I just started back swimming about six months ago and about two months ago signed up for USMS because there was a Masters swim meet at my pool and I thought it would be a fun goal to eventually compete.
I am seriously thinking about signing up for my first swim meet (Colonial Zone SCY Championships) in April but I am afraid that 1)I will finish dead last in every event I do - I have gotten A LOT faster but I don't I am at race speed yet and 2)The people from my swim club might be irritated that I didn't scored well enough in my races to earn them any club points. I also don't think I will be doing any relays because I think I will hurt the team's chances in placing well. I don't know anyone else in the local swim club (VMST) I signed up for.
Right now, I think I want to do the 50 free, 50 back, and 100 back. Should I really wait to do my first swim meet or should I just do this first one for the experience? I don't want people to snicker at my times.
Well, 2 months ago I went to my first meet (a couple of posts back), at that one I did 'deck starts' (no block starts), got DQ'ed in the 50 BR due to extra dolphin kicks, but otherwise it was a great experience (my masters coach went also & gave me LOTS of great advice :-). From that (since that) BR DQ I've been working on my BR whip kick.
Saturday Aug 6, went to my second meet (put on by the same club, at the same pool -- Lowry 50 meter outdoor in Denver); this time entered the 50 & 100 FR and 50 & 100 BR. Goals were to: better my times on the FR, to not DQ on the BR, and to do block starts.
Well, I accomplished all of those goals :) except I did DQ on the 100 BR -- I still have a problem with my kick where I'll touch my feet together after the kick, then sometimes will seperate them during the pull (I suppose) and my feet flutter -- that caused it. :confused:. But that's OK, something more to work on. On my 100 FR I took 8 seconds off the time from June -- I am extremely pleased with that (mostly because I didn't slow down on second 50 vs first 50 as much as last time). No problems with block starts either although I'd like to improve them too.
All in all, a very enjoyable experience :). I even talked to a few fellow swimmers too! Most meets in Colo are indoors so this was a treat. I'd like to keep refining my strokes, keep improving, & keep attending meets in order to test myself on how I'm doing & to be a part of the meet experiences -- different than practices for sure. Although I look at what the others results are, for me at least, I only care about what I do, how I can improve, what goals I need to be setting . . . that's what's great about Masters . . . :applaud: -- I may even try some BK events at indoor meets!
As I sometimes tell others -- I don't feel I'm doing too bad considering that I never swam competitively until 2 months ago, & I'm 50 (but so happy when most people take me for 40 or even younger :) -- fountain of youth, perhaps?).
Well, 2 months ago I went to my first meet (a couple of posts back), at that one I did 'deck starts' (no block starts), got DQ'ed in the 50 BR due to extra dolphin kicks, but otherwise it was a great experience (my masters coach went also & gave me LOTS of great advice :-). From that (since that) BR DQ I've been working on my BR whip kick.
Saturday Aug 6, went to my second meet (put on by the same club, at the same pool -- Lowry 50 meter outdoor in Denver); this time entered the 50 & 100 FR and 50 & 100 BR. Goals were to: better my times on the FR, to not DQ on the BR, and to do block starts.
Well, I accomplished all of those goals :) except I did DQ on the 100 BR -- I still have a problem with my kick where I'll touch my feet together after the kick, then sometimes will seperate them during the pull (I suppose) and my feet flutter -- that caused it. :confused:. But that's OK, something more to work on. On my 100 FR I took 8 seconds off the time from June -- I am extremely pleased with that (mostly because I didn't slow down on second 50 vs first 50 as much as last time). No problems with block starts either although I'd like to improve them too.
All in all, a very enjoyable experience :). I even talked to a few fellow swimmers too! Most meets in Colo are indoors so this was a treat. I'd like to keep refining my strokes, keep improving, & keep attending meets in order to test myself on how I'm doing & to be a part of the meet experiences -- different than practices for sure. Although I look at what the others results are, for me at least, I only care about what I do, how I can improve, what goals I need to be setting . . . that's what's great about Masters . . . :applaud: -- I may even try some BK events at indoor meets!
As I sometimes tell others -- I don't feel I'm doing too bad considering that I never swam competitively until 2 months ago, & I'm 50 (but so happy when most people take me for 40 or even younger :) -- fountain of youth, perhaps?).
