First swim competition as Masters swimmer (would be from old forum)

RE: First swim competition as Masters swimmer (would be from old forum)

Elaine Krugman — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 16:57:43 GMT

Thanks for your comment at the end. I'm sorry to hear about your stressful meet experience. Your idea of choosing the easiest and least stressful events at your next meet is excellent. No pressure! One of the reasons I took up the 200 fly and 400 IM several years ago was because of the pressure I was putting on myself in my 3 breaststroke events to meet my time goals. I know I'm slow in fly, but I'm also one of only a few my age (60) that do the 200 fly regularly. They are all SO MUCH faster than me that my only goal is to swim a clean "race" and not rest at the walls! I have ended up liking (loving!) fly so much that I train more yards of fly than any other stroke on most days.

By choosing new events, you may find a renewed passion for swimming or find that you really enjoy your new events more than your previous ones.

Hey, if you ever feel that anxiety again, stop at the next wall, take some slow deep breaths, remember that you are just there to have fun, and then continue swimming. Don't worry about what others may think, because chances are, they were too busy talking with their friends to see what you did. If you prepare for that now and give yourself permission to stop, it will be so much easier if/when the time comes. Believe me, because I have been there! It was for physical reasons (dysautonomia) rather than anxiety, but I was determined to finish the race one way or another! Chances are it will happen again, and I am mentally prepared.

Good luck!

RE: First swim competition as Masters swimmer (would be from old forum)

Allen Stark — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 15:36:44 GMT

I am so sorry to hear that happened to you. Severe anxiety and panic can definitely be horrible. I absolutely agree with you to put as little pressure on yourself as possible for the next meet. Just go to be with people and have fun and swim an event or two. Take care of yourself and ease back into it

RE: First swim competition as Masters swimmer (would be from old forum)

0B19A — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 17:02:58 GMT

I hear you. I've been in USMS since 2017 and had 32 swims at meets. In 2021 our team hosted a meet. Everyone wore masks until ready to swim event. I was already terribly nervous and then it felt like the mask hightened that nervousness to full blown anxiety. I swam HORRIBLY. Like, I didn't finish TWO events. :( I cried and cried that night. So, our team just hosted this year's meet (same meet as last year), and I did not participate. :( Why? I think after having swam 32 events, and then having a horrible meet that really "got in my head" - now I'm afraid to ever participate again. After that 2021 meet my coach had a long talk with me (sports psychology. I just love her!), but she ended up moving on a month later and our team has been without a coach since then. So, I missed an opportunity two weeks ago to make better a horrible experience in 2021. I'm not going to not participate again, but perhaps choose the easiet and least stressful event and do no more than 1 or 2 events. In the past I would do at least 6. I know I need to face my fears in order to overcome them. Anyway, I just wanted to say I hear you and understand.
And what wonderful encouragement from Elaine Krugman :) I needed to hear that as well!

RE: First swim competition as Masters swimmer (would be from old forum)

Elaine Krugman — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 22:42:04 GMT

Just remember, JSC, that we're all going through the same thing! We're all in this together, and I'm sure everybody can relate to what you are feeling. At your next meet, it would be helpful to talk about these feelings with another swimmer. Chances are they'll be feeling the same way, and you both can encourage and cheer for each other. Good luck!

RE: First swim competition as Masters swimmer (would be from old forum)

JSC — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 02:12:36 GMT

Congrats! I’ve always appreciated your forum involvement. I read along a lot and wish there was more activity. I get very nervous about meets too and am currently really scared to try the 500, which has always been an event I love. I lost a lot of confidence being away from the pool during the height of covid and I think the stress aged me a bit too! Anyway, I’m glad to see more events for those of us who are ready and able.

RE: First swim competition as Masters swimmer (would be from old forum)

swimark — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 22:16:08 GMT

I remember your first couple of posts... but of course I haven't been on here in quite some time. This new(er) forum format is not ideal. Anyway good job on meeting some of your goals!

RE: First swim competition as Masters swimmer (would be from old forum)

02ER5 — Sat, 02 Oct 2021 15:24:26 GMT

Good for you. I will do probably the Tucson Senior Olympics, maybe the polar bear and maybe the nationals next year in San Antonio. In fact I will be in 65 to 69 age group if I do the Nationals. I figure I could place in 100 yard fly so I found that that Masters Nationals place up to 10th place.

RE: First swim competition as Masters swimmer (would be from old forum)

Elaine Krugman — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 20:19:25 GMT

I agree. I was part of the beta testing group, and none of my suggestions or requests were done, as far as I know. All of our suggestions and requests ended up in a black hole-- either because they weren't willing to make those changes or it couldn't be done within the platform. Either way, I miss the previous forums, especially back in the earlier days of my membership. The only GOOD thing with the new forums is the disappearance of some of the previous members that I hope never return...

RE: First swim competition as Masters swimmer (would be from old forum)

67King — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 23:43:19 GMT

I had not expected to be nervous. I thought I'd be fine, I was too old for that. I was one of the later ones to go in, so I had to wait for about 30 minutes. I was sitting down with a heart rate of 100-110, and my resting is in the low 40's! But I did well. 10K, had hoped to break 2:15, but swam 2:16.06. Had hoped to be the fastest local (folks from 17 states swam), but the guy known as Fast Eddie beat me by a minute. Had hoped to be top 10 in men, and I was 3rd. My splits were incredibly consistent, only varying 3 seconds per 100 for the whole race.

And yeah, I am disappointed that the forum seems to have seriously lost its activity. Too hard to read, and I have been left with the impression that rather than address concerns the members have, USMS wants us to just suck it up and get over what the new ones look like, kind of how the standard response from one well known company to issues is "you're doing it wrong." Traffic dropoff should be sending a message.

Now to relearn how to swim fly.......

RE: First swim competition as Masters swimmer (would be from old forum)

Elaine Krugman — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 21:59:58 GMT

I remember your first post, too! It's funny to hear your mom referred to as 67QueenMum. She would get a kick out of that!

Like King Frog, I am always on the lookout for new Forumites joining us here. Unfortunately, the new forums seemed to have killed the traffic-- although, it was dropping off over the past few years on the old forums.

Congratulations on crushing your one goal and putting in a great effort to accomplish your other goals!

On Sept. 11, I competed in my first meet since Dec. '19. My autonomic nervous system was on the fritz, so I wasn't able to really race. I just swam my races cautiously. My second meet was on the 24th (the Georgia Golden Olympics), and I felt really good. I raced my first 200 fly since before COVID, and I was happy I swam it clean--- slow, but in good form. I also raced the 50 and 100 fly and did well (for me). My 50 breast was off, but I did REALLY well (again, for me) in the 200 backstroke. I raced my best time since 2014, and I felt ok afterwards. (My recent flare had subsided a few days before the meet, so I felt I could give a cautious but good attempt at racing.) I ended up with 3 golds and 2 silvers, and I had fun!

Good luck in your future meets, 67!

Cheers!

Elaine

RE: First swim competition as Masters swimmer (would be from old forum)

67King — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 02:35:18 GMT

Yeah, this was all outdoor, so I figure it is safe. It was cancelled last year, but it was run successfully this year.

I think my first post was asking how long I should take before switching from laps to authored workouts. And then I went on to poke fun at myself a little bit for how tough it was, particularly backstroke before I got a nose clip.

RE: First swim competition as Masters swimmer (would be from old forum)

Allen Stark — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 02:18:44 GMT

Good for you. I’m still waiting for a safe enough meet. I think I remember your first post. I was/am always looking for new forumites