How many of you have gone to a meet, without a lot of proper prep for the meet? Maybe it was a lack of training time, less than focused training for any meet, maybe you have been swimming a lot but no real speed or race specific training during your practice?
What were your expectations going in? Did you worry too much about times or just go to do some racing and swim the best that you can?
I am thinking of FINALLY doing some meets. Found a low key one in a few weeks. I swim 4500-5000 about 5-6x a week. The practices are mix of aerobic swims, a lot of drill work to fix some flaws on my free/back and high intensity kick sets. Not done a lot/any speed work in months but I figure if I don't suck it up soon and just start racing, it may not happen for a long time to come.
Any feedback would be great.
:blah:I swim 4500-5000 about 5-6x a week. The practices are mix of aerobic swims, a lot of drill work to fix some flaws on my free/back and high intensity kick sets. Not done a lot/any speed work in months:blah:...
Knock it off. You're ready.
Get your butt to a meet (and compete). You're going to be surprised.
Knock it off. You're ready.
Get your butt to a meet (and compete). You're going to be surprised.
+1. I trained about 2 months, swimming maybe 3,000m 2-3 days per week, before my first meet back in ought-six after a little 27 year post-high school swimming hiatus. Went fine.
Our pool closes every fall for cleaning, generally for 2 weeks but one time it was for a month. One of my favorite meets falls at the end of that period every year. It has always gone just fine, except maybe the year I drank a little too much wine with friends a little too late the night before and showed up feeling a little too rugged. I don't recommend that.
I rarely feel really "ready" for a meet.
The only meets I regret are the ones I've skipped.
LOL...I think this one is the one that pushed me over the edge. Alright, thanks ya'll. Guess my biggest fear is been embarrassing myself racing...but what the hell...go have fun and I might be surprised by how much fun i have and how i do.
Thanks!
You can't embarrass yourself by racing. It's a chance to see where you are in training and try to swim fast. My first meet back was a pentathalon which meant I got to swim strokes that are not my best and didn't have much time to think about the times I was doing - so it was *perfect*. You will have a fun time - we have gone to meets out of our area and always meet fun and friendly folks. You will be happy you did.
--mj
I can't tell if you are referring to a specific meet or meets in general. I will say that I disagree if you are speaking in general. Most people I see at meets, regardless of ability, are there to race and take it seriously. You don't have to walk around muttering to yourself to be in a serious racing mood - maybe we are saying the same thing.
I think we are saying the same thing. At any meet, you are going to see very few people walking around with their headphones on, tunnel vision look in their eye, only concerned with their race.
You will actually see lots of people congratulating people who they just raced, but don't know, friendly conversations in passing and, in general, a relaxed group of people.
Serious might have been the wrong word. People are not outwardly anal retentive about their race.
Serious might have been the wrong word. People are not outwardly anal retentive about their race.
I have been to a few meets in the past where they are definitly this way. This scene seems to be more around age group meets. There have been some behaviours where I wanted to yank my swimmers by their necks after their attitudes...but the law forbide it.
I am so happy that someone started this thread because this is exactly what I am deciding to do now.
I am recovering after surgery--and trying to get back into shape (not as slowly as my doctor would like though, what does she know about me :shakeshead:)
My whole thing that has kept me out of meets and probably swimming in general the past 8 years has been the fear of trying to swim and having to cope with not being as fast as I was in high school and college. I realize that my body is a lot different now, that my life is a lot different now, but I am still having a difficult time getting off my butt and just doing a meet.
What sort of things did you all go through when deciding to go back? I will do it, I know I will, I am just scared.
Someone already sort of said this, but less than ideal prep - is masters swimming. My expectations were to swim as fast as when I was a kid. I entered the 200 fly after a 12 year lay off. Let's just say it was :afraid::afraid::cane::cane: Felt lucky to finish the race.
John, back in 1982 I got some advice from Richard Thornton from Cal when I saw him at a meet in Northern California that I stopped by to say hi to some friends at...I had recently started training again after 6 months off and he gave me a lot of grief for not swimming (I was thinking I needed to be in shape) and said "the best way to get into race shape is to race"...and it has stuck with me ever since.
I'll be racing on sunday, 100br and 400 IM in the morning and 50 of each stroke in the afternoon.
originally i was hoping to go from 5:19 to under 5:10 in the IM, but my entire family got the FLU so for the last 15 days I have only praticed once. so i have changed my expectations from best times to just making the day a fun day to race, and test different things.
my main meet of the spring is at the end of March, so I have 6 weeks to get back what I lost these past two weeks.
Most people at the meet, at least outwardly, are not taking the racing very seriously and are there to have fun.
I can't tell if you are referring to a specific meet or meets in general. I will say that I disagree if you are speaking in general. Most people I see at meets, regardless of ability, are there to race and take it seriously. You don't have to walk around muttering to yourself to be in a serious racing mood - maybe we are saying the same thing.
As to Wookie's question, while I am usually in good shape many meets I will train through to get race experience.
