SCY Nationals- Thoughts before the meet

Next week I am going to my first ever USMS Swimming Nationals in Austin, TX. Since my fabulous meet last December at Rutgers University, I have been training hard and with more confidence. There has rarely been a workout in the last 6 months where I have not given 110%. I'm tapering now and feeling very well rested and physically strong in the water. Below are my thoughts on my races. Though my training has been going very well, I am feeling less confident in my ability to accurately predict how I will compete in my events than I did in December. I was pretty accurate with the Rutgers meet, but just don't know what to expect next week. Except for my 500 free, all of my entry times are my masters best times mostly from last April. Here are my best thoughts...

Thursday, May 1, 2008

1650 free- Entry time: 19:22.07- I haven't exactly been training for the 1650 this year, but that doesn't mean I can't swim the event well. Last year at zones I went 19:22, but I went out a little too fast. I managed to hold myself together, but it was painful. My strategy this year is to swim the first 500 at a comfortable cruise pace and then pick it up from there. I want my 500 splits to be closer together than last year. Last year I was 5:42, 5:55, 6:00 with 1:44 for the last 150. The 2-3 500 difference is ok, but I clearly went out too fast. I'm thinking 5:40, 5:45, 5:50 with 1:41 for the last 150 would give me 18:56 which would be incredible! I will be happy with the 19:22 that I went last year, as long as I swim a smart race, but a stretch goal of breaking 19 minutes isn't out of reach. I'm seeded 4th overall so will be in the fast heat of women.

Friday, May 2, 2008

200 back- Entry time: 2:19.32- I've swum 2 really good 200 backs this year. One at Albatross (2:39.94 which converts to roughly 2:23 in yards) and at the NAVY meet where I went 2:22.93. I know I can go faster then 2:19 but how much faster is a good question. If I can go out in the same 1:07.4 that I did last year at zones and actually hold myself together then I think I can go 2:15-2:16. I don't think that's unrealistic.

Saturday, May 3, 2008

500 free- Entry time: 5:40.94. This is actually not my current masters best time. At the Navy meet in March I surprised myself with a 5:39 completely unrested. I swam a really dumb race though by going out too fast (which is a theme with me). I also went a 5:51 in practice a few weeks ago so I may have way too much confidence going into this event. With a smart race, I know I can go under 5:35. My stretch goal is to break 5:30. I'm not completely sure I'm ready to do that, but I don't think it's out of the question at this point.

100 back- Entry time: 1:05.03. This is a hard event to predict right now. I haven't had a good 100 back since Rutgers. I've been in the 1:07-1:08 range for the last few months. I know I can swim this event well, and for a while I wondered if I had lost some sprinting ability when I broke my foot, but I think I will be fine. I want to go under 1:05. I'm usually within .3-.9 between my first 50 and second 50. Not the most scientific process, but if you take my slowest 50 back this year and then add .3-.9 I will end up with 1:03.8-1:04.40.

200 free- Entry time: 2:07.01. Like the 100 back, I really haven't had a good 200 free since Rutgers. I can swim 2:07, I just haven't since April 2006 unless you convert my Rutgers time which was about a 2:06. I can do that next week, it's just going to require me to pick up the pace in the middle and have good turns. My goal for this event is 2:06 or under.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

50 back- Entry time: 30.28. Tami's FXCM team record is 30.24. I know I can do that! I have been feeling really good on my 50s in practice this week and am confident that I can go under 30.24. I want to break 30 and am fairly confident that I can. It's my only event on Sunday and my last event so hopefully I will go into the race with confidence from a lot of fast swimming on the previous days.

I hope that I am being conservative with my goals and hope to swim times that are under all of my stretch goals. After all, I am the same person who finished 45 minutes under her stretch goal at Ironman Lake Placid to the surprise of everyone, even Coach Vince! That just goes to show that as athletes, sometimes we don't even know what our own bodies are capable of. I am hoping that this is true right now.

Next week will be fun. Hopefully there will be a lot of fast swimming and great times hanging out with new and old friends!