My cousin (Max Miranda) is going to the Olympic trials this year - no way I get into a pool anywhere close to him. My ego doesn't need that kind of battering.

He got into the 2nd of 5 lanes (1st lane is slowest, 5th is fastest) after all but one of the masters swimmers in that lane got out early and even asked the girl in the lane if she would prefer to circle or split. Of course she chose split!

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
Instagram • Facebook

Although I could never do that workout it actually doesn't sound that impressive to me. My son regularily does a similar set with similar intervals (except not the 1:00) using a 5x100 pattern of 10 sets. He's 12.

I'm assuming pool was setup as SCY. If it's LCM that's a different story.

Sounds like is 6-10 years your son might be headed to oly trials too :)

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
Instagram • Facebook

Not sure why this makes you feel any different. A bunch of casual triathletes vs a guy who is at the top of his game in a single sport?

Agree. Substituting "swimmer" with cyclist or runner will also yield the same realization.

I suppose what I am saying is I was impressed. I do not feel any worse about myself. In this pool I've swam next to or shared lanes with a Kona pro champion and a US open water swimming national champ, but seeing this workout on the board - so simple yet so long with some of it being quite fast - at the end of a 10,000yd set... just made me say, "wow". And his swimming looked like it was just above "taking a nap" pace.

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
Instagram • Facebook

Actually we'll be there this summer. Road tripping to Omaha to watch some of his friends from the team swim the first 4 days of the meet.

Seriously. A couple years ago, a former low-level procyclist started working with us and going on our group rides. Suddenly I understood just how slow I was. He spins up steep hills with his standard crankset like they are nothing.

On the other hand, I am a slow swimmer even by triathlete standards, so I expect everyone to look awesome compared to me.

A 17 year old kid often swims in our pool. I get in the lane next to him just so I can study what he does. It is insane how fast he is. He takes like 3 strokes (okay exaggerating...) and he's across the 25y pool. He's across in 15 seconds and he looks like he's just gliding. It's insane.

It seems to me, those who are really masters of their game...

Make their game look easy. Those "in the know" know it's not (easy that is).

Most of us tri geeks forget that even if we're not masters of triathlon, or, even of a single sport; in all likelihood, we do have a talent of some kind that others look at, and, think "they make it look easy." In fact, I submit many of us don't really value the things we are really exceptional at. (look at me the philosopher - yikes!)

Enjoy the journey.

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I saw this on a white board in a window box at my daughters middle school...
List of what life owes you:
1. __________
2. __________
3. __________

People tend to ignore the fact that there just is a huge gap between run of the mill folks doing (insert any sport) and the top couple hundred folks in that sport. The slowest person making a US Olympic Trials swim cut is about the 80th to 150th fastest person in the US in their event and no worse than 400th in the world, probably higher. And that's someone just squeaking in with the minimum cut time, going to the meet and being just as awed by the fast folks who make the finals are you were by them ;-)

If you end up sharing a pool with any of those folks, just remember it is not that you suck, it is just that they are really really good at what they do!

There was a D1 swimmer from my town. When he came home for during Christmas and Summer breaks it was like having a Jet-ski in the next lane. Pretty humbling.

So, your son must be going around 5:00, or just under 5, for the 500??? What about his 100 and 200???

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

55 high for the 100
2 flat (low) for the 200

5:17 (maybe 19, can't recall) for the 500. He hasn't quite figured out how to swim this event just yet.

He's a breaststroker/IM'er primarily.

Then he's just making the bold part of this set -- even at 5 per.

10@ stroke drill swim
10@ 1:20
10@ 1:15
10@ 1:10
10@ 1:05
10@ 1:15
10@ 1:10
10@ 1:05
10@ 1:00

Still very impressive for 12.

There are 2 Oly Trials 'kids' at my pool. One h.s.(3 events) and one college(1 event). It's such a treat watching them I will come in a bit b/f practice is over just to watch them when my schedule allows. Both super great kids such a hoot to watch them. I knew I sucked long b/f taking a look at that kind of talent. Enjoy watching the talent at your pool!

He's making the bold comfortably. The 1:05's are challenging and are usually touch-and-go for the last 2.

Those are all yards times? He ain't quite a sprinter yet, is he?

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly

Jesus this crowd at ST is hard to please....

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
Instagram • Facebook

A few years ago I was skiing bumps at Steamboat, dudes where smoking me and couldn't figure out why I felt like I was skiing like crap-I bitched to the guy I was skiing with who spends a bit of time there (we instructed together for years) and he pointed out that those guys crushing it were all on the US ski team...Felt pretty good after that.

I just appreciate watching anyone do something at an extremely high level. Heck piano.....if it's at the top of the craft I like watching b/c I appreciate what it took them to get to that point.

SCY times.

Deifnitely not a sprinter at the moment. As you probably know 12-13 is a big transition year for boys. When he was 8-11 he had a much better sprint relative to his competition (we're in Texas). However, just about everyone else has hit puberty and have shot up and significantly added muscle. Unfortunately for him he's not even 5 foot yet. Last summer at the long course state champs he was swimming A finals with other 12 year olds who are now 6 foot plus. He's so anxious to hit his growth spurt.

Not a criticism at all of the OP's 12 y/o. Hell, at 12 I wasn't even swimming yet.

Just an observation that his distance times are relatively better than his sprint times. That'll probably change as he puts on some muscle and grows a bit. A male swimmer (teenager and later) with a 5:17 500 would typically be around 5s faster than Logella Jr. in the 100 and the 200. ( :50 and 1:55 ish...)

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Swimming Workout of the Day:

Favourite Swim Sets:

2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly