Victoria Masters 24^th Annual Swim Meet – March 13^th, 2004

 

Keith Kendal (the swimmer on the right) is the treasurer of Tyee Booster Association. He is 43 (swam age group in the 1970’s) and he trains with the Tyee Masters occasionally in the morning, and with the Victoria Masters Swim Club.  He enters master swim meets with the Victoria Masters Swim Club.

 

Versus

 

John McManus (Lieutenant-Colonel in the Air Force, was an Air Navigator that used to fly Sea King helicopters off Navy ships, and was selected as a potential Cdn Astronaut in the early 1990’s to crew the shuttle), he is 49 years old, and swims for the Navy Masters Swim Team here in Victoria.  Keith attempts to coach him on Thursday morning workouts. (Keith refers to him as the “old man”)

 

John and Keith swam a bunch of races against each other in this meet:

 

200 Fly:          Keith 2:57, John 3:23

200 Breast:     Keith 3:17, John 3:26

200 IM:           Keith 2:52, John 3:00

400 Free:        John 5:24, Keith 5:28

 

 

 

 

McManus Lane 1 (5:23.75)                  Kendal Lane 2(5:27.79)

 

Well Keith you got to be disappointed with the outcome of that 400-meter LC freestyle race!

 

Well I did not expect to go the 5:17 that I figured I was good for, as we were planning on keeping within an arms length of each other during the race until the 300 meter turn, and then race it, so I was expecting to do about a mid 5: 20 race, and my time of 5:27 is about what I expected.  So no, I’m not too disappointed with the results. Although a clean sweep of the four events would have been nice!

 

 

Well actually, I wasn’t thinking about your 5:27 entry time, which is slower than what we know you can do. I was talking about the fact that the McManus blew ya away in that race.

 

I felt that I had to give him a break, so that he could leave the meet with some dignity.

 

 

But what about the old adage you are only as good as your last race.

 

Not at all, I solidly beat the “old man” in all the other events of the day.  So I had little to give in this race, and of course McManus was saving himself all day for this big race!

 

 

Well that is an interesting take of the outcome, but how exactly did you give him a break in this race? 

 

Well it seemed to me that he slowed down and was suffering in the last 25 meters of every 50 meter length, so at the flip turn, I would wait at the wall and look for him until he caught up.  Once I saw the old man’s eyes looking at me at the wall I’d push off.  I think that accounts for my overall slow time.

 

 

Well ya know that is rather interesting explanation, because we interviewed the “Old Man”, and he let us in on a little secret… he purposely slowed down in the middle of each length to let you catch up to him during the first 300 meters of this race!

 

He… he did what?…. You mean I wasn’t just stroking nice a long powerful strokes…

 

 

Do you have anything you’d like to say to our readers on the blistering awe-inspiring 36 second 50 meter split McManus did in that 7^th 50 of this race in comparison to your 40 second split.

 

 

McManus swimming well through the 400 meters.

 

Well you know I went into that flip turn, same as usual. Once I saw that he was with me at the wall, we both pushed off, and ya know…. it takes 3 or 4 strokes to get set up, and before I knew it I was looking at the old man’s feet.    He snookered me… that’s what he did… everyone knows I cannot change gears in the middle of a race…. Grr..

 

 

If you could have done anything different in this race, what would you have done?

 

Well I’m glad you asked that? Next time I’ll leave him at the altar, I’ll make my move at the 150, then we will see who is looking at whose feet!

 

 

Well, this intrepid reporter has reviewed the latest freestyle results from the recent meets, and is it not true that the “Old Man” beat you in the SC 100 and 200 free last month? Do you care to comment on that?

 

Why sure, I was pretty tired, my legs were aching big time, I really do not like Cowichan’s pool, the pool temperature was too warm, and too murky so with out my glasses on I had a hard time of identifying who was ahead of who.  He was just lucky he wasn’t next to my lane, or it would never have happen.

 

 

But wasn’t he next to you in this last race?

 

Well… ya… And I had to give him a congratulatory victory hug after this 400 meter race!

 

 

McManus smiles in victory, while Kendal is holding back the tears!

 

 

So what are your future race plans.  Are there plans for any re-matches?

 

Well I’m glad you asked that.  I’m going to retrench my efforts in the training sessions for the next five weeks to Provincials, and then I’m going to enter the 100 to 400 free races, and if he wants to, the 1500 and/or 800 meters. I’m going to taper and ensure my legs aren’t tired.  Plus I think I’m going to think about what Neil Harvey asked us after the race… "When are you guys actually going to race the whole 400 meter event!" 

I’m ready to go McManus…Bring it on Old Man! Bring it on…!