Need a little help here. I entered the 400 free at Worlds with a time of 5:08. This is a time I did last year at LC Nats. I also went a 5:02 at LC nats the year before in Savannah.
If the 400 were being run by age group rather than by time, I would surely put in my 5:02. That way I know pretty much who I would be swiming against. But swimming the 400 by time only means I will be in a heat with people other than my age group (probably) and who knows how much people sand bag.
I know I know, swim my own race. Yes, I will, but what are your thoughts on entry time. I'm in the 55-59 age group.
Thanks!!
Glenn:cool:
Former Member
Fact is, if you enter 5:08, you'll have at least 3 people who expect to break 5 min in your heat. Latch on to them if you need external pacing, otherwise just swim your own race.
Personally I tend to enter myself with the time I think I can swim. I like to be in heats with people of comparable speed. I don't concern myself with the sandbaggers. If there's someone in my heat who's way out front I never feel compelled to try to hang with them if it's going to throw off my pacing.
Thanks for all the insightful replies, that includes your's too Mike!!!:D
I'll stick with my 5:08 and will be looking forward to seeing you on the deck Frank.
Glenn;)
If I were you, I would put down either 4:04 (no one else in your age group to worry about) or the maximum time allowed to enter, then you and all the other sandbaggers can swim together.
Either way, I would also go out doing butterfly, to throw off the heat. Cheers!
1. How do you know there wouldn't be lots of people in your age group in your heat if you entered at a 5:02?
2. How do you know there will be lots of people in your age group in your heat if you entered at a 5:08?
3. There will be sandbaggers in distance events, no matter what time you put.
What's to say you won't go 5:02 if you enter at a 5:08? And what's to say you won't go 5:08 if you enter at 5:02?
Just put down the time you feel comfortable with and deal with it the day of the race.
Personally, I think you're lucky, swimming in an event seeded by time rather than by age group. I wish my events were like that.
You haven't said how your training has gone this year, nor, say, how your 500y times this year compare to last years. I'm betting that your 5:02 is achievable (or better), but the 5:08 is a good honest seed time that will land you a heat that fits.
Originally posted by Jeff Commings
Personally, I think you're lucky, swimming in an event seeded by time rather than by age group. I wish my events were like that.
Don't the Worlds are everyone's event!!??
