Every two years the World Masters Swimming holds a competition. In order to get in you have to get certain qualifying times, these times are not the easiest things to achieve if you have not been swimming your whole life, or didn’t swim in college. I swam for a bit in high school, but the college coach was a dick so I never swam for him. I didn’t get back to swimming until three years ago.
In the fall I found out that this year’s competition would be in Italy, I saw the times I needed and thought that they might not be too hard to get to. Since the fall I have been working my butt off, three to four days at the gym and three to five times plus at the pool since then. My times dropped, but not enough. In February I didn’t think that I had the times to make it. I had basically said, well I worked hard, am in good shape so at least something happened. Plus I was going to Europe anyway so who cares that much?
Well this weekend I qualified for three of the four events that I was trying for. I got my qualifying times in the 400 Individual Medley, 200 and 400 Freestyles. The only event that I was working for and didn’t make was my 200 breast stroke. Although I only got in by the skin of my teeth, with only 100s of a second to spare in two, I now have three months to work hard and drop even more time. All my hard work paid off!
That is great news. It’s fun when you realize that yourr hard work has paid off.
What kind of times are you talking here? I am most curious about the qualifying time for the IM. It’s the only event I never swam, not being coordinated enough to ever have a decent time for butterfly.
The times can be found here. (connecting page for men’s and women’s times in .pdf) The times for me, a 30 year old male in the 400 IM is 6:10 in long course meters. The 200 IM is 2:45, I somewhat tried for that, but my back is not quick enough, I’m about 6 seconds off. I am going to take some stroke lessons this weekend, I hope that will improve my back times by a couple of seconds.
I also had seven of seven personal bests this weekend in the 50, 100, 200 and 500 yard free, 200 and 400 IM and 200 breast. I’m not all that close in the 50 and 100 free, and was suprised when I got the 200 free.
Oh and Ultra, sure a beer the next time we meet up. I’ve already gotten my tickets for Iced Earth in May, you should go.
