My team, Rockwall Aquatic Masters is having a long course meet on 6th July and I am actively trying to convince team mates to sign up. On my blog I was describing my disappointment that more of my team mates had not signed up. One commenter posted the following, "Why do they have to participate? I have more fun going to practice than I do meets. I don't find meets fun anymore." I guess I had assumed that most people enjoy meets and I found it strange that my team mates did not want to sign up. This got me thinking and I wondered why people compete or don't compete? Any thoughts?
I just did my first ever meet. Not just masters, as in I truly didn't learn how to swim (what I did before couldn't really be called swimming, more like less likely to drown) until last year. I started out doing pretty well within the rec center and then had a buddy, member of USMS, talk to me about it. I then joined up, this is my first year. After doing several of the fitness events and loving them, I started looking at other ways to challenge myself. Fitness will always be a part of swimming. However, this is just a new facet of it. The meet this weekend helped me (and will my coach) into strategies for the next meet, and how this fits into new ways to improve. I bet a lot of people don't look at reinventing the wheel, so that you don't grow old and stale with what you used to be. I wanted to address a few of the items I pulled from posts:
Encouragement and support. I got this in DROVES at the Colonies' Zone Meet this weekend. From the meet admin, down to other swimmers. Not just swimming in a pool that Lochte and Phelps were in, which was fabulous, but picking up hints/tips from people who've been there, done that, and what to look at. My Coach does stuff, but here is also a chance for a new pair of eyes to see how I am on my own. That alone was worth every penny I spent.
I saw you while you were swimming and a friend, who spoke to you before one of your races, told me it was your first ever meet. I thought you did great!! I'm glad you had fun at the meet. It was a goo done to start off with, too. Such an amazing pool. I hope we see you at more meets in the future.
I just did my first ever meet. Not just masters, as in I truly didn't learn how to swim (what I did before couldn't really be called swimming, more like less likely to drown) until last year. I started out doing pretty well within the rec center and then had a buddy, member of USMS, talk to me about it. I then joined up, this is my first year. After doing several of the fitness events and loving them, I started looking at other ways to challenge myself. Fitness will always be a part of swimming. However, this is just a new facet of it. The meet this weekend helped me (and will my coach) into strategies for the next meet, and how this fits into new ways to improve. I bet a lot of people don't look at reinventing the wheel, so that you don't grow old and stale with what you used to be. I wanted to address a few of the items I pulled from posts:
Encouragement and support. I got this in DROVES at the Colonies' Zone Meet this weekend. From the meet admin, down to other swimmers. Not just swimming in a pool that Lochte and Phelps were in, which was fabulous, but picking up hints/tips from people who've been there, done that, and what to look at. My Coach does stuff, but here is also a chance for a new pair of eyes to see how I am on my own. That alone was worth every penny I spent.
I saw you while you were swimming and a friend, who spoke to you before one of your races, told me it was your first ever meet. I thought you did great!! I'm glad you had fun at the meet. It was a goo done to start off with, too. Such an amazing pool. I hope we see you at more meets in the future.
