the fly leg immediately after her 200 backstroke race. I was at the right place at the right time and the opportunity fell in my lap. No offense to Rob Copeland ( :bighug: ), but the best move I have made as a USMS swimmer was switching from his small team to the Killer Whales, so I could swim relays. It has been a blast; especially swimming on two medal winning teams at Auburn Nationals! :bliss:

So, Forumites, if you were in my position, would you wear your Top Ten Patches on your swim parka? I haven't received mine yet, but it was suggested to me by a non-swimmer. I'm not sure if I would be :blush: to do so or :D. What do you think? (No, I am not going to do a poll; I'll just keep it here on this thread...) Your answer is? 1. :shakeshead: 2. :afraid: 3. :agree: 4.:applaud: 5.:banana: Please feel free to embellish with any other more appropriate Smilies. And, yes, Geek, you are invited to do so, as well. ;)

So, what's wrong with this picture? You are a Top Ten swimmer and I am far from that! In breaststroke, I only rank in the top third or so in my best event. I'll top that, Elaine. I am probably in the bottom third in my best event. I had a single top ten one year (or maybe it was a USMS record for a year) by the good graces of the person who put together my LMSCs postal relays that year. I think some west coasters or something took the record down the following year. It definitely helps to be on a relay with three other very fast swimmers. :D S

I'll top that, Elaine. I am probably in the bottom third in my best event. I had a single top ten one year (or maybe it was a USMS record for a year) by the good graces of the person who put together my LMSCs postal relays that year. I think some west coasters or something took the record down the following year. It definitely helps to be on a relay with three other very fast swimmers. :D S Congratulations! That must have been a swim happy moment for you! I don't know about you or anybody else, but I really enjoy the team aspects of swimming on a relay. At Nationals, I always lead my relay team in a :cheerleader:. Yeah, I know; I'm a dork! But, it gets the team pumped up and we always have a good time. The best part about swimming relays has been how understanding and supportive my teammates have been. At first, when I was a newbie, I would preface my swim to those who didn't know me by saying I was new at swimming relays, I wasn't very fast, etc. And, I still catch myself saying things to my relay teammates when I feel I am the slow leg of the relay. But, every time, I have received nothing but kind and supportive comments back- and, lots of encouragement and :cheerleader:. And, I do the same when the situation is reversed. In the end, it always ends up being a lot of fun and I have made some nice friends out of those relays! For those of you who compete and have the opportunity to swim relays, I encourage you to give it a try if you haven't done so already. The timing of relays may interfere with your individual events, but, for me, it has always been worth it. And, if anything, it has helped my individual races, because I am so pumped up, rather than being worn out!

I hear people say all the time how they are the slow one on the relay and hold there teammates back. It takes 4 to swim a relay,without you there is no swim.If you are the "slow" member of a relay you are just as important as the "fast" member.

I hear people say all the time how they are the slow one on the relay and hold there teammates back. It takes 4 to swim a relay,without you there is no swim.If you are the "slow" member of a relay you are just as important as the "fast" member. That is definitely a valid point; one I understand logically. But, I still feel that way at times, when I am feeling a bit insecure around great swimmers. In the case of 2011 Spring Nationals, there were only eight of us from GAJA that attended; only two of us female. So, even though I was much slower than the other three on our mixed relays (the two guys being speedy Mark and Dan Beatty), I knew they needed me just to swim those relays. They were super supportive and encouraging then and have been so ever since! One thing I have found in USMS for sure: Swimmers are a great bunch of really nice people! :applaud:

I dont do such long laps or anythng but i sometimes almost believe maybe i was a fish in my previous life! i love water! and im more into underwater swimming then on the surface.....like i said....a fish:) great to be on this forum with people of mutual interest:)