Fun, and Fast

[JMiller]

More excerpts from "Good Enough!"


“I missed you so much Sara! After the accident I started thinking about all the positive things, and how swimming brought true enjoyment to our lives. A few months later, I realized the only way to honour your memory was to cherish the good experiences, most of which are still available. 12 years later I won the Olympic Gold, and it was your memory that helped me get through the intense training.” Daemon reminisces.

Sara smiles wildly with a twinkle in her eyes, “I always knew you could win, that must have been an amazing day!”

“It was, but not for the reasons I thought. It all came down to motivation, not physical ability. You remember how I like to philosophize? That aspect of my personality eventually got in the way of my athletic abilities. Once I was a National finalist, the desire to push further in pursuit of physical perfection, just for the sheer bragging rights, no longer appealed to me. I needed a stronger reason to push my body through the intense training and make the sacrifices required to reach the top.” Daemon explains.

“So what happened?” Sara gently inquires.

“What I did was controversial, but my love of sport drove me to that fateful moment when I touched the wall first, besting the athletic world, while simultaneously earning a place among the business elite as an enigmatic entrepreneur!”

Sara asks again, impatiently, “What did you do?”

Daemon begins to recall the day he won the Olympic Gold, as he submerges into the deepest recesses of his memory. The 2012 Olympic final in the 100 meter freestyle was now mere moments away, and the intense energy in the ready room could be felt through the entire building. The fastest eight men in the world await their final debut in front of an enormous crowd. The spectators have eagerly gathered from all over the earth in mutual appreciation of a common interest, all wanting to see who is the fastest swimmer in London, on this Olympic day.

Daemon gazes calmly at his competition, knowing they’re all champions from one place or another. The intense emotion can be easily seen, as all eight men are ready for the race of their lives. Only four tenths of a second separate the top eight from the previous heats, so the winner could be anyone’s bet.

Daemon mischievously smiles as he puts on his swim cap, hiding a thin, neatly folded banner within the custom manufactured silicon. Television cameras from around the world sit poised, ready to transmit live images of the next world champion directly into the impressionable minds of the next generation.

The athletes are escorted to their respective lanes, and the eager announcer introduces each respective champion to an enormous world audience. As each athlete undresses, their physical definition becomes easily recognizable with such superb condition. Long carved muscle reflecting years of determination, trained specifically for ultimate speed through water!

An eerie silence overcomes the building in anticipation of the start. For a brief moment, the mental focus of the largest crowd in swimming history coalesces into a single event, temporarily bringing unity to the usual fragmented perceptions within the group. Daemon smiles confidently, in anticipation of this momentous eventuality.

Representing lane five, Daemon quickly steps up, calmly resting on his block of destiny. As he leans over, his lanky arms hang towards his long flexible feet. Shaking his hands, the lean muscle in his triceps jiggle from the slightest motion, as the stored glycogen is primed for quick consumption.

Daemon’s entire focus is set on the starting signal, and as the familiar noise blasts through his awareness his body reacts without delay, having practiced this phase of the race countless times before. The silence is broken as an immense roar erupts through the building, the spectators no longer able to contain the ecstatic anticipation after hearing the signal.

Daemon’s hands pull hard on the block, as his knees dip slightly while his quadriceps push through his feet, creating momentary flight. His hands fly upwards and forwards, followed by his head and shoulders, quickly levelling off and traveling horizontally through the air. Daemon’s hips continue to ascend slightly higher, setting his body in a perfect angle before slicing through the surface tension, maintaining maximum speed. The crowd continues to cheer loudly as the race ensues.

Daemon’s hands pierce the elastic portion of the water, as his hairless arms glide through a tightly calculated entry point, followed by his streamlined torso, as his hips and feet arch slightly upward. Upon entering the crisp liquid, the downward force of his body temporarily creates a pressurized waterslide, propelling him forward, aided by the numerous layers of still water beneath.

The roaring crowd is replaced by a familiar calmness, as the serene inner world continues flowing through Daemon’s submerged awareness, as he maintains focus on this current singular duty. The cool water rushes past him effortlessly, as the skilful master plays the notes of perfection, resonating in a soundless wave that crests in front of him, opening a channel of water into the future. The wave becomes an extension of Daemon’s body and orchestrates the calm water to join in the motion, as his finely tuned muscle resonate a flawless center, transmuting into pure fluid motion.

As Daemon breaks the surface from his submerged perspective the angle of his body changes slightly, creating subtle acceleration through the elastic portion that connects the two elements. His lungs stay buoyant while riding the wave, as his head and shoulders maintain a slightly deeper tract. His hips stay close to the surface, as his feet kick tightly, ultimately maximizing the deep propulsive force carved out by his forearms.

The rhythm is timed perfectly with only three breaths through the first fifty meters. As Daemon cuts the angle towards the wall at forty-five degrees, he digs into the water with his head and shoulders, as his hips roll effortlessly over his torso near the surface with his feet landing squarely on the wall.

Pressing into the streamline with his quads, bouncing into a new direction, Daemon stays submerged long enough to pass under the massive wave following the eight men. Soon he breaks the surface perfectly on the other side of the crest, rolling down the hill with increased propulsion. Without looking, Daemon can feel his position improving as he continues to make slight gains throughout the second fifty. This momentum releases his wave from the traction of the other men, opening up fresh water, giving Daemon the decisive advantage in the final meters of the race. With one stroke to go Daemon lunges forward into the water, rolling completely onto his side, extending his right shoulder far past his usual stroke pattern, maximizing the final two inches of the race.

Having won Olympic Gold, Daemon raises his fists into the air, pumping his arms into the sky with deliberation. Quickly becoming aware of the digital electronic gateways hypnotically focusing on his every move, Daemon rushes to take off his swim cap. In a loud booming voice he addresses the emotionally charged crowd with an electrifying assertion, “I AM NOT AN AMATEUR!”

Daemon simultaneously unfolds the hidden banner in his swim cap and displays it for the entire world to see. On the banner is a boldly printed web address, which immediately links the general public to his online business. Having spent years preparing for this moment, not just as an athlete, but also as a highly creative entrepreneur, Daemon reveals his intention to claim a direct business relationship with his fans, through the eye of this historical international media storm.

Soon the web link is broadcasted around the world through multiple levels of media, and the genuine article literally spans the entire globe. Daemon’s web page begins with a simple introduction; a video of him dressed in casual business attire, explaining in detail this unique marketing opportunity, while emphasizing his long-term strategy to invest into all Olympic sports.

[JMiller]

Here is a funny video.

YouTube - Existential firewood discussion

YouTube - Existential firewood discussion

Being in the Shuswap has certainly been nice, which is the starting point of my 16 day vacation. It has been over two years since I've spent more than a few hours with my parents, so this reunion is really important. Funny how things change as we age, I realize how lucky I've been to have such loving parents. Possibly the greatest lesson they have taught me is the power of change. Over the years they've continued to grow and as a loving couple they reflect immense depth of character, which I'm only now starting to comprehend.


I helped them with their wood stockpile for the winter, and swam 12 laps in the lake today. We scored a huge supply of birch and cut the trees into logs, then using a log splitter we started to fill the shed. Sort of like "Karate Kid" "wax on, wax off", sort of stuff. (It was a great work-out)
We also made a really funny video, but the internet connection here isn't able to transmit video. I'll have to post that later, with the underwater river swim, hopefully that idea blossoms to full fruition.

Another industrious day comes to an end! Can you see the earth turning in my father's sunglasses?

[geochuck]

Great country for sure http://www.shuswap.bc.ca/home.htm a nice video here.

[JMiller]

Originally Posted by geochuck

Great country for sure http://www.shuswap.bc.ca/home.htm a nice video here.

Thanks George, that's actually a pretty cool link there!

I swam SCM in Kamloops today, the same pool from the video on the first page of this thread. (reminiscing)

4x100 on 2:00
6x50 on 1:20 moderate
8x25 on :45 IM order, moderate
100 easy
4x50 kick, strong on 1:30
100 easy
3 minute rest
75 kick FAST
2 minute rest
200 easy

[JMiller]

Swim in Salmon Arm, BC.

300 easy choice
200 drill
100 kick
200 drill
300, 75 free moderate/stroke strong
4x(3x100 on 1:40 strong +50 easy)
2:00 rest
300 slow DPS stretch/dolphin dives

[geochuck]

The Salmon Arm pool is a really nice pool. We were working in Sorrento for a month just down the road from Salmon Arm and went to that pool for swimming in 2003. http://www.salmonarm.ca/siteengine/a...asp?PageID=250

[JMiller]

Originally Posted by geochuck

The Salmon Arm pool is a really nice pool. We were working in Sorrento for a month just down the road from Salmon Arm and went to that pool for swimming in 2003.

Hey George, then you're probably familiar with the Adams river, I did some fun training there recently, with a few new ideas at play. (also, I added the Existential Firewood Discussion video in the prior post)

So, a couple ideas. One was to have an obstacle race, for time, these pictures are before and after, from a few angles.

YouTube- Obstacle race

YouTube- Obstacle race

THE ANGLE AT THE END OF THE VIDEO, UNDERWATER, IS SPECTACULAR!

Another idea was to have an Exhibition Slalom River Race.
This is just a practice run, but could get pretty interesting with different courses, obstacles, and flags, etc.

[JMiller]

After the river run, a funny interview.

YouTube - Interview

YouTube - Interview

SATURDAY SCM WORK-OUT.
100 IM Drill
200 Stroke
300 Freestyle
200 Stroke
100 IM

2X (3X200 paddles, on 4:00. averaged 2:30)

2X SET, 1st kick, 2nd swim
6 x25 freestlye on 1:00 strong
100 easy on 3:00
6 X25 back on 1:00 strong
100 easy on 3:00
6 X25 fly on 1:00 strong
100 easy on 3:00

300 DPS dolphin dives

[JMiller]

SCM

8x100 on 2:00 50 drill/swim

3x (300 paddles on 5:30 + 8x25 strong on :40)

4x (200 IM on 4:00 + 6x25 Fast on 1:20 (IM order)

3x100 DPS on 1:45

200 easy

[JMiller]

SCM

600 50 drill/swim
12 x50 kick on 1:30
12 x100 swim 50 stroke/freestyle on 2:10
300 DPS

4x75 1 easy/fast on 2:00

200 easy
8x25 Fast with fins on 1:30
200 easy

[JMiller]

SCM

12x50 on 1:00

200 kick on 4:30, 200 paddles on 4:00, 200 fins on 3:30
150 kick on 3:30, 150 paddles on 3:00, 150 fins on 3:00
100 kick on 2:30, 100 paddles on 2:00, 100 fins on 2:00
STRONG 50 kick on 1:20, 50 paddles on 1:00, 50 fins on 1:00

8x100 on 2:00 last 25 no breathing
200 easy
12x50 on 1:00 DPS
100 easy

[JMiller]

SCM

400 swim
200 kick
100 drill

6x75 2 easy 1 strong on 1:30
150 DPS on 3:00
4x50 3 easy 1 fast on 1:20
100 DPS on 2:00
2x25 FAST even split. on :40
no rest
3x100 on 1:20
50 really easy
2x100 on 2:10 kick, last 15m strong
100 swim easy

[JMiller]

Okay, I need to level with you all.

Yes, I've been posting work-outs, but not every work-out, and very little of the current cross training that I adhere to. I'm thinking there are enough swimming work-outs in the history of this thread to put together a fairly comprehensive program, depending on your individual preferences. I'll still be posting work-out ideas, from time to time, but this will most likely be on a reduced frequency.

I'm still thoroughly enjoying the training and the multiple benefits, yet my focus and motivation for competition has been replaced by a stronger desire to firmly extend my professional career. (marketing/sales/writing) It seems that when I consider bringing the hammer down on a swimming performance, some of my other life obligations tend to be compromised. The bottom line is, right now, I have to maintain focus on what is actually producing a larger bottom line.

That being said, I really appreciate this healthy outlet for expression, and will continue to contribute work-outs and motivational pieces for your sustained consumption. In terms of both swimming experience, and the potential to share an inner sanctum of the human condition, this board has been very gratifying.

SCM

300 swim
6 x 200, on 3:00/3:30 1 freestyle/1 stroke
2 min. rest
12 x 100 on 1:50, 75 freestyle/ 25 stroke
2 min rest
24 x 50 on 1:20, 3 freestyle, 1 strong stroke
2 min rest
12 x 25 on :40 strong stroke
2 min rest
100 float easy

[JMiller]

I came across these pictures during Thanksgiving, but of course, they were originally captured before digital photography went mainstream.

My youth...


Adolescence... (enough said)


My brother was happy?
High School Graduation.
Father's retirement home.

[JMiller]

SCM

4 x 200 on 4:00 DPS with pdls
5 x 100 on 1:50 last 25 build
6 x 50 on :50 strong
100 easy
16 X 25 IM 0n :45 (4 x fly/back/breast/free)
100 easy
4x75 kick on 2:00, 3 easy 1 strong
100 easy

[JMiller]

SCM

4 x 100 on 2:00 easy choice
2 x 75 on 1:30 build to strong last 25
6 x 50 on 1:10 (descend 1-6)
100 easy

3 x (16 x 25 on :40 +50 easy on 2:00) fly/back/free
done as 4 kick, 4 swim, 4 drill, 4 swim strong

2x100 kick on 2:30
3x50 kick, last one fast on 1:30
25 kick, easy on 2:00
25 kick, fast for time
100 easy

Hot tub...

[JMiller]

SCM

4x (4x25 on :40 +100 choice on 2:00)

6x50 on 1:00 best average
6x50 on 1:10 best average
6x50 on 1:20 best average
6x50 on 1:30 best average
(descend sets 1-4, averaged, 33, 31, 30, 29)
last one 26.4 from push

4x (4x25 with fins on :40 +100 paddles on 2:00)
200 easy

[JMiller]

LCM

16 x 100 D-P-S, with paddles on 2:30
(full exhale, breath with intention, feel the value.)