Well, it's over. My first meet was yesterday. It was a both a mess and a good experience. The heat sheets were given to us the night before, but when we got to the meet the next morning, we were told that they were incorrect. Supposedly "correct" ones were passed out, which also turned out to be incorrect. Heats were often combined without any notice, and more than few swimmers missed their events. The loudspeaker system was also very poor, so it was hard to hear what was going on. In fact, I missed my heat of the 100m ***, along with everyone else in my heat!
Anyway, I was only scheduled for 2 events, so that was sort of disappointing. Luckily, I got onto a relay team for the 200 free. My first race of my first meet went poorly. My start was bad, my pullout was bad, my stroke was a mess, and my turn--which I have done perfectly hundreds of times in practice--was horrible. I still got second place (out of not many people) in my age group, but I swam it so much slower than I could have and have been. I think the problem started with the fact that I need to be focused before I try to swim fast, and I found out that I was supposed to be on the block about 30 seconds before my event started. I was really nervous anyway, but that just made it worse. I realized my mistakes as I was making them, but once I started off poorly, I couldn't seem to correct anything.
The relay was really fun, though. We came in first place in our heat, but I don't even know the overall results. It was a 4x50 free, and I swam my leg 7 seconds faster than I have done at practice. That was a great event because I found out why everyone loves relays, and I also discovered that I am much more comfortable swimming freestyle than I thought I was. I'm going to a meet in a month, and I'm definitely going to swim more freestyle events.
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Former Member
Damn, woman. I'm living proof that it's possible, haha. I posted here because I thought I'd get some encouragement to do better on my next meet and to take comfort in the fact that I got my first meet under my belt, not to have you tell me how ****** a swimmer I am. :cry:
I am in no way calling you a liar or anything like that, but I think something is wrong with your practice time. I'll bet that either you or your coach mis-read the clock or your coach is messing with you. There is just no way that a 28 in practice SCY breaststroker will ever do a 45 SCM in a meet.
I have done a 28 once or twice in Masters and these days am very happy with doing a 29. In my most recent SCM meet I went a (slow for me) 34. For me to swim a 45 second SCM 50, I'd have to stand on the block picking my nose for 3 seconds after the start, dive in and have my goggles fall off, stop and search for them in the pool, take time put my goggles back on, stop and take 3 breaths on the turn wall, and swim as slow as I could possibly imagine in a race.
On top of that, a 28 SCY *** will get you in the top 10 in any age group in USMS. I believe you've said that you just started swimming recently and that this was your first meet ever, and that you are a young guy. I have never heard of anyone below 80 years old who just started swimming recently that can crack the top 10 so quickly in a 50 event. Not that it is impossible, but it's just very unlikely.
I'm not trying to put you down here. Really. A 45 second 50 SCM *** is a very good time for a new swimmer. I just don't believe that you actually swam a 28 in a 50 *** in practice. Some sort of mistake has been made.
Damn, woman. I'm living proof that it's possible, haha. I posted here because I thought I'd get some encouragement to do better on my next meet and to take comfort in the fact that I got my first meet under my belt, not to have you tell me how ****** a swimmer I am. :cry:
I am in no way calling you a liar or anything like that, but I think something is wrong with your practice time. I'll bet that either you or your coach mis-read the clock or your coach is messing with you. There is just no way that a 28 in practice SCY breaststroker will ever do a 45 SCM in a meet.
I have done a 28 once or twice in Masters and these days am very happy with doing a 29. In my most recent SCM meet I went a (slow for me) 34. For me to swim a 45 second SCM 50, I'd have to stand on the block picking my nose for 3 seconds after the start, dive in and have my goggles fall off, stop and search for them in the pool, take time put my goggles back on, stop and take 3 breaths on the turn wall, and swim as slow as I could possibly imagine in a race.
On top of that, a 28 SCY *** will get you in the top 10 in any age group in USMS. I believe you've said that you just started swimming recently and that this was your first meet ever, and that you are a young guy. I have never heard of anyone below 80 years old who just started swimming recently that can crack the top 10 so quickly in a 50 event. Not that it is impossible, but it's just very unlikely.
I'm not trying to put you down here. Really. A 45 second 50 SCM *** is a very good time for a new swimmer. I just don't believe that you actually swam a 28 in a 50 *** in practice. Some sort of mistake has been made.
