Hey All! I would love to see the response from people on this question.
I am about to swim in my first meet in over five years. My preparation has been pretty good the last year or so. Plus, I am looking at this from a realistic standpoint of going out to have fun, swim again and see just where I am at in training. Not expecting lifetime bests or to light up the waters in my first outing.
When you all made the decision to race again(pool or open water) what were you feelings leading up the first meet? Excited, nervous,etc? And how did you cope with second thoughts, nerves, etc leading up to the meet, so you wouldn't have second thoughts?
Look forward to hearing other people's stories.
John
My first meet in over 25 years was last November. Here are a few random thoughts.
I read all the "First meet" threads I could find on this site. I saw a couple of good lists of things to bring, including spare contact lenses. "Good idea," I thought, and packed an old pair.
I practiced starts off the blocks at my pool before the meet and found a head position that kept my goggles on and dry. The morning of the meet while practicing starts I inexplicably chose that opportunity to start messing with my start technique, promptly losing my goggles and a contact. I was fine in the actual events when I went back to what I knew worked. Dive in every chance you get at your normal practice and figure out what works for you. If you don't wear contacts, practice swimming out a length after losing your goggles so that if it does happen you'll know how to deal with it.
I found that it can get a little confusing tracking when you are supposed to be swimming and in what lane. My more experienced teammates helped me with this. Highlighting your name and position on the sheets helps.
Looking at the results, I realize I should have paid closer attention to who was swimming beside me in the heats. I was really worried about how hard to take out the 200 ***, not having any experience at that distance. A guy I narrowly beat in the 100 who was in the lane next to me beat me in the 200, again right beside me. Had I paid attention to the heat sheets and results, I could have used him to help me pace the first 100 of the 200, but I didn't realize it was the same guy until after the race was over. I let him go in the first 100 when I should have tried to hang with him.
I was a little nervous, but it wasn't debilitating or anything, just good nervousness. A lot of my nervousness dissipated when the meet started and I realized that people were just as supportive, or even more so, of the slower swimmers as of the "stars." There was none of the in your face competiveness I remembered from my high school meets, just a bunch of folks out having fun while competing -- some at a very high level.
I went with the goal of having some fun, and I did. "Did you win, dad?" my kids asked when I got home. No, I didn't, but it was a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to my next meet next month.
My first meet in over 25 years was last November. Here are a few random thoughts.
I read all the "First meet" threads I could find on this site. I saw a couple of good lists of things to bring, including spare contact lenses. "Good idea," I thought, and packed an old pair.
I practiced starts off the blocks at my pool before the meet and found a head position that kept my goggles on and dry. The morning of the meet while practicing starts I inexplicably chose that opportunity to start messing with my start technique, promptly losing my goggles and a contact. I was fine in the actual events when I went back to what I knew worked. Dive in every chance you get at your normal practice and figure out what works for you. If you don't wear contacts, practice swimming out a length after losing your goggles so that if it does happen you'll know how to deal with it.
I found that it can get a little confusing tracking when you are supposed to be swimming and in what lane. My more experienced teammates helped me with this. Highlighting your name and position on the sheets helps.
Looking at the results, I realize I should have paid closer attention to who was swimming beside me in the heats. I was really worried about how hard to take out the 200 ***, not having any experience at that distance. A guy I narrowly beat in the 100 who was in the lane next to me beat me in the 200, again right beside me. Had I paid attention to the heat sheets and results, I could have used him to help me pace the first 100 of the 200, but I didn't realize it was the same guy until after the race was over. I let him go in the first 100 when I should have tried to hang with him.
I was a little nervous, but it wasn't debilitating or anything, just good nervousness. A lot of my nervousness dissipated when the meet started and I realized that people were just as supportive, or even more so, of the slower swimmers as of the "stars." There was none of the in your face competiveness I remembered from my high school meets, just a bunch of folks out having fun while competing -- some at a very high level.
I went with the goal of having some fun, and I did. "Did you win, dad?" my kids asked when I got home. No, I didn't, but it was a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to my next meet next month.
