Michigan Masters State Meet (Day 2)
Mar
30Michigan Masters State Meet (Day 2)
Posted by Kevin Doak on Monday at: 2:26am (March 30th, 2009)
100 Fly SCY: (50.88)
I was feeling ok before the 100 Fly, just not as sharp as I wanted to be. My first 50 was 1/2 second slower than I had swam it in December. I hit the second wall in 23.08. I was running out of steam by the 75 mark, I finished in a 50.88 splitting a 27.80. Certainly not the race I wanted to have. I had some great competitors in the lanes next to me, Alec Mull finished in a 51.76 and Patrick Saucedo finished in a State Record and Pool Record setting 49.14!
200 Medley Relay SCY: (1:31.43) 50 Back Split: (22.78)
I finished the morning up with another shot at the 50 Backstroke National Record of 22.89. I had swam a 23.05 the previous morning. I was excited to try again! Minutes before the race began, I was tying my Speedo FS-Pro Jammer suit and my drawstring snapped... Not the best motivation for swimming fast! I quickly changed into a Speedo FS-II suit I had brought as a backup. Unfortunately I hadn't worn it in over a year and I noticed it had disintegrated while in storage. Option 2 was to wear my practice suit, a Speedo brief suit. Since I had no other choice, and my deep rooted longing for this sport to go back to it's roots before so much suit technology, I decided to go Old School. My teammates of Patrick Saucedo, Alec Mull and Adam Schmitt were noticeably concerned with my choice. I reassured them that I would still haul in the Old School suit as they shook their heads. We were going for the National Record of 1:33.18 set in 1995 by Jeff Thibault, Dean Putterman, Michael Dunne and Robert Killeen. I was motivated by my disappointing 50 Backstroke the previous day, along with some great relay support to tear it up. I did a flawless start, some great underwaters, and a decent turn, I kicked air for a split second off the turn but had very powerful underwaters of the wall. I spun my arms home to hit the wall in 22.78 seconds! My best 50 backstroke since college, (without doing research) most likely the 3rd fastest time I've ever swam it! And it was swam in the LOWEST technology suit ever! The rest of the relay did fantastic, it was a BLAST to feel the excitement of a great relay again, a feeling I haven't felt since my college days! Adam Shmitt split a 25.24 breast, Alec Mull split a 22.71 fly, and Patrick Saucedo split a 20.70 freestyle. Our time was also a Pool Record. A big thank you goes out to my team, that was an incredible minute and a half!
100 Back SCY: (49.84)
I started the afternoon session with the 100 Back. I was feeling pretty good after my "best since college" time in the 50 back earlier in the day. I knew I was going to have to take it out fast and just hold on! I split the first 50 in a smooth 24.02. Looking back, I should have taken it out faster, because I had too much at the end. I had a pretty clean race, splitting the second 50 in a 25.82 and hitting the wall in 49.84. Not a fantastic time for me, but it was a pool record and a masters state record. I was just feeling defeated because I had gone a 49.50 in December during a time trial. Later I was told that the National Record in the event was a 49.83! I missed it by 0.01 seconds.
50 Free SCY: (21.21)
I was pretty tired from my 100 Backstroke 10 minutes prior, but I jumped in for what would be the most competitive event of the weekend. We had an entire heat filled with 20-21 second swimmers. I knew I would have to be a 20.xx to win the heat. I knew I wasn't prepared enough, but I gave it my all. I had a sloppy race, just sort of out of it, not enough thinking. I stayed with the pack though and had a great finish to touch out a few other swimmers in a 21.21. I wanted a 20 second swim but I was exhausted from the 100 Back.
100 IM SCY: (53.81)
I didn't have very much left at this point. It was my 9th swim of the weekend. I had a good first 50 with my Fly and Backstroke split at a 23.56. I just died on the Breaststroke leg and had even less to give on the Freestyle to bring it home. My time was 1.2 seconds slower than my best in October. I felt relieved to have the meet over with. It was a long weekend indeed. Congrats to Patrick Saucedo for breaking the 25-29 State Record in the event at a 51.53! That was a great swim!
I met a lot of nice people over the weekend as usual, I love Masters Swimming!
I was feeling ok before the 100 Fly, just not as sharp as I wanted to be. My first 50 was 1/2 second slower than I had swam it in December. I hit the second wall in 23.08. I was running out of steam by the 75 mark, I finished in a 50.88 splitting a 27.80. Certainly not the race I wanted to have. I had some great competitors in the lanes next to me, Alec Mull finished in a 51.76 and Patrick Saucedo finished in a State Record and Pool Record setting 49.14!
200 Medley Relay SCY: (1:31.43) 50 Back Split: (22.78)
I finished the morning up with another shot at the 50 Backstroke National Record of 22.89. I had swam a 23.05 the previous morning. I was excited to try again! Minutes before the race began, I was tying my Speedo FS-Pro Jammer suit and my drawstring snapped... Not the best motivation for swimming fast! I quickly changed into a Speedo FS-II suit I had brought as a backup. Unfortunately I hadn't worn it in over a year and I noticed it had disintegrated while in storage. Option 2 was to wear my practice suit, a Speedo brief suit. Since I had no other choice, and my deep rooted longing for this sport to go back to it's roots before so much suit technology, I decided to go Old School. My teammates of Patrick Saucedo, Alec Mull and Adam Schmitt were noticeably concerned with my choice. I reassured them that I would still haul in the Old School suit as they shook their heads. We were going for the National Record of 1:33.18 set in 1995 by Jeff Thibault, Dean Putterman, Michael Dunne and Robert Killeen. I was motivated by my disappointing 50 Backstroke the previous day, along with some great relay support to tear it up. I did a flawless start, some great underwaters, and a decent turn, I kicked air for a split second off the turn but had very powerful underwaters of the wall. I spun my arms home to hit the wall in 22.78 seconds! My best 50 backstroke since college, (without doing research) most likely the 3rd fastest time I've ever swam it! And it was swam in the LOWEST technology suit ever! The rest of the relay did fantastic, it was a BLAST to feel the excitement of a great relay again, a feeling I haven't felt since my college days! Adam Shmitt split a 25.24 breast, Alec Mull split a 22.71 fly, and Patrick Saucedo split a 20.70 freestyle. Our time was also a Pool Record. A big thank you goes out to my team, that was an incredible minute and a half!
100 Back SCY: (49.84)
I started the afternoon session with the 100 Back. I was feeling pretty good after my "best since college" time in the 50 back earlier in the day. I knew I was going to have to take it out fast and just hold on! I split the first 50 in a smooth 24.02. Looking back, I should have taken it out faster, because I had too much at the end. I had a pretty clean race, splitting the second 50 in a 25.82 and hitting the wall in 49.84. Not a fantastic time for me, but it was a pool record and a masters state record. I was just feeling defeated because I had gone a 49.50 in December during a time trial. Later I was told that the National Record in the event was a 49.83! I missed it by 0.01 seconds.
50 Free SCY: (21.21)
I was pretty tired from my 100 Backstroke 10 minutes prior, but I jumped in for what would be the most competitive event of the weekend. We had an entire heat filled with 20-21 second swimmers. I knew I would have to be a 20.xx to win the heat. I knew I wasn't prepared enough, but I gave it my all. I had a sloppy race, just sort of out of it, not enough thinking. I stayed with the pack though and had a great finish to touch out a few other swimmers in a 21.21. I wanted a 20 second swim but I was exhausted from the 100 Back.
100 IM SCY: (53.81)
I didn't have very much left at this point. It was my 9th swim of the weekend. I had a good first 50 with my Fly and Backstroke split at a 23.56. I just died on the Breaststroke leg and had even less to give on the Freestyle to bring it home. My time was 1.2 seconds slower than my best in October. I felt relieved to have the meet over with. It was a long weekend indeed. Congrats to Patrick Saucedo for breaking the 25-29 State Record in the event at a 51.53! That was a great swim!
I met a lot of nice people over the weekend as usual, I love Masters Swimming!