I'm trying to figure out if I'm crazy for signing up to participate in the USA Masters Games in Greensboro this summer. Anyone else going? Which events? How competitive are you?
I have mostly signed up because open water swims are hard to come by in areas that I can get to and from pretty easily just the day of. I have done a few open water swim competitions over the years, but I'm not particularly competitive (read: I'm not very fast). I'm wondering if I've set myself up for a situation where I'm not just last, I'm way behind. Don't get me wrong, I'm basically at this for my health and fitness and because I genuinely enjoy swimming (especially open water) so I don't mind being at the back of the pack, but I'm curious about where I'm likely to fall as I prep.
I'm looking forward to getting to watch some of the pool events as well. I have never gotten up the guts to sign up for a pool meet - I do not have a local Masters group to swim with so I don't have a group to go with or the training in starts and turns and all that stuff that would make me feel comfortable competing in the pool, but maybe this will get me going.
I'm interested in hearing from other who have signed up or are considering signing up. Thank you!
I think it would sure be worth a shot for you to sign up and go.
I wish I was going! but have a conflict in schedule. If the venue is same next year, I would certainly consider going and treat as if another swim meet. Heck, maybe enter a few track and field dashes as a lifetime first.
Also, it will be interesting to see how well attended the event is this year. That may sway my decision to attend in 2018 as well.
Given its location might attendance this year be negatively affected by recent legislative activity in North Carolina? (Not wanting to raise a possibly sore subject, but still, it might have dissuaded some people from attending.)
Although this is the first I've learned of it, USA Masters Games seems very similar to the National Senior Games (aka Senior Olympics), which I've known of and have participated in, but only at the NJ state level. I think the senior games age only goes down to 50ish. Based on their websites, the USA Masters Games seem to be in even years and the National Senior Games are in the odd years. There are state National Senior Games in NJ each year even though the National games are only in odd years. In swimming you can qualify for the National Senior Games by achieving NQT (I think they are the same as USMS) or by placing (I think 1st-4th or maybe more?) in your state's events typically held the year before the national games. At my age (65-69) this is relatively easy to do, since there are rarely more than 4 swimmers in an age group at the state meet in NJ.
Last years (2015) National Senior Games were in Minneapolis I think in July, and although I planned to go, I didn't make the trip. Next years (2017) games are in Birmingham and scheduled for early June. I don't believe they include any OW events at the senior games. The state meet in NJ is USMS sanctioned and connected as my times from the state meet show up in my usms database. I also know you can check the past state meet times on the state meet website in NJ. I'm not sure whether they post the national meet times.
Given its location might attendance this year be negatively affected by recent legislative activity in North Carolina? (Not wanting to raise a possibly sore subject, but still, it might have dissuaded some people from attending.)
I think that's a good point to raise. The USA Masters Games website I think tries to address this without specifically mentioning that legislation by talking about the inclusive nature of the games and some of the ways Greensboro in particular is an inclusive/progressive city.
It would be nice if the Games site had a forum or something - maybe then we would know what is attracting people to or keeping people away from the event. I haven't really seen any commentary about it anywhere.
Anyone else going? Which events?
I'm going.
I liked the idea of an SCM meet in an excellent pool, the schedule worked for me, and I can drive to it. The pool events are over three days (four if you count distance day; five if you count OW), and you're allowed to enter up to 10 events. I entered 9.
How competitive are you?
People who are slower than me think I'm ultra-competitive. People who are faster know better. :)
I was thinking about signing up for this event, but when they randomly dropped the entry price it make me wonder if they are lacking participation. I hate to travel to NC, stay in a hotel for 5 nights and be the only swimmer in my age group.
I know the facility is top notch and North Carolina is a great place to visit, I'm just wondering if the meet is taking off the way they had hoped it would.
I had considered going, but it was going to be much too expensive. Curious that they dropped the entry price. ?? I liked that it was going to be SCM, though.
My understanding is that this is not going to be an annual event....just in Olympic years.
I believe the plan is for it to be even number years.
I wish they had a participant list. When I sign up for open water swims there's usually a way to see who else is signed up to get an idea of how many participants there are.
I live in NC and am only planning on doing the open water swim so in theory I could just get up super early the morning of and arrive just for my event so the expense is not really an issue for me. I was hoping to make kind of a weekend of it and stay in Greensboro and catch some of the pool events as well and see what their Games hub is like. I didn't realize they had dropped the price until after I'd signed up and went back through and read some of their old newsletters so the idea of their being a lack of participation hadn't really occurred to me.
It'll be interesting to see if this takes off.
