Do we have to swim in a lot of meets to go fast? Of people that compete, it seems like there is a wide variance among forum members on meet attendance. Some go to many meets and some go to only a few a year. It seems like some people only attend the big meets or nationals. It obviously helps to get experience at meets, but how many do you need to compete in ideally to (1) swim fast and improve, and/or (2) do well at major competitions such as zones or nationals?
Some folks had mentioned race strategery - I think that is important for stuff like the 200s and up. I swam the 500 6 times last season - I think that may have been too many - but was experimenting with a new "lets try to lose a few people on the first 100 and see what happens from there" strategery.
For the 50s and 100s, feeling that get-up-and-go you get from putting on a good suit and cap, going off the blocks trying to beat your neighbors - you can really only get that from a meet. I think it is good to get that race feeling and work on swimming at that speed frequently.
Personally, I pretty much will go to any meet that is available on a weekend that I am not doing something else. Last year, I got a boatload (I think ~10)of SCY meets in before SCY nats. This year, there are 6 meets + one SCM, and after tomorrow, there are only 3 of those left, one that is intercollegiate club, so doesn't count for anything.
Some folks had mentioned race strategery - I think that is important for stuff like the 200s and up. I swam the 500 6 times last season - I think that may have been too many - but was experimenting with a new "lets try to lose a few people on the first 100 and see what happens from there" strategery.
For the 50s and 100s, feeling that get-up-and-go you get from putting on a good suit and cap, going off the blocks trying to beat your neighbors - you can really only get that from a meet. I think it is good to get that race feeling and work on swimming at that speed frequently.
Personally, I pretty much will go to any meet that is available on a weekend that I am not doing something else. Last year, I got a boatload (I think ~10)of SCY meets in before SCY nats. This year, there are 6 meets + one SCM, and after tomorrow, there are only 3 of those left, one that is intercollegiate club, so doesn't count for anything.
