I've been passing on USMS Nationals for a few years now.I would love for someone to explain to me WHY the 1500 and 800 are on the same day!?!? (and the last day to boot!)
I have noticed that the 50,100 and 200 of all strokes are on a separate days-why aren't all same stroke events lumped back to back on the same day?
If distance is your thing-you're kinda screwed.
Just doesn't seem fair to me.
The 50s, 100s and 200s are separated out so that if you like to swim one or two strokes in particular, you can swim all the distances over the course of the meet. Freestyle has double the distances offered (the above three plus the 4, 8, & 15 hundred), and inevitably, you're going to have to double up on distances of freestyle offered on two days of a 4-day meet.
As for why the 8 and 15 end up together so often, I'd say it is mostly a matter of time. See '09 LC Nats Timeline for a great example.
With the numbers of people that attend these meets (1145 for this year's LC meet), the "regular event" days are projected to last 10-11 hours. That's a long time for officials, meet staff, etc., to be around as it is. The 1500 alone is projected to be 8 hours. When you start putting these long events on other days of the meet, we're looking at finishing times well into the evening hours. When it is just one day of a late finish like that (just like that 8pm or so Monday is looking), it's a bit more attractive a proposition than 4 straight days of 8pm finishes.
I know this setup sucks for people who really love the long stuff, but there are alternatives... first and foremost, it won't hurt to try a shorter distance or another stroke. I know plenty of distance lovers who come for the mile, then clean up on awards in the 2/400s of the strokes and IM.
Better yet - come swim either the 800 or 1500 at Nationals, and then go home and host a distance-only meet offering the 800 and 1500 the following weekend. This way, you can stretch your taper another week and either do-over or do the other one still tapered.
The 50s, 100s and 200s are separated out so that if you like to swim one or two strokes in particular, you can swim all the distances over the course of the meet. Freestyle has double the distances offered (the above three plus the 4, 8, & 15 hundred), and inevitably, you're going to have to double up on distances of freestyle offered on two days of a 4-day meet.
As for why the 8 and 15 end up together so often, I'd say it is mostly a matter of time. See '09 LC Nats Timeline for a great example.
With the numbers of people that attend these meets (1145 for this year's LC meet), the "regular event" days are projected to last 10-11 hours. That's a long time for officials, meet staff, etc., to be around as it is. The 1500 alone is projected to be 8 hours. When you start putting these long events on other days of the meet, we're looking at finishing times well into the evening hours. When it is just one day of a late finish like that (just like that 8pm or so Monday is looking), it's a bit more attractive a proposition than 4 straight days of 8pm finishes.
I know this setup sucks for people who really love the long stuff, but there are alternatives... first and foremost, it won't hurt to try a shorter distance or another stroke. I know plenty of distance lovers who come for the mile, then clean up on awards in the 2/400s of the strokes and IM.
Better yet - come swim either the 800 or 1500 at Nationals, and then go home and host a distance-only meet offering the 800 and 1500 the following weekend. This way, you can stretch your taper another week and either do-over or do the other one still tapered.
