How long is a meet?

If I said that we could have the same meet, and all of the same swimmers, but finish an hour earlier, would you be interested?-Rick You guys have really long meets up there! Our zone meets are usually over by 2-3:00 pm. Of course, it would be better to chop an hour off and go home to rest. I just think seeding is not a science for most masters swimmers unless you are very, very experienced, which I certainly am not. My seed times are always effected by how I feel when I fill out the entry form or if I've attempted, in some fashion, to taper. Aside from the event mentioned above, I'm swimming an event I've never swum before at zones on a lark -- and I promise I will make a GF estimate of my time. But I really could be off by 3 seconds either way. I don't even have a practice time to help guesstimate.

Aside from the event mentioned above, I'm swimming an event I've never swum before at zones on a lark -- and I promise I will make a GF estimate of my time. But I really could be off by 3 seconds either way. I don't even have a practice time to help guesstimate. And what would that event be? The evilstroke? Say it isn't so... Alison

But I really could be off by 3 seconds either way. I don't even have a practice time to help guesstimate. If everyone were within 3 seconds of their seed time, I'd be thrilled!!!!! Even if everyone were within 6 seconds! What I'm saying is that there are a fair number who are _way_ off. 30 seconds off in 100 yards. 56 seconds off in an 800 free. It's those people that are mucking things up, and, yes, they should know better. Our meet will usually have around 200 heats in one day. A sway of 10 seconds per heat is 30 minutes on the day. -Rick

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! :)

If I were you I'd be sure to get plenty of sleep the night before. Don't feel compelled to get in for morning warmups. After all, by that point you'll have a few days at that pool under your belt, so you don't really need to swim in the competition pool the morning of your 1500. Just relax in the morning and show up at the pool with enough time so you know you can comfortably warmup, but not so early you end up sitting around for a couple hours. Another thing that will help is to stay out of the sun and heat over the course of the weekend as much as possible. Those hot outdoor meets can really take their toll after a couple days.

If everyone were within 3 seconds of their seed time, I'd be thrilled!!!!! Even if everyone were within 6 seconds! What I'm saying is that there are a fair number who are _way_ off. 30 seconds off in 100 yards. 56 seconds off in an 800 free. It's those people that are mucking things up, and, yes, they should know better. Muck ups are bad, no doubt about it. OK, you made me feel better about the entry that will be arriving in Muppet's mailbox. The other reason you cannot always seed yourself at your fastest time -- and this is obvious -- is that times swum at national meets in fast pools with fast suits when you're fully tapered usually cannot be duplicated in local meets during training season. So it's better to make a GF guess, I would think, for everyone's benefit. Alison: It's a big ole surprise. I'm doing it on a dare. :eek: I also have a cyber "grudge" race on an earlier event that day. I'll probably be so worn out after Saturday, I'll look like this :cane: on Sunday. And then SwimmieAvs will get her revenge in the 100 back.

Rick, I am deeply impressed with your dedication to our sport. Your knowledge is a delight to me. While I have never intentionally sandbagged, I didn't understand the ramifications in the big picture. Alone on the blocks, ones thoughts are about themself.

I was one of those who had a major drop in my 1650 at SCY Nat's this year by over 1 minute. I didn't sandbag my time, I just made that much improvement since the last time I had swam it early in the season. And I hope to drop another minute by next years Nat's. Donna

Did you taper for Nationals? If so, that kind of time drop isn't surprising. I have a tendency to drop about 15 seconds in my 500 free between my in-season and taper meet times! Yes Kirk, I tapered. I think that had a lot to do with the time drop. It also didn't hurt that it was the first event of the meet. Used a ton of nervous energy up and felt much more relaxed for the short stuff on day two. Now, the 1500 in Houston should be interesting. Last event, and looks like it will be a looooonnnnnggggg day. Taper or no, the swim could be way off the seed time... in either direction. 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.

Ok- there's NO excuse for doing something like that a Nationals! That is just sad. At a big meet like zones or Nats, one should really enter something very close to a best time (at least best for this period in life). Isn't that why they have QTs? It happened to me in the 800 free 2004 LC Nats in Savannah. I was seeded 3rd and the person in my age grup seeded 4th beat her seed time by more then 15 sec. She sandbagged majorly! In fact, in watching her team that day, they all beat their seed time by a lot. I assumed then that their coach did it. I can't remember who it was or what team but I and others were not happy with them. Alison