The FAF AFAP Digest

Hoy Crap! Those are some seriously fast 50 times - fins or not! I KNOW I could not swim those times with or without fins. Great job! Thank god I'll never be in your age group. BTW, do you have a pace clock or digital clock? I LOVE the digital clocks b/c it's so much easier to get an accurate time in my opinion. We only have pace clocks at SWAT. Blah. I think I'm always off by a second or so either way unless coach is calling it out.

Shoulder question: do you do bench press at the gym? (machine or otherwise) I found that my particular shoulder problem went away when I stopped doing regular 90 degree press, now I do the upward incline press only and have had no recurring troubles to speak of. Therapist thought something was getting pinched or irratated along the way that incline press doesn't do.

Just a suggestion. Glad you're back in the swim of things.

DV

I've crashed into an older person before too. I don't think they realize just how fast we're going and think that because they can cross another senior's lane in time they can cross ours too.

I never am sure about times either. I always figure that it's about a second faster than what I see on the pace clock just because of the time it takes to look up and focus on the clock after the touch. Probably more on back.

Hey Fort, any chance you can request a time-trial at the Rutgers meet, in the 50 fly? You can try for the record then. It might be worth contacting the meet director ahead of time to find out (then you'd know to train/rest for it).

Puff/Floyd,

Thanks, Puff. And, Puff, you could so swim that fast with fins! Much faster even. But I definitely have some weird synergy with fins. Me + fins = greater than the sum of the parts.

At my rec pool, we have a pace clock at each end. Hard to get good times. And my backstroke finishes are never good because I'm always looking up at the clock ... At GMU, there are digital clocks everywhere. Much better and more accurate!

David,

Thanks for the input. I never ever bench press. That's how I tore my RC in college. Ack! I don't do the incline press anymore either, as that tweeked my shoulder once as well. I think it's just excess fly and free that bothers it because my labral tearing is at the back of my left shoulder. Although I'm a little suspicious that the iso lateral row machine with heavier weights might be aggravating it too ...

Are you swimming at Rutgers?

Chris,

I never thought of that ... no idea whether they do time trials. But I'll email the director and ask. I see the 100 fly is Sunday. I didn't enter that, but perhaps I could add it and do a split request? I've never done that before. I just have to finish the race legally, right? I can hang on the wall and gasp for breath before I start the second 50? Although, as I'm now looking at the order of events, it looks like the 100 fly is right after the 50 free ... That really makes no sense. They could have stuck the 200 breast in between those two events.

Sure, a split request would work. And yes you have to finish legally, but it wouldn't be so bad. I don't know about you, but I go out only 0.5-1.0 sec slower on the 100 than I would do in an all-out sprint for the 50. You should be able to hold on and do an easy 50 fly after the race.

It isn't necessarily a bad thing that the 50 free is right before it. If you want to go for the record, do the 50 free but maybe hold back slightly. Use it as a "tune-up" before your big race, like doing sprints during warmup.

What if you can't hold on and get DQ'd when they need to throw the life ring? Does the 50 split count?

Hmmm .... My last 100 fly, I took it out almost 3 seconds slower than my 50 fly time. Bit of a difference in our fly conditioning, Chris! It is probably OK if the 50 free is first to get the cobwebs out.

I don't think the 50 split counts if you get DQ'd, Rob. I'd just need to hang on the wall and gasp for breath for a bit (without touching bottom of course) before I started the second 50.

I think the record is a very very long shot though. I'd just like another crack at a good time.

How about a 50 fly split off the 200 IM?
(warm down back, breast, and free)

That's a good idea too, Quick. But the 200 IM is Saturday. I'm only going to Zones on Sunday because my kid has a big 3 day meet that same weekend and I'm already trying not to feel mommy guilt over missing her Sunday events.

Fort,

Passing on Rutgers. Need more training time, may do one of the low-key Maryland meets about that same time. Need to be at the office as well, things are complex outside of the pool.

Good luck at Rutgers, hope it's a fun meet.

DV