Fast Food Makes for Fast Swimming!

I signed up for one and only one day of the champs meet this weekend, and chose the day with the 200 Fly. I also signed up for the 400 Free and 50 Free, since they were the next best choices, and I need to get my mileage worth for a day. No point of driving a few hours for one event, even if I do get to swim in twice!

Started my day at 4:30am with the alarmclock, on the road before 5:00am, and at the pool around 7:15am. Warmups, etc. then sat till my first event around 12:00noon. Drank plenty of water, it was HOT today down there, and no wind at all to help. I stayed in the shade, but even that was unbearable at times.

I shaved down for the meet, after having a week or so of taper and rest, plus squeezed my @ss into the FINIS Hydrospeed 2 jammer that I wore at Indy Nats last May. At least it still fits.

7 lane pool in Pasco, kind of strange, but it still has water. Top 7 in the A Final, 8-14 in the B Final.

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Prelims:

50 Free - 27.73- qualified me 13th place for finals
This was okay I guess. I went faster than a few weeks ago, but I still had a crappy breakout about 2 feet underwater and it just stopped me dead. I know why sprinters complain about things like this.

Not really a lot of rest after this before the Fly, but that's how I roll...

200 Fly - 2:26.11 - qualified me 2nd place for finals
A new adult best time for me!! and a new LMSC Record for 35-39
31.2 / 37.5
37.8 / 38.9
This felt unbelievably easy the whole way. I felt a little struggle on the final 20 meters or so, but it wasn't bad. Led my heat by a lot. The other circle seeded heat had the faster guy in it.

400 Free - 4:42.46 - a timed final, placed me 6th
Another adult best time for me!! and a new LMSC Record
1:07.2
35.7 / 37.0
36.3/ 36.3
35.8 / 33.7
I was a bit tired at the start of this race, but after the 200, I began preying on the swimmers in the two lanes next to me, as they began struggling a bit. I think the heat of the day got to a lot of people by this point, but I stayed well hydrated and was doing fine.
I ran down one kid who was way ahead of me, and almost caught the other one at the end, but he touched me out at the finish. Still a great time for me.

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Break between sessions:

I left in search of air conditioning since I had about an hour and a half till warmups for finals. Stopped at a quickie mart for Gatorade and an ice cream bar, then went for food. Found a McD's and stopped in for some nutrition overload. As I left, I refilled my Root Beer, and then realized there was a Baskin Robbins 31 flavors ice cream store down the road. Mmmmmmm... Root Beer Float, combo style from McD's soda, and Baskin Robbins "Triple Vanilla" ice cream. Sooooo good. I was soooo stuffed after all this, but it was worth it. I wasn't sure how finals would go though...



Finals:

50 Free - 29.50 (was seeded 13th, placed 14th)
I dove in SDK'd great, and broke out even worse than in prelims. Once I did get to the surface I sprinted a bit, then realized it was a lost cause and just shut it down to save energy for later...which wasn't a lot later at all...

200 Fly - 2:24.68 (seeded 2nd, placed 2nd) & lowered my record a little more!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD7Ne...ature=youtu.be
30.8 / 36.1
37.8 / 40.0
I went out strong, trying to stay within reach of the 17 year old next to me, praying that he might die a bit and I'd be within range to swoop in for the kill. He did die a bit on the final length, but so did I. It was a fun race to go out with though. My final USA-S race. Wow!!!


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I had a lot of fun swimming with Velocity Swimming this year, made a lot of friends, learned a lot, taught a lot, inspired a lot of people, and was inspired by the other's efforts as well. I will remember this time forever...and still wonder how Kirk can keep going with the kids in Seattle too!! Oh yeah...he doesn't have kids at home!