I was honestly on the fence about whether I wanted to swim the breaststroke 3 pack or do freestyle at my next meet in a couple of weeks. So I ended up signing up for 5 events today and mailing it in, knowing that I will scratch at least one, maybe 2, events depending on how I feel at the meet.
Are scratchers evil like sandbaggers? I know I had a lot of fun at the last meet with a couple of very close races with people right next to me, but honestly the only times empty lanes have bothered me have been when I've been in 1 and the only other entrant was in 8 or 6. Feels like a weird time trial when that happens. But just an empty lane or 2, no biggie. Does it bug the race directors? Why do I feel vaguely guilty about it? Should I just kick an extra 200 as penance tomorrow (I hate kicking) and forget all about it? Or is it not even something to worry about?
It's fine to scratch events
just note you could be penalized if you checked in for a distance event then failed to show up
you can also be penalized in prelim final meets if you make the final but don't scratch in advance if you're not planning to swim it
It's fine to enter events with slower times
there's no rule against it
lesser beings call it "sandbagging"
I call it strategic event planning or rest management.
I am curious why somebody who went a 26 in 50 free 2 months ago would put down a 30.0 or 29.5 for their time? Somebody explain the point. I get fired up to race my competitors who are near my time but when they put down a 29.5, I can't help but wonder if they don't like close races.
Do some people put down a much slower time because they only do well if they can win their heat? I guess if one is swimming a bunch of events and wants to take it easy or is tired from swimming so many events it makes sense to put down a much slower time. If it is the first event and the person is not swimming any events right after that event, why put down such a slower time?
Sometimes I wish we could do prelims and finals in masters meets. I want to race head-to-head with some of those that are hiding out in different heats!
Scratch and Sandbag away! It's MASTERS!
:applaud:
If people get offended by scratching, they seriously need to chill and go to remedial "swim your own race" school. Let people do what they need to race well and swim fast.
I guess this is why sometimes I prefer 5ks and mass starts on triathlons. I do my best times in a close race. In those races, there's no seed times, just a head-to-head race. What is the point in having seed times if they become meaningless?
Sure it is masters and people can do and should do what they want. It just makes it more fun for me if I truly get to race somebody. So for those that do put down such slow times, what is the strategy? Maybe I need to start doing it.
P.S. If somebody does not want to share a strategy, loosen up. It's just masters
I am curious why somebody who went a 26 in 50 free 2 months ago would put down a 30.0 or 29.5 for their time? Somebody explain the point. I get fired up to race my competitors who are near my time but when they put down a 29.5, I can't help but wonder if they don't like close races.
You could be right. They might not like a close race. Swimming a 26 and then seeding at a 29 does seems a bit odd. If it was for rest management, you'd think they'd sandbag even more.
I just sandbagged a 50 free in my Zone entries. It was for the sole purpose of getting a bit more rest before a back-to-back race. Sure, I'd rather swim with people closer to my actual time in an ideal world like I did at my last meet. But, a 50 is pretty much load and shoot. I think you should still be able to swim fast on your own.
Thanks, Fort. It is interesting to hear how people plan and strategize. I've been almost tempted to put down times faster than I actually go because I do better trying to keep up with people faster than myself. I haven't done it though out of the concern that I may be so off the time I put down and may have kept somebody faster than myself out of the heat.
I'm already planning for the Auburn meet. On Sunday, I have to swim a bunch of events, so I imagine I will be putting down a bunch of NTs. What is funny is that there may be events I am swimming in which I really do not have a masters time - such as 100 or 200 yards of the evil stroke.
I am curious why somebody who went a 26 in 50 free 2 months ago would put down a 30.0 or 29.5 for their time? Somebody explain the point. I get fired up to race my competitors who are near my time but when they put down a 29.5, I can't help but wonder if they don't like close races.
Do some people put down a much slower time because they only do well if they can win their heat? I guess if one is swimming a bunch of events and wants to take it easy or is tired from swimmin so many events it makes sense to put down a much slower time. If it is the first event and the person is not swimming any events right after that event, why put down such a slower time?
Sometimes I wish we could do prelims and finals in masters meets. I want to race head-to-head with some of those that are hiding out in different heats!
I don't understand that either.I can see entering a slow time to get more rest,but if that is not the reason why do it? Do they feel some undue pressure to make there seed times?
I'm already planning for the Auburn meet. On Sunday, I have to swim a bunch of events, so I imagine I will be putting down a bunch of NTs. What is funny is that there may be events I am swimming in which I really do not have a masters time - such as 100 or 200 yards of the evil stroke.
You don't have to put down NTs if you don't want to,go with your best guess.
Good Luck at the meet(it's only evil if you can't do it.)
Allen - Thanks for the encouragement. I'll need all the luck I can get!
Stillwater - You make a good point I never thought of in regards to calm water. I know that USAT will not allow a race to count towards your ranking points if you swim in the elite wave, the wave that always goes first in a big triathlon where money prizes are up for grabs. The rationale is that you have an undue advantage if you start in calm water.
If I really had the talent to set a freestyle record, I'd talk a recent Auburn grad into registering for masters, swimming in the lane next to me at a meet, and letting me draft. We could both put down untouchable times to guarantee that we would end up next to each other. Then, I would draft, draft, draft. Of course, the Auburn grad would have to remember to ride the lane rope the whole time. :angel:
