On Becoming An Athlete at 52, swimming in my first USA Swimming meet

Here I am, about to jump into one of swimming’s most famous pools, the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis.  I have been here at swim meets eight times previously, but never as a swimmer, always as a coach.  This time I am here as a coach, but I could not resist the opportunity to swim in one of the world’s fastest pools. 

During warm-ups with my age group team I plunge in feet first into a lane full of churning bodies, all of whom are much younger and faster than myself.  As I go down the lane I periodically get a mouthful of water when I turn to get a breath .  At the wall, I remind one of my swimmers, “ Keep going, don’t stop at the wall.”  I now know why it is so hard to do a flip in a lane full of others.  I can’t even see where the wall is with all those wriggling bodies in front of me. 

Even with all those traffic problems, I am loving it.  The pool is cold, the pool is deep, the pool is great.  I am swimming and I feel like, wow, this is what it is like swimming here in a pool where world records have been made, where some of the world’s fastest swimmers have raced.  I am here too.  No, not a fast swimmer, but a new developing swimmer who is loving it.

Then the most difficult part of the entire warm-up, getting out of the pool.  I cannot haul my 52 year old still overweight body out.  Who could believe that the most challenging part of this experience would be leaving it?  I finally get my knee hooked up on the edge of the gutter and then one foot.  I have to stretch my tight 5’ 4’’ body up on the deck and roll on to it totally prone.  It is not graceful.  In fact, it is awkward.  But I did it. 

Tomorrow I will race in this pool.  I will swim the 200 free and the 50 free.  The 200 is a race I have done once before and I am now swimming it faster in practice than I did in my first meet.  I really hope to swim it even faster in this pool than I have ever before.  I will then swim the 50 free, swimming’s fastest race.  The fastest I have done it is a 48 in practice, I have never raced it in a meet.  I love the idea of going all out as fast as I can.  I would consider it to be spectacular to be able to break 40 seconds.  I am not at all sure I can do that, but I sure am willing to try. 

This is me becoming an athlete, working to keep improving, to push my body and my mind to places where they have not been before.  I want this so much, I want to not just be congratulated because some one my age is doing it, but because I am good at it.  I am not really good at it,… yet.  I am a work in process.  I am becoming.  So maybe next year I will be fast.  I will be able to get out of pool with grace and strength.  I will not only be an athlete, but a good athlete. 

On Becoming An Athlete at 52, swimming in my first USA Swimming meet, Day 2

Today is the day.  I am swimming in my first USA swimming meet, the 3^rd meet I have done in my new career as an athlete.  I feel pretty good during warm-ups and I am getting a handle on how to flip with all the bodies in front of me.  I even start analyzing the strokes of my age group swimmers as I see the underwater portion of their stroke, up close and personal. 

 

A man waiting to be a timer offers this advice after seeing me struggle to get up on deck. He says, “There are ladders built into the side of the pool, the handles are removed, but maybe the steps will help.”  It does help, but I still can’t do it alone. 

 

As I prepare to do some practice starts, I stand on the custom made blocks at the north end of the pool in lane 4 where I have seen Jenny Thompson start the 50 free.  I grasp the bars on the side that are built into the block.  There is enough room on this block to put my back foot pretty far back.  It feels comfortable.  First start, I get water in my goggles and I am too deep.  Second start, I smack my thighs on the water, but goggles are clear and start is not too deep.

 

I still feel tight, but I have a small window of about 3 minutes to get a little more swimming in before my first race.  After I swim a 100 in the warm up pool, I go to my lane for the race.  I am swimming in the same heat with 2 of my swimmers.  I know they will finish way before me.  That is not important.  I hope to break 4 minutes.  I dive in and feel pretty good, although I am deep and come up about halfway down the pool.  I feel high in the water and I feel strong.  Wham, on the 2^nd 50, I feel like lead and I have 150 yards to go.  I think about keeping my stroke rate up and remind myself to finish my stroke and kick.  Flip turns feel like a holding-my-breath contest.  At the end, I try and sprint as much as I can, I really want to break that 4 minute mark.  I look at the scoreboard-4:03.  I will have to break 4 minutes the next time.  I hear my swimmer’s parents applauding and cheering.  I swim over to the ladder and the meet ref asks me to wait for the start of the next heat.  They start and she leans over, “ Good swim.” 

 

I get out and watch the rest of the next heat since some of my swimmers are in it. 

 

I really want to warm down, everything is tight again.  I can get in only 200 before I need to get out and coach again.

 

The 50 free will be right after the 200 back and I will not have time to warm up again.

 

In the 50 free I am swimming again with 2 of my swimmers.  When we step up to the blocks, we look at each other and give each other a thumbs up and grin.  The girls say, “  Good luck, Kay Lynne.”  I say, “ Have fun.” 

 

I dive in and kick really hard underwater.  I come up and start moving my arms as fast as I can.  Wow, this is fun.  I feel incredible.    I can’t believe how fast I feel and I look up a little and I see the wall.  That came up much faster than I expected.  The turn is a little close but not bad.  I keep sprinting and about 7 yards from the end, it becomes difficult.  I say to myself, “ Keep going, move it!” And then my trainers voice pops into my head, “it’s the end of the 400.”  Of course it is not, but that is what he always says when I am pushing my body to move when it starts to get hard.   I breathe once in the last 5 yards.  I hit the wall hard and turn to look for the time.  I hear whooping and hollering from the stands.  I wanted to get a 43 and I get a 44.  But I am happy; in fact, I want to swim this race again.  That is the most concentrated dose of pure exhilaration I have had in a long time. 

 

In the locker room, an official who is there with her daughter asks me if I swam with the children.  I say yes, I swam 2 races.  She is surprised and asks how long I have been swimming and I reply since this summer.  She tells me my arms are buff.  I have never been told that I am buff before. 

 

When I get on the bus, the parents applaud.  This is nice. 

  

So You’re Going To A Swim Meet

Going to swim meets is about having fun, learning where a swimmer is at a particular point in time and learning how to compete well.

In addition to all of that, there is learning to prepare. Part of that is getting to the meet on time. Warm-ups are extremely important. For young and inexperienced swimmers, it is a way to become familiar with the environment and to get relaxed. For all swimmers, it is also a way to prepare your body to race. The first 1000 yards are always the hardest. Everything does not work well until at least 700-800 yards have been swum. Here is a link to an article by Saluki coach, Bill Price, about warm-ups with a link to an additional article that is important to read. http://www.swimsaluki.com/library/articles/231007.htm

Please arrive at least 20 minutes before the warm-ups begin so as to find your place. Swimmers need to be at the end of the assigned lane 5 minutes before warm-ups begin ready to get in as soon as it is allowed. Please realize that some of your swimmers take between 5-10 minutes to put on their caps and goggles on the pool deck.

Here is a list of what a swimmer should or could bring

Competition suit

2^nd suit for just in case

2 caps, caps break, so be prepared 

2 goggles, goggles break, so be prepared

Towels, remember you will be drying off after each event and after warm-ups

Clothing to wear over suit while waiting to compete Many times it is not warm where swimmers wait. Athletes need to keep their muscles warm to be able to avoid injury and to be able to swim as well as possible. Possible choices, T-shirts; jackets; pants that pull on; hats; deck shoes. I like polar fleece. It does not soak up water and get heavy.

Water bottle It is important to stay hydrated. When there is not enough fluid in the body, it is more likely for injury to occur.  Muscles are 70% water.  Headaches and cramps also occur when an athlete does not drink enough. If a swimmer likes sports drinks, I like the sports drinks to be diluted in half. That is what Gatorade Rain is, regular Gatorade diluted by half.

Food Swimmers need to eat during a meet. Racing takes a lot of energy. Possible choices-bananas, any kind of fruit;  sport bars, I like Clif Bars; bagels. You want to bring food that is easily digestible and low in fat. This is the time to not have a complex carbohydrate because it takes too long to digest. This is the time for so called “white” foods. Please, no candy. Although, there is a tradition of eating peanut butter and chocolate chip sandwiches at meets on our team.

NO SODA. The carbonation is really detrimental. There is evidence that it softens tooth enamel, inhibits the body’s ability to absorb calcium and oxygen. In fact, any athlete should only drink soda as a treat, 2 or 3 times a year.

 Something to do  Swimmers need to rest and be quiet between events. Cards, games, books are all good. No balls. No running around. No wrestling

 

Something to sit on. Chairs are good, as are sleeping bags.

 

Sharpie markers to write events, heat and lane on arm 

Things to expect at a meet.

Bullpen Some meets have what is called a bullpen to line swimmers up at a meet and get them on deck. This is usually done with the younger swimmers. Swimmers can get heat and lane information from their coach or their parent, if their parent purchases a heat sheet. Heat sheets are also usually posted on deck.

Concession stand The host at meet usually runs a concession stand, some choices there are good, some are terrible.

Vendors Many times there are vendors at meets and you can purchase swimming supplies.

Things a parent may want to bring

Chair Sitting on a backless bleacher can be no fun. If you stay in the bullpen area, sitting on the floor can be even more not fun.

Something to do I have seen parents who have done entire needlework projects in the stands. Books are good.

Highlighter markers If you buy a heat sheet, it is a good way to mark where your swimmer is in the pages.

A good attitude Remember this is a learning experience for your young athlete. There may be DQ’s, disqualifications. This is a normal part of the process. Everyone DQ’s. Please be sure that the rules of swimming have been addressed at practice. That does not mean your swimmer will always remember what was said in practice. That is what children do.They are also learning how to be at a meet, how it works, and how to race. You get to be supportive and enthusiastic. The coach will address any corrections that need to be addressed at the meet. In fact, for coaches, an ideal conversation between a parent and an athlete would go something like this, ” I really liked watching you race, Suzy. Was it fun for you?”

” What did your coach tell you after your event?”

” That sounds like what you should do.”

This is all part of a process. If your child does well, she will learn from that. If your child does not do well, she will learn even more from that. Please remember, your coach will not put your child in an event she is not capable of doing. Don’t let your fear stop your child from doing something. Your child may be far more capable than either you or your child realize.