SB Nation Dallas: All Posts by Bernadette Tjarkshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48887/dallas-fave.png2012-09-03T14:55:18-05:00https://dallas.sbnation.com/authors/bernadette-tjarks/rss2012-09-03T14:55:18-05:002012-09-03T14:55:18-05:00How Do You Break A World Record At 75?
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<p>William Blake is a Dallas-area swimmer who was part of a 4x200 relay team that recently broke the world record for his age group. A conversation about what drives someone to compete way into their golden years.</p> <p><i>You had an early start in sports, as an All-America in high school and college. Why did you start swimming again after 40 years? What prompts you to get into the pool 5 times a week, rain or shine?</i></p>
<p>After I graduated from college, I got married and started a family and had no time for swimming. I did run in the Boston Marathon in 1975 and played some golf, but I did no swimming. After I retired, my wife gave me a membership to Cooper and I started training with the swim group when I was 65. It took a while to get my form and breathing back, but the very next year I won the 50-yard freestyle in the National Senior Games in Hampton Roads, Virginia.</p>
<p>I really started swimming again because my knees gave out and I could not run the 10ks any longer. Since I was retired, I had time to be with the Cooper SWAM Team 4-5 days a week.</p>
<p><i>Do you see any common background among the people who compete in their 60's and beyond? Would this be true for both men and women?</i></p>
<p>The common link between people who compete that are in their 60's is the desire to get into shape and live a healthier lifestyle. Going to a Senior Games National event is awesome. There are about 22 venues (softball, track and field, duplicate bridge) and there are over 20,000 participants. The National Games are held every other year and you have to qualify to be able to attend---this is a big deal. A lot of competitors are former high school and college athletes who now have time to train, when they could not quite do that when they were raising families and working full-time.</p>
<p><i>How different is the experience of competing compared to 40 years ago?</i></p>
<p>Competing now is the same as 40 years ago but more than ever, the fun is in the camaraderie. I have made many good friends through swimming both USMS (United States Masters Swimming) and Senior Games.<br><br><i>How long do you want to swim competitively?</i></p>
<p>I will swim competitively until my health fails or I cannot meet the times I want.<br><br><i>What is the secret to your athletic longevity?</i></p>
<p>Secret to longevity? Try and eat well and take care of your health. Swimming is much easier on your body than long distance running (at least for me). And here's something else: getting the right amount of rest is essential. I rarely swim on weekend except for meets. For national meets, I usually take off a week before competition, or at least swim easy a week prior to competition. If I feel stale from workouts, I go to the gym and do weights (for tone only, not pure strength) and do walking and rowing exercises.</p>
<p><i>What does your family make of this competition? Of your world record?</i></p>
<p>My family is very supportive. I keep in touch with everyone, including my brother and sisters. I was raised in an athletic family so just about understands what is involved in training. My two sons were blown away by the world record.</p>
<p>My folks were at all of my swim meets in high school and my Dad visited me in college (300 miles from our home in Michigan to DePauw in Greencastle, Indiana) when I ran cross country and he drove me to the NCAA Cross Country meet in East Lansing, Michigan when the meet was run in 8 inches of snow. I was the only runner from my University and got to run against the best runners in America. A wonderful experience!<br><br><i>Do you think Michael Phelps will swim at 75?</i></p>
<p>I have no idea, but Rowdy Gaines, the former Olympic swimming champion who now does TV analysis for NBC, is now swimming US Masters Swimming at the age of 53. And he's really good.</p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/2012/9/3/3289568/how-do-you-break-a-world-record-at-75Bernadette Tjarks2012-08-06T08:00:25-05:002012-08-06T08:00:25-05:00Michael Phelps, Missy Franklin And 2012 Olympic Swimming
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<p>A look back at a wild week in the aquatic center in London that saw the end of one remarkable career and perhaps the start of another.</p> <p>It was a hectic week of intense Olympic swimming. I was exhausted just watching all of it; I even found myself snacking as if I had competed in the all the events, including the relays. Now that's beyond delusional.</p>
<p>Here are some observations I made in between the munchies:</p>
<p>1. The Lochte-Phelps rivalry we were reading about all summer delivered. First, there was the 400 IM race which Lochte won at 4:05.18. That's 4 seconds faster (an Olympic lifetime) than Phelps, who came in fourth (4:09.28). So maybe it really was Lochte's time.</p>
<p>But wait! Come Thursday, Phelps won big in the 200 IM. He won gold in the <i>same</i> event in <i>three consecutive Olympics</i>. No swimmer had ever done that before. And then he did it twice with his win in the 100 Fly on Friday. He finished his career with 22 medals, the most of anyone in Olympic history. </p>
<p>2. Missy Franklin is just so composed and friendly. Every event she's in, we find her congratulating and hugging her lane neighbors. She just has to be every parent's dream child. I really do see her going into politics in 20 years. What a charmer! She participated in 7 events and won four gold medals (three individual and one team) and one bronze (team).</p>
<p><i>** Here's the manicure and pedicure watch for the women swimmers: the trend seems to be multi-colored nails (I have seen red, blue, green, and white).</i></p>
<p>3. Who's the stud? And I just don't mean the impressive abs of all the athletes on the blocks. Though Phelps said that of Franklin as "a stud," I believe the title belongs to the 16-year old Chinese phenom, Ye Shiwen. She won gold and set records in the 400 IM and the 200 IM. While there is always speculation about performance-enhancing drugs, we cannot discount her amazing talent and very, very intensive training.</p>
<p>4. There's a new generation of French swimmers. And they are not all training in Auburn University either. Yannick Agnel is 6'8 and 20 years old. He trains in the south of France (Nice) and is said to be quite the intellectual. He told a radio interviewer in France he will start on his regimen in weights when he gets back. I predict he will be the new rival of the next new US star.</p>
<p>5. Yes, Virginia, even Olympians in the pool have false starts. I had my eyes on Breeja Larson for the 100 breast and while on the block, there was an inadvertent technical test toot and she was right off the block. It happens to them too!</p>
<p>6. Just about every athlete has a ritual or a routine to follow right before the jump. Fit goggles, tug at cap; flap, flap, flap the arms and stretch. Bend down and splash that pool water on the body. I even saw one scoop a handful of pool water and swallow it. It brings a whole new meaning to being one with the water!</p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/2012/8/6/3219017/michael-phelps-medals-2012-olympics-londonBernadette Tjarks2012-07-27T08:00:07-05:002012-07-27T08:00:07-05:00Olympic Swimming: What And When To Watch
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<p>All eyes in London will be on Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, but there are plenty of other interesting storylines from the pool as the Olympics begin.</p> <p>There are a total of 18 different medal events for swimming in the London Olympics. The US, as usual, is expected to make a strong showing. From one wannabe's perspective, here are the five must-see races (and they don't all involve Michael Phelps):</p>
<p><i><b>1) Men's 400 Individual Medley (Saturday, July 28): </b></i>The 400 IM is the decathlon of swimming, and it's the headline event of the Lochte-Phelps rivalry. In the Omaha Trials, Lochte went 1-3 against Phelps. His only win? The 400 IM by .01 of a second.</p>
<p><i><b>2) Men's and Women's 200 Free (Men: Sunday, July 29, Women: Tuesday, July 31):</b></i> The 200 Free is considered the "crown jewel" of swimming by Cooper Fitness Center Swim Coach Dirk Ebel since it is neither a sprint nor a long distance swim. It is one of those nearly impossible-to-pace yourself events which makes it an elusive and very difficult competition (for most mortals). Everything points to Ryan Lochte and Missy Franklin showcasing their phenomenal strength and power here.</p>
<p><i><b>3) Men's 50 Free (Friday, August 3):</b></i> The 50 is the all-out sprint of swimming. This is all about lung power and raw strength which makes 31-year old Anthony Ervin's run all the more impressive. He won gold for this event at age 19 in Sydney before making an unlikely return in the Omaha Trials over a decade later. The other US competitor is Cullen Jones whose speed and athleticism also make him a strong contender.</p>
<p><i><b>4) Men And Women's 100 Breast (Men: Sunday, July 29; Women: Monday, July 30):</b></i> The breaststroke is the slower than the free, butterfly and back, and it is distinctive for the frog kick which allows the swimmer to glide through the water. This is Branden Hansen's chance to redeem the gold promise he could not keep in Beijing. For the women, all eyes are on Breeja Larsen. Former Olympians like Emily Silver of UC California find Breeja amazing, since the Mesa, Arizona resident started swimming competitively just three years ago.</p>
<p><i><b>5) 100-Free, 200-Free, 400-Free and 100-Medley Relays (July 28-29, 31, Aug.1, Aug 4):</b></i> Some of the most dramatic moments from Beijing came in the swimming relays, and they should be just as exciting in London. The Australian squad is favored for the 400 Free and the French team is also very strong. It will be all-adrenaline on deck!</p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/2012/7/27/3189343/olympics-2012-swimming-events-schedule-tv-online-streamingBernadette Tjarks2012-07-06T08:00:41-05:002012-07-06T08:00:41-05:00Recapping The Olympic Swim Trials
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<p>Our swim columnist has seven observations about the races in Omaha now that Team USA is set for what should be an incredible London Games.</p> <p>The US Olympic Swimming Trials, which featured more than 1,800 competitors, lived up to the hype and then some. Here are some observations from a week-and-a-half of incredible swimming from the viewpoint of this swim enthusiast and wannabe:</p>
<p>1) The buoyant neck-to-ankle swimsuits are gone, and all eyes, it seemed, were on the caps and goggles of the swimmers. I noticed how swimmers took off not one cap after each swim but two! I had not seen that before. Masters swim coach Dirk Ebel of Cooper Fitness informed me it was to reduce resistance from the goggle straps. When one is dealing with competition in the hundredths of a second (like that between Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte), every little bit helps.</p>
<p>2) While Phelps dominated 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Lochte won the title of the "world's best swimmer" in the past two years at the World Championships. In Omaha, they dueled it out in four events, (400 IM, 200 Freestyle, 200 IM, and 100 Fly). In all but the 400 IM, Phelps came out ahead of Lochte. But these two love to compete against each other, so we can expect the rivalry to continue, unabated, in London.</p>
<p>3) I did not sense this kind of rivalry among the women in the trials. If anything, there was this "kumbaya" spirit among the women after each event. I also noticed the manicured nails of these swimmers, which sort of threw me off. With the long workouts both in and out of the pool, they have time for manicures? That's great!</p>
<p>4) Missy Franklin exuded charm and fun whenever the camera was on her, and it did not seem fake or put-on either. Is she for real? She is only 17 and Michael Phelps has called her a "real stud." She is gunning for 7 medals in London in the 100 and 200 backstrokes, 100 and 200 freestyles, and three relays. If she keeps up the charm and skill offensive, I hope she runs for president someday.</p>
<p>5) Dara Torres was gunning for her 6th Olympic run. She is 45 and came in 4th in the 50-meter event. Janet Evans, who turned 40 this year and held records in three Olympic races, did not make it either. Much as I would have loved to see both Dara and Janet in London, age is definitely not just a number (the title of Dara's first book), it is a measure of mortality. Even 29-year old Natalie Coughlin, an 11-time Olympic medalist, struggled to keep her place in the relay.</p>
<p>6) Kathleen Ledecky is just 15 and went all-out on the 800-meter freestyle. She led the finals and never let up. There were write-ups on another swim phenom who did not quite deliver on the promise in Beijing - Katie Hoff. The events she set records for then (200 and 400 free) and 800 free, she came in 20th and 13th this time around.</p>
<p>7) While technique is king and queen and everything in between in these events, the Katie Hoff story says there is something to be said about having a positive attitude and mental strength. So it's still not only about physique (big feet, big hands, big shoulders) and fortuitous circumstances (supportive parents, great coaches, access to pools), there is still the x-factor of putting it all together into a fearless and confident frame of mind. Almost do-it-yourself!</p>
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<p dir="ltr">I cannot wait to see how the best of the 1800 in this go-around fares in the global stage.</p>
https://dallas.sbnation.com/2012/7/6/3140465/us-olympic-swim-team-2012-roster-michael-phelpsBernadette Tjarks