Just back from my first ever swim meet. Swam the 50y & 200y free. The best I ever did in training for 50y was 54 sec., today 51.91. I swam the 200 at my everyday pace not wanting to stress myself, 4:27.43. I've never done a 200 even in practice except on the way to 500 or 1000. I was happy with that and was probably even first in my AG since I saw no other 65-69 in that event. Also met a couple other first timers there, one of whom had only learned to swim a year ago.
It was also the first time I ever got the chance to dive off a starting block. None of the facilities I go to will allow it, so I just did a few practice dives but dove in from the deck in the races.
I'll be 69 next Sunday, so I want to do the epostal hour swim for the occasion. Next pool meet is Mar 5 in Southern Saratoga County. Waiting to hear from ssumargo next.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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.
