Big Back Attack

Big Back Attack

By Jay Unver

(Lehrton, Mississippi)  Zane Hodge has made a full scale invasion of the record books unlike anything ever witnessed in the history of sports. The 63 year-old Big ASS Endurance star has continued, unabated, his assault on both Randy Beets and the records books since the first of the year.

Despite the pause in their ever popular Virtual Swim Meet series, Hodge has continued to set new records in the pool, records that Beets has made no effort to match. Lately, Hodge has rewritten the record books of the Association of Sport Swimmers with his attack on the backstroke. Friday morning, I asked the athlete why the back.

"It has to do in part with the Mississippi State Senior Olympics. Last year, I competed in the 50 and 100 free even though I am not a sprinter. My thought then was that it would make me train the sprints and consequently I would become a better all round swimmer. And it worked."

"So you are thinking the same thing with the backstroke?"

"Yeah. I am not 100 percent sure, but I am thinking about swapping one of the sprints out for a backstroke swim. Now, just the idea, is making me work that stroke which can only make me a better, more well-rounded swimmer."

"Interesting. What are you thinking of swapping out for what?"

"Right now, I think I will drop the 50 free and replace it with the 100 back. The only holdup I have is that we don't have backstroke flags at Twin Rivers, and I have a fear of turning over too soon and taking two freestyle strokes and being disqualified." [The rules allow for one freestyle stroke before a back stroke turn]

"Do you think you can win?" I asked.

"I don't know. This is a qualifying year. I expect a lot more competition than in 2019." [A qualifying year is a year when the event winners qualify for the National Senior Olympic Games a year later] "I really don't want my wife to see me get beat. But nothing ventured nothing gained."

"What about beyond 2020?" I asked.

"Good question. Maybe next year I could work on my breaststroke. And then the next year I could learn the butterfly. Eventually I could do an IM. That would keep me busy and improving for several years."

"That's important to you? to improve?"

"Heck yeah. To improve physically at my age in anything is a huge rush. I have swum so little back that I am improving literally every day in the pool. That is very motivating."

"I can see that. How do you feel about all the recent records you set?"

"That is a charge too. I was not aware that the backstroke had been uncontested in the Association of Sports Swimmers since its inception. Dr. Nomann sent me a text after seeing a blog post of mine where I swam it in training. That's when I called you to come witness and time my swims so they could become official records. By the way, thanks. I know it's not fun to get up that early."

"You are welcome. You now hold the world records in the 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 backstroke. What is next?"

"I plan to keep going up in distance. The 600 is the longest back I ever swam in my whole life. Currently, I am working mostly on conditioning and turns. I want my shoulders to be really solid before I push the pace too hard. The back puts your shoulders in a bit of a compromised position."

"But isn't the back just like the front crawl only you are turned over in the water?"

"Yes and no. The mechanics are about the same, but your hand is behind your back when you pull on the backstroke. [He demonstrated for me the hand placement in relation to the body in the two strokes] You can see although the movement is the same, the hand and thus the humerus are not in the same position."

"Well, I certainly wish you luck. When you start working on the breast stroke, call me. You know it also has been uncontested in the Association," I told him.

"His eyes lit up. Really? Hot dog!" he almost shouted.

So the sage continues.