I just started seriously doing lap swimming and joined USMS at the first of this year. I even did my first swim meet at Colonies Zone in April just to see what they are all about.
I do all of my training alone and I started with doing only 400m total a workout and now I up to 850m. I am adding gradually each month. But I am still the same speed - horribly slow (about 1:00 for 50 free) so I have purchased a Masters workout card.
I figured that I am not getting any faster despite swimming almost every day because 1) I don't know how to improve, and 2) maybe being in a workout will speed me up.
Now I am nervous about 1) showing up and being with swimmers who qualified for Nationals, and 2) having a coach who sees how slow I am.
I have signed up for some swim meets in October/November - mostly 50/100 back, 50/100 free, and 50 fly - and I would like to see my time drop somewhat. Or should I not compete until I see my times in training drop?
Maybe it would help if we saw our swimming and swim meets the same way most runners see their running and races.
So I can accept that 1) I will probably never have a National qualifying time ranked time, 2) the only time I will get a medal/ribbon for any race will be because I got it by default, and 3) at a meet like Colonies Zone I can still get points for my team (VMST) even though it will be at events like relays, 100/200 Fly, and 200 Back and the points I get will be, again, won by default.
To put in my $.02. Swimming with a team/group is much more enjoyable than swimming alone. Having a coach construct the workouts for you and friends to share the pain of the workout with you is so much better than trying to do it alone.
Very few of the people I swim with compete in meets. I had no interest in competing when I started back swimming, but I tried it, liked it and used the improvement I made in meets as a reason to work harder in workouts. Don't worry about the medal/ribbon from the meets - the drink/dinner that you share with your team afterwards will mean much more to you.
Finally, if you swim the 200 fly and get a point, medal, ribbon or anything else, it is not won by default - there is a reason that most people choose not to swim that race and those people who do, are deserving of their rewards.
Maybe it would help if we saw our swimming and swim meets the same way most runners see their running and races.
So I can accept that 1) I will probably never have a National qualifying time ranked time, 2) the only time I will get a medal/ribbon for any race will be because I got it by default, and 3) at a meet like Colonies Zone I can still get points for my team (VMST) even though it will be at events like relays, 100/200 Fly, and 200 Back and the points I get will be, again, won by default.
To put in my $.02. Swimming with a team/group is much more enjoyable than swimming alone. Having a coach construct the workouts for you and friends to share the pain of the workout with you is so much better than trying to do it alone.
Very few of the people I swim with compete in meets. I had no interest in competing when I started back swimming, but I tried it, liked it and used the improvement I made in meets as a reason to work harder in workouts. Don't worry about the medal/ribbon from the meets - the drink/dinner that you share with your team afterwards will mean much more to you.
Finally, if you swim the 200 fly and get a point, medal, ribbon or anything else, it is not won by default - there is a reason that most people choose not to swim that race and those people who do, are deserving of their rewards.
