Registered for Longhorn Aquatics Elite Invite!
Registered for Longhorn Aquatics Elite Invite!
I'm registered for my final meet before trials. I've chosen the 2012 Longhorn Aquatic Elite Invite in Austin, TX. Based on the psych sheet, this should be a great meet with very reasonable attendance. Typically a Grand Prix meet will have 100+ people in each event. This level of attendance makes it pretty tough to earn a 2nd swim in the evening finals along with making the meet take all day. This meet will feature quite a few talented swimmers (Olympians) with between 20 and 40 swimmers per event. This low swimmer to event ratio will make for a very brief timeline and a high probability I will make it back for the evening final heats.
This meet is my last chance for a second Olympic Trial cut. One of my goals the past year was to earn an Olympic Trial cut in the 100 Backstroke. I accomplished that feat in August 2011, in plenty of time for trials. Since then I've enjoyed sharing the fact that I am indeed competing in the Olympic Trials when I'm asked about it. My secondary goal was to achieve an Olympic Trial cut in a second or third event. As much as this was a goal, I have not made it much of a priority regarding training until recently. For the most part, I assumed I would drop more time in the 50 free and 100 fly than I have just by doing general training. I have learned that this simply won't cut it. I train a lot of backstroke and I dropped time in the backstroke events. This training didn't especially help my 100 fly and certainly didn't help my 50 free. I wouldn't have believed it a year ago, but I still think my best shot at a trials cut exists in the 100 Fly. At one point I thought I had a shot in the 50 free but I still have to drop 0.50 seconds, a feat which will require a taper and shave. Sadly I don't have time in my training/taper schedule for a taper/shave before the trials. My last chance for that was the British Nationals meet in London and the best I could do was a 23.78, still about three tenths away from the trials cut.
So next week I travel to Austin Texas for my final meet before the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials. I'm excited to see Austin, a city I've heard great things about! I will be swimming:
100m Fly
50m Free
100m Back
One event per day, an ideal schedule. Although it might not be advised, I plan on swimming the 100 fly in the morning and if I'm within striking distance to a trials cut, I'll shave for the evening swim. It would mean a lot to me to achieve another trials cut. Others, and perhaps even me, would advise somebody to NOT shave this close to the trials. I recognize that legitimate advice and understand the tradeoff. The race pace set this past weekend reinforced my feeling that I have potential in the 100m Fly. A broken 52.8 is pretty darn good in my eyes.
If I can take it out in a 25 low and bring it back in a 29 high, I've achieved a 55.29. As reasonable as that sounds, I've never brought home my butterfly race in less than my London performance of 30.66. It will require rest, a new suit and probably a shave to achieve it. I'm going for it.
