I'm kinda nervous I am swimming my first meet in 7 years tomorrow. I'm 26, swam from when I was 9 to end of high school, sparingly since. My last meet was freshman year of college (intramural meet). I am swimming 50y and 100y free. I used to swim about 25 secs on the 50 and 55 secs on the 100. I'm hoping to beat those times. Who knows though...I'm 30 pounds heavier (mostly muscle) from weightlifting, changed my stroke completely to total immersion style a month ago, but have not had a chance to practice much (only 1-2x per week the last 6 weeks or so not doing much yardage). I'll let you know how I do :)
pwolf,
Thanks for your long detailed reply! Basically everything you said I would normally try to do, but I admit I was a bit off in this meet, especially with the 50. The heats moved faster than I thought so I ended up a bit rushed. I did not have a race plan for the 50, but had a few things I wanted to work on in the 100 and that definitely helped.
As far as splits, I do not know what I had, but compared to the guy next to me, here is what happened...my start was phenomenal (this was something I planned to focus on) because I focused on maintaining a perfect streamline and not rushing to the surface. I was more than half a body length in front of the guy next to me after the first 12 meters. I extended that lead to more than a body length on the first 25. After that, I lost ground each length and I think he barely outtouched me at the end. I would guess I was quite possibly in first place at the 50, but finished last or near last in the heat (I was in lane 1).
Speed work haha I do none of that so far. I just started swimming again 6 weeks ago and I am not even up to 1000 yards in my practices yet. I haven't been doing the sets and stuff I used to, but I will start doing that now. This is a big reason I wasn't mentally prepared. I also had no practice diving from the blocks (not sure where I can get that practice anyways).
Where do you practice? I went to Rockville Municipal a few times in the summer and now I'm swimming at a pool in Adams Morgan.
pwolf,
Thanks for your long detailed reply! Basically everything you said I would normally try to do, but I admit I was a bit off in this meet, especially with the 50. The heats moved faster than I thought so I ended up a bit rushed. I did not have a race plan for the 50, but had a few things I wanted to work on in the 100 and that definitely helped.
As far as splits, I do not know what I had, but compared to the guy next to me, here is what happened...my start was phenomenal (this was something I planned to focus on) because I focused on maintaining a perfect streamline and not rushing to the surface. I was more than half a body length in front of the guy next to me after the first 12 meters. I extended that lead to more than a body length on the first 25. After that, I lost ground each length and I think he barely outtouched me at the end. I would guess I was quite possibly in first place at the 50, but finished last or near last in the heat (I was in lane 1).
Speed work haha I do none of that so far. I just started swimming again 6 weeks ago and I am not even up to 1000 yards in my practices yet. I haven't been doing the sets and stuff I used to, but I will start doing that now. This is a big reason I wasn't mentally prepared. I also had no practice diving from the blocks (not sure where I can get that practice anyways).
Where do you practice? I went to Rockville Municipal a few times in the summer and now I'm swimming at a pool in Adams Morgan.
