So, I'm going to Nationals this summer. It will be my first meet... ever. I know I'm a really slow swimmer (part of that comes from being 5'2") and will likely be the slowest one in my events.
But I still want to do it!:D
I'm swimming 50 ***, 100 ***, and 50 free. I had to take 2mo off this spring because our van broke and it took us a while to get it fixed, so I wasn't able to swim from mid-March to mid-May. I'm back in the water now and am building up my training to swimming 5 days a week (in another week our Masters group will be meeting 5:30-7a M-F). Right now we're swimming short course still but when we switch our schedule, we'll be switching pools and swimming long course.
I had to time myself last week so I'd have my seed times for registration. In the past week I've already taken 6sec off my 50 *** - which, I think, is pretty good progress.
I'm not expecting to win my heats or get any awesome times at Nationals, but I'm super excited to be going and am anxious to see how much I've improved my own times.
Has anyone else been the slowest swimmer out there before? Any tips on staying positive? :blush:
The coolest thing about Masters is that nobody cares how you place, but many many people care how you swim.
I am in the lower third of my events -- not DFL yet -- but at each nationals I have been to, I have talked to top ten/record holder/event champ swimmers who've asked me how my swims went, etc. They want to know if I had good swims, and if I got best times, which is generally how they are evaluating their own meet, too.
I, too, am a breaststroker; I swam the 50, 100, and 200. I say "almost" to being the slowest in my age group, because I only beat out one other gal; another Forumite, as it so happens. (I shall allow her to remain nameless, unless she so chooses...)
I not ashamed to admit it... It was me!
:bliss: :carolers: :cheerleader: :dj_dance: :thewave: :turkey: :drowning: :party2:
Love the Smilies, Anna Lea! :applaud: And, it was a pleasure being a cellar dwellar along with you at Nationals.
Here's the way I look at it. Without people like us, those fast people wouldn't look nearly as good... :bolt:
This would be a good one for me! I plan on working on (learning) dives with my coach when we start swimming at the LC pool. I've never even stood on the blocks, let alone jumped off them! :afraid:
Here are some tips for keeping your goggles on during starts. I picked these up from Ande, here on the Forums:
1. Put Vaseline around your eye sockets where the goggles make contact with your face. You will get better suction, and, as an extra bonus, it will help protect your skin from irritation.
2. Make sure your strap is snug and you have good suction around your eyes.
3. Put a second cap over your cap and goggles, and pull the front of the cap over the top edge of your goggles. Another option (which I now do, because two caps make my head too hot and gives me a headache) is to put your goggles on first and your cap OVER the strap.
4. When you dive off the blocks, tuck your chin, look back at your feet throughout your dive, and get your arms tight against your ears for a tight streamline. Upon entry, you will not only be quicker; your goggles will stay in place.
Ever since I took Ande's advice, as well as advice from other Forumites, I have never had a mishap with my goggles on starts.
Good luck!
:cheerleader:
I came in dead last in the 200 fly at both Nationals last year, and it didn't stop me from trying again this year :D There is certainly no shame in it. I look at it this way: most people don't have the guts to even attempt a 200 meter fly. (Actually, most people don't have the guts to attempt a swim meet at all!) This is one of my favorite things about masters. There's exactly as much pressure as you want, and if your swim is good for you, then everyone is happy.
Here are some tips for keeping your goggles on during starts. I picked these up from Ande, here on the Forums:
1. Put Vaseline around your eye sockets where the goggles make contact with your face. You will get better suction, and, as an extra bonus, it will help protect your skin from irritation.
2. Make sure your strap is snug and you have good suction around your eyes.
3. Put a second cap over your cap and goggles, and pull the front of the cap over the top edge of your goggles. Another option (which I now do, because two caps make my head too hot and gives me a headache) is to put your goggles on first and your cap OVER the strap.
4. When you dive off the blocks, tuck your chin, look back at your feet throughout your dive, and get your arms tight against your ears for a tight streamline. Upon entry, you will not only be quicker; your goggles will stay in place.
Ever since I took Ande's advice, as well as advice from other Forumites, I have never had a mishap with my goggles on starts.
Good luck!
:cheerleader:
Awesome, thanks! I see a lot of the kids on my kids' team that are looking forward when they dive and I always wonder 'shouldn't they be tucking their chin?' it makes more sense. I always figured you'd want a good tight streamline for diving in. I may have to experiment with cap/goggles placement and figure out what works best.
About two years ago, I realized that I had been DFL in exactly half of the swimming races I've been in.
That is no longer the case, so I'm going to do more challenging events so I can keep my DFL edge.
Yay Team DFL!
You can always go without goggles....
I'm last or almost last in my age group in pool meets, unless I am the only one in my age group. One thing I've learned? No one is looking at you or paying attention to your times but you. If you meet your goals, or even if you don't, you're awesome for trying.
No matter what, act like you won.
You went and you swam therefore you did win! You lapped all those sitting on the couch. Think of it that way and you can stay positive.
