the17thman

British Gas Swimming Championship 2012 Speedo Competition with Liam Tancock

A Few 50's And Calling It A Day

Today I headed out for a fun and easy day at the pool.  The Villages Area Swim Team had a relay carnival and invited me to swim with them.  So I got in a short warm up maybe a 400 yard swim then was ready.  Well not really but it was for fun.  I was on The Dolphins!  I got to swim a 50 fly in a Medley Relay and a 50 Breast in another Medley Relay.  I also swam a 50 butterfly in a butterfly relay which was just an exhibition realy due to my young age not adding up right for the group age.

It was great seeing all these swimmers who are all 55+.  Such an inspiration to us "youngsters." 

Andrew Christian Underwear: Lifeguard Pool Shoot Part 1

Friday's Swim Report - We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better...stronger...faster

Lane 1 - Adelaide Now posts "Magnussen missile's set to launch.  JAMES Magnussen has six months to plot the perfect race before the London Olympic.  Yesterday was exactly six months to the London Olympics and Magnussen marked the milestone by hitting Adelaide's $100m aquatic centre for the start of the SA titles. It's the same pool that will decide Australia's Olympic team with the official trials in March.  This weekend in Adelaide and the NSW titles on February 10 are crucial steps in fine-tuning the power Magnussen hopes propels him to Olympic gold."  9MSN posts "Magnussen dominant in SA State Champs.  World 100m freestyle champion James Magnussen sounded a warning ahead of Olympic swimming trials in March with a dominant win at the South Australian championships on Friday.  Magnussen clocked 48.05 seconds, the quickest time in the world this year, to finish ahead of Matt Abood (49.85) and Eamon Sullivan (50.63) in the 100m final."

Lane 2 - USA Today posts (w/video) "Team is teen Missy Franklin's priority, not prize money.  In six months, the 2012 Summer Olympics open in London. There Missy Franklin, at 16 as precocious in the pool as the teen-aged Michael Phelps was, could be the breakout U.S. star.  Yet last weekend, she was at a high school dual meet — flipping a lap counter during the 500-yard freestyle, helping tend to a fellow swimmer's nosebleed, anchoring the 400-yard freestyle relay, then screaming and hugging her Regis Jesuit High School teammates when they learned they had topped perennial state power Cherry Creek High School."

Lane 3 - Digital Journal posts (w/video) "Shark attack victim Craig Hutto receives faster bionic leg.  Over six years ago while on vacation at Cape Sand Blas, about 50 miles southeast of Panama City, Florida, Craig Hutto, then aged 16, was fishing in waist-deep water about 60 feet from shore with his brother when he was attacked by a bull shark."

Lane 4 - Evening Standard posts "Michael Phelps' winning new formula.  With eight gold medals at the last Olympics, Michael Phelps does not exactly need additional help to beat his rivals. But the American's swimwear provider has learned from other sports, most notably Formula 1, to come up with an innovative system it believes will give Phelps and its other swimmers the edge from the moment they first dive into the pool at London 2012.  Leading that process is Dr Tom Waller, head of Speedo's Aqualab in Nottingham, where the Fastskin3 - as its new combination of cap, goggles and swimsuit, unveiled earlier this month, is known - was created."

Lane 5 - CTV posts "Open Water Swimmers Head for Brazil.  Seven Canadian swimmers will be taking part in the FINA 10km Marathon Swimming World Cup this Sunday in Santos, Brazil with hopes of getting closer to an Olympic birth.  Amongst these seven athletes, Victoria's Richard Weinberger is heading into the event with high expectations and the determination to extend his winning streak."

Lane 6 - ESPN posts "London's unemployed strive to get Olympic jobs.  The pay isn't great, the job is temporary and you could be a target for terrorists. But when Mabel Cross heard that she might be able to work at the 2012 Summer Olympics, she rushed to get to a London recruitment center early."

Lane 7 - ABC News posts "Aussie lifesavers helping Vietnam beachgoers.  As thousands of West Australians swarm to the beach this summer, they will be watched over by dedicated surf lifesaving volunteers.  There will be warnings about rips and sandbars and dangerous swimming conditions.  But beyond our shores in a country that's described as having some of the most luxurious beaches in the world, swimmers are not so lucky."

Lane 8 - Inside Japan posts "Plans afloat to create swimming pool in Osaka river.  Plans to turn a 2km stretch of river in Osaka into an international swimming pool have been announced by the Prefecture's governor, Ichiro Matsui."

A Q&A session with Speedo ambassador Ben Titley

Living Room Laps

"Living Room Laps: Stunning Clear-Glass Indoor Swimming Pool" via apartment therapy

Thursday's Swim Report - Showing Beauty and Strength Through Swimming

Lane 1 - The Gainsville Sun posts "Olympic swimmer in town to share message about

swimming safety. Olympic gold medalist Cullen Jones has a compelling life-and-death story to tell that should resonate with all parents, among all races.  It's quite a story, and Jones is in Gainesville to share it with the many minority children (and everyone else) who will be in attendance tonight at the Gainesville Sports Commission's 24th Annual Meeting presented by Shands Health Care.  Jones' story comes with a well-defined message: Learn how to swim, it could save your life."

Lane 2 - PR Week posts "Speedo UK seeks brand boost in run-up to London 2012 Olympics.  Speedo UK has shortlisted four agencies as it seeks to strengthen the brand's connection to swimming and watersports in the run-up to the Olympics.  The international swimwear brand, which sponsors British Swimming and Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington, is threatening to end its five-year relationship with specialist sports PR agency Brandnation.  The company is understood to be seeking an agency to help with brand comms, with the aim of strengthening Speedo’s connection with waterspouts."  (spelling error from pr week not mine.  waterspouts, ha!)  Speedo.com posts "Speedo Roadshow Celebrates its 10,000th visitor at John Lewis Fitness Event at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol.  The Speedo Roadshow hits the road again to support John Lewis’s health and fitness event at the The Mall at Cribbs Causeway in Bristol 26th to 29th January. During the fitness event weekend the Speedo Roadshow will welcome its 10,000th visitor on board and to celebrate will offer this lucky individual £100 (or 10,000 pennies) to spend on board the wagon as well as a bottle of champagne."

Lane 3 - Adelaide Now posts "Superfish racing at aquatic centre.  AUSTRALIAN and world

champion swimmers descend on Adelaide this weekend, with the State Long Course Championships at the SA State Aquatic and Leisure Centre today until Sunday.  James Magnussen, the 100m freestyle world champion, will feature alongside his 4x100m team-mates who won gold at the World Championships last July, Eamon Sullivan, Matthew Abood and Matt Targett."

Lane 4 - Bloomberg posts "Power 100: Five Athletes to Watch in 2012.  Ryan Lochte: He’s been swimming in Michael Phelps’s wake for years, but Ryan Lochte is poised for a marketing breakout in 2012, thanks to the London Summer Olympics. Lochte was one of the hottest names at the end of 2011 as sponsors finalized their Olympic brand ambassador lists. His impressive sponsorship portfolio includes Gatorade, Speedo, Gillette, and Ralph Lauren. Having won five gold medals at the 2011 world championships, Lochte took home all major Swimmer of the Year awards. A strong showing in London will result in more gold medals and a spot in next year’s Power 100."

Lane 5 - The Australian posts "New plan to save Ian Thorpe's Olympic Games.  IAN Thorpe has made late changes to his training regime in an effort to find form before the Olympic trials in March, following disappointing performances at the Victorian titles in Melbourne last week."  Meanwhile Yahoo's Fouth-Place Medal posts "Ian Thorpe’s defeatist circular logic about his comeback.  Ian Thorpe is returning to the pool next month in hopes of making an Olympic comeback in London. Except, he's not at all confident about his prospects and already is making excuses for his failure. In a rambling interview with The Telegraph, Thorpe laid out his modest expectations for the comeback, then contradicted himself a few times before restating said modest expectations."

Lane 6 - Marketwatch posts "Olympic Swimmer Natalie Coughlin Showcases Beauty and Strength as the New Pantene Brand Ambassador.  Pantene Puts Beauty on the Podium for the London 2012 Olympic Games.  Pantene makes a splash with an exciting new campaign featuring one of the most decorated female American athletes. Two-time Olympic swimmer and 11-time Olympic medalist Natalie Coughlin has partnered with the brand to showcase Pantene's performance in achieving healthy, moisturized, shiny hair."

Lane 7 - This Is London posts "Rebecca Adlington: Am I going to win gold at the Games?

Well, I've not even qualified yet.  Sleepless nights have not kicked into the psyche of Rebecca Adlington. Her gruelling training regime doesn't allow it, the two-time Olympic champion crashing to sleep the moment her head hits the pillow.  But when she thinks about qualifying for London 2012, her stomach is in knots, a bundle of nerves while her head is awash with the permutations of the unthinkable . . . namely that she won't make it to the startline for her main events in which she is the defending champion, the 400metres and 800m freestyle."

Lane 8 - Charlotte Observer posts "Olympics prep work in Charlotte.  Michael Phelps at UltraSwim in May; group of pentathletes coming for three days in March."

Push, Pull, Push, Pull. Pushing Past My Mind.

Oh yeah.  That hurt so good.  As Jillian Michaels once said "Unless You Puke, Faint or Die, Keep Going!"  This was one of those swim practices that I had to get beyond my head and just do it.  Enough of the slogans…

The Workout:
500 Loosen.  Oh well I did a 550 since I messed up how much I wanted to pull.  So a 550 followed by a 200 kick with fins.

3x100's on 1:40 Swim/Kick/Pull/Build by 25 (300/1050)

1x800 Good Pace - Even Split.  Well I tried.  My first 100 I was still working out the kinks and aches.  Was a 1:25.  But picked it up for a 200 but fell back for the 4th 100.  Then I picked it up.  I came in at about 10:30 which is 10 seconds faster then the 1:20 pace I was shooting for.  So that was llke a 1:18:45 pace or average.

4x100's on 1:30 descending.  Shit.  No I can't remember what I did.  Umm…I think it was 14, 13, 12 and 10.  Or something close to that.

1 minute rest
4x100's Pace on 1:45 holding the time of the last 100 which for me was 1:10 if I recall.  I did the first one on 1:10 then 1:07, 1:07 and 1:08. 

1 minute rest
4x100's on 2 Minute.  Pace/Fast/Pace/Fast so 1:20's for my two pace.  I forget my first fast one but my last fast one was like a 1:05.  I was shooting for a 1:01 but meh.  I really had to dig deep for the last 4.  I was the only person in the pool and no coach around.  So I had to push myself on the honor system.   Never been really good with that.  Mind over matter and matter usually wins.

2,000 main set plus 50 easy makes it 3100 yard workout.  Not bad for a Thursday.  Oh and I gotta admit I'm hurting.  My lats were burning during those 100's.  Really had to dig deep, think about my stroke and push through it.  Good swim!

Wednesday's Swim Report - Flailing Towards Glory

Lane 1 - Active.com posts "Why You Should Embrace Your Slow Swim Times.  During a recent Masters meet at Ithaca College, I swam the slowest 1000-yard freestyle of my life. And it may have been as valuable a gift as any I’ve received from 45 years of competitive swimming. You see, it provided a new perspective that could lead to limitless enjoyment in swimming—and competing—over the next 30 or more years, should I have the good fortune to swim that long."

Lane 2 - The Guardian posts "50 stunning Olympic moments No11: Eric Moussambani flails way to glory.  The Equatorial Guinea swimmer had never dipped a toe in an Olympic pool but left a hero despite a hapless performance."

Lane 3 - The West posts "Olympic hopeful Evans to test the water.  Commonwealth Games gold medallist Blair Evans travels to Adelaide today to familiarise herself with the new swimming venue that holds the key to her Olympic dreams.  The 20-year-old Perth swimmer has never competed at the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre, which was completed last year and will host the 2012 Australian championships from March 15-22.  The event will double as the Olympic trials for London and Evans hopes her experience in competing at the SA State championships starting on Friday, will hold her in good stead."

Lane 4 - Fox 13 posts "Swim coach rose above racism.  FOX 13 celebrates Black Heritage by saluting a community leader who has a tremendous impact on kids. Ed Kirk found his passion as a young boy and is now turning out young champions in Brandon. Ed's accomplishments are What's Right with Tampa Bay."

Lane 5 - Adelaide Now posts "ADELAIDE is this weekend the undisputed sporting capital of Australia.  The nation's best swimmers, track cyclists and athletics stars are all starting their charge to the London Olympics in the City of Churches.  Adelaide will host 100m freestyle world champion James Magnussen, 100m hurdles world champion Sally Pearson and triple cycling world champion Anna Meares, all headlining star-studded fields.Cycling champions descend on Adelaide."

Lane 6 - The Sydney Morning Herald posts "'Shark' footage has ironwoman spooked.  Just 10km north of where a man was attacked by a shark at Newcastle last week, alarming footage has emerged of what looks to be a large marine animal breaching from the water at Newcastle Beach."

Lane 7 - PR.com posts "It’s Not Just Kids That Drown in Pools… Watch Your Dogs Too!  A warning and reminder to homeowners – swimming pools are dangerous for pets as well as kids – from leading homeowner advocacy group HomeSource."

Lane 8 - Yahoo posts "Maughan leaves aside Olympic hype.  Amelia Maughan has vowed not to get caught up in the Olympic hype this year and insists she is targeting the European Junior Championships in 2012 – and a first individual medal to boot."

Q&A session with Speedo ambassador Liam Tancock