When the application comes up (http://faster.themuckyduck.net/publish.htm), click on "Run". It will verify that you have Microsoft's .NET Framework Resources and will download them if you don't have them. Your Windows firewall may block some features of the program, you should "Allow access". Then the "Input" form will come up. If you'd like, you can look at the data for other people; click the downward pointing triangle in the "Swimmer ID:" field and select on anybody's ID code. Then click the "Output" tab at the top and see an analysis of that person's times. To enter your data, click on "Clear Form" at the bottom, enter your SwimmerID and Name. Email is optional and Password is only needed to save data. Swimmer ID is meant to be the permanent portion of your USMS SwimmerID so someday we can add your times from swim meets reported to USMS, but actually you can enter any short code by which you'll remember yourself. Then enter whatever actual times you have. It is very important that you type in 6 digits for each time denoting minutes, seconds, and hundredths. The Duck needs two digits for minutes even if the time is under a minute, and it also needs two digits for hundredths of seconds even if you went 30 flat. Be sure to enter the "standard" against which your times should be compared, gender and age group. You probably gain time with each additional turn, so enter those assumptions if you wish. The obvious use of this is to record and learn from your actual performance in swim meets, but some people use it with their best efforts in swim workouts. That can make it a motivator for constant use, perhaps for someone restarting their competitive life and figuring out what times they might be able to swim.

The Mucky Duck is a computer program to help in setting goals and nourishing motivation for training and competing in swimming pool events. It analyzes your swim times and estimates improvements you can make based on times you have already achieved and it estimates times you can swim in events you haven't swum. It is made possible because we now have database of approximately 55,000 Top Ten swims by some 7000 or so nationally ranked competitive USMS swimmers.

For clues on how to use it, see the blue box to the right (or click here for current status (including our list of flaws and intended improvements)). This is a new facility and there is lots of room for improvement. Your use of it and your comments will help. If you'd like to see how it has been used for 73 USMS swimmers, click on "Sample Table Reports" below. To use it for yourself, go to http://faster.themuckyduck.net/publish.htm.

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