I've noticed there have been a lot of new people on the forum lately, and the short course season is finally upon us. So I thought this thread could be a reflection on everyone's first Masters meet...whether that first meet for you was recently, or quite awhile ago!
My first swim meet was a little less than a year ago. I had been out of the water for nine years and was very nervous - I didn't want to time myself in practice because I knew I was way off of my "old form." So I had no idea how I'd do.
I had to come to the meet late because of church (it was on a Sunday morning). So I had to swim the 50 *** and free, my two worst strokes - but you gotta love the distance! I was surprised each time I saw the clock - I thought I was going to swim way worse than I actually did! And even though those times were nowhere near my high-school best, it was exciting and inspiring to have "new best times" to beat later on in the season.
But I wish I would have known that there was no legal back-to-*** flip turn in the IM in Masters Swimming, because I got DQ'ed!
I was also very impressed by the crowd - a lot of kids cheering on their parents or grandparents! Very fun to observe.
Parents
Former Member
Originally posted by Seagurl51
That was such a great story! Really encouraging! Thank you soo much! It got me really excited to go to my first race now, and even if I don't come in first, at least I did it and that is an accomplishment in and of it's self.
~Kyra
I ran Cross Country in high school (would have been a swimmer if there'd been a team. Alas, there wasn't, so here I am now...a frustrated fish!) and I wasn't very fast at all. But I realized that only one person could win a race, and it wasn't going to be me, so I just concentrated on beating myself. I got SO much out of running that way, and it never bothered me that I didn't place.
So I'm thinking that I'll have to learn to apply the same mentality to my swimming. If I can ever get past the sick feeling that I get when I think about competing, I might muster up enough guts to actually try a race. Of course, I think I need to train a little more intensively than I am now. Honestly...I don't think there's anything better than beating your own PR.
Originally posted by Seagurl51
That was such a great story! Really encouraging! Thank you soo much! It got me really excited to go to my first race now, and even if I don't come in first, at least I did it and that is an accomplishment in and of it's self.
~Kyra
I ran Cross Country in high school (would have been a swimmer if there'd been a team. Alas, there wasn't, so here I am now...a frustrated fish!) and I wasn't very fast at all. But I realized that only one person could win a race, and it wasn't going to be me, so I just concentrated on beating myself. I got SO much out of running that way, and it never bothered me that I didn't place.
So I'm thinking that I'll have to learn to apply the same mentality to my swimming. If I can ever get past the sick feeling that I get when I think about competing, I might muster up enough guts to actually try a race. Of course, I think I need to train a little more intensively than I am now. Honestly...I don't think there's anything better than beating your own PR.
