It’s been another year of swimming.  But this year has truly been a comeback year for me. I have a great team with people I look forward to meeting at the pool, pushing them, having them push back.

I did not get any PBs at this meet, but I am happy with my progress.  I will get faster again, but for now… only click below if you want the really long version (wink: Ed don’t click)

800m free 10:51.86 (3rd) – out in 5:14.04, back started to act up and around 550m started to do open turns, so came back in 5:37.82.  1:21.22/100m average.  I was really hoping for 1:20/100m.  I have to say it was my back and not my conditioning. Next year it is the 1500m for us guys and I will finish under 20:00!

100m breast 1:17.19 (5th) – out in 36.17, I felt really good. I was up around 3rd going into the last turn (75m).  I took an extra stroke and almost face planted the wall. I could see the others, two in front of me and the rest beside or behind me. I am not sure if I stressed my swimming because of the bad turn, or if the energy was just not there, but my last 25 was terrible, and my second 50m was 41.02.  Next year I will manage my last 50 under 40s and swim under 1:16.

4x50m mixed medley – I swam the 50 breast in 34.41, but still had a bad turn.  It was in this race I realized that we almost never swim 50 max in any other stroke that free, so no wonder I was not able to time the turns better.

200m free (9th) – out in 32.31, it felt really easy, second 50m in 35.98.  At the 100m turn I thought this could be a good time, but around 125m I realized I was not in shape to hold this pace.  My third 50m dropped to 38.44.  I could see that I was about to get passed on the fourth and final 50m and put everything I had left in the last 25m, and came home in 37,26.  Finished with 2:23.40 roughly 3s faster than two years ago, but far from my 2:10 eight years ago.

4×50 free men – good reaction time I think, but no speed, 29.19 as the third leg. we were in 9th as I jumped in and 9th when I touched the wall, so I did was I was suppose to do.

50m breast (8th) – the one race I have been looking forward to all year. I had not been under 35s since march(33:95)/april (34.04) 2013, the same winter I started my Ironman training.  I even have seven races between 35.55 and 36.43 since april 2013.   I had a great start, came up with a good feeling and swam hard. However for the third time in this meet I nearly face planted the wall. Finished with 34.94.  Really happy with my time.  But in 2019 or maybe even in the winter this year I will be in the low 34s again. I only have 7 swims under 34 two in 2008, two in 2009, one in 2011 and 2012 and 2013. I would have to give up distance swimming to get back to that level again.

100 back (5th) – this was a test race so I would have something to tell my Doctor on Thursday. I when out easy, 38.12. I was swimming with control and breathing easy. During the 3rd 25m I could feel my pulse start to race, but I tried to maintain my speed. After the last turn, I seriously thought I was going to have to stop, but I kept going.  I had the same scary feeling I had back in 2016 while swimming backstroke. The second 50m took 40.64 which shows that I truly held back the first 50m otherwise I would have had more than 2.52s difference.  So when I talk to the Doctor on Thursday I am going to highlight this one race and the effect it had on me.

My team (Växjö SS) took 6th place out of 73 teams. All of my swimmers swam well. Next up will either be the long course nationals, or the Nordic short course Championships in the fall/winter.

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My Swedish nationals history if anyone is interested.

I started training with Masters in the fall of 2006, went to my first Masters Nationals in March of 2007 in Helsingborg and have gone to every short course nationals ever since.

In 2007 I swam 7 races.  200 IM (2nd), 100 breast (3rd), 100 IM (6th), 50 breast (3rd), 50 fly (8th) and both the medley and free relays. We were only 5 swimmers and my team placed 22nd.

2008 was in Linköping I had 11 races 200 IM (3rd), 800 free (4th), 100 breast (2nd), 50 back (4th), 100 fly (2nd), 100 medley (4th), 400 free (5th), 50 breast (GOLD), 100 back (3rd), 50 fly (5th) and 50 back in the 4×50 medley (6th). Again with just 5 swimmers we landed in 25th place.

2009 up in Söderhamn – 200 IM (gold), 800 free (2nd & current PB), 100 breast (4th), 100 fly (4th), 100 medley (5th), 400 free (3rd), 50 breast (3rd), 50 fly (9th), and both 4×50 relays. Only 4 swimmers this time, but we still managed to land in 22nd place.

2010 in Växjö – 400 IM (gold), 800 free (2nd), 100 breast (4th), 100 fly (3rd),  200 free (4th), 200 back (2nd), 50 breast (7th), 100 back (4th), and two relays free and medley. The home field advantage and the nationals that kick started our team.  We finished 6th.

2011 in Södertälje – 200 IM (6th), 1500 free (2nd), 100 breast (4th), 100 fly (3rd), 200 breast (4th), 400 free (4th), 50 breast (4th), 100 back (5th), and both free and medley relays. We finished 8th.

2012 in Kristiansand – 400 IM (2nd), 800 free (2nd), 100 breast (2nd), 200 back (2nd), 100 fly (4th by 0.01s), 200 free (5th), 50 back (2nd), 50 breast (3rd), 100 back (6th) and no relays. Our best team result, 2nd place behind a huge Malmö squad.

2013 i Södertälje again – I swam every event but the 4×50 free! 200 IM (4th), 1500 (3rd and current PB 18:55.82), 50 free (12th), 100 breast (2nd), 50 back(4th), 100 fly (6th), 100 free (11th), 200 breast (Gold), 100 IM (2nd), 200 fly (3rd), 200 free (2nd), 50 breast (2nd), 100 back (4th), 50 fly (6th), and just the medley relay. This time we took a larger squad and finished 4th.

2014 up i Sundsvall – I missed half of saturday and sunday because Iris turned 6.  400 IM (2nd), 800 free (3rd), 50 free (20th), 100 breast (5th), 50 back (8th), 100 fly (5th),  It is a shame because I would have placed well in the 200 fr, 50 br & 100 back, and could have won the 200 back.  Because of the distance up, we only had 5 swimmers, but we still managed to finish 8th.

2015 in Stockholm – again I missed Sunday 200 IM (4th), scratched the 1500m, 100 breast (8th), 100 fly (6th), 4×50 free (2nd). Another small squad appearance for us and a 14th place finish

2016 in Helsingborg again – this meet should have been a wake up call that something was wrong.  My first nationals with out a medel… 400 IM (DNF), 800 free (6th 1 minute slower than my seeded time), 100 breast (6th), 100 fly (6th), 200 free (8th), 200 back (6th), 50 breast (5th) and 100 back (5th). Lacking in relays but lots of good swims, we finished 12th.

2017 in Eskilstuna – I only swam three races. 100 breast (7th), 200 breast (3rd), 50 breast (7th).  Very few swimmers and only mens relays we finished 13th.

So the key to nationals team ranking is 15+ swimmers and relays in all three classes, men, women and mixed.