I just had a meet and was unhappy with my 50 times...about a second slower than two months ago in both events (free and ***). I swam regularly (2200-3000 three or four times a week), including for the two weeks just prior to the meet, but before that, I took an entire week off (actually, 9 days) for a ski trip to Colorado. Could such a layoff have affected my times all that much, given that I am only swimming sprints?
