I took my daughter to a collegiate conference meet yesterday. I saw some things that I didn't quite understand, and my 6 year old asked me some questions I couldn't answer. I can guess at some of this, but would appreciate it if you would weigh in. Would you please help us out?
(1) I saw an incredible swimmer in the men's 100 free. His stroke count was so much lower than the other swimmers that he almost looked like he was swimming in slow motion and his kicking wasn't as frenetic as the others, yet he easily won by a body length. Was there something special to his technique? Does it have a name? He was poetry in motion.
(2) About shaving: I stayed off the recent shaving thread as it seemed to be a guys' discussion, but I am curious - does shaving off body hair (and in the case of some of these college swimmers, head hair) appreciatively cut down drag and increase speed or is it more of a psychological "feel for the water" type feeling? Or something in between or something else altogether?
(3) About suit choice: All suit types were represented: for women, tanks and fastskins: for men, tiny speedos, jammers and bottom half fastskins. If not at the elite (and I mean really elite) level, does suit choice really make a difference or is it again psychological? At this meet anyway, the majority of fastest times were swam by women in tanks and men in the tiny speedos.
(4) At the end of the morning prelims, we saw a time trial for two female swimmers in the 100 free. Was this because they had a dead tie in the prelims?
(5) In one of the races, it might have been a men's 200 ***, there were 3 heats. The first had 8 swimmers, the third had 8 swimmers, but the middle heat only had 3...any ideas?
Thanks much. It was great to be able to tell my daughter that I didn't know, but I knew who I could ask.
Barb
Barb,
I think you will be very surprised at how well you can do in a meet. Masters swimmers are very supportive of individual effort....not necessarily who is the fastest. Speed and "winning" are all relative to each individual. Its more about setting goals, working towards achieving them and doing the best you can. :D The satisfaction comes from knowing you did the best you could.
I think this is absolutely correct. As a newbie, I had no idea how I'd do at my first meet. And I did better than I thought. I've also had some debacles with goggles and whatnot. But throughout it all, everyone has been astonishingly nice. At meets, there is a huge range of ability. Everyone is very supportive. I don't think most people care what other people's time are (unless you have a secret nemesis you want to beat). I remember one meet last year where I wasn't feeling well before a big event and a person sitting near me in the pool area said, "Smile, you'll do great. Relax. It's really about the fun." I actually had a good swim and did a PB.
As to fastskins, I love 'em. I'm sure much of it is psychological. But before a big meet last year, my husband gifted me a fly bodyskin (I really wanted the backstroke one with the bubbles on the back, but he goofed. He also bought a size too big. But oh well.) I felt like I was flying in it in the water, especially on the turns. It was like swoosh. I've always swum good times in it, so now I'm sentimentally attached.
So don't leave poor Rich hanging too long. Sign up soon!
Barb,
I think you will be very surprised at how well you can do in a meet. Masters swimmers are very supportive of individual effort....not necessarily who is the fastest. Speed and "winning" are all relative to each individual. Its more about setting goals, working towards achieving them and doing the best you can. :D The satisfaction comes from knowing you did the best you could.
I think this is absolutely correct. As a newbie, I had no idea how I'd do at my first meet. And I did better than I thought. I've also had some debacles with goggles and whatnot. But throughout it all, everyone has been astonishingly nice. At meets, there is a huge range of ability. Everyone is very supportive. I don't think most people care what other people's time are (unless you have a secret nemesis you want to beat). I remember one meet last year where I wasn't feeling well before a big event and a person sitting near me in the pool area said, "Smile, you'll do great. Relax. It's really about the fun." I actually had a good swim and did a PB.
As to fastskins, I love 'em. I'm sure much of it is psychological. But before a big meet last year, my husband gifted me a fly bodyskin (I really wanted the backstroke one with the bubbles on the back, but he goofed. He also bought a size too big. But oh well.) I felt like I was flying in it in the water, especially on the turns. It was like swoosh. I've always swum good times in it, so now I'm sentimentally attached.
So don't leave poor Rich hanging too long. Sign up soon!
