First meet

RE: First meet

Former Member — Thu, 18 May 2017 12:19:15 GMT

Congrats :applaud:

RE: First meet

AndriaL — Mon, 08 May 2017 10:52:20 GMT

Way to go! That is awesome :)

RE: First meet

Sumorunner — Mon, 08 May 2017 08:18:49 GMT

And now I've done my first triathlon, a sprint tri at the local YMCA. 350y swim, 10.8 mi bike, 5K run, although with arthritis I am forced to walk the 5K. The swim was my strongest leg after several months of masters team practice. At 69 I was the oldest competitor by far and finished dead-ass last due to a 55 minute 5K, but it was a fun event and easier than I had been led to believe. Not even sore this morning. So to add it up, since I was diagnosed with severe spinal issues last year and switched to swimming, 1 mile OWS, 2 pool meets & 1 sprint tri.

RE: First meet

rxleakem — Sat, 15 Apr 2017 10:12:17 GMT

Meets are so much fun as a masters swimmer. The only pressure is what you put on yourself, so relax and have a good time! :thewave: I'm also looking to enter either a 100 free or 200 free. Remember to take your swim out easier than you think you should. Your first events back in the water will help you set some goals (both times to beat and ways to cause less pain :D)

RE: First meet

Sumorunner — Fri, 14 Apr 2017 08:26:21 GMT

Why not? I was willing to get into something new at 68, what's to stop anyone else? I now have under my belt, other than an extra 50 lbs, 2 pool meets, one OWS, and on May 7 I'm signing up for a sprint Tri. At the start of the 50y in my last meet, my foot slipped and I belly flopped into the water with no forward impetus and still got a PR time.

RE: First meet

Nichollsvi — Fri, 14 Apr 2017 07:50:48 GMT

Go for it AndriaL.

RE: First meet

AndriaL — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 11:27:02 GMT

Great job! I'm working up the nerve to enter my first meet. I just got back in the pool less than a month ago after being out of the pool for about 10 years and I'm totally out of shape now and carrying an extra 40lbs. I'm also looking to enter either a 100 free or 200 free. Look to maybe enter a meet in 2 weeks if I don't chicken out.

RE: First meet

orca1946 — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 11:34:31 GMT

You are faster than anyone at home on he couch!! Keep at it my friend!

RE: First meet

Nichollsvi — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 10:32:44 GMT

Possibly more dumb. I just can't stand not trying something and pushing my limits. I'm slow, don't get me wrong, but I'm working on it. That's what matters. I always check first to see if it is ok. Actually in the locker room I asked, and if you are like 5 minutes+ on a 100 stroke or something, 10 min more on the 500, that's where people draw the line at Masters, not Seniors meets. Otherwise if you are a minute or two or so, people are like ... whooptie big deal ... shrug ... gives me a break between my swims. If you are doing 100/200 fly or the longer IM's, etc. they will give you more leeway because about everyone knows what it takes to swim those and I've gotten a lot of 'you are braver than I am' so the tolerance level is different. Being handicapped makes it a bit more leeway also. I had people coming up to me and saying I wouldn't have the guts to do a 200 *** on pull only. They were really complimentary on that. Btw, I am ALL about getting out of the comfort zone. If you want to walk on water, you gotta get out of the boat. Nichollsvi.... if you're doing 200 fly and 200 IM, you're braver than I am! My longest fly event was 50 and I was really, really SLOW... like "are we there yet??" I only wish swim meets were as frequent as road races. I enjoy those I can attend, although not as many as I'd like. Fortunately, my masters coach will sometimes have Thursday night relays, and creates mixed teams by speed, so that faster and slower swimmers work together. Lots of fun! Sometimes he even invites winners to pick from a box of prizes. He'll do things like pair people up and have one person kick and the other pull, or have a couple medley relays and in the second require us to do different strokes than in the first. Kind of helps wean us freestyle addicts away from our comfort zones. It's a light-hearted kind of break from the more serious part of the practice, yet still instructive.

RE: First meet

FindingMyInnerFish — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 09:11:44 GMT

Well done, everyone! Sumorunner--you're about in my range speedwise, although your 50s are faster than mine. Hopefully we'll meet in a meet! :) Nichollsvi.... if you're doing 200 fly and 200 IM, you're braver than I am! My longest fly event was 50 and I was really, really SLOW... like "are we there yet??" I usually only do other strokes in meets if there's a 25 distance, so as to try them out without holding up the proceedings for too long--more just as practice. I only wish swim meets were as frequent as road races. I enjoy those I can attend, although not as many as I'd like. Fortunately, my masters coach will sometimes have Thursday night relays, and creates mixed teams by speed, so that faster and slower swimmers work together. Lots of fun! Sometimes he even invites winners to pick from a box of prizes. He'll do things like pair people up and have one person kick and the other pull, or have a couple medley relays and in the second require us to do different strokes than in the first. Kind of helps wean us freestyle addicts away from our comfort zones. It's a light-hearted kind of break from the more serious part of the practice, yet still instructive.

RE: First meet

Former Member — Sun, 05 Mar 2017 15:07:58 GMT

2nd meet done. Took off .8 sec in the 50y free. It could have been 2 sec, but had a terrible entry. Foot slipped backwards and I just belly flopped into the water with no momentum. Lost a second in the 200 free. No excuses. I was thinking later, having a whole hour between events, maybe I should have done another couple warmup laps. 50's and 200's are so different from each other. I was hoping there was a state meet near by but its in Goodyear two hours away, maybe they will have a meet this summer, if not I might tried the Polar Bear which is a masters meet next year and the senior olympics again in Tucson.

RE: First meet

Nichollsvi — Sun, 05 Mar 2017 07:06:16 GMT

Excellent!!! I mean on the races - and you can better that in your third meet. :) Things happen. We all have off days or off races. I'm glad for your PR. 2nd meet done. Took off .8 sec in the 50y free. It could have been 2 sec, but had a terrible entry. Foot slipped backwards and I just belly flopped into the water with no momentum. Lost a second in the 200 free. No excuses. I was thinking later, having a whole hour between events, maybe I should have done another couple warmup laps.

RE: First meet

Sumorunner — Sun, 05 Mar 2017 06:29:07 GMT

RE: First meet

Sumorunner — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 10:40:25 GMT

OK then. I just registered for my second meet, March 5. I guess I have to ditch this first-timer thread now.

RE: First meet

Nichollsvi — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 07:50:22 GMT

Go Sumo, cinc31003100 and ssumargo!! Way to go you all! I am a slow handicapped swimmer, but I got to swim with a legend in the next lane of the 200 fly at the NOVA meet. 200 ***: 35 second PR 200 back: 33 second PR 200 fly: 1 second off my PR (stayed in the water because after a 5 min break I was in the same lane to swim the 200 free) 200 free: 12 second PR 200 IM: 15 second PR and PR'ed the 500 the next day by 57 seconds! :) Yeah my times aren't great, but I am at least improving. The sad part is I am trying to get the lifeguards to swim a 100 fly in 4x25 and they talk dying. :)

RE: First meet

Sumorunner — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 06:45:43 GMT

I bought a USMS tee shirt and hat and hoodie and got the first-timer shirt at an open water event last August. I don't need anymore. Plus, I've run over 480 road races and have a truckload of shirts.

RE: First meet

ssumargo — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 06:32:35 GMT

that's awesome! Don't you get a free t-shirt though? Or do you only get one if you win an award? I wanted that t-shirt... Was planning to do it this week, but then I got sick. I haven't been in the pool for 4 days now. And I don't think I will be able to go for another week. It will most probably take another week for me to get close to where I was before getting sick in terms of strength and stamina. This is what happens when I procrastinate. What event will you be doing next?

RE: First meet

Sumorunner — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 05:55:34 GMT

I did my 1 hour swim today, Feb 10. First time I've gone that long non-stop. 2275 yds (1.3 miles). I didn't bother registering it with usms. No need to pay $7 to be listed near last place. I was happy just doing it.

RE: First meet

Former Member — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 14:24:50 GMT

Check the Shawangunk Masters in New Paltz. They may have a meet or two. We have one in Southern Saratoga County Mar 5, but it's probably 3.5 hrs from you. Hopefully, there is a senior olympics event in your area where you can try for medals.

RE: First meet

Sumorunner — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 09:57:10 GMT

NY Senior Games is June 16-17 in Cortland, which is pretty close to nowhere, about an hour south of Syracuse. It would be a 4 hr drive for me, maybe 5 hrs from Westchester.

RE: First meet

Sumorunner — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 05:47:00 GMT

Check the Shawangunk Masters in New Paltz. They may have a meet or two. We have one in Southern Saratoga County Mar 5, but it's probably 3.5 hrs from you.

RE: First meet

ssumargo — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 01:56:37 GMT

I did it! @Sumorunner, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have signed up. So thank you so much for the push. Anyways, I am back from my first meet. I didn't have the guts like you to dive in, so I started in the water. I was the only one that started in the water, but nobody commented on it. I met some really nice people, but also bumped into really nasty ones too. While watching an event, the guy standing next to me was commenting about how slow some people are. I was so nervous before my first event, but by the time of my second event, my nerves had calmed down a bit. I really had fun, wish we had more events in NY. Next up, the 1 hour ePostals.

RE: First meet

orca1946 — Wed, 01 Feb 2017 10:16:10 GMT

OK Now we can look at times. thanx

RE: First meet

Sumorunner — Wed, 01 Feb 2017 07:24:06 GMT

UUUMMM? link is to an "art gallery"? Did I miss something? Oh right, forgot to include the meet link www.usms.org/.../meet.php The other is my personal web page, always in the signature after every post.

RE: First meet

orca1946 — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 10:59:47 GMT

UUUMMM? link is to an "art gallery"? Did I miss something?