I'm sorry I've somewhat overwhelmed this board with my newbie questions, but I have one more.
What do you do the week/day leading up to your meet? Keep in mind, this is a very small meet. I've read a little bit about the tapering you do for the big meets, and I know that doesn't apply here. So what's my best plan of attack?
I usually swim six days a week. Some of the swims are 2000 yard non-stop swims while others are sprint and drill practices, with rests in between. I currently plan on keeping my routine the same the week before the meet (which is on a Sunday morning, a morning when I'm always swimming, so that's convenient). But I don't know if I should do equal practices of steady swimming/sprinting, or focus on one more than the other.
Also, the day before the meet especially. Should I not swim at all? And if I should, what kind of workout should it be?
I'm curious what you all do. Again, this is a small and short (estimated three hours total) morning meet.
Thanks again!
Elizabeth
As a Go The Distance participant, not wanting to lose out on any distance, I do a long slow 1650 (yard) or 1500 (meter) swim. I feel it keeps me loose and ready for race day.
The main thing is to do what will increase your comfort.If you would be more comfortable doing your regular Sat swim,do that. If you are afraid that would be overdoing before the meet,do less. My standard workout before a meet is to do a long warm up,do a little of each event I am going to swim ( if I am swimming a 200 BR, I'll swim a 50 BR at race pace,if I am swimming a 50 free, I'll sprint a 25 free etc.) so that I have some feel for what I am doing.Then I do a fairly long warm down.
Since you aren't tapering, think about how you feel the day after practice before you get back in the pool. If you don't feel fully recovered, then back-off for sure. A warm-up with some moderate reps and then a few with intensity feels right for me, and some work on the fine points - turns, under-waters, breakouts, etc. I don't want to feel that workout on meet day, but don't want to lose water feel either.
