My First Meet

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

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