Choosing your first meet.

RE: Choosing your first meet.

Former Member — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:46:09 GMT

Something similar happened to me after I stopped swimming in college. I call it secondary puberty. My entirely unresearched guess is that maybe all the exercise I'd done for a long time had suppressed some of it the first time around. Who knows... :dunno: Time for a new collection of wild suits! I have one (unfortunately now faded to almost unwearable) that has double decker buses, teacups, umbrellas, and other English things on it. Hilarious. I wish suits weren't so darn expensive. I can't afford a whole new collection now--I can hardly afford to replace the one I've been wearing every day that is about to go see-through. I'm still young enough (23) that I can ask Mom and Dad for a new suit for Christmas, though! :presents2: Is the suit you're talking about from Splish? I think I've seen that suit before!

RE: Choosing your first meet.

Former Member — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:32:39 GMT

The real reason I responded was this. I don't even weigh any more than I did when I stopped swimming at 18, but for some reason I sprouted hips during college and I can't get ANY of my (many) old bathing suits up anymore. :( I only have one that fits anymore, which is sad. In high school I was known for having a large collection of wild suits. Something similar happened to me after I stopped swimming in college. I call it secondary puberty. My entirely unresearched guess is that maybe all the exercise I'd done for a long time had suppressed some of it the first time around. Who knows... :dunno: Time for a new collection of wild suits! I have one (unfortunately now faded to almost unwearable) that has double decker buses, teacups, umbrellas, and other English things on it. Hilarious.

RE: Choosing your first meet.

Former Member — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 07:28:56 GMT

Is the suit you're talking about from Splish? I think I've seen that suit before! It's from Sporti, which I think is Swim Outlet's brand. Pretty cheap, but didn't last long.

RE: Choosing your first meet.

Former Member — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 15:46:27 GMT

Dipping my toes in here, I'm swimming my technically second masters meet this weekend. I'm really excited, but I'm nervous because I decided to do 5 events, and I don't know how many people will be at the meet, so I may be swimming back to back to back to back to back... I swam very competitively in high school, took college off but swam for exercise 2 days a week for most of that time, then took 1.5 years fully off before getting back in a little over a month ago. I have a lot of competitive energy so I think this meet will be good for me. Haha, I found an old size 26 I used to fit into, and after making two leg holes into one I was able to get it past my knees! :D The real reason I responded was this. I don't even weigh any more than I did when I stopped swimming at 18, but for some reason I sprouted hips during college and I can't get ANY of my (many) old bathing suits up anymore. :( I only have one that fits anymore, which is sad. In high school I was known for having a large collection of wild suits.

RE: Choosing your first meet.

Former Member — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 16:09:10 GMT

Not sure I agree. It could be fine to dig an old aqua blade from 2002 out of whatever Goodwill or landfill it ended up in, pull it on and then walk around with it around my ankles because THAT is as far as I could pull up something from my twenties. :laugh2: Or you could use it to keep your ankles together if you do any pulling during your warmup! (I feel your pain.)

RE: Choosing your first meet.

Former Member — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 12:27:59 GMT

This is a much better choice than that old paper suit for yesteryear in the back of the swim bag. :afraid: :D Not sure I agree. It could be fine to dig an old aqua blade from 2002 out of whatever Goodwill or landfill it ended up in, pull it on and then walk around with it around my ankles because THAT is as far as I could pull up something from my twenties.

RE: Choosing your first meet.

rxleakem — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 10:31:22 GMT

Haha, I found an old size 26 I used to fit into, and after making two leg holes into one I was able to get it past my knees! :D

RE: Choosing your first meet.

Former Member — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 10:29:55 GMT

So, is it okay to wear just a random polyester suit? That's what I've done in my two meets so far (both small, local meets) and it's been totally fine. The range of suits I've seen has been from regular workout suits to the short john style for women/jammers for men.

RE: Choosing your first meet.

Former Member — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 10:15:06 GMT

So, is it okay to wear just a random polyester suit? And... What is an appropriate warmup? swimming about 2500 3xweek at this point, will be racing only sprints. My favorite in the past was a 500 fr then 400 IM drill/kick/drill/swim, 2-3 50's and a couple 25's (12.5 AFAP, 12.5 recovery), 2-3 starts and then another 100-200 right before each race but that seems a touch long.

RE: Choosing your first meet.

rxleakem — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 09:36:53 GMT

So, is it okay to wear just a random polyester suit? This is a much better choice than that old paper suit for yesteryear in the back of the swim bag. :afraid: :D

RE: Choosing your first meet.

Swimosaur — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 08:08:22 GMT

What is an appropriate warmup? The best advice I've ever gotten about warmups is, The purpose of a warmup is to prepare you, physically and psychologically, to race! When your warmup is done, the next thing you are going to do, is dive in and swim your race. When you are physically and psychologically ready to do that, then your warmup is done. There are probably as many different warmups as there are athletes. Personally, I like to swim 200-300 easy free, 200-300 easy back, a couple hundred ***, and some fly drills. Then I do some pace 50s, depending on what race I'm swimming. When I feel like I am physically and psychologically ready to race, I get out of the water. I like to get out at least 20-30 minutes before the race. YMMV.

RE: Choosing your first meet.

Former Member — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 15:16:13 GMT

Yes, I am definitely looking forward to the next meet, I'm signing up for one in two weeks. I will say that I am really looking forward to short course yards, but racing is racing. I have a lot of room for improvement as I was much faster back in the day. And while I have come to terms that I will never be that fast, I really enjoy the excitement of a meet.

RE: Choosing your first meet.

Former Member — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 13:07:40 GMT

Ok, as promised I have returned with my results, I swam at the Mission Viejo Masters Meet, times are short course meters: 50 Free 27.7? - 4th place 100 Free 103.14 - 3rd place 100 IM 1:12.94 - 2nd place I had guessed at all my seeded times, and I went faster in all my races. I felt a lot stronger than I thought I would, so I am really happy. So glad I entered the meet though, it really was a lot of fun. Those of you who are debating whether or not to go to a meet, just do it, you'll love it!

RE: Choosing your first meet.

rxleakem — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 09:59:47 GMT

Well done, Pete! Glad you had fun! Are you looking forward to the next one? :agree: Glad you went for it and had a blast! :woot:

RE: Choosing your first meet.

Swimosaur — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 09:42:53 GMT

So glad I entered the meet though, it really was a lot of fun ... just do it, you'll love it! Well done, Pete! Glad you had fun! Are you looking forward to the next one?

RE: Choosing your first meet.

Former Member — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 06:09:01 GMT

You heard correctly! Come back & tell your story! Definitely!

RE: Choosing your first meet.

Former Member — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 15:16:16 GMT

Tomorrow I'll be swimming in my first meet since 1996. After a 16 year layoff, I decided back in May to start again. Been swimming 2 to 3 nights a week and felt like it was time to try a meet. I've heard that Masters meets are so laid back and more about having fun. And that's exactly what I intend to do. Oh, this is my first post, hi everyone! Have fun! :cheerleader: I just returned to competition after 15 years away and it's a blast.

RE: Choosing your first meet.

Former Member — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 14:18:19 GMT

RE: Choosing your first meet.

Swimosaur — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 11:35:01 GMT

I've heard that Masters meets are so laid back and more about having fun. You heard correctly! Come back & tell your story!

RE: Choosing your first meet.

rxleakem — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 10:23:16 GMT

:welcome: Masters meets are a blast - make some friends, swim a few events, and enjoy. Let us know how you did :cheerleader:

RE: Choosing your first meet.

Former Member — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 12:52:24 GMT

I think I might! I'm so excited.

RE: Choosing your first meet.

__steve__ — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 06:41:00 GMT

Just do the 200 for fun

RE: Choosing your first meet.

Former Member — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 12:19:06 GMT

I've signed up for my first masters meet, broken tailbone and all :) A local, small, SCM meet. Chose two 50's, a 100fr, a 200fr, but debating ditching the 200. November 10th!

RE: Choosing your first meet.

TRYM_Swimmer — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 10:11:25 GMT

I've signed up for my first masters meet, broken tailbone and all :) A local, small, SCM meet. Chose two 50's, a 100fr, a 200fr, but debating ditching the 200. November 10th! That's the spirit! Welcome to the club! Be sure to make new friends; that will be the best part.

RE: Choosing your first meet.

Former Member — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 11:30:37 GMT

Thanks ande. You are so awesome! So, plan #1... SCM meet in end of october. I'll wait till a few weeks out and pick 3-4 events. At this point, thinking 50 *** or free, 100IM, 100FR, 200FR.... Or maybe just the 50's! I LOVE the idea of picking my own events. I'm from the end of the high-yardage era so my college events were always the middle-to-mega distance events since I was one of the few with a huge yardage base. I really enjoy short/middle events (who doesn't, right?!?) so guess what, I'm a Masters swimmer and I can do what I like! Beginning to notice that joining masters really alleviates most of what I always dislike about swimming. Don't like distance workouts? Skip 'em! Tired? Go home! Rather be with friends? Hate the 1650? Your fly is 1-armed? Own it with pride!