My First Meet

You didn't say what events you were swimming, that really is a good thing to know. If you are doing the longer races then I recommend the following. Night Before. Pizza and Beer never steered anyone wrong. Distance swimmers should be drinking a nice dark beer, or a stout. Sprinters should stick to clear drinks such as Vodka Martinis, Gin and Tonics or a lager. If you are doing both sprints and distances you should cover both dimensions. You don't really need to be too picky about your pizza type so long as you have anchovies. (The anchovies are critical, because the fish will help you swim faster). The nice thing about pizza is that it covers the entire food pyramid. Grains are covered by the crust, vegetable requirements are supplied by the oregano, fruits come from the tomatoes, and dairy comes from the cheese, and any good pizza is dripping with fats and oils. But if you are worried about covering the whole pyramid, have a twinkie or some other highly processed snack cake. Morning of. I like steak and eggs for the distance types, and mexican omelettes for the sprinters. Also a little hair of the dog if the previous night's meal is lingering with you. In the afternoon. Donuts and coffee between races. I recommend 1 donut per hundred. So if you swim a 400 free, you are allowed to eat 4 donuts before your next swim. Good luck!

Whoa! All that eating made me hungry, but i agree, i do much better when i eat junk food before a race then when i dont (Not right before a race, i would suggest atleast 20 minutes) and dont strave yourself, one of the worst things to do.

How old is this person. If their under 21 years old, we can't advise them to break beer. I know a lot of minors drink but we need to take that into consideration.

Whitney, Welcome to the crowd. You will feel nervous at your meet. We all do, even those of us who have been doing this for years. So, relax; don't feel nervous about being nervous (if you get my meaning). When you hit the water, the nerves will go away, and you will know what to do. Just have fun, and realize that the fate of civilization does not hang in the balance. As far as pacing is concerned, try to go out slower than you think you should in the first half of the race. Your racing instinct will make a blazing, too fast to be sustained pace seem like a slow lolly-gag. Remember, no one, not even Michael Phelps, can finish a 100 meter race in the first 50 meters. :D Save it for the second half, and if you feel energized, put the hammer down then. It's 50-50 whether you will feel like accelerating at all, even if you think you went out too slow. As far as food is concerned, eat what is comfortable. The day before a meet is too late to start worrying about politically correct nutrition. Eat what is comfortable for you, in moderation, and what will not challenge your digestive system. On the day of the meet, eat light, but a little something before and in the middle of the meet is a good idea. And, do remember to drink fluids. You don't want to drink so much you feel bloated, but consciously reminding yourself to take a sip from your water bottle every so often is also a good idea. Have fun! Since this is your first meet, by definition, every swim is an experiment. So keep in mind that no result, no matter how slow, is necessarily bad. There are even some swimmers, experienced swimmers, who are great in workouts, and who do not go much faster, if at all, in meets. You will not know what kind of swimmer you are until after a couple/three meets. Try a couple of different things. As Wierd Al would put it, dare to be stupid. (Some would suggest that just showing up has already put you in that category. :p ) Enjoy the company of the folks around you. It's great to be alive! And, by definition, you are faster than everyone who did not enter your events. Matt

GGAWBOY Great Advice !!! I can't remember when a post has made me laugh out loud so much. I will make sure that I give this advice to all the swimmers I coach. So when I swim my next 1500m free, I must eat 15 donuts shortly before it ! Brilliant, just brilliant !!!

Thank you everyone for all the serious responses. I really appreciate it. And ggawboy thanks for trying... lol I hope you don't eat that before your races, and if that's part of your normal diet... good luck lol. I'm 16 by the way.. still got a few years before I'm of age. But all of the advice makes me feel a lot more at ease now. Thanks, I'll let everyone know how I did!

Whitney, It sounds as if you've gotten nutritional advise from the frat house school of swimming. Save all the food, drink and merriment for after the races! Start the day with a light meal. Eggs are good. And so are any protien based foods. During the day keep away from sugary foods that will only make you feel energized for a while and then result in a drop in blood sugar. You'll feel sluggish and have the urge to munch on more sugar. Snack on some fruit. Even cold cuts are good. Sliced turkey or ham "roll-ups" tuck nicely into a plastic sandwich bag. It's important to be nourished but not overfed. Sometimes the pre race jitters will make you wish that you hadn't eaten at all. And don't forget to drink throughout the day. Water or seltzer will keep you hydrated which is most important if you are a distance racer. Good luck at the meet. Remember that you will get out of the meet what you have put into your practices. If you've done a good job in the pool everyday then you can expect a high return on your investment at the meet. It's always fun to see that hard training pay off. Relax and enjoy. And learn from your races.

I have eggs every morning before a meet and the eat mostly fruit and veggies durning the day. The most important advice! Have fun and enjoy the meet thats what its all about.