The 2015 Canadian Age Group
Championships held at the University of Laval from July 29 – August 3 served as
my final CAGC of my swimming career. The stop at Laval was the 7th
CAGC for me and was a bitter sweet moment diving into the final swim on Sunday morning
for the 400 free. For me, this meet wasn’t about best times, finals, or medals,
it was about getting in the water and attempting to race my best this season
and finish out my age group career on a strong note. I would be lying not to
say this last age groups was a bitter sweet moment for me as it was my last one
as well to be able to say I swam 7 consecutive CAGC is something many swimmers cannot
say.
This meet came with all sorts of challenges
from swimming my first national level meet while in recovery from my many preventable
injuries that occurred last season, to the things that make your mind wonder
like being in an outside lane for every swim, or being the only athlete from
your club at the meet, and a new competition pool that you’ve never swam in
before seems like a new country or world to step into.
My results for this meet in my eyes were
solid. Sure someone from the outside looking at the heat sheets and then proceeding
to the result file could say “well he added nearly 9 seconds in the 200 back,
that’s not a good swim at all” but when you look at the swim from a season
stand point that 9 second add is the least of my worries. Outsiders can laugh
and point fingers all they want at my performances, but I know better than
anyone else what a good swim for me was. Let’s do everyone a favor and not be
so quick to laugh or judge when you yourself didn’t swim so hot. Of course I would
love to have gone life time bests and swam all my events in finals, but that
was not realistic going into the meet. Heck I could care less about my placings
at the meet as it’s just a number where I placed in my age group, the numbers
that really count is where my times in this meet scored in my seasons best
times.
One thing I was NOT ALLOWED to do at
this meet was be upset or mad about my swims. For any swimmer this is the
toughest thing to concur in the sport. If someone has a poor swim where they
have added time, or didn’t make a final they should have will have that swim on
their minds for days, even weeks – I even witnessed swimmers swimming life time
best and being upset with themselves which I think is childish. Bottom line is
if you swim a life time best you should be proud for the moment and let that
new time sink in for a day or two, and then think of ways to get faster. Swimming
at this meet I was not 100% in shape or in race ready form (this will come with
time and when my body is in proper shape to do so). I know I could not have
trained any harder nor done anything different to prepare for this meet. For me,
going forward improvement is what it’s all about by getting faster and stronger
over the next year by training smarter, continuing to own my technique, and
increasing my volume in the pool as well the weight room. These two critical components
of my training were modified most of the year and will continue to be different
than anyone else in the pool/gym in order for me to stay injury free.
This season has been one that I will remember
for years to come. So many things happened this season with some good and some
bad. The biggest and best highlight of this season was falling in love with the
sport of swimming again after having a poor back half of last season and not
enjoying the sport at all because of injuries and unprofessional people I know I
made the change at the perfect time, the change that not only saved my swimming
career but renewed my love for the sport again. The biggest lesson I learned this
season is to NEVER give up and sometimes the bumpy road is the one that leads
to the biggest successes, they may not come for a few years but I have set
myself up for at least 5 more years of swimming through varsity and club
swimming starting in May. This new chapter in my swimming career will be fresh
and exciting and I can’t wait for it to begin in a few short weeks.
The end has come to my age group career,
it has been a memorable time but I can’t wait to start my new chapter and
career as a varsity athlete. Exciting and big things for my career will come
over the next 5 years I know that for a fact. I will leave you with my results
from my final CAGC, check them out below.
Results:
200 back 2:21.97 – 2:19.50 was my
fastest time this year. Struggled on the 3rd 50 of this race
splitting a near 39 but was able to come back home in a 35 mid. If that 3rd
50 was just a little faster a season best would have been achieved.
200 free 2:06.98 – 2:05.68 was my
fastest time this year swum in finals at East Coast Champs. To put things into perspective
I was 2:07.05 in the prelims at East Coast Champs and 2:06.13 in prelims at AGI
in Etobicoke, this swim sits well on the season considering I wasn’t out as
fast as I have been at prior meets.
400 free 4:31.35 – 4:31.05 was my
fastest time this year swum in finals at East Coast Champs. My fastest prelims
time going into this morning 400 free at CAGC was 4:34.45 swum at AGI in June. So
looking at it from a prelims stand point I dropped over 3 seconds in my morning
swim and equalled my finals time.
