Topic: SCY Nationals
If I'm going to qualify for nationals next summer (short course yards), I have a loooooong way to go. The obvious reason is because I'm out of shape. Out of practice, to be more accurate, since I've not been swimming regularly since March but I'm at the same pace I was when I stopped, at least with the longer distances. That, in a way, is a good thing since those are the events I'm trying to qualify in.

My practice times in both the 200 freestyle and 200 backstroke have obviously slowed down. In the past, I was regularly swimming 3:30s in practice for the 200 backstroke with all 10 200s in the set ranging from 3:12 - 3:30. Today I was 3:38 - 3:55. My range in the 200 freestyle recently has been 3:45 - 4:00 and I used to consistently swim 3:40s or better.

Based on times today, here's where I stand:
MY TIME QUALIFYING TIME
200 BK 3:38 2:32.60
500 FR 9:12 6:02.80
1000 FR 18:52 12:51.45

I'd like to prove that the Adidas slogan "Impossible Is Nothing" from the Athens Olympics last year is correct. Right now, qualifying really does seem impossible. How could I possibly improve my times so significantly in just eight months? I haven't told anyone in my family ecause they will just discourage me as usual.

Besides the fact that I don't have the slightest clue how much training is required for such a feat. Eventually I'll obviously have to take up weight training again, but do I need to take up twice a day workouts too?? I obviously need to get used to once a day workouts again before diving into twice a day workouts (no pun intended). Even when I was competing at a younger age, I was never training to qualify for state, nationals, or any other competition that required a qualifying time.

This is what happens when none of my friends are even remotely interested in ANY sports so I feel like I am completely alone in this. Not that it's going to stop me from trying since I'm used to being the only one of my friends even slightly interested in sports, but it would be so nice to have people to talk to about it instead of just writing in my journal about it. Or at least peole who are going to be different than my parents and actually support me whether I qualify or not.

Topic: Workouts
1000 FR - 18:52
500 - 9:12; 800 - 15:01
10 x 200
odd - backstroke (3:38 - 3:55)
even - FR pull (3:25 - 3:35)
500 swim
500 kickboard

TOTAL: 4,000 yards

Topic: Workouts
Thursday's workout

I wasn't actually swimming with the team, but their workout was still written up on the board so the two sets I did were taken from the workout. I do this whenever I can so that I am not always doing the same workouts all the time that I come up with on my own. The 800 at the beginning and 500 on the kickboard are my own things that I regularly do when I'm swimming on my own.

800 freestyle (time: 14:34 ... I just need to drop 2 1/2 more minutes to qualify) Since I'm trying to qualify in this event, I'm doing one at each workout to build up my strength/endurance

First set:
4x200 1. choice (backstroke) 2. freestyle with the buoy thingy between my legs 3. kick, no board, IM order (50 fly, 50 back, 50 breast, 50 free) 4. choice (backstroke)

For those who don't know, choice just means anything other than freestyle, and since the 200 backstroke is my other good event, I always pick backstroke.

Second set: drills (I absolutely hate drills!!!!) I haven't done any proper swimming drills since ... my 3rd year of high school
4 x 50 one arm butterfly
4 x 50 six kick backstroke (take a stroke every six kicks
4 x 50 small arm breaststroke .. whatever that is, I just did regular breaststroke since that's by far my weakest stroke.
4 x 50 six kick freestyle (same as w/backstroke ... take a stroke every six kicks)

God do I hate drills.

Last of all: 500yd on the kickboard to build up my leg strength.

Oi! Just writing that out made me tired! There was also another set involving 5 150s but I skipped it because I was tired. :)

Topic: Upcoming Swim Meets
2005 Denver Athletic Club SCM Championships
November 18-19, 2005
Denver Athletic Club - Denver, Colorado
Events I've entered: 200M, 400M, 800M, and 1500M freestyle, 200M backstroke

2006 COMSA SCY Championships
April 7-9, 2005 (tentative)
University of Denver - Denver, Colorado
Events I'm planning to enter: pending official meet information posting which lists the events they're offering.

Meets I'm trying to qualify for:
2006 USMS SCY Nationals
May 11-14, 2006
Coral Springs Aquatic Center - Coral Springs, Florida
Events I'm trying to qualify for: The 1000YD Freestyle and 200YD Backstroke for sure, and possibly the 500YD Freestyle as well depending on how things develop

2006 XI FINA World Master's Championships
Avery Aquatic Center, Stanford University - Palo Alto, California
Events I hope to qualify in: 400M (tentative) and 800M freestyle, 200M backstroke
Events I'm trying to qualify in:

Mood:  lazy
Topic: Workouts
Wow I can't believe it's been a whole six months since I last wrote in this thing. I finally have a meet to train for, which means I have to start swimming again for real. I swam on Monday for the first time in I don't know how many months. Pretty non-exciting workout:

500 warm up
5 x 200 freestyle
5 x 200 odd-freestyle/even-backstroke
500 kickboard

Now I just have to try to get myself motivated to swim every day again, plus I need a new swimsuit badly...but hey at least it's not see-through since it's got lining all the way down instead of just on my chest area. Now to look up my times from last year's SCM meet.

Topic: Swimming Thoughts
Haven't done very well lately in posting workouts or anything else related to swimming. I've been so preoccupied I keep forgetting. One thing I am a bit concerned about is my performance on longer distances since I've been doing more of the team's workouts and less of my own. Their definition of distance sets is a bit different than mine, ie theirs is shorter than mine since I am truly a distance swimmer at heart which makes me absolutely insane. They complain about having to swim a 500 straight through in practice when in my own workouts I swim 800 straight through just for my warm out. The team's workouts are shorter in total yardage and generally focus on shorter distances and shorter sets as well.

Naturally it's helped keep up my speed so that my times haven't deteriorated in the long distances (ie the 500, 800, and 1650 freestyle) ... but my times haven't improved either like they would if I was still continuing doing the long stuff in practice. Well at least my consolation is that my times in the shorter distances 100/200 freestyle and 200 backstroke have improved.

After my workout today, I feel more confident about my ability to do all the events I entered for state in two weeks ... although I would feel better if my long-distance strength/endurance was better, like where it was before I started doing all these short-distance workouts. Even though I'm still able to make time, I've noticed my arms feel more tired after long distances than they used to.

Ho hum ... random swimming thoughts at a god-awful hour of the morning because I can't sleep because I drank two coffees tonight thinking I'd be doing schoolwork but changed my mind.

Topic: Workouts
Today
800 yd freestyle (14:38)
4 x 500 freestyle (8:56, 8:34, 9:02, 9:25)
200 swim
500 kickboard
TOTAL: 3500

Last Monday 03/21/05 with the swimteam
500 warm up
4 x 250 progressive IM (25 fly, 50 back, 75 breast, 100 free)
4 x 125 freestyle
250 swim
Total: 2500 yards

Topic: Swimming Thoughts
I think I am okay for the state meet in April with all the events I want to enter, except for the 200 butterfly. I want to take a shot at it, but after today I've confirmed the obvious. Currently I don't have the strength and stamina for it, so it's going to take a bit of work for me to be able to finish it without dying or completely embarrassing myself.

I was already planning to do the 1650 yard freestyle (ie 1 mile) and the 400 I.M. anyway, and for those who do the 1650 FR, 400 IM, plus the 200 fly at the state meet you get a prize ... and yeah I like getting awards. :)

I know that sounds sooooo superficial, but I guess that does make me slightly competitive. I'm hardly considered cut-throat by any means, but I am competitive in that I always want to do the best I can and I always TRY to win, but if I don't win it's not the end of the world. As my brother told me once, there's always going to be someone who's better than me and someone who's worse than me so all I can do is the best I can do. I always remembered that since what I got out of his message was that regardless of how badly I think I've done, it's not the worst that's ever been done.

On some odd chance someone is reading this and wants to know what events I'm going to enter and what my submitted times are:

200 freestyle (FR) 3:18.45
500 FR 9:05.27
1650 FR (1 mile) 31:27.19
200 backstroke (BK) 3:28.45
200 butterfly (FLY) 4:18.49 (not including rest breaks)
400 I.M. 7:05.13

Don't worry, they're all spread out over three days ... otherwise I wouldn't consider taking on so many events that are such long distances.

The swim meet will be Friday, 8 April - Sunday 10 April at the Denver University Pool. As a kid I was never able to go to state because we always had to have certain times, so now as an adult it will be a lot of fun to be able to do something like that. And it also sounds really good when I'm talking to other swimmers, ie "hey I went to state and got 2nd place in my age group" LOL.

Topic: Workouts
Thursday, 10 Feb, 2005
I know I did something but I don't remember what it was. I can't remember that far back as far as swim workouts are concerned. :)

Wed., 16 Feb.
400 warm up
2 x 250 I.M.
25 fly, 50 back, 75 breast, 100 free

1100 yards of who knows what, somewhere in here. I don't remember what it was. I just remember that the following 5 100s, 10 50s, and the 500 were the last things we did.

5 x 100
1,3,5 something other than freestyle
2,4 freestyle
10 x 50 freestyle
500 swim

Today (Feb 18, '05 - Friday)
800 warm up (14:34)
200 butterfly broken up into 100 x 50 x 50 since I couldn't finish the whole 200 without breaks.
--
3 x 200 backstroke
300 freestyle
descend each 100 (ie getting faster)
---
do this set three times:
100 back
100 breaststroke
300 freestyle
---
100 swim/float/whatevever
---
500 on the kickboard

Topic: Workouts
400 warm up
4 x 125
1 & 2 100 moderate/25 fast
3 & 4 75 moderate/50 fast
6 x 200
every 4th length-fast
5 x 100 (5 sec between each)
10 x 50 freestyle
TOTAL: 3100 yards