Comments on: Some Thoughts on Masters Swim Programs http://triathlontrainingseries.com/2008/04/21/some-thoughts-on-masters-swim-programs/ Trusted Coaches. Decades of Experience. Thousands of Success Stories. Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:53:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: chris http://triathlontrainingseries.com/2008/04/21/some-thoughts-on-masters-swim-programs/comment-page-1/#comment-81 chris Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:44:37 +0000 http://triathlontrainingseries.com/?p=34#comment-81 i joined a coaching session for the first time last week, and have now been twice. I swim reasonably well, but i'm unfit & overweight at the moment. I'm training for pool based Sprint Triathlons. usually, i would pitch up alone at a pool, swim maybe 1000m, feel pretty good and go home. now, it is 2,200 in the hour, covering more distance than i ever have in my life, interesting exercises that i would never attempt / consider on my own, and encourage me to push myself when i would have been complacent. Am i a "good swimmer"? i'm not sure, but it is helping big time! The coach knows who is doing tris, who's doing water polo, etc. i joined a coaching session for the first time last week, and have now been twice.

I swim reasonably well, but i’m unfit & overweight at the moment. I’m training for pool based Sprint Triathlons.

usually, i would pitch up alone at a pool, swim maybe 1000m, feel pretty good and go home.

now, it is 2,200 in the hour, covering more distance than i ever have in my life, interesting exercises that i would never attempt / consider on my own, and encourage me to push myself when i would have been complacent.

Am i a “good swimmer”? i’m not sure, but it is helping big time!
The coach knows who is doing tris, who’s doing water polo, etc.

]]> By: tony http://triathlontrainingseries.com/2008/04/21/some-thoughts-on-masters-swim-programs/comment-page-1/#comment-38 tony Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:07:41 +0000 http://triathlontrainingseries.com/?p=34#comment-38 I have been swimming for one year and I am 61. I swim 3-4 times a week . I alternate simming free sylte and breast strokes and throw in kickin with a swim board for 10 to 12 laps. I can swim 1 mile doing freestle under 40 mintues, Do you think I could become a master swimmer? thanks I have been swimming for one year and I am 61. I swim 3-4 times a week . I alternate simming free sylte and breast strokes and throw in kickin with a swim board for 10 to 12 laps. I can swim 1 mile doing freestle under 40 mintues, Do you think I could become a master swimmer?

thanks

]]> By: Coach Ian http://triathlontrainingseries.com/2008/04/21/some-thoughts-on-masters-swim-programs/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Coach Ian Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:30:53 +0000 http://triathlontrainingseries.com/?p=34#comment-20 Steve, You make excellent points about encouraging newbies to demand decent masters programs. I worry that the lack of knowledge and experience leaves them so intimidated that demanding anything is not their first thought. I hope that by speaking to differing masters programs newbies will know enough to approach a coach and say "does it have to be this way?". Your wife's improvement is atypical I fear. I've coached masters programs and swam in dozens of them and there are folks just slogging away the yardage with no intention other than keeping on the time standard. In a sport that requires technique improvement that's no way to proceed. Just so I'm not misunderstood - I loves me some masters! In fact I NEED a masters program for my own personal swimming as it pushes me to swim the yardage I normally wouldn't or can't. For a poor swimmer or really any swimmer who wants to steepen the learning curve I'm emphatic about lessons. Swimmers can take info from a lesson into a horrible masters program and still improve because they have direction/focus/purpose from the instructor ringing in their head while they are swimming and that's golden!!!! Ian Steve,
You make excellent points about encouraging newbies to demand decent masters programs. I worry that the lack of knowledge and experience leaves them so intimidated that demanding anything is not their first thought. I hope that by speaking to differing masters programs newbies will know enough to approach a coach and say “does it have to be this way?”.

Your wife’s improvement is atypical I fear. I’ve coached masters programs and swam in dozens of them and there are folks just slogging away the yardage with no intention other than keeping on the time standard. In a sport that requires technique improvement that’s no way to proceed.

Just so I’m not misunderstood – I loves me some masters! In fact I NEED a masters program for my own personal swimming as it pushes me to swim the yardage I normally wouldn’t or can’t. For a poor swimmer or really any swimmer who wants to steepen the learning curve I’m emphatic about lessons. Swimmers can take info from a lesson into a horrible masters program and still improve because they have direction/focus/purpose from the instructor ringing in their head while they are swimming and that’s golden!!!!

Ian

]]> By: Steve http://triathlontrainingseries.com/2008/04/21/some-thoughts-on-masters-swim-programs/comment-page-1/#comment-19 Steve Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:48:00 +0000 http://triathlontrainingseries.com/?p=34#comment-19 I disagree, somewhat. When you use the term "good swimmer", that's pretty broad, to say the least. My wife started her triathlon career as a relatively mediocre "survival swimmer" in a surfing wetsuit. The Masters program that we attend improved her 1.5K swim time by over 9 minutes! Although you later state that triathletes should be more discerning in their choice of Masters Programs, I'm concerned that the already intimidated newbie triathlete will swear off ever joining any Master swim group and will be doomed to endless laps in the pool on their own. Few swimmers of any skill level ever improve on their own. Rather than sentence triathletes to life of dull lap swimming, encourage these newcomers to our sport to *demand* a welcoming and instructive Masters swim group from their health club, community pool or local college. I disagree, somewhat. When you use the term “good swimmer”, that’s pretty broad, to say the least. My wife started her triathlon career as a relatively mediocre “survival swimmer” in a surfing wetsuit. The Masters program that we attend improved her 1.5K swim time by over 9 minutes!

Although you later state that triathletes should be more discerning in their choice of Masters Programs, I’m concerned that the already intimidated newbie triathlete will swear off ever joining any Master swim group and will be doomed to endless laps in the pool on their own. Few swimmers of any skill level ever improve on their own.

Rather than sentence triathletes to life of dull lap swimming, encourage these newcomers to our sport to *demand* a welcoming and instructive Masters swim group from their health club, community pool or local college.

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