Hard core meet in Richmond next weekend!

I've got my first hardcore meet next weekend!  I'm going to a meet in Richmond that NOVA of Virginia Aquatics is hosting on Saturday and Sunday, my first two day meet since 2005.

Not just my first two day meet, it's also the first meet in which I swim some serious yardage.  Saturday afternoon I'm swimming the 200 IM, 200 back, and 400 IM.  Sunday morning I'm swimming the 50/100 fly, 50/100 back, and 100 IM.  I haven't swum any of the Saturday events as a Masters swimmer yet, so I'm rather nervous about them.

Here are the made up times I entered myself with for the Saturday events, since I've got no clue where I'm at for them:

• 200 IM: 2:20.00.  This should *hopefully* be an easy one to get.  My 100 IM last weekend was a 1:03.70, so unless I utterly die in this event, I hope to break that with time to spare.  Still, no guarantees!  The Nats cut is a 2:11.51, so I would LOVE it if I managed to get that in this swim, though I'm not holding my breath on that.
• 200 back: 2:22.00.  This one is up in the air.  I haven't swum the 100 back since the first, disastrous meet, when I went a 1:11 something.  I'm pretty confident that my 100 back time is closer to a 1:05 than a 1:11, so I *should* be able to go under a 2:22, hopefully.  Nats cut is a 2:11.39, but I think that's out of reach right now.
• 400 IM: 5:20.00.  I'm pretty worried about this one.  I've only done a 400 IM a handful of times in practice, but will be doing it a lot on my own this week in preparation.  Not worried about the fly or back legs, but the back half is a different proposition.  My old time from highschool was a 4:30 something, so I hope I gave myself enough cushion time.  I'll be pretty damn happy if I go faster than a 5:20!  Nats cut is a 4:51.49, but I've got no idea whatsoever if it's a feasible time for me to get at this point.

I'm much more comfortable with the Sunday swims, since I've done them all at least once.

• 50 fly: Haven't gotten the official time from last weekend yet, so I'm entered as a 28.16.  If I have a good swim, I'm fairly confident that I can hit around a 27 point, if not an upper 26.  Nats is a 26.78, so that's what I'm aiming for, although I won't be completely heartbroken if I don't get it this time.
• 100 fly: 1:09.09.  I've just got that converted time from the short course meters meet I swam at the beginning of December.  Been swimming a LOT of fly since then, so I should be able to smash that time unless I totally die or flub all the turns or something like that.  Nats is a 59.09.  I don't know if I can break a minute, but I'm sure going to try!
• 50 back: 30.89.  If I have a good swim, I hope to break a 30.  Nats is a 28.22, but I don't think I'll be able to hit that at this meet.  I'd love to get the cut with this swim, but ain't staking the meet on that happening.
• 100 back: 1:11.57.  I haven't swum this event since the first meet, so I should be able to smash this time.  As I mentioned in the 200 back above, I think my actual 100 back time is somewhere in the general vicinity of a 1:05, give or take two seconds.  Nats is a 1:01.53.  Unless my back is a LOT better than I think it is, I think that's out of reach this time around, but I'll still give it my best shot.
• 100 IM: 1:03.70.  Nats is a 1:00.77.  I'm very pumped about this swim, which should be the highlight of my meet!  I've been working on my back to breast flipturn this past week, and will continue to work on it this week.  I've also been working on my breast technique (by far my weakest leg of the race) with the coaches, so hopefully that'll help too.  If I have a good race and have someone to race against at the end, the cut should be in reach!

All total, I'm swimming 800 yards on Saturday and 400 on Sunday.  By far my most intensive meet yet, and also my most high stakes, since I've got two Nats cuts definitely within reach, and another one or two potentially within reach, depending on if I have standout swims.

Woohoo, turn the motivation this week up to 11!