Hi everyone. I'm a slow fitness swimmer who hasn't competed since I was 14, but I'd like to start participating just because it looks fun. I understand that anyone *can* swim up to 3 events at Nationals, but do non-qualifiers take advantage of that? What proportion of heats 'd like to go, but don't want to slow everyone else down.
aztimm I am so sorry you had that experience. I can only imagine how that must have made you feel. I hope you try Nationals again some time. My biggest hangup when it comes to Nationals is a different kind of fear. I am basically a team of one, and so I don't know ANYbody, unless my husband accompanies me. This makes it hard for me to be "up" for meets, unlike when you have a group of people who are all rooting for you, talking trash & getting you pumped up. Friends made on FB and the Forum are nice, but it's not the same as people from home, who train with you, and want to see you do well (and swim relays with you). We all have our hang ups I guess. But I'm really sorry you had to run into the biggest jerk in USMS.
I can relate. I've only recently started swimming USMS Meets, I'll probably start swimming nationals next spring. I'm almost always a team of one, unless we're hosting a meet. Fortunately I'm one of the fastest breaststrokers in SPMS (Steve West is a freak of nature; I'll never be THAT fast). There are some big rowdy teams at a lot of these meets, which is great for them and the sport, but my motivation is to shut them up. I don't REALLY hold any malice towards the big teams, they're all very nice people, but it helps when I'm on the starting block. Just an idea for the next time you're at one of those meets all alone.
aztimm I am so sorry you had that experience. I can only imagine how that must have made you feel. I hope you try Nationals again some time. My biggest hangup when it comes to Nationals is a different kind of fear. I am basically a team of one, and so I don't know ANYbody, unless my husband accompanies me. This makes it hard for me to be "up" for meets, unlike when you have a group of people who are all rooting for you, talking trash & getting you pumped up. Friends made on FB and the Forum are nice, but it's not the same as people from home, who train with you, and want to see you do well (and swim relays with you). We all have our hang ups I guess. But I'm really sorry you had to run into the biggest jerk in USMS.
I can relate. I've only recently started swimming USMS Meets, I'll probably start swimming nationals next spring. I'm almost always a team of one, unless we're hosting a meet. Fortunately I'm one of the fastest breaststrokers in SPMS (Steve West is a freak of nature; I'll never be THAT fast). There are some big rowdy teams at a lot of these meets, which is great for them and the sport, but my motivation is to shut them up. I don't REALLY hold any malice towards the big teams, they're all very nice people, but it helps when I'm on the starting block. Just an idea for the next time you're at one of those meets all alone.
