It was good to finally meet you Adrian and put a face to the name. For some reason, I had pictured you a lot bigger, the way you talk about your massive calves and all(HA!). You had some really great swims, especially considering the 5k race you had baked into your legs. Perhaps your relative youth smoothed that out for you, since I was 50 and doing Tri's and masters the same week, it always affected my pool swims. So good on you for challenging yourself and doing double duty in one weekend. And that guys underwaters, all I can say is wow. And an AOC swimmer, that just blows my mind too.
I will chronicle my week lead up here to the meet, so I can look back later and see what I did taper wise and how it worked out. Last year was dictated to me, I got sick 6 days out from the meet, took off 4 days completely and just rested and slept, did a little warm up the day before in the race pool, and hit a really good taper. Never would have just sat out of the water that long thinking that is optimal, but the results speak for themselves, and perhaps old guys like me have to do something different from when we were younger.
So with that in mind, 6 days out I took off two days completely, did one day of warmup and some hard 50's and paced 100's. Then took 2 more days off completely and travelled to the race on Wednesday, where I unfortunately realized I had just caught my kids cold from the week before, ugghh..Got in the race pool the day before to do my loosen up and a couple hard 50's, and breathing was super labored. Muscles felt tine, but I could not keep myself from gasping for air. Almost went to the airport to get a flight home in disgust, but stayed and just crossed fingers that one more night's sleep would get me somewhat better.
Next day race morning had my hardest and longest event, the 400IM. Not what I would have wanted, but that is what I got.Warmed up and once again, muscles felt great, but wind was hampered. Went out conservative in 1;17 for the fly, but first backstroke turn told me what I needed to know, slow down if you want to finish this thing. So a 1;30 back, into a 1;31 breast, and finished off with a tortured 1;13 free for a 5;32(went 5;21 last year). I always come home really strong in the back half of this race, but this was just survival, and I let a guy pass me in the last 15 yards, ended up 7th.
Later in the day was the 100 fly, I was out in 33 and back in 36 for a 1;09+, ended up 11th, same time as last year. For both these races I felt like I would have been 3 seconds a 100 faster due to my better training times this year, but it was all I had..
Skipped the big team dinner and went to bed early, got 11 hours of sleep. Woke up the next day feeling just a bit better, and warm up was not as labored. First event was 100 IM. I was trained to do about a 1;06 flat, but just managed my in season time of 1;07+, 7th again. I was out slow, but back halfed it faster than I had before. Then came the dreaded 200 fly. I went out conservative and let the whole group go, out in 1;16, back in 1;26 for a 2;42+. I thought I had a mid 2;30 in me this year, but not this day. It was a second faster than last years swim and another 7th. But I was feeling better and swimming a bit faster, so hung around for the last day and my best events.
Warm up felt normal, finally. So got myself psyched up to swim fast, and not just survive. 200IM was first up, my best event and I had 3 times the competition as I did last year. Went out in 33.15, over a second slower than last year, then the back in 40;5, just under a second slower. So I was in a hole at the half way point, but my breathing was really good and not labored, so I just decided to start my sprint home starting with the breast. Split a 41.4, 7 tenths faster than last year and I was catching up to some of the field, then I had the highlight of this meet for me, I came home in a 31.4, fastest split of the entire age group, and I even out split the ex olympian Rick Collela who did a 2;10 to set a new 70+ record! You swimmers know how that last 50 goes, you also get about a second handicap because of the breast to free turn(the clock starts on your hands and not feet), so I really swam a 30+. I pulled up to 4th place who was body lengths ahead of me, but fell a tenth short and got 5th in 2;26+, a few tenths faster than last years time and a 5th.
Next up was the 200 breast and there were two full heats of fast guys, and I was seated about 12th or so. I put in my last years time and just made the outside lane of the final heat, lane 10 and right next to the guy that touched me out in the 200IM. I was actually excited about that, I really wanted to race him again. I went out hard again, but times were a lot slower than last years race again. Got to the 100 in 1;21 and that guy was up a body length on me. I hung on for the 3rd 50 at his feet, but once again on the last 50 I felt great and put in a full 50 final sprint. I was out in 39 high, then a 43+ to a 42+ and I came home in almost 40 flat. Caught the guy next to me, and ended up catching another guy on the other side I could not even see. Got 8th in the final heat, but 9th overall as one guy in the previous heat had a faster time. I did 2;45.25, the exact time to the 100th I did last year, but swam it way different than that race.
I flew home yesterday and went straight to the pool, where I did a swim that told me that I was still on my taper and getting better. Really wish I was doing that dam 400IM yesterday, think I had that 5 teen something in me, which would have battled for the win in the meet. Such is racing, but glad I hung around and tested my recovery while racing each day.
It was a great meet and venue, but I will have to pick one bone with your assessment Adrian, the announcing was horrible, actually almost non existent. It was basically here is the so and so age group, and then silence unless someone broke a record. They really need a couple color folks that can talk during the races, some history, some backstory, whatever. But loved the nice cool race pool, although they had the warm up pool set at about 83 or so.
Next year is rumored to be in Irvine, just down the road from me, so that could be fun. Perhaps I will open up my B&B here if enough fishes want to come out early and get acclimated. If you got this far, you really are a fish, thanks for reading..