So I am going to do a meet in November. The first meet in 17 years. A little about me; Swam summer league for 6 years as a kid, but never did year-round training. Lifted a fair amount of weights for the past decade and a half, but mostly been a mix of fat and muscle. Current stats are: 35 years old, 5’9” (that doesn’t actually change) 250 lbs, 400 lb squat and 300 lb bench. Fairly brick shaped. Training for the past month has been anywhere from 1000 to 1600 yds, mostly 12-1400 range. Most freestyle, bit of ***, less fly, a 50 of backstroke. The quandary that I face is that I know I am going to get my clock cleaned, but I would like to get some base times for performance measurement. I have trouble increasing yardage right now, because I know I also need to put time in at speed to train that effectively as well. My gut feeling is that the next six weeks should be more about fast training to maximize ability for short swims. I am looking at the 50 fly, ***, freestyle, and maybe throw in a 100 IM for giggles. At this point and time, I have no interest in ever being a distance swimmer. I have also put some effort into the sdk, between info here and seeing it’s effectiveness in the Olympics. I do remember the backstroker in Seoul cranking with his kick. I feel like my conditioning should improve fairly rapidly with speed work simply because it is so low at this point. But I will accept suggestions. By the way, I am unaffiliated, so practicing dives at the local 24 hour fitness occurs when no one else is around.
You'll probably find that your clock won't be cleaned as bad as you anticipate. I swam my first meet after a 20 year hiatus of no swimming and did pretty good. The main thing, as you mention, is to get a base time upon which to improve on. The weights will more than likely help you with the sprint events, I think that's what saved my skin. It's really a mixed bag of swimmers at the meets, some folks are really fast, some not so, but overall everyone is supportive and friendly. I've yet to run into an "intense" swimmer at a master's meet, even the super-fast ones are pretty laid back. Just go and have fun.
:banana::bliss::weightlifter::joker:
My first meet facts were: 6'1" 300 lbs. never even had a swim lesson in my life, let alone swam on a team. Whatever you do (people on her know way more than me about training, they will help with that) just have fun, dont worry about getting your clock cleaned. Happens to me all the time, I still manage to have a great time. Master swimmers as a group are good people, very accepting.
So I am going to do a meet in November. The first meet in 17 years. A little about me; Swam summer league for 6 years as a kid, but never did year-round training. Lifted a fair amount of weights for the past decade and a half, but mostly been a mix of fat and muscle. Current stats are: 35 years old, 5’9” (that doesn’t actually change) 250 lbs, 400 lb squat and 300 lb bench. Fairly brick shaped. Training for the past month has been anywhere from 1000 to 1600 yds, mostly 12-1400 range. Most freestyle, bit of ***, less fly, a 50 of backstroke. The quandary that I face is that I know I am going to get my clock cleaned, but I would like to get some base times for performance measurement. I have trouble increasing yardage right now, because I know I also need to put time in at speed to train that effectively as well. My gut feeling is that the next six weeks should be more about fast training to maximize ability for short swims. I am looking at the 50 fly, ***, freestyle, and maybe throw in a 100 IM for giggles. At this point and time, I have no interest in ever being a distance swimmer. I have also put some effort into the sdk, between info here and seeing it’s effectiveness in the Olympics. I do remember the backstroker in Seoul cranking with his kick. I feel like my conditioning should improve fairly rapidly with speed work simply because it is so low at this point. But I will accept suggestions. By the way, I am unaffiliated, so practicing dives at the local 24 hour fitness occurs when no one else is around.
Congrats! I'm in much the same boat as you but I have a more in depth swimming background. I'm also similiar size (I'm 6'1 though) and strength, although I've cut weights out almost completely since coming back.
My first meet is in two weeks (Oct 5) and its a Pentathlon. Its a 50 of each stroke, then a 100 IM and they add your times up for a total and thats how you place.
Just keep at it, ask for pointers from the experience swimmers. Don't worry about people being around....trust me, no one cares and most can't or won't point fingers! :p
Oh, don't get me wrong, I am comfortable to the fact that I will be beat across multiple age categories and both genders. I know what I used to do, I also know that I don't have the extensive background that many have. Swimming is so technique oriented that to be really succesful takes a few years of concentrated dedication just refining technique. Actually, I have not lifted weights in a few months and I won't get back into it until after the meet in November. Lifting will take way too much energy and time from swimming for now. As far as practicing dive when no one else is around, so many places have "no diving" signs everywhere. The last thing I need is a noodler complaining. For perfomance today, my 4x50 scy on two minutes push off wall timing myself was 37, 37, 38, 39. Included board shorts and no cap. A quick 25 push off wall is about 18 seconds.
BTW, the meet will be the Kevin B Nash Memorial Swim Meet in Northglenn, CO.
Good luck, and have fun! My first meet is coming up as well. I'm going to Aquapalooza in NYC on Oct 11. I've only been swimming for about 3 weeks, so I'm sure I'm going to get my rear kicked. You guys are taller and bigger than I am (5'8", 121 pounds), but I'm pretty strong and lean for my size. Hopefully, I'll be able to convert that into a decent time!
Good luck in your swim. I have started working out again after my sickdays before Mt Hood. I have not raced in ten years and was quite happy before I got sick so did not race there. But am getting ready again. I did 3 x 50m in 37sec on the minute. I have only been swimming 500m a day for training which is not much. I intend to increase my workouts over the next 37 days before I leave for Mexico. I may take a run up to Guadalajara and swim in a masters meet there for my comeback to the swim meets.
I swam in my first meet ever last year and am slow enough for my age group that depending on the meet, I sometimes race with people who are old enough to be my parents. I swim to beat my last time, not grandpa the next lane over (which is good, because grandpa might well kick my behind).
Most people I've met at meets have been very nice. I've rarely been asked what my time was, only "How was your swim?" or "How'd you do?"
Go. Have fun and get some times to work against.
(You might want to post which meet you're going to in the event that someone here might be going too. It never hurts to have a buddy.)
I like the user name.
With your level of strength and prior swimming background you have a good basis. I wouldn't sweat it much, just go get some times and go from there.
Good luck with your first meet! I started in a pretty similar place... 5'9", 245 (I'm down to 230, alright!), a long absence from the pool, training by myself, and worried that my pride might not be able to handle an aquatic beating from a 60 year old. I just did my first race in 10 years last weekend (open water 1 miler in Long Beach) and it went really well. Everyone at the event was super cool and laid back. Nobody is going to give you a hard time if you're a little slow. Now I'm prepping for my first regular meet on Oct. 5th (pentathlon in Davis).
I think that you should keep doing what you're doing in the pool and once you get that first race out of your system it will really help you figure out what you need to do in practice. Plus, at least for me, I was so wired after racing that it has really helped me focus and motivated me to swim harder when I practice.
I can't wait to do this pentathlon I'm signed up for just so I have some baseline numbers that will let me know where I'm really at when pushed at a race pace.
