Tips For First Meet

When you arrive at the pool, check in, there will be a table somewhere, and pick up a heat sheet, the list of all the people in each event in the order the events will be in. For many meets, the lanes and heats will all be already assigned. You can see what lanes you're in and warm up in one of those. Some events, like the long ones, require you to check in for the event, and lanes will be assigned based on who shows up. This is to save time. Follow along with the heat sheet to estimate how long until you swim. Write down your times on the heat sheet. Before the meet starts the entire pool will be open for warmup, and it can get crowded. Usually it is not crowded when warmup starts. Hop in a lane with a few teammates. During the last half of warmup some of the outside lanes are used for "sprints" where people swim only in one direction and dive from the blocks. You can get used to the blocks if you are using them. You don't have to sprint, just dive and swim down easy if you want. Do not dive in the pool at any other time, except during your race. This is contrary to Masters rules and dangerous as well. Your coach can give some suggestions for warmup; I would recommend 1.5 times as far as you warm up during a practice. Whatever gets your body loose and muscles warm. Events usually run slow to fast, though often in the first heat or two there are people with NT="no time" who can go almost any speed. The last event of the meet, like the 500 or 1650 may be run fastest to slowest, to punish the beginners. Usually men and women are separate but can be combined depending on the event and meet. You'll be in a heat with people approximately the same speed as you. Same is pretty loosely defined, as a second of time ends up being about a bodylength of distance. I've been lapped in the 400 IM, and the 500, and I'm pretty fast. I think I was the only person that noticed how slow I was. But it was my best time, so I didn't care that much. A lot of people at the meet and a lot of people in the event and a 50 yard event means it could be a pretty close race. Don't watch your neighbor during the finish. Nail the wall and hope for longer fingernails. Watch the starter for some earlier events to get a feel for how the starting process works. Be behind the blocks a heat or two before your turn, unless you are swimming something really long. The starter will signal for you to get up on the blocks (or in the water), signal for you to "take your marks", and then sound a gun or horn or beep to start the race. If someone false starts, there will be a lot of beeping or guns firing, and if the meet is run well, a rope will drop in the middle of the pool. If you swim over a rope, stop. The race will be restarted. You will get tired and out of breath, but you are swimming faster than ever before, so don't worry about it. During the meet some lanes will be open for warmup and warmdown. Do a little of each if you remember, maybe 100 or so. Make sure you bring an extra suit and goggles and cap and a snack and a water bottle. Meets can run right through lunch. This bothers me more than most people. Swim fast, Greg

I'm with everyone esle, if it sounds like fun, just do it. The only other reason I might suggest it that it will give you a benchmark for how fast you are now. Hey, and it will be your personal best, no matter what! Then, when you compete again, you can have the goal to do better than last time. So, again, it won't be a BAD thing if you go slow, because then next time, it will be easier to beat your personal best again!:) I was talked into going to my first masters meet at age 39. I was reluctant, partly because I had never worn goggles at a meet (back in the old days, we didn't wear them). My friend, a coach, tried to show me how to dive with goggles during warm-up and I couldn't. He finally laughed at me and said, "start in the water." So I did. Everyone was supportive, and it was fun. And I think that is just about everyone's experience.

Hey Swimmer Wannabe! I could not have said it better than Greg, Deb, Dan, Tom, Ion, Chris, Matt, Dorothy, Bert, Fritz and anyone else whom I might have left out. I did my first meet last December at the very pool where I had stopped working out at years ago. So, I had a double case of "butterflies." AND to make matters worse, I had never climbed up on a starting block before, ever! :o On the day of the meet, one of my team buddies was with me and was very, very helpful to me as he had competed for 12 years at school and knew "the ropes" quite well. Although I only did two small events, he was at the edge of the pool to congratulate me. What support, which by the way, Masters Swimming is all about! And ... I am sure someone in your group will be there for you, too. You will do just fine; just believe in yourself. Don't be surprised that you won't get much sleep the night after the meet ... you'll be excited about your accomplishment of the day. I was! Swim fast as you can and just be yourself!

Thank you, I suspect that there a lot of things that I forgot though. The officials, some basic rules (DQed for touching wrong, how can THAT happen), the awards (high-point!?), the social dinners, and so on. I bet that some swimmers in their first year of meets would have more to add. The strangeness would be fresh in their minds! Swim fast, Greg

Like everyone else has said, go out and have fun. Also just remember that each and everyone of those other masters at the swim meet had a first meet as well. Get the first one behind you and you will be hooked. HAVE FUN. and Good Luck

Greg, That is one of the best summaries I have ever seen of all the little things at a meet that we "veterans" take for granted. We ought to republish this in our USMS magazines and newsletters. Matt

Be forewarned!! You might become addicted!:D

Just one correction to Greg's excellent summary of what to expect: If there is a false start, there will NOT be a lot of guns and horns going off. The rules were changed a couple of years ago, and now we (as well as USA Swimming) do not call back false starts. The officials are still watching, and if you false start, you'll still be DQ'd. It's just that they won't tell you until AFTER the race is over. Not much fun being told you're DQ'd after you've swum that 400 IM or 200 fly! On the other hand, at least this way you get to swim the event, and get a time, which is all a lot of swimmers want anyway. Meg Smath

lol I'm totally gonna be banned for bringing back such old posts. But I would like to comment on this, anyways! I'm only 19 now, and started swimming when I was 16. So I was in a very competitive age group, with people swimming 100 free in the lower 50's. My best time was a 1:16...lol The first time I did a 100 free I got a 1:47. My goggles came off slightly, I got a cramp...it was a MESS. HORRIBLE. I wish no such pain on any other human being. But I did it. And I loved it. And people patted me on the back and were clapping when I finished. They loved the fact that I made the effort. I set aside the fact that I was gonna lose by almost a minute, and just had fun and just said "It's just another practice!" Eventually, like I said, I got it down to 1:16 and actually BEAT ONE PERSON in free style! WOO! In freestyle relays, I kicked butt. I forget my times but I was a very fast sprinter for the 50's. I avoided backstroke like the plague. I couldn't go straight. I'd bump into the lines ALL THE TIME. I'd be like a snake zig-zagging along... But, much like free style, I actually started beating people in backstroke and it became one of my better events! I remember the butterflies of my first meet (and heck...EVERY meet...). That extreme nervousness. What if you lose? Badly?! Or get DQ'd? Make some silly mistake? All those things went through my mind. Eventually everything but the "What if I lose?" went away. :) The butterflies were part of the whole experience. And it was all wonderful. Because regardless of how afraid I was of stepping up onto those blocks in front of all my friends in high school in my little speedo knowing I'll be the slowest one, I DID IT. And *I FELT GREAT!!!* I was on top of the world! I was out there every day after school at the practices. I was up early on the weekends swimming. I was in shape. I was having fun. Life was great. Swim meets are probably one of the greatest things I've ever experienced in life.

Those "butterflies" are your body giving you extra energy to succeed in a tough situation. Swim fast!