North West a Regional Age Group Championships 2014 - Day 1

DAY 1 - Saturday 31st May 2014

 

(Above, P79 finalists on day 1 - Natasha/Alice/Ellie/Meghann/Me and Matt)

Well, what a start to this year's North West Regional Age Group Swimming Championships?! My first morning was a very busy one, swimming in 3 events, then should I qualify for the finals, they would be swum in the afternoon's session.  My first event of the competition was the 400m Individual Medley, followed by the 200m Freestyle and finally the 100m Backstroke.

Originally, the plan was for me to swim the 200m Freestyle at the City Of Manchester Open Meet in May, in an attempt to achieve my NQT of 2.11.36, however, due to having experienced a niggle during training in my right shoulder the week leading up to the competition, it was decided by my Head Coach and myself to withdraw from the whole event in order to prevent any further injury from occurring.  Had I achieved the NQT at this competition, the plan was to then withdraw from the 200m Freestyle at the NW Regional Age Group Champs. This then left me with no option but to swim the three events on the first morning.

Aiming to make a final in the 400m IM in a very comfortable time of 5.20.00, I was shocked to look up at the scoreboard and see my time at the end of the race was 5.08.80! I couldn't believe that I had swam just 0.68secs slower than my PB, what amazed me more was the fact I had felt very comfortable during the race, with plenty left AG the end.  I had qualified 3rd fastest for the final!

My next event was the 200m Freestyle, although it's not one of my favourite strokes, I have been working hard on my technique and I was hoping to achieve the NQT in my heat which would then allow me to choose at the end of the session, which finals to swim in. Finishing in a slightly disappointing 2.14.88, 1.53secs slower than my PB and qualifying 6th fastest for the final, I knew I would need to swim this again for one last chance!

Next up was the 100m Backstroke, again, I surprised myself in the heat by swimming just 0.30 secs slower than my PB in a time of 1.07.44, qualifying 2nd fastest for the finalist the process, just 0.72 secs behind Holly Hibbott from Southport.  Decision time was upon us.......

After a long conversation with Mike, my head coach, it was decided that due to me already having my 400m IM NQT under my belt, that I would withdraw from this final, in order to concentrate on the 200m Freestyle and 100m Backstroke finals.

The gamble almost paid off - I finished 5th in the final of the 200m Freestyle in a new PB time of 2.11.85, knocking 1.5 secs off my previous time, but just missing the NQT by 0.49 seconds.... I was absolutely gutted!!

Anyway, not being in a position where I could dwell on what could've been, I had to do my swim down and prepare myself again for the next final, the 100m Backstroke.  Qualifying 2nd fastest, put me in lane 5 between Holly Hibbott and Charlotte Marshall from City of Salford, both great backstrokers! At the 50m point, I turned in 3rd place, however, after some great underwater work at the turn and the strength in my last 50m, I inched up into 2nd position, winning my first medal of the competition in a new PB of 1.07.02!  I was very pleased with my swims today, unfortunately my gamble didn't quite pay off, but I'll go away and work even harder on my freestyle and hope that next year I will be in a position to achieve the time I need.

Tomorrow I am swimming the 100m Butterfly and 200m Breaststroke...........