To compete or not to compete that is the question

Tell Muppet and Roddin that they need to schedule a nationals near you. Noted, will do. Ok, done: August 13-17, 2014 Summer Nationals: University of Maryland College Park August 6-9, 2015 Summer Nationals: SPIRE Institute, Ohio As the person that posted the comment on your blog, I don't find the enjoyment in meets. Every now and then, there will be a meet that perks my attention, but more often than not, the excitement just isn't there. When Muppet hosts the scm in D.C., that meet got my attention since I went to college just down the road. The nationals in puerto rico got my attention as a great place for a vacation. But most places just don't build excitement for taking the time to go there for a meet. g go of my best times from the past. Heck, I can't remember what most of them are anyway. I find going to meets more of a hassle anymore. I think that was rather shallow of you to post on the blog about meets not being for everybody when it turns out the primary reason you don't like them is because of the travel hassles for you personally. For somebody who has meets in their own backyard why would you discourage them from participating?

I love meets when my events are done! I hate tapers and the last couple of hours leading up to the race.

is that the Kennywood Park in West Mifflin, PA?

Patrick, One reason that I find it a hassle is meet locations. My team has shown ZERO interest in hosting a pool meet. We have a great facility that could do either a scy or scm meet. They are very hung ho on hosting an open water swim though. Wookie~ I really wish they would do pool meets again!! Maybe one day, MTSU will get a long course pool!

Just over a year ago, I would have said I love meets. Then it changed as I got just that much older. Now I get anxiety from meets and find they are not as much fun. I still go to a few just to hope to get a Top 10 for the year but I have found that I enjoy training more than competing now. For the travel meets like Nationals, I only go if the location is something I enjoy. I love Nationals as far as the fun of it but I can't always justify the money spent so I pick and choose. Tell Muppet and Roddin that they need to schedule a nationals near you.

nice post dan ... can't wait till next spring when i plan on being there at the zones ( am doing the lcm colony zones this weekend ) i'd be interested in purchasing a team warm up ... later, your most southern team member (?) jack cothren

He was frustrated that he couldn't get more people from the team to compete in the meet. I simply asked "why do they have to compete?" I stated on the post that I find practices are more fun that meets for me. I wanted to know why he was so adamant about his teammates going to the meet, if they hadn't expressed an interest in doing so. I wasn't discouraging anyone from going to his meet or any meet for that matter. I never stated, until this thread, one of the reasons that I don't like meets. Yes, traveling for meets in one,not the only, of the reasons I don't like going to them. If that makes me shallow, fine, you are entitled to your opinion.

There's something exciting about many types of racing or competition, whether you loose, DQ, do alright, or (I would asume) win. In swimming, I find, the relay events can make the excitment more intense. But then again I am fairly new to this, and I can accept a possibilty of burning out some day

I compete in meets because I need a goal to shoot for during the season ... this is what keeps me coming back to practice and working hard. But there are many that I swim with who have a much different goal ... just doing something that keeps me going. My wife, who is a runner, ran almost 2,000 miles last year and has no desire to compete. It's taken me a while to figure that one out, but I finally understand that she does it primarily for her mental health ... it's her time to get away from it all when she's on her daily run. I am swimming in a USS meet this weekend ... the last time I swam this meet I was 19 years old. I'm petrified. I get nervous enough in Masters meets when I'm swimming against people much closer in age. Now it's me against the 13-18 year old kids in the heats. I'm actually swimming in some of the same events as the son of a guy I swam with in college. I called him and told him to let his son know not to worry as I wouldn't be tapering for this meet ... hah! He's only 20 - 25 seconds faster than me in the 200 free. I'm just hoping not to make a fool out of myself and will try to have "fun".

Wookie, I feel bad you are getting heat. I deliberately did not post your name because this was a fear I had. I think you represent a large group who don't enjoy meets and I want to understand why. Your reasons make sense and I suspect hold true for quite a few. I appreciate your directness and respect your reasons. Stewart, Thank you. There was no point in denying the comment, since my name is attached to it on your blog. Like you wanted to understand why someone doesn't like to go to meets, I ask my question to understand why you were so passionate about going, which you have answered as well. I have a ton of respect for Jeff Roddin. He is entitled to his opinion on my post. I don't believe that I was trying to discourage anyone from going to meets, if they wanted to go. If Jeff feels that my post was doing so, I respect his view.