I am trying to figure out a fourth event to add to my nationals entry. I swim Fly, Breaststroke, and IM, and my 3 best events are 50 and 100 BR and 100 IM. I have not swum a 200 since starting Masters.
From the order of events, 100 fly is out so I can focus on my 50 BR. 100 IM and BR are already closer than I would like, but that's my day 2. I could do 50 FR but I'd be spent.
That leaves Day 3, and either 50 Fly, 200 BR, or 100 Free. With my best effforts, I'd be in a battle for last in all 3 of these. I'll go under 30 in fly and probably just under a minute in the free. The 200 Br is the wild card. I want to swim this in the future, but I have not had the time to train like I wanted this winter, so I'm not quite where I want to be. I go around 3 minutes in practice (from push, mid work-out), but I am pretty sure I'd be 2:50 or better.
The other option is to just swim my 3 events and relax and/or volunteer on Sunday, which I'm not so opposed to, either.
Advice?
Good choice.Let us know how it goes.
Thanks to everyone who talked me into it. It is my new favorite event.
I was not having a great meet in Br. In both the 50 and 100, I panicked and really rushed my stroke. My 50 time was OK, though I have done better from a push(!) but my 100 was awful. I just blew it. My 100 IM was a best time and a pretty strong swim.
I was determined to swim my race in the 200, really pace myself, work DPS and split around :40 for each. I thought the :40 split was a lofty goal -- quite a bit faster than what I do at practice.
I was involved in a warm-up pool pile-up which led to me tweaking a groin muscle in my right leg. I thought about scratching, but that would have been weak after preparing the whole day for this swim. I alternated massage and swimming 50s dps breaststroke until the men's heats started. It hurt, but I was able to kick. It actually kept my kick more narrow, like it's supposed to be.
I ended up going 2:48, 12 seconds faster than my fastest practice time.
I went 4 strokes on the start, then 6 for each length until 7 and 8, when I went 7 strokes each.
My pullouts were strong, even the last one that's supposed to kill.
I had a ton left at the end, so I went a little too easy. I think I could have swum the third 50 much faster, but I was afraid of dying on the last one.
So this will be my focus event for next year, I think. I really neglected breaststroke this year in favor of working on backstroke for IM and 6-beat kick all the time in free.
Next year's goal will be to go below 2:40.
Good choice.Let us know how it goes.
Thanks to everyone who talked me into it. It is my new favorite event.
I was not having a great meet in Br. In both the 50 and 100, I panicked and really rushed my stroke. My 50 time was OK, though I have done better from a push(!) but my 100 was awful. I just blew it. My 100 IM was a best time and a pretty strong swim.
I was determined to swim my race in the 200, really pace myself, work DPS and split around :40 for each. I thought the :40 split was a lofty goal -- quite a bit faster than what I do at practice.
I was involved in a warm-up pool pile-up which led to me tweaking a groin muscle in my right leg. I thought about scratching, but that would have been weak after preparing the whole day for this swim. I alternated massage and swimming 50s dps breaststroke until the men's heats started. It hurt, but I was able to kick. It actually kept my kick more narrow, like it's supposed to be.
I ended up going 2:48, 12 seconds faster than my fastest practice time.
I went 4 strokes on the start, then 6 for each length until 7 and 8, when I went 7 strokes each.
My pullouts were strong, even the last one that's supposed to kill.
I had a ton left at the end, so I went a little too easy. I think I could have swum the third 50 much faster, but I was afraid of dying on the last one.
So this will be my focus event for next year, I think. I really neglected breaststroke this year in favor of working on backstroke for IM and 6-beat kick all the time in free.
Next year's goal will be to go below 2:40.
