Don't want to start a screamfest, but the controversial issue of "getting enough rest" between events led me to wonder --- how do you get an order of events that is somewhat uniformly fair?
Since I'm apparently challenging John Smith for most annoying masters swimmer, I'll just say that I have been aggravated by the order of events in most of my recent meets. As a fly-backer-er, somewhat odd, it seems that those events are always close together. I guess the fly-*** or fly-free or all free combos are much more common. I have basically given up swimming the 100 IM and haven't swum the 100 back in SCY in 2 years. My last meet, the 100 fly and 100 back were within minutes of each other, and unlike Chris Stevenson and Jeff Roddin, I admittedly didn't have the chops to do both. At my Dec. taper meet, all my best events were on Saturday. At anther meet, all the 200s were in the first half of the meet and all the sprints in the second half, annoying almost everyone and causing a lot of scratches. I have also noticed the inequity between rest for freestylers and strokers. Folks entering the 5 pack freestyle (50, 100, 200, 500, 1000 or 1650), very common set of entries, always have adequate rest because these events are always spaced out pretty well. So it's pretty easy for freestylers to think others are whiney, since they never experience the rest problem.
So how do you fix these inequities and get a fair lineup of events? At a minimum, can't meet directors change the order of events each year to attempt to provide some equity? Or have a 15 minute break scheduled somewhere? This would probably reduce whining and the apparently repugnant practice of sandbagging to get more rest. Since I only swim 5 meets a year or so, it'd be nice to attempt to swim reasonably well. Swimming more meets is just not an option. There's obviously no way to make everyone happy all the time, but it seems like the system could be improved.
OK, here's one alternate (but admittedly not very well-thought-out) proposal. Feel free to tear it apart....
CZ Meet, Proposal "A"
---------------------
Friday
1000 Free
1650 Free
Saturday
400 Mixed Free Relay
200 Mixed Medley Relay
100 Free
200 Back
50 Fly
400 IM
50 Back
200 Free
100 IM
200 ***
800 Free Relay
400 Medley Relay
200 Free Relay
Sunday
800 Mixed Free Relay
400 Mixed Medley Relay
200 Mixed Free Relay
100 Back
200 Fly
100 ***
50 Free
500 Free
200 IM
50 ***
100 Fly
400 Free Relay
200 Medley Relay
I like this much better. And at least it's a change!!! Since no one can ever be happy, and no one really expects ideal events every meet, change is good. Jim is right, CZ never seems to change its order of events. I'm happy to submit this version or others to the meet director. I like the idea of relays in the middle. But for those that swim relays (and give up individual events to do so), this doesn't really give you extra rest.
Rick: At the NE Champs in December (I realize you weren't the meet director), the 50 and 100 back and the 50 and 100 fly were ALL on the same day (sat). The 50 and 100 free were on the same day as well (sun).
Ande: You're right. I can't take your advice. I simply can't clone myself any further. Maybe when my kids grow up. However, I am happy to talk to whoever is in charge and won't be shy to do so. In fact, at CZ, I did complain to the meet director (my coach) about the women's events being so much quicker. The solution would be to start each event in the men's and women's pool simultaneously so the women get as much rest. I also told the meet director that we need a break before end of the day relays. She agreed. Hopefully, next year, we can change things.
Chris: The men wouldn't necessarily need the same 10-15 minute break if the men's events are going much more slowly than the women's events. You effectively had a built in break.
Frankly, I think I should, within my permitted travel that does not lead to divorce, try to swim in meets that last really really long. I'd rather stay late at a meet I've already planned to attend than get no rest and swim fewer events. NE SCY sounds like a great meet for me.
OK, here's one alternate (but admittedly not very well-thought-out) proposal. Feel free to tear it apart....
CZ Meet, Proposal "A"
---------------------
Friday
1000 Free
1650 Free
Saturday
400 Mixed Free Relay
200 Mixed Medley Relay
100 Free
200 Back
50 Fly
400 IM
50 Back
200 Free
100 IM
200 ***
800 Free Relay
400 Medley Relay
200 Free Relay
Sunday
800 Mixed Free Relay
400 Mixed Medley Relay
200 Mixed Free Relay
100 Back
200 Fly
100 ***
50 Free
500 Free
200 IM
50 ***
100 Fly
400 Free Relay
200 Medley Relay
I like this much better. And at least it's a change!!! Since no one can ever be happy, and no one really expects ideal events every meet, change is good. Jim is right, CZ never seems to change its order of events. I'm happy to submit this version or others to the meet director. I like the idea of relays in the middle. But for those that swim relays (and give up individual events to do so), this doesn't really give you extra rest.
Rick: At the NE Champs in December (I realize you weren't the meet director), the 50 and 100 back and the 50 and 100 fly were ALL on the same day (sat). The 50 and 100 free were on the same day as well (sun).
Ande: You're right. I can't take your advice. I simply can't clone myself any further. Maybe when my kids grow up. However, I am happy to talk to whoever is in charge and won't be shy to do so. In fact, at CZ, I did complain to the meet director (my coach) about the women's events being so much quicker. The solution would be to start each event in the men's and women's pool simultaneously so the women get as much rest. I also told the meet director that we need a break before end of the day relays. She agreed. Hopefully, next year, we can change things.
Chris: The men wouldn't necessarily need the same 10-15 minute break if the men's events are going much more slowly than the women's events. You effectively had a built in break.
Frankly, I think I should, within my permitted travel that does not lead to divorce, try to swim in meets that last really really long. I'd rather stay late at a meet I've already planned to attend than get no rest and swim fewer events. NE SCY sounds like a great meet for me.
