So, I am sitting down with world famous photographer Mark Savage and I am telling him that for me to get back into the pool racing again without a tech-suit, "I gotta swim some off events." I would still swim the 50-free since I can still swim on top of my tech-suit time but the 100-free, 200-free and 100 IM are sidelined.
So, I would do something crazy again like swim a 200-fly LCM and the 400IM LCM. Events that are so ridiculously punishing that even if you make it out of the water without a DQ it's like you finished the Ironman and nobody cares how how you placed.
So, taking this insanity a bit more further, New Zealand swimmer Deborah Hambly transcended all my goals, she swam 3.3 kilometer, open water swim, butterfly.
From the Northern Advocate in New Zealand:
"... She has done it again - Dargaville swimmer Deborah Hambly, 38, has swum herself into another record by butterflying the Russell to Paihia ocean race - the first swimmer to do so.
Last month Ms Hambly was the first swimmer to complete Auckland's 2.8km Harbour Crossing Race using the butterfly stroke.
It is not favoured by distance or ocean swimmers because it is an intense and energy-burning stroke. Last Saturday's 3.3km swim, in what Ms Hambly describes as very choppy conditions, took her one hour 21 minutes. ..."
[Link]
11 comments:
Tony,
On Saturday, a SCAQ pal of mine and I swam the annual 100 100's at UCI. After we finished, I noticed a woman in the far lane -- I wish I could tell you her name -- swimming butterfly. Turns out that she swam the whole thing 'fly.
So 3.3 km? Impressive, but she's got a ways to go to catch with that young woman at UCI.
Dan, I think your Catalina Channel where you swam it, spent 5-minutes on show ans swam back is one of the most sublimest swim moments ever.
Not bad, not bad. Still has a ways to catch Vickie but not bad: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicki_Keith
Ye godz! My drive to work and back; (22-miles) is shorter than her butterfly record. 80-kilometers. I will post something about her today. WOW! Thanks for the link!!!
I watched Mike Bruner, the '76 200-Fly Gold Medalist, do a set of 100 x 100, with the last 10 on 1:15. Dude held 1:05's. One the most impressive athletic feats I've ever seen. (First 90 x 100 were all freestyle.)
100x100's is a punishment set.
100x100s fly is a punishment set out of Coach Satan's coaching manual!
wow!
re: Bruner's 100 x 100: I should clarify. The first 90 were freestyle, the last 10 were 'fly. On 1:15. And he held 1:05's. For 10 of 'em.
A "purgatory" set...
The Chicago Big Shoulders swim has a swimmer who always does the full 5k swim butterfly. He's done it several times and apparently does so because he is trying to prove a point. I've never been sure of the point he is trying to prove.
That is less impressive than 100 100's fly but a little more than Ms. Hambly's 3.3 k swim--which is only about 3.15 k longer than I can do.....
Bill, in my world a 200 fly LCM is harder than the Ironman. (I have done the Ironman.)
To all of you,I wish I was 1/10 as capable as yourselves when it comes to butterfly or long distance swims.
Thought this deserved a mention too...
Dr. Julie Bradshaw MBE World Record Butterfly Solo Swim of The English Channel (Posted 7.10.08)
On 5th August, 2002, Julie Bradshaw became the first British and only the second person ever to swim across the English Channel using the hardest stroke, the Butterfly. Her swim of 14hrs 18mins smashed the previous record by over 9hrs and raised thousands in the process. As well as Secretary of the CSA Ltd, Julie works part-time as a Lecturer/Swim Teacher at Loughborough University. She also runs her own successful Sports Performance, Education, Therapy and Motivational Speaking Business, where she coaches aspiring Channel swimmers.
For more details and a video of her swim visit her website at www.getset4success.co.uk or watch it on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/getset4success
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