Best Meet OF MY LIFE

Today I surprised even myself.  For years I've felt like I hadn't peaked yet, I've had this nagging feeling that there was more speed hidden in my swimming.  Today I felt the first sliver of justification in that theory.  I had the meet of my life.  I swam 5 races today and 3 of them were lifetime bests, the other 2 swims were darn close to lifetime bests.  It was a huge milestone in my swimming career.  NEVER have I been so proud of my entire meet performance than today.  I rested 2 days for this meet to ensure it would be a great benchmark of my current training.  I wore a speedo jammer suit and a silicone Aqua-V cap.  I didn't taper or shave for this meet, yet I bested almost all my shaved and tapered times from my entire swimming career.  I couldn't be happier!

100 Fly SCY: 49.72 (out in a 22.5, Lifetime best time by 0.27 seconds)
50 Free SCY: 20.61 (Lifetime best time by 0.34 seconds, that's a TON of time considering it's only 50 yards) 
100 Free SCY: 45.29 (Lifetime best time by 1.21 seconds, a fantastic swim, out in 21.39)
50 Back SCY: 22.64 (Only .42 seconds off my LTB and I had a horrible finish as you can see in the video, a GREAT swim)
100 Back SCY: 48.93 (Only .42 seconds off my LTB.  Out in 23.47, another GREAT swim)

I started out with the 100 Fly, a race I was going to use to warm up for the other races but I knew, with all the kicking I had been doing with Kelton's group, I was in good shape to bust out a 49 second 100 Fly time.  Since I never swim butterfly I knew it wouldn't be a groundbreaking time but I knew I had a shot at my 49.99 lifetime best from 2009.  I took  it out well and at the 50 I was a 22.5 but I brought it home in a relatively slow 27 seconds.  I know if I trained butterfly I could drastically improve that time.  I touched and was excited to see that 49.72, a lifetime best time!  I'm the fastest butterflier of my life!  The meet was off to a good start!

Next was my 50 Freestyle.  I knew that out of all my 50 free races, I had one of the best shots to swim fast today.  I was a little rested and swimming in the fastest SCY pool in the region, this was a receipe for success.  I didn't have a ton of rest between my 100 Fly and 50 Free so I was a bit worn down but it wasn't too bad.  I had a good dive, stayed underwater a little too long but had a solid turn and although I committed to a "no-breath" swim, I took one breath off the wall but finished strong to see the 20.61 time on the board!  I let out a "YES" loud enough that the camera in the stands picked it up. I was BLOWN AWAY by that time.  I feel that I've finially acheived a respectable time in the 50 Free.  I always knew I was a 20point freestyler but never actually vocalized that since I had zero proof.  I feel somehow self vindicated from all those years of thinking I was something that I hadn't acheived yet.  Silly but true.  I'm very excited to be the fastest 50 freestyler of my life!

After some rest I moved onto the 100 free.  With a fantastic 50 Free, I KNEW my 100 free would be a lifetime best time.  There was no question in my mind it would be a 45 second swim, a bold statement, I know.  I dove in and took it out in a strong 21.39 which is a strong 50 freestyle all by itself!  I knew I was out to a great start.  I fell apart at the end a bit but held it together as much as possible to hit the wall in a 45.29, a lifetime best time by 1.21 seconds, the biggest drop of the day!  It was then that I realized I might actually go 5 for 5 with lifetime best times today!

Next up was my 50 back.  This was another race with short rest, it seemed rushed but it was 14 mintues between swims.  Although I didn't say it, I knew it would be a 22 second swim.  At this point I had all kinds of confidence, I had swum 3 lifetime bests already and was physically feeling great.  I had a good start, good underwaters but a slow turn.  I brought it home well but missed the flags.  They were there in plain sight but this was the first time I've ever just not seen them, it was very odd.  When I realized I must have passed them, I took a short (and funny looking) stroke to touch the wall, I was dangerously close to hitting my head for a 2nd time this week!  I touched at a 22.64, the 2nd fastest time in my life after a college swim of 22.22.  I don't know how much difference a good finish would have been but at least a tenth.  My finish may have cost me a lifetiem best in the 50 back.  I will go 21 seconds though, mark my words.  My time of 22.64 was a national record in the 30-34 age group!

My last swim of the day was my trademark 100 Backstroke.  I had plenty of rest for this race.  After all these great swim, I knew I would be a 49something or faster.  I had a good start, great underwaters yet (as usual) slow turns.  I spent more time underwater than any other race of my life.  I was over 12 meters off each wall, the first two walls were nearly 15 meters.  Although they are small improvements, I'm very proud of my underwaters in this race.  Since the only fair comparison is the "college Kevin Doak", let me just say that I DEMOLISHED the college version of myself on the underwaters.  I took it out in a 23.47, again a great time in itself.  I brought it home with solid underwaters and touched at 48.93, among the fastest times of my life!  I've been a 48.51, 48.60, 48.83 before but I've never seen "48" since college.  My best post graduate time before today was a 49.50 a few years ago while shaved and tapered.  This time was a USMS National Record in the 30-34 age group!

At this point, in my mind, there is no denying that I'm in the best shape of my life.  I'm the fastest I've ever been both Long Course Meters and Short Course Yards.  It's very motivating to know that I'm making progress!  I will be logging all the training notes from the last week, I want to figure out why I felt AMAZING at every point in my meet.  After a 300 warmdown I was ready to go again, just the most amazing feeling.  My training is working!  Special thanks to everybody at the meet for their support, I know I thanked as many of you face to face as I could but it was really nice to hear your congratulations after my races!  Thanks for reading, I'm so excited to share such great news!