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.
In at least one way this is a huge opportunity not to be missed! Since the 400 IM is the last event on your schedule for the day, it gives you the opportunity to swim the 400 IM without worrying that in doing so you are destroying any hope of swimming well in your other events. I'm looking forward to such an opportunity myself.
Another angle on the matter: You say that you seeded yourself as accurately as you could so it sounds like you really believe that you can swim your seed time or very close to it. You also say that you are seeded 11/25. This means that you are in the top half of the field. It's hard to imagine how that could be embarrasing, or that anyone would perceive you as holding up the meet.
In at least one way this is a huge opportunity not to be missed! Since the 400 IM is the last event on your schedule for the day, it gives you the opportunity to swim the 400 IM without worrying that in doing so you are destroying any hope of swimming well in your other events. I'm looking forward to such an opportunity myself.
Another angle on the matter: You say that you seeded yourself as accurately as you could so it sounds like you really believe that you can swim your seed time or very close to it. You also say that you are seeded 11/25. This means that you are in the top half of the field. It's hard to imagine how that could be embarrasing, or that anyone would perceive you as holding up the meet.
