Heading to Sewanee, TN in the morning for my first meet. Please keep in mind I have never participated in/attended a swim meet.
Food: A good pre race breakfast consists of?
What foods are good for the day (I swim in the first event and the last event so this will an all day affair.)?
caffeine or energy gels before events?
Contents of swimbag: I know all the basics to bring. Is there anything a newbie would not know to bring that he wish he had brought?
Shaving: If so, what? I want to blend in with the other guys. Im ok with being the slow guy. I just don't want to be the slow hairy guy.
Timing mats: I do not do flip turns. Is there a mat in the water I need to touch w my hand so my splits are recorded? If I touch the wall but not the mat am I a DQ?
Diving: My local pool does not allow diving. Therefore, I plan on diving in from the edge of the pool and not the blocks. Any special rules about that?
Long races: For the 1000 free, if necessary, can I go to an ugly/illegal *** stroke? If I use breaststroke do I need to touch the wall with two hands?
Can I rest for a few seconds by holding on to the wall or ropes?
Thanks in advance for any advise!
thank you to everyone for the great information. i will put all of the suggestions to work on saturday (except the breakfast buffet:eeew:).
i am a little concerned about the numerous suggestions to bring a second bathing suit. is it that often that a suit becomes unable to continue in a meet?
elaine i will find you. i will be wearing a red suit with a look of pure terror on my face.
i am a little concerned about the numerous suggestions to bring a second bathing suit. is it that often that a suit becomes unable to continue in a meet?
elaine i will find you. i will be wearing a red suit with a look of pure terror on my face.
If you have a new suit or one that is in good shape, you should be fine. You just don't want to end up in a situation where you bend over for the start, and :mooning:. I took an aging Speedo Endurance suit on a cruise with me, and the seam split when I bent over to gather my belongings after my swim in the postage stamp-sized "pool". :blush:
:bighug: That's for the terror you may be feeling about your first meet! Mine was seven years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I must have looked like a deer in headlights when I walked onto the pool deck and saw literally hundreds of people, many in tech suits. (It was the 2010 St. Pat's meet, the last meet to make National Qualifying Times before Spring Nationals at Georgia Tech.)
The best part of the meet was meeting so many nice, encouraging swimmers who understood my fear and cheered me on in my races. I felt very welcomed and comfortable after the initial panic.
Although we won't be arriving until after your 1000 race, I will do my best to pay that encouragement forward when we meet. (Although, since I'm doing the "800 IM Challenge" AND the 400 IM AND the 50 breaststroke, I'll be spending most of the meet in the pool rather than on deck!) My husband, Bruce, knows the ropes, though, and he'll be hanging around to offer encouragement, too!
Let us know how you do - please have fun. Don't worry about times.
I'm sure Jamie will be back on here to let you know how he did, but I want to give a shout out to him for a job well done! :applaud: Orca, Jamie looked great in his 1000, and was MORE THAN CAPABLE of going on to swim a 1650. I'm proud of him for not only swimming a strong 1000, but he went on to complete the "Build a Mile" challenge by swimming a strong 500, 100, and 50. He is a much stronger swimmer than he let on. Kudos to both Jamie AND his wife, Marcie for rockin' the pool! :chug:
