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:
I am usually last or close to it at big meets and it doesn't bother me at all. Of course everyone wants to race and win. I look at like this. It is me vs. the clock. I have set goal times ,including splits, that usually only myself and my coach know about for every race. These are challenging and reasonable. Reasonable being the key word here.
Enjoy the sport and have a good time. You can make this as intense as you want it to be.
Really the only person who cares how fast you swim is you! Go and have a good time, meet some new people, and be happy with your performance.
At Nationals in Mesa I was throwing up from food poisoning all night and into the morning before I had to swim the 400 IM. I still went to the meet, did a 100 yard warm up then swam the best I could. I was 100-150 behind the others in my heat but I never felt like anyone was lurking over my lane wanting to fish me out because of my speed. The first time I swam the 200 fly at a local meet I was the last one to finish. Everyone at the pool clapped and in the warm down pool several people I didn't know gave me a pat on the back for even doing that race.
Really the only person who cares how fast you swim is you! Go and have a good time, meet some new people, and be happy with your performance.
At Nationals in Mesa I was throwing up from food poisoning all night and into the morning before I had to swim the 400 IM. I still went to the meet, did a 100 yard warm up then swam the best I could. I was 100-150 behind the others in my heat but I never felt like anyone was lurking over my lane wanting to fish me out because of my speed. The first time I swam the 200 fly at a local meet I was the last one to finish. Everyone at the pool clapped and in the warm down pool several people I didn't know gave me a pat on the back for even doing that race.
Reasonably accurate seed times will set people's expectations appropriately. If someone is seeded at 15:00.00 for the 500 free, and sure enough their first 100 takes around 3 minutes, then things are proceeding according to plan. Then if that person is on the verge of finishing under 15:00, don't be surprised to hear some yelling and hollering from other swimmers during the last 25.
Just get in there and have fun. I was dead last in my age group recently in the 100 breastroke. I'm probably the only one that noticed. And I didn't even care since I went a best time! :banana:
Just get in there and have fun. I was dead last in my age group recently in the 100 breastroke. I'm probably the only one that noticed. And I didn't even care since I went a best time! :banana:
THere was more than one in the age group, correct? ;)
While I agree most people at masters meets are positive, there are a few who aren't.
I've only done 1 USMS nationals, back when my team hosted it in 2003. After my 2nd event, the 200 yard ***, I was chatting with another guy in the warm-down pool. He asked me what my time was. I don't even remember the time, but it was good for me, and I don't think I was last in my heat. After I told him, he said, "it's people like you who make these meets so long." Mind you, this was after helping with timing, running around on deck, pretty much whatever my coaches asked. I ended up scratching my last event.
That comment turned me off from meets for over 7 years. I finally got back to swimming some meets 2 years ago, and everyone was very positive.
But I've decided I'll never do another national meet, unless I can qualify for at least one event. I purposely planned a weekend out of town last year when nationals was back in the area.
While 99% of masters swimmers are positive and encouraging, it is that 1% who can be especially harsh.
While 99% of masters swimmers are positive and encouraging, it is that 1% who can be especially harsh.
God, I hope it's more like 0.1%. Someone makes a comment like that you can't let it affect you. Clearly this person was a sociopath.
he said, "it's people like you who make these meets so long.":eeew:
Yes, it’s people like you and like me and like my mother, my childern and thousands of us swimming at Masters meets that makes them so long. And in the immortal words of another Tim "God bless us, every one!":turkey:
While I agree most people at masters meets are positive, there are a few who aren't.
I've only done 1 USMS nationals, back when my team hosted it in 2003. After my 2nd event, the 200 yard ***, I was chatting with another guy in the warm-down pool. He asked me what my time was. I don't even remember the time, but it was good for me, and I don't think I was last in my heat. After I told him, he said, "it's people like you who make these meets so long." Mind you, this was after helping with timing, running around on deck, pretty much whatever my coaches asked. I ended up scratching my last event.
That comment turned me off from meets for over 7 years. I finally got back to swimming some meets 2 years ago, and everyone was very positive.
But I've decided I'll never do another national meet, unless I can qualify for at least one event. I purposely planned a weekend out of town last year when nationals was back in the area.
While 99% of masters swimmers are positive and encouraging, it is that 1% who can be especially harsh.
Thank you for sharing that, Tim. I'd hate to go into it expecting everyone to be all sunshine and rainbows and then have something like that happen. I think that would make me think twice about going to another meet too! Especially if that ended up being the only person I talked to.
I'll just have to make sure to find some nice people and stick with them. :Lurking:
