Day 3, one event . . . the 500 free . . . everyone's a Swimnut!
Day 3 . . . USMS Nationals Up dark and early here in Greensboro, 500Freestyle was my one and only event today. Today was one of those days that reminded me why I love swimming. Looking around the deck in the early morning hours and seeing swimmers of all ages up before the crack of dawn doing what they love, feeling the camaraderie, the nervous excitement is exhilarating. Everyone here is a Swimnut.
I used to think it was just plain weird to see adults all geared up in the latest swimming tech stuff especially when you are 95 years old. No joke, in the very first heat of the womens 500 FR a 95 year old women was helped up onto the block and dove(!) in for her 500 free that took just over 24 minutes. It truly is a sport you can do for a lifetime, I hope someone waits for me when I am that old!
On to my swim . . . I was quite tired this morning and a bit sore from racing the last 2 days. A long warm up was in order. I learned long ago that warm up is very VERY important and it is not a prescribed set you do every time but rather you have to get loose, get warm and prepare for your swim. I managed to swim around and feel good, and head to the block confident and ready to race. I was in a very tough heat, lots of fast girls. When I dove in I felt off, it was like my legs were kicking faster than my arms could keep up, good thing it was a 500 I had time to adjust. I focused on my stoke, kept and an eye on the other girls. I raced to the wall and took 3rd managing to hold off the other girls in my heat. I was pretty please with the swim, fastest time this season for me and not a bad finish!
One more day to go in Greensboro . . . sprint day for me 50fly and 100free! Looking forward to some shorter races!!
Day 2 is a big day for me, says Coach Laurel . . . my 2 favorite events were up first, the 100Fly and the 200Fr.
Day 2 . . . USMS Nationals Big day for me today, my 2 favorite events were up first, the 100Fly and the 200Fr. I love the 100fly because Butterfly is so fun to swim! There is a rhythm to it and if you hit the grove you can really go! By and large my best event and the one that I love to do the most in the 200Freestyle. I think I love it so much because you have to be tough,and embrace the pain! It is really a long sprint, go out hard and just don't slow down. It is in that middle place that sprinters don't like to go and distance people think is too short. Everyone has their niche.
The 100Fly was a great swim for me, I was very happy with my time. The first 50 felt great,
long and fast. I usually breathe 1up/1down for the first 50 and switch to 2up/1down on the 3rd to get a bit more air. I did that as usual today but felt like I was just pulling myself up instead of forward. I quickly switched back to the regular breathing pattern, took a peek at the girl that I was neck and neck with at the 3rd wall and gave it everything I had on the last 25. Long arms into the finish with head down got the job done!
There wasn't a ton of time between events so I had to get in a good warm down and get ready to go again. The freestyle events in my age group are rather competitive this year. There were a few girls in my heat that just took off and I knew that it would not be smart to go with them, so I focused my side of the pool. There were about 4 of us all even at the 100, but that 3rd 50 is what separates people. I managed to pull ahead of 2 of the girls but got dusted by one and ended up finishing 5th. My time was my fastest this year but I was hoping for about 2-3 seconds faster . . . something to keep working towards for next year!
Coach Laurel captured 2nd place in the 1000 free on Day 1 of the 2012 US Masters Nationals. Here's what Coach Laurel has to say about the race . . .
Day 1 . . . USMS Nationals Great first day here in Greensboro, North Carolina! For those of you that don't know I am here to compete at the Masters National Championships. Today was the first day of competition and I swam the 1000 Freestyle.
Even after a many (many) years of racing I still got nervous! It is so 
hard to sit there and watch the heats go by and knowing yours is getting close, all the hard work, dedication and skill is on the line. I tried to relax and go through my pre-race preparations. Doing the same things before a swim and thinking about what you are about to do is key to swimming well.
Masters is a bit different than age- group swimming, sometimes they mix the men and women in the same heats for distance events, that was the case today. It can really change your race strategy when the surrounding lanes are all men, they take it out harder and are stronger off the walls than I am. I found that out the second I dove in. My plan quickly went from “go out strong and controlled” to “stay in contact with the big boys and run they down later”. Having confidence and faith in your ability and not giving up on a swim is something you have to do every time you dive in.
All in all I had a great swim, I took second in my age-group and beat all those men in my heat :)
Looking forward to more fast swims tomorrow in the 200 Free and 100Fly, you can watch a live feed at www.usms.org/comp/scnats12/stream.php
Practice hard, swim fast . . . . Coach Laurel
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