the17thman

Monday's Swim Report - "In your face, Patty and Selma" Edition

1.  Gamesbids.com reveals that the 2012 Mascot has been previewed to the IOC.  The article quotes one official who says "you are going to love it".  Hmm…I doubt it.  Will it   be another Whatzit?  Maybe Springy!  As one IOC Officer said "People, people, please!  You're forgetting what the Olympics are all about: giving out medals of beautiful gold, so-so silver and shameful bronze. " - The Simpsons

2.  The Swimmers Circle asks "Why is a Swimming Mile only 1650 Yards?"

3.  Sweat Science looks at sports drinks and claims "Sports drinks don’t help for one-hour exercise (unless you’ve been fasting".  Now I am not saying I agree 100% with the article but I hate the trend of parents giving kids "sports drinks" thinking they are better then soda.  They are not!  Damn it!  This is why your kids are fat!

4.  Chicago's Daily Herald reports on "Gurnee woman collects swim suits, goggles for Honduran orphanage."  

5.  He is.  He isn't.  Over the weekend rumors started to grow over the internet about Ian Thorpe returning to swimming.  Well guess what? He isn't.  Both the Herald Sun and BigPondSport report that Thorpe has said “I have no intention of returning to competitive swimming.”

6.  Gold Medal Mel has a Gold Medal Minute with Eric Shanteau.  He also links to a Time Magazine article written by Shanteau.

7.  Check it out!  You can be fashion victim in the pool with your official Rob Aquatics Swim Suit now   available on Splish.com

8.  The Swimming Workout Wizard has a killer butterfly set.  60x50's!  Okay so it does include a few easy free swims but it's a killer set!

9.  Swimming World reports that "Mike Troy had a gold medal from the 1960 Olympics Games stolen recently."  What are people thinking when they steal a medal?  It's not like you can put it up on e-bay without anyone noticing making it worthless.  Well it's not worthless but has no monetary value to the thief.

10.  In OMG NEWS…Kast-A-Way looks at "First Ever LEGOLAND® Water Park Will Include Build-A-Raft River".  I wanna go! 

My 1500 SCM Freestyle

Here are my previous 1500 SCM Times:

18:02.14     
18:26.03       
18:45.69       
19:37.94       
20:16.02

Today I swam the 1500 in 18:32.41   

              33.51    
1:09.37 (35.86)    
1:45.89 (36.52)    
2:22.50 (36.61)
2:59.51 (37.01)    
3:36.64 (37.13)    
4:13.97 (37.33)    
4:51.24 (37.27)
5:28.55 (37.31)    
6:05.86 (37.31)    
6:43.27 (37.41)    
7:20.51 (37.24)
7:58.09 (37.58)    
8:35.38 (37.29)    
9:12.37 (36.99)    
9:49.65 (37.28)
10:27.15 (37.50)   
11:04.56 (37.41)   
11:42.01 (37.45)   
12:18.89 (36.88)
12:55.99 (37.10)   
13:33.26 (37.27)   
14:10.97 (37.71)   
14:48.32 (37.35)
15:25.94 (37.62)   
16:03.44 (37.50)   
16:40.68 (37.24)   
17:18.53 (37.85)
17:56.18 (37.65)   
18:32.41 (36.23)                      

It may have been slow but at least I can pace!  LIke 37 much?

My 1650 From May of 2007

Since today seems to be about the 1650 here are my splits and time from the 1650 Freestyle at the 2007 USMS Nationals:

31.05      1:04.98 (33.93)
        1:39.60 (34.62)     2:14.37 (34.77)
        2:49.19 (34.82)     3:24.38 (35.19)
        3:58.76 (34.38)     4:33.71 (34.95)
        5:08.96 (35.25)     5:43.45 (34.49)
        6:18.06 (34.61)     6:52.76 (34.70)
        7:27.13 (34.37)     8:01.54 (34.41)
        8:35.43 (33.89)     9:09.28 (33.85)
        9:43.46 (34.18)    10:17.16 (33.70)
       10:51.19 (34.03)    11:24.99 (33.80)
       11:58.80 (33.81)    12:32.81 (34.01)
       13:06.82 (34.01)    13:40.94 (34.12)
       14:15.62 (34.68)    14:49.50 (33.88)
       15:23.23 (33.73)    15:57.01 (33.78)
       16:30.63 (33.62)    17:05.09 (34.46)
       17:39.55 (34.46)    18:12.17 (32.62)    18:42.77 (30.60)

Doing The Pacing Math For The 1650

Earlier today I posted an email I got from a swimmer who is trying to figure out a pace for swimming the 1650.  Here is the background (you can read the full post HERE) -

This swimmer was able to swim the following:

- 1,000 at a 1:30-1:32 pace
- 8x 100 with about :20 rest at about 1:25 pace
- a 600 a little under 1:30 pace

The swimmer wants to know what would be his/her 1650 pace based on those swims and do I think that they could swim 12 x 100 at sub 1:25 with :20 seconds rest.  So the answer to the second question of being able to swim 12x100's on 1:25 pace with 20 seconds rest I say yet.  If you can do 8 of them 4 more isn't that much.  I will admit that I get fatigued in a different fashion than most as for example if you use the three examples given I'd have to guess taht my 1,000 would be at a faster pace then what I'd swim 8x100's.  For whatever reason when I swim once I get into a tempo I just keep at it but when you break it up by 100's I slowly fall apart as my body just can't to get back to a tempo. 

As for the 1650 I'd take you 1,000 divide it by 2 to get your average 500 split.  Which would at a 1:32 pace you'd do a 1,000 in about 15:32.  So take 15:32 and divide it by 2 which would be 7:46.  Then take 7:46 and add it to the 15:32 for your 1500 which would be 23.18.  Then add in another 150.  Or you just use a pace calculator to figure it out.  Using one calculator I found online you 1650 time at a 1:32 pace should be 25:18.  I'm basing this all on looking at other swimmers splits online.  Most poeple's last 650 is the fastest part while the 1st 500 is the second fasted part.  Something about the middle 500 trips most of us up.  Mentally I think we all try to save something up and pull back too much.  Since the swimmer said he/she swam the 1,000 on a very manageable 1:30-1:32 pace then I'd guess a 1:32 for a 1650 is doable.  It won't be very manageable but swimming the 1500/1650 is never "very manageable", at least not for me.

Tom Dolan's 1997 NCAA 1,650 Freestyle Pacing

These are the splits for Tom Dolan's American-Record 1,650 YD Freestyle Swim at the 1997 NCAA Men's Swimming Championships. 

48.96
52.29
52.86
53.15
53.53
53.32
53.21
53.47
53.67
53.70
53.40
53.15
52.57
52.76
52.50
52.64
24.13 for his last 50.

These splits are from the book "Swimming Fastest" which does into this swim in a bit more detail.  The most important thing that the book points out is that his 200 yard of the race was about 8 seconds slower than his best 200 yard swim and his 500 yard was also 8 seconds slower than his best 500 yard swim.  His 1st 500 split was 4:20.79 then his 2nd 500 split was 4:27 and his 3rd 500 split was 4:23. 

source:  "Swimming Fastest" by Ernest Maglischo.