Warm up felt good. First event is the 1500 free. I entered a slower time so that I could get as much rest as I can before the 400 IM. As I stated earlier, goal is 18:15 and I will be happy, but i want to get as close to 18:00 as possible. 1:12s put me at 18:00 and 1:13s put me at 18:15. I told Drew as long as I stayed around 1:13, don't worry about it.
I took the race out in 1:08 and then held 1:11s and 1:12s for the next 500. I hit the 800 mark around 9:31, which is great, since my best 800 from last year was 9:29. After 600 meters, I started feeling the pace and for the next 400 I held low 1:13s followed by two high 1:13s. My final 100 was 1:10 putting me at 18:02.57. I was elated but it was also just a little bittersweet since I was so close to breaking 18 minutes.
Goal for 2008: 17:45.
The next event was the 400 IM. My big goal was to get as close to 5 minutes as possible, but anything better than 5:07 will do. 2005 I went 5:13, 2006 I went 5:10. I took my first 100 fly out in 1:08.3, which surprisingly slower than last years 1:07.5. Pushing off the third wall I felt my right foot raise up a little bit and I thought I was DQed for sure. I even saw officials at my lane. Ugh. Great. What do I do? Do I give up? I thought about it for the entire backstroke leg but at the same time wondered why the timer kept on getting my splits. Last year's back split was 1:19.8, and this year I split 1:20.6. As I type this now, I wonder what is going on here? Was I not attacking the race? Am I not in as good of IM shape as last year? At the 1/2 way mark, I was 1.5 seconds behind me from last year. I think maybe I didn't attack the backstroke due to possibly thinking I was being DQed. Breaststroke - 3rd 100. Last year, 1:29.9. This year, 1:27.9. Wow. 2 seconds faster. Not sure how, but I think maybe two reasons might apply. First, I refocused which might have helped, and Second, maybe backing off might have left me with more gas in the tank. Last 100 - Freestyle - Last year, came home, in pain, in a 1:13.1. This year I anchored in 1:08.9. NICE! That is what I am talking about. Finishing time was 5:05.69. Almost a 5 second drop. Looks like my freestyle is on at this meet. Unknowingly, that means well for the 200 free split.
Goal for 2008 - 4:59.99.
4 X 200 free relay.
Going into the race, we knew we had the silver medal in the bag, and that the gold was pretty much out of reach. Viking was going first, then Ken, then Drew then me. Viking led off with a 2:13, not good for him normally, but good since he hasn't trained at all. Already we were far behind, but were battling a good race with DCAC next to us. They weren't in our age group, but a race is a race. Ken followed with a 2:10 low and Drew followed with 2:18 high. That put us just about 2 1/2 seconds behind DCAC. Viking joked that I had a race on my hands and not to give up. Not knowing how much I had left in the tank, I ended up taking it out slower that I probably should have. I just wanted to make sure I didn't die. At the 100 split, I was 1:03.83. Last year I was out in 1:03.13. Then I turned on the gas. I came back in 1:02.17. WOW!! I didn't expect to negative split by that much. That puts my split at 2:06.00 exactly. Nice! Its 1.5 second drop, and showing how much I had left in the tank probably meant I could have gone out in a 1:02 and back in a 1:02. I will attack it next year.
Goal for split for 2008 - 2:04 low.
Nice first day. Tomorrow I have the day off from swimming so I will just warm up, meet up with Viking and then head to a museum with Viking and Drew.
Final tally - 1 gold, 2 silvers:
I took the race out in 1:08 and then held 1:11s and 1:12s for the next 500. I hit the 800 mark around 9:31, which is great, since my best 800 from last year was 9:29. After 600 meters, I started feeling the pace and for the next 400 I held low 1:13s followed by two high 1:13s. My final 100 was 1:10 putting me at 18:02.57. I was elated but it was also just a little bittersweet since I was so close to breaking 18 minutes.
Goal for 2008: 17:45.
The next event was the 400 IM. My big goal was to get as close to 5 minutes as possible, but anything better than 5:07 will do. 2005 I went 5:13, 2006 I went 5:10. I took my first 100 fly out in 1:08.3, which surprisingly slower than last years 1:07.5. Pushing off the third wall I felt my right foot raise up a little bit and I thought I was DQed for sure. I even saw officials at my lane. Ugh. Great. What do I do? Do I give up? I thought about it for the entire backstroke leg but at the same time wondered why the timer kept on getting my splits. Last year's back split was 1:19.8, and this year I split 1:20.6. As I type this now, I wonder what is going on here? Was I not attacking the race? Am I not in as good of IM shape as last year? At the 1/2 way mark, I was 1.5 seconds behind me from last year. I think maybe I didn't attack the backstroke due to possibly thinking I was being DQed. Breaststroke - 3rd 100. Last year, 1:29.9. This year, 1:27.9. Wow. 2 seconds faster. Not sure how, but I think maybe two reasons might apply. First, I refocused which might have helped, and Second, maybe backing off might have left me with more gas in the tank. Last 100 - Freestyle - Last year, came home, in pain, in a 1:13.1. This year I anchored in 1:08.9. NICE! That is what I am talking about. Finishing time was 5:05.69. Almost a 5 second drop. Looks like my freestyle is on at this meet. Unknowingly, that means well for the 200 free split.
Goal for 2008 - 4:59.99.
4 X 200 free relay.
Going into the race, we knew we had the silver medal in the bag, and that the gold was pretty much out of reach. Viking was going first, then Ken, then Drew then me. Viking led off with a 2:13, not good for him normally, but good since he hasn't trained at all. Already we were far behind, but were battling a good race with DCAC next to us. They weren't in our age group, but a race is a race. Ken followed with a 2:10 low and Drew followed with 2:18 high. That put us just about 2 1/2 seconds behind DCAC. Viking joked that I had a race on my hands and not to give up. Not knowing how much I had left in the tank, I ended up taking it out slower that I probably should have. I just wanted to make sure I didn't die. At the 100 split, I was 1:03.83. Last year I was out in 1:03.13. Then I turned on the gas. I came back in 1:02.17. WOW!! I didn't expect to negative split by that much. That puts my split at 2:06.00 exactly. Nice! Its 1.5 second drop, and showing how much I had left in the tank probably meant I could have gone out in a 1:02 and back in a 1:02. I will attack it next year.
Goal for split for 2008 - 2:04 low.
Nice first day. Tomorrow I have the day off from swimming so I will just warm up, meet up with Viking and then head to a museum with Viking and Drew.
Final tally - 1 gold, 2 silvers:
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