By Eric Neilsen
KONA, Hawaii, July 6. WHILE competing at the Summer Fun Long Course meet held in Kona, Hawaii on June 20, Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen, 47, added one more 45-49 age group FINA Masters world record to her already full cache.
Swimming the 200-meter butterfly, Karlyn split 1:10.76/1:13.58 to stop the clock in a speedy 2:24.34 slicing almost three seconds off the previous best of 2:27.33 she set back in 2007. Pipes-Neilsen's time also eclipsed the current 40-44 WR of 2:24.78 set by Susan von der Lippe.
For the past 3-1/2 months, Pipes-Neilsen has traveled the globe competing both Masters and U.S. swim meets in France, Canada, Florida, California and Hawaii culminating in 13 World and U.S. Masters Swimming national record-breaking performances as well as three lifetime bests.
"It was really an experiment," Pipes-Neilsen said about her 10 meet shave and taper schedule. "I thought it would be a good challenge. I have never tried to do anything like this before."
The key to Pipes-Neilsen's success she believes is both mental and physical.
"I love getting up on the blocks and racing," she said. "Even after swimming
55 events I was still having a lot of fun!"
As for the physical aspect, Pipes-Neilsen has trained consistently for the past 16 years and has built a solid base that she can tap into for peak performance.
"Since 1993, I have only taken two one-week breaks, so I knew that I had the endurance to hold a long taper and still race really well."
Not one to sit idle, when Pipes-Neilsen was not racing she had a busy schedule hosting 27 Aquatic Edge Faster Freestyle swim technique clinics in every place she visited.
"I put a great deal of energy into every clinic and that can be draining at times. However, the positive feedback I get from the swimmers and triathletes is amazing and that makes it all worthwhile. I also make a lot of new friends."
For more about Karlyn and Aquatic Edge, visit aquaticedge.org.
Search For More News About: Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen
|
.jpg)
Photo By: Eric Huynh
Subscribe Now!
|
