IT IS POSSIBLE TO DROP 5 OR 66 SECOND IS A YEAR?

Question
THE 100 YR FREE IS 51 HIGH,  23 IN THE 50 YR FREE, 1:55 IN THE 200 YR FREE I PRACTICE TWO HOURS A DAY TWICE A DAY WITH 30 MINUTE OF WEIGTH LIFTIN WEIGHT EXEPT TUESDAY AND THURDAY I DONT HAVE TO PRACTICE IN THE MORNING BUT IN THE AFTEERNOON I PRACTICE TWO HOURS AND HALF IN THE WEEK MY GROUP SWIM AROUN 100 KM; ALSO I WANT TO KNOW IF I CAN RUN AND DO WEIGTH THE DAYS THAT I DONT HAVE TO SWIM IN THE MORNING THAT ARE TUESDAY AND THURSDAY, MY PROBLEM IS THAT I STOP SWIMMING FOR 4 YEARS AND I JUST COME BACK ONE YEAR AGO I HAD DROP A LOT OF TIME SINCE I COME BACK BUT I SWIM SINCE I WAS 5 AND NOW I WANT TO APPLY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP AT PURDUE UNIVERSITY BUT THE COUACH OF PURDUE UNIVERSITY TOLD ME THAT FOR GET A SCHOLARSHIP AT PURDUE UNIVERSITY I HAVE TO SWIM 46 OR 47 IN THE 100 YR FREE 21 IN THE 50 YR FREE AND 1:46 FOR THE 200 SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF I CAN DROP THOSE TIME IN ONE YEAR I AM PRACTICE REALLY HARD AND I AM WILLING TO GET THE SCHOLARSHIP I STILL HAVE ONE YEAR TO SWIM I AM A JUNIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL SO IF YOU CAN HELP ME WITH THE ANSWER I REALLY APPRECIATE IT THANK YOU VERY MUCH. DAVID


Answer
Hi David...

You have a very interesting case there.  I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but I am going to tell it to you straight.  Its almost funny because I had very similar times.  I might have been a tad bit faster as a Junior but not much.  In my Senior year I only improved a few seconds in the 2 and only a couple in the 1 and like a half a pt. in the 50.  I made more of my strides after high school and into college when my body grew more.  I would say that you can actually use me as a good case study since this seems to be the norm.  I would say that for the most part my times are standard. The 200 you may be able to drop time but dropping that much time in a 100 would be quite a feat.  I have no reservation in saying that you definitely would be able to do these times eventually.  You sound like a young strong swimmer.  And your ideas about putting other things in place if you can not do the original things is great, except make sure that you don't overdo it.  Remember, working out too hard is not necessarilly beneficial eventhough working out hard might be.  Also, keep in mind, when you "come back" to a sport, and esp. one such as swimming, you have to relearn muscle memories, gain endurance and do other things that would cater to you acheiving these high goals.  Please also take that into account.

In conclusion, I think that you can make vast improvements with the things you are doing and with the attitude that you have but don't be dissapointed if you can't get that scholarship with those times JUST YET.

I hope this helps.  If you want to talk about it further, you can email me at [email protected].

LM