I signed up for the Taiwan LCM Masters meet on the 20 - 21st of next month. Here's the link for anyone who is interested (and who can read Chinese): www.masterswim.org.tw/new-9.htm. I've entered the 50,100 and 200 Free and the 50 and 100 Fly.
I can already smell the chlorine, hear the starter's pistol and feel the butterflies in my stomach! Come to think of it they probably don't have starter's pistols anymore. It is probably all electronic.
I haven't even got there and already I am starting to have all sorts of doubts. Have I entered too many events? Am I fit enough? My starts and turns are apalling. Are they going to hold up? The last time I, literally, stood on a starting block was 24 years ago. The pool I train in doesn't even have them!
I have never completed a legal 100m Fly either. Well not in competition anyway and I have only recently started to incorporate fly into my training!
Actually I am more worried about the 200m free though. I never used to swim that competitively either and it will be my first event. I am worried it is going to tire me out for the rest of the events and I won't perform at my best.
Anyway despite all my worries I am actually really excited and now have even more of a purpose when training.
Syd
Parents
Former Member
Well, I did it and I am back. Here's how it went.
The BAD NEWS:
I had to scratch 3 events. I hadn't read the rules properly. Each competitor was restricted to two events (excluding the relays) and I had entered five. My entry had somehow slipped through the cracks so I went to the meet prepared to swim all of them. Unfortunately I was only told this after my first event: the 200m Free. Had I known before I wouldn't have swum that event as it is not my best. To make matters worse, because I had entered so many I had decided beforehand to take it easy on the 200m Free and use it as a warm up.
My video camera, which I had so diligently charged the night before we left for the competition, somehow and inexplicably went completely dead.
The GOOD NEWS:
I won both my events. I broke the meet record for the 50m free.:D
In the 200m Free, I did the first 100 in a 1:05.07. When I saw that I was out in front at the turn, I held back. I did the third 50 in 36.30 and the last in 34.97 for a total time of 2:16:34. I was quite pleased with that result as I had never gone faster than 2:23 in practice (timing myself from a push off the wall). Also, I still had a lot of energy left at the end of the race and hardly felt out of breath. The second place competitor came in at 2:34:82. I just was disappointed in retrospect because, had I known before I jumped in the water that I could only swim one more event, I would have swum it differently.
I did a 27:30 for the 50m Free. That was enough to win and break the meet record of 28:55. I know I said I wouldn't be hard on myself as it was my first meet in 24 years, but I have to say I was really disappointed when I looked up at the board. I was at least expecting a 26 something. My fastest time recently was a 26:52 and I was hoping to, at least, equal or better that.
More good news. My wife's small digital camera had enough space on it to record my 50m Free. I put it up on youtube and would really appreciate any comments or criticism. It is a small camera so the quality isn't great but it is sufficient. The voice in the background is my wife giving me encouragement! I am the swimmer in lane six. Second from the end with the black cap and dark navy swimming briefs. www.youtube.com/watch
The fact that I had to scratch 3 events meant that I could take my wife and daughter sightseeing. And we had an excellent time! We did so much it felt like we were there for a week instead of 2 days.
And I met so many people. Made new friends from all over (there were even Hong Kong and Japanese teams out) and we have swapped e-mail addresses and they are going to let me know about future meets.
One member of the Japanese team was a member of the 1984 Japanese Olympic squad and he did a 26 low for the 50m Fly. His other event was the 200m IM. I think he went 2:17 for that. Quite impressive. He was also in my age group:40 - 44 although he is 3 years older than me at 43.
So all in all it was very worthwhile and now, at least, I have two times to improve on!
sincerely Syd
Well, I did it and I am back. Here's how it went.
The BAD NEWS:
I had to scratch 3 events. I hadn't read the rules properly. Each competitor was restricted to two events (excluding the relays) and I had entered five. My entry had somehow slipped through the cracks so I went to the meet prepared to swim all of them. Unfortunately I was only told this after my first event: the 200m Free. Had I known before I wouldn't have swum that event as it is not my best. To make matters worse, because I had entered so many I had decided beforehand to take it easy on the 200m Free and use it as a warm up.
My video camera, which I had so diligently charged the night before we left for the competition, somehow and inexplicably went completely dead.
The GOOD NEWS:
I won both my events. I broke the meet record for the 50m free.:D
In the 200m Free, I did the first 100 in a 1:05.07. When I saw that I was out in front at the turn, I held back. I did the third 50 in 36.30 and the last in 34.97 for a total time of 2:16:34. I was quite pleased with that result as I had never gone faster than 2:23 in practice (timing myself from a push off the wall). Also, I still had a lot of energy left at the end of the race and hardly felt out of breath. The second place competitor came in at 2:34:82. I just was disappointed in retrospect because, had I known before I jumped in the water that I could only swim one more event, I would have swum it differently.
I did a 27:30 for the 50m Free. That was enough to win and break the meet record of 28:55. I know I said I wouldn't be hard on myself as it was my first meet in 24 years, but I have to say I was really disappointed when I looked up at the board. I was at least expecting a 26 something. My fastest time recently was a 26:52 and I was hoping to, at least, equal or better that.
More good news. My wife's small digital camera had enough space on it to record my 50m Free. I put it up on youtube and would really appreciate any comments or criticism. It is a small camera so the quality isn't great but it is sufficient. The voice in the background is my wife giving me encouragement! I am the swimmer in lane six. Second from the end with the black cap and dark navy swimming briefs. www.youtube.com/watch
The fact that I had to scratch 3 events meant that I could take my wife and daughter sightseeing. And we had an excellent time! We did so much it felt like we were there for a week instead of 2 days.
And I met so many people. Made new friends from all over (there were even Hong Kong and Japanese teams out) and we have swapped e-mail addresses and they are going to let me know about future meets.
One member of the Japanese team was a member of the 1984 Japanese Olympic squad and he did a 26 low for the 50m Fly. His other event was the 200m IM. I think he went 2:17 for that. Quite impressive. He was also in my age group:40 - 44 although he is 3 years older than me at 43.
So all in all it was very worthwhile and now, at least, I have two times to improve on!
sincerely Syd
