I'm not a new masters swimmer nor am I new to meets, but am new to the 400 IM. Truthfully, I'm a little concerned about my ability to make it through the event legally (well, I'm really mainly afraid of the 4th 25). I'm scheduled to swim the 400 IM at a meet this weekend (Saturday). There are twenty people entered, it's a 10 lane pool, and as luck would have it I'm seeded 11th. If only one person above me scratches, I'll be in a heat where the fastest person is seeded 1:40 faster than I am, and the slowest person (besides me) is still seeded 40 seconds faster than I am. My seed time is MUCH closer to the people seeded right behind me, and I think I seeded myself as accurately as I could.
So... I am extremely anxious about swimming in this heat, as I was already anxious about swimming the 400 IM. Do I scratch to save myself the humiliation and to save some energy for Sunday's events? Or do I get lapped at least twice by the leaders, once by the next slowest person, and tick everyone off for holding up the meet? I'm already swimming the 1000 earlier in the session, and the 400 IM will be my 4th event of the day. I really have mixed feelings about this.
Parents
Former Member
Hmmmmmm
I'm the sort of person that thinks if I'm there and entered, I may as well swim the event. If it is the last event you're swimming that day I'd be tempted to swim it, just to see how you do. No expectations as you've already swum a number of events. If it is a truly awful experience, well you don't have to ever swim it again. If you finish legally and in good shape you have a benchmark time and a feel for it.
If 2 people faster than you scratch, then you won't be seeded slowest in the fast heat either. Maybe you can treat it as a "fun" "extra" - kinda hard to think of the 400IM as fun, but hopefully you know what I mean?
Are you able to pull out of it later in the day depending on how you feel, or would you be DQed from Sunday's events?
Hmmmmmm
I'm the sort of person that thinks if I'm there and entered, I may as well swim the event. If it is the last event you're swimming that day I'd be tempted to swim it, just to see how you do. No expectations as you've already swum a number of events. If it is a truly awful experience, well you don't have to ever swim it again. If you finish legally and in good shape you have a benchmark time and a feel for it.
If 2 people faster than you scratch, then you won't be seeded slowest in the fast heat either. Maybe you can treat it as a "fun" "extra" - kinda hard to think of the 400IM as fun, but hopefully you know what I mean?
Are you able to pull out of it later in the day depending on how you feel, or would you be DQed from Sunday's events?
