I’m not one for making New Year’s resolutions, but I am big on setting goals; something I have done for as long as I can remember.

This past year, I did pretty darn well achieving my goals and even succeeded in making some I didn’t even have set at the beginning of the year (including winning the Georgia Championship Series for high points in U.S. Masters Swimming and swimming 3K & 1K races to achieve it).  Like the experts say, always write your goals in pencil!

I will admit that I “write” my goals on the computer.  But, I do leave plenty of room at the bottom of the printed out page to add more goals or make changes.  This last year, I added winning the series and the open water swims, just so I could have the satisfaction of putting a big fat check mark next to it!  Same goes for my 900, 2000, and 1000 yard butterfly swims. “Are you KIDDING me?”  That’s what I would have asked YOU, if you had asked ME if I could even swim 200 yards of fly!  But, I tried it one day, amazingly felt like I could keep going after 200 yards, and kept going… and going… and going…

But, when I added that new goal of winning the Georgia Championship Series, there were three goals (the only goals I did not achieve) that I was not able to achieve because of it:  Making National Qualifying Times in my three breaststroke events; my core events that I am best at.  Swimming a full slate of events at each meet to win high points meant not being rested enough for each race, in order to swim my best.  My breaststroke times, for the most part, suffered this year.  So, I was unable to achieve NQT’s for Spring Nationals (a meet it turns out that I won’t be attending, anyway).  But, I sure did have a lot more fun at meets this year!  I hate sitting on the bench…

2013 Long Course (50 meter pool) Summer Nationals, in Mission Viejo, California, is really what I am shooting for, when it comes to making National Qualifying Times.  By making NQT’s in my three core events, it would give me the opportunity to swim three additional individual events, for a total of the maximum six individual events allowed per swimmer.  In 2010, at my first Nationals, I did not qualify in any of the events, so I only got to swim three events.  The following year, I made NQT in the 50 yard breaststroke, so I earned the right  to swim four events, at both spring and summer Nationals.  And, the same thing happened this past spring.  So, I have been working towards qualifying in all three breaststroke events, so I could swim six events, just like the big boys (and girls).

As it turns out, I have officially made NQT’s, according to the U.S.M.S. rules that allow swimmers to use their best times going back two years.  I recently received confirmation from a staff member at headquarters that my times from the St. Nick’s short course meters meet, in November, 2012, count.  When entered in Swimming World’s Time Conversion Utility, I qualify with time to spare in both the 50 meter and 200 meter breaststroke, but make it EXACTLY in the 100 meter breaststroke:  1:42.58!

Now, having said all that, U.S.M.S. doesn’t actually verify your times; it is all on the honor system.  But, even if I don’t swim those times on race day in Mission Viejo, I absolutely wanted to honor the honor system going into the meet.

So, my main swimming goal for 2013 (once again) is to re-qualify, so my times are up-to-date; at least more current than going back to 2011!

This is where Nationals will be held, August 7-11; the pool where several Olympians, including Greg Louganis (diver) and Dara Torres (swimmer) trained:http://www.mastersmvnswim.org/SubTabGeneric.jsp?team=scmvnm&_stabid_=23601

My chosen events will be:

August 7:  1500m Freestyle

August 8:  100m Breaststroke

August 9:  50 Breaststroke

August 10:  400 Individual Medley and 200 Breaststroke

August 11:  200 Butterfly

And, if our team can field enough swimmers for relays, I hope to swim relays each day, as well.

As for other 2013 swimming goals, I have set 475 miles for my U.S.M.S. Go the Distance goal (I set 400 miles in 2012 and swam 452 miles).  And, there are a few non-core races I have set goals for swimming personal best times.  Oh yeah, and I’m going for the Georgia Championship Series, again, too.

Meanwhile, I also have non-swimming goals, too; just the usual stuff.

How about you?  Have you set goals for this year?  If so, feel free to post your goals in the comments section; I would love to hear about them!

Happy New Year!