Eek!!

I find that I can swim 5 to 10 seconds per 100 yds. faster at a meet then in practice. Of course the pool I work out at is the worst pool to swim. I don't know if it is the pool or just the adrenelan (sorry can't spell) kicking in. What I am getting at is that you might be O.K. giving the faster times because you might just swim those times at a meet.

One thing you should be aware of is the Bellevue Club pool doesn't really have any spectator seating. If you have a folding chair or camp chair take it along, otherwise you might have to sit on the ground. It's a nice facility, but seating is limited.

Since this is my first meet, I am clueless on many things...I am just soooo happy to have this site to ask stupid questions on otherwise I think I would be really nervous, so thanks everyone!!! Anyways, I was wondering what kinds of things you should eat the day before and the day of the meet? My friends who are runners eat a lot of carbs the night before, is this the same with swimming? How about for breakfast the morning of the meet? What are the best snacks to pack for the day? Thank you soo much for all of your help!!!!! ~Kyra p.s. Steph-how did your meet go?!?

Hi Kyra! Here's what I do.... I only carbo load when I'm swimming more than 30 min., like in a 2 mi. open water swim, although I like a hugh plate of pasta the night before a 1650! I just eat really well a day or two before a meet - lots of fruit and veggies (which I try to do anyway), plenty of water - SUPER important, and I get as much rest as I can. But I can't emphasize enough how important water is - make sure you're well hydrated because it really will help. No cocktails! No high-salt or greasy foods (get that cheeseburger AFTER the meet!). Basically, nothing that will upset your stomach or dehydrate you. Here's what I pack for food: bananas and a peanut butter sandwich or two - great combo of protein and carbs. I also bring a PowerBar or something like it. I have low blood sugar so I have to have the protein or I will bonk big time (not good at a meet!). There is usually a snack bar at the meets I've been to - they provide fruit, yogurt, bagels, sandwiches, water, etc. I'm usually too nervous and high strung to eat very much at a long meet, but I make sure that I take a bite or two of my peanut butter sandwich between events and it really does help. Keep sipping on that water bottle too! Good luck!!!

Kyra -- Don't over-analyze this! Maybe you can be a little less worried about this meet if you look at it as just another workout with LOTS of rest in between sets. :) Maybe (MAYBE) you can cut back on your workout the day before. Don't OVERwork so that you're not sore the day of the meet. But are you usually sore the day after any workout anyway? If not, then you'll be fine at the meet. As for eating, you don't eat anything special the day before or the day of your workouts, do you? Most likely you will end up swimming far less than your normal workout on the day of the meet, so maybe a special diet before the meet will disrupt your normal bodily cycles. Maybe you'll under consume (or over consume) what you normally get for sugars or other dietary components. What a joy it would be (not) if you find yourself constipated or having low blood sugar at the meet! You can start worrying about this stuff when you sign up for a 10K open water swim some day. Or if you are trying to break a world record or qualify for the Nationals... The day of the meet, eat the same breakfast you ate before you did your workout all the previous Saturdays. If it worked all those other days, it will work at the meet. Take some gatorade with you the day of the meet. Take some oranges. Maybe a bagel or a granola bar. Chances are that you won't eat half of what you take. I also take coffee in a thermos. You might find that there will be a concessions table selling (or even giving away) some sort of power drink, coffee, fruit, other stuff. Unless you know for sure that it will be there, though, I recommend you take some stuff just in case you get hungry/thirsty. And then on the way home, stop at Krispy Kreme and treat yourself for a meet well swum!

Originally posted by Guvnah Kyra -- Don't over-analyze this! Maybe you can be a little less worried about this meet if you look at it as just another workout with LOTS of rest in between sets. :) ..... And then on the way home, stop at Krispy Kreme and treat yourself for a meet well swum! Those are the two best bits of advice that anyone has given me. Thank you! ~Kyra p.s. No offense to anyone else who has provided me with much needed help!!!!

Originally posted by thisgirl13 On the day of the meet, pack a pair of sweats you can put on between events, and an extra towel, so when you go to change at the end of the meet, your towel isn't soaking wet and yucky. Good comments. I've found out in the last couple years a good thing to wear is something like polypro that dries quickly. Nothing worse than putting on soggy clothing. In general, bringing an extra towel is a great idea, but as Rebecca mentioned this isn't really an issue at the Bellevue Club. This is a pretty swank place. You can get extra towels in the locker room.

Hey Kyra! First, my advice for food, etc. Second, swim meet review! Okay, food the night before, I'd stick with stuff you like, that's not too heavy (no fast food, nothing really salty, nothing real heavy, like cream sauces or anything), but whatever you like to eat. Pasta's good, or peanut butter sandwiches, or cereal or whatever. Popcorn is also a favorite over here. On the day of the meet, pack a pair of sweats you can put on between events, and an extra towel, so when you go to change at the end of the meet, your towel isn't soaking wet and yucky. Foodwise, I usually pack bagels, granola bars, some gatorade, things like that. Drink plenty of water, but if your meet's going to last awhile, take some carbs with you. Protein's less important, carbs more, because carbs get absorbed as energy more quickly than protein. For my swim meet, things didn't go exactly as planned, lol. Five of us were planning to go; two backed out, because it was cold as Alaska the day of the meet. So three of us went, and I ended up being in four events (the 25 free, 50 back, 200 free, and 25 ***). The meet went incredibly fast, because a lot of people didn't show up. I didn't get much time between my events, but I did drop a second in my 25 free, 2 full seconds in my 50 back, and then I literally got two heats of the 50 back to rest before my 200 free. Didn't feel so hot after that race. ASthma kicked in a little, and I scratched the last event. But I swam .5 under my seeded time for the 200, so I call it a fair day. It was a lot of fun though. You'll really have a blast, Kyra! Especially if you see people there you know, or have met on here. Jeremy and Dennis, the guys who went with me to Allegheny Valley, made the meet very fun for me (would have been fun anyway, but these guys are hilarious). Anyway, that's a long enough post (I'm turning into Guvnah!), so I'll sign off for now. Slainte, Steph

Originally posted by SWinkleblech I find that I can swim 5 to 10 seconds per 100 yds. faster at a meet then in practice. Of course the pool I work out at is the worst pool to swim. I don't know if it is the pool or just the adrenelan (sorry can't spell) kicking in. What I am getting at is that you might be O.K. giving the faster times because you might just swim those times at a meet. This often happens for experienced competitive swimmers, but I doubt that it happens very frequently for rookies (unless they've just never tried to see how fast they can swim until they get to a meet). It takes time to get used to the mechanics of racing, and it's unlikely that you'll turn in best times while you're doing that. I remember a world class swimmer once commenting that he had known guys in college who could turn in great times in practice, but couldn't duplicate those times in competition, and noting that they were almost invariably guys who hadn't been on a high school swim team. I think there's a real advantage to learning to race in an environment where you've got one or two meets per week, where you know that you're not going to be at top of form every day and learn how to make the best of what you've got each day, and where you know that if you muff something, you'll have another shot at it in a few days. If you're a newcomer to racing, I think it's best to take the attitude that you're only racing against yourself. At your first meet, you're guaranteed to win every event, because the worst you can do is get DQed, and even that is better than you've ever done before!

There will probably be two referees at the meet. They probably won't be too strict, but will DQ you if you do something obviously wrong. Don't worry about that. You'll still be able to see what your time was and then next time you'll know what you did wrong and you can correct it. I think even if you false start they generally let you still swim the race in Masters. If breathing out of a turn was reason for a DQ darn near all of us would get deeked :) My suggestion for pacing a 200 is try to take out the first 100 at a fast pace, but not all-out. The third 50 is the most important, and you should try to pick it up, then just give it whatever you have left for the last 50. If you can split the second 100 about two seconds slower than your first 100 that's a well swum race.