... if you are not going to beat anybody?
I pretty much want to go. I am close to NQTs in a few events (I know I can swim some events even if I don't make time). But looking at past results, swimming the QT typically puts you in the lower 1/4. Looking at the schedule, I'd end up swimming the slow heats of one event, 2 if I make time, a day.
Is the overall experience worth the cost of the trip?
(I did lurk in all last year's Nationals threads, but I'd like to hear it all again. :) )
If you swim some less-popular events, then you can't really predict where you will place. 200 back, 200 ***, 200 fly, the distance free events, and to a lesser extent the 400 IM are the least predictable. Particularly the distance free, since you can usually only swim one of them. If you enter the 1000 and all the distance studs in your age group happen to enter the 1650, you could find yourself in possession of a national champion patch.
If you swim some less-popular events, then you can't really predict where you will place. 200 back, 200 ***, 200 fly, the distance free events, and to a lesser extent the 400 IM are the least predictable. Particularly the distance free, since you can usually only swim one of them. If you enter the 1000 and all the distance studs in your age group happen to enter the 1650, you could find yourself in possession of a national champion patch.
