How long is a meet?

Anyone have tips on how to keep the energy & motivation up for the long swim at the end of the meet?:help: I expect to be in the middle of the 1500 heats, which will start after the 800 is completed. Figuring a mid-to late afternoon splash time. disclaimer: advice is not necessarily for the mile, but more for the mid-to-late afternoon part... in 2005, LCM nats were at Mission Viejo, another single pool venue, like the woodlands. which makes for long days. every day of competition, no matter what time my first event was, i would get up and do a "wake up" swim during warm-ups, around 1000-1200m. if my event(s) that day were after noon, i would go back to the hotel and eat a good breakfast and just relax (watch tv or read) until about 2 or 3 hours before my event was scheduled to start. then i'd head back over to the pool, do another warm-up, around 800 or 1000m, and get mentally prepared for my race. even the back and forth travel was better than just sitting around, outside, all day. that worked really well for me- i had 2 masters bests, in the 200 back (which i didn't swim until about 2:30pm) and 100 free (was only a few hundredths off my best time as a kid) and a lifetime best in the 200 free (which was one of those races where everything just clicked)... i don't know if the same idea would work for the mile, but i don't see why it wouldn't! :)

Anyone have tips on how to keep the energy & motivation up for the long swim at the end of the meet?:help: I expect to be in the middle of the 1500 heats, which will start after the 800 is completed. Figuring a mid-to late afternoon splash time. disclaimer: advice is not necessarily for the mile, but more for the mid-to-late afternoon part... in 2005, LCM nats were at Mission Viejo, another single pool venue, like the woodlands. which makes for long days. every day of competition, no matter what time my first event was, i would get up and do a "wake up" swim during warm-ups, around 1000-1200m. if my event(s) that day were after noon, i would go back to the hotel and eat a good breakfast and just relax (watch tv or read) until about 2 or 3 hours before my event was scheduled to start. then i'd head back over to the pool, do another warm-up, around 800 or 1000m, and get mentally prepared for my race. even the back and forth travel was better than just sitting around, outside, all day. that worked really well for me- i had 2 masters bests, in the 200 back (which i didn't swim until about 2:30pm) and 100 free (was only a few hundredths off my best time as a kid) and a lifetime best in the 200 free (which was one of those races where everything just clicked)... i don't know if the same idea would work for the mile, but i don't see why it wouldn't! :)