The Masters Swimming Thread!

Regale us with your tales of derring-do from Masters classes (or, heck, just tell us about your latest lap session!)!

Had my first Masters class yesterday. Last year was my first season, and I entered into the class 1/2 way through so I missed the warm-fuzzy start and just got tossed into the deep end. Hah.

Yesterday it was odd because there was some new people and it felt weird to be considered the experienced one, even though there are alot of people that are faster than me, I guess now I'm officially the fastest in the slow lane? :rolleyes:

Except for this one guy who was in class for the first time, and he was really good. He had me struggling to keep up when we were doing our 75 intervals. It was nice to be pushed. Last season I found a guy who swam just a tad faster than me, and he was my favorite lane partner. This guy will probably move up lanes pretty quickly, but I was feeling okay. And The Boy survived and did pretty dang well, despite his nerves about drowning!

My foot did start to hurt again during the kick. Does anyone have any experience with wrapping a foot during a swim workout? It never hurts any other time, even in running, but when I kick it just aggravates the heck out of the tendons in the floppy part of the ankle, and normally I love kicking and am a very strong kicker so this is upsetting.

Oh, and this was fun, The Boy and I decided it was useless to fire up the car for the 1 mile drive over to class, and just as useless to get on the bike (especially considering it would be dark on the ride home). So we implemented our new form of commuting, and ran over there and then ran home, which was actually quite a nice bookend for the workout!

Yay swim season!

K.

Great thread Kimmyt!

I did my third class yesterday... OH MY GOD WHAT HAVE I SIGNED UP FOR!!! I'm aching all over this morning!

:eek:

I've never learnt how to swim breast stroke. Or should I say people have tried to teach me but I've failed misserably! So we were doing medleys yesterday and while I kept pace with everyone on butterfly and backstroke, I became a floundering piggy on the breaststroke... No power, no rythum, no co-ordination what's so ever. Dog paddle would have looked more dignified...

My coach is good though. And my class is small and I'm the "new girl" so they're all nice and understanding. ^_^

Went to masters lastnight. I got Tony in the water. He's suppose to be doing IMAZ next year, so he needs masters in a bad way. He LOVED it!!
Claudio the instructor is just the BEST! He is one of those people who just makes everyone around them feel better about themselves. He's a super fast triathlete- 10th at IMAZ last year- yet he doesn't look down his nose at anyone. He's just so dang excited about his sport, and so positive.
He's working with a girl named Jen who is pregnant with twin girls. She's due in Jan but looks like she could go anytime. She is so helpful with correcting your stroke.
Yeah I'm the slowest girl in the pool. My 100 time has come down three seconds in a week! :p At a whopping 2:22.. YEE HAW! But Claudio swears there is hope for me...
I will say though that the drills are hard, the sets are hard, the kicking sets stink, but it's also a bucket o fun! I have always been so inimidated by masters, but it really isn't THAT scary. I'm bummed that I didn't find claudio sooner. I could have had a killer swim last April dang it! :cool:

I swim twice a week with a tri group & love it. Carol(coach) is a cool gal/woman/chick/kahuna..

I might be a bit slow but I try and push myself as much as I can. I try and draft off people if i can.

I'm known to be the strong kid when it comes to kickboard drills :o I hate pull buoys..:mad:

One thing that's made a diff is my new prescription goggles :) I can see :)

I bewieve we do about 1.5km total when we swim. I'd like to do an open water swim event this summer and am using the sessions to build confidence.

I'd like to do some open water swimming practice but the water's a bit cold :eek: at the moment..that and all the storms have washed ashore some lovely looking jellyfish :eek: that i'd rather not encounter at the moment..

C

Yo,
I did about 2500 last night. A timed 500, some short sprint intervals and some 100 repeats.

The good news is that the DH started sswimming with me in the pool in May and he is doing great. Two weeks ago he was able to swim all of my intervals on the short distance sets. He is doing so well. It is fun to experience it with him.


We are both worried about the cold water in Tahoe in two weeks, but whatcha gonna do!

I'm paranoid about going to masters, thinking I'm just not good enough yet. I felt this same way about going to open lap swims so I know it's something I just need to get past. Perhaps I can psych myself up for the winter session.

Since my swimming emphasis is on swimming for triathlon what is the value in practicing strokes other than freestyle?

BTW, should we ask TE for a separate swimming forum?

I guess everyone's season has started! :)

MD, every Masters class is different, so I think you'll have to at least try one session with yours (often the coaches will let you take part in one session to see if you like it or not) to see if you'll like it. For example, RM said her coach is a triathlete, so I imagine her class might have a bit different of a focus from mine, which is taught by an ex-competitive swimmer, and as far as I know he doesn't do tris. In fact, the majority of people in my class are competitive swimmers, taking part in USMS swim meets. There is a growing number of triathlon swimmers in our club, but our season (40 weeks) is broken up into different focus sessions. For the first month we focus on drills and technique. Then we'll start to focus on swim meet stuff, which doesn't really help me all that much with tris, but the speed sets do pay off, and my general fitness level increases alot. Then we go towards distance swims, and finally focus on open water techniques.

We are starting at easier volumes, about 1000 yards a night, reaching as high as 3000 or more during peak season.

I know what you mean about the virtues (or vices) of focusing on other strokes when you only use free. I've found it's a nice cross-training, but I don't REALLY focus, particularly on speed, other than in freestyle. For example, I try and learn all I can about the other strokes during the technique portion of the course, but once we get into the competitive swim season, there's no need for me to throw a shoulder out trying to keep up with the ex-collegiate swimmers who can do butterfly all night. I'll try and get my flip turns down, but won't focus on them later in teh season when we're doing distance, and I only bother with block dives and meet regulations as a way to keep from being bored by the same old. So I'll do any laps that have other strokes if they're slower, but if we're doing say 250 yards of butterfly, I'll do the first one or two of fly but then go on to free. I use my judgement, and the coach is pretty leniant on this stuff, but it may vary depending on your class style. I don't like to do alot of fly because it hurts my shoulders, and breaststroke for me is slower than molasses, so in the end I'll usually replace the majority of these laps with free and not feel too guilty.

K.

My swim coach had me doing free and back. I never asked why back when she knew I was training for triathlon. I think it may have something to do with exercising the opposite groups of muscles. For me, back blows out my thighs meaning I'd be completely toasted for the ride so it's not even good as a fall-off from free in an open swim, etc. I did it when she requested it, but I never practiced it during lap swims (I can't hold a straight line and need a lane all to myself if I want to practice it).

Since I've stopped with my swim lessons I feel I need something else pushing me on. Masters may be a good thing, or maybe I'll look for another coach.

I would echo what Kimmy said. You should make yourself go out and do it for 1 week then decide if you want to continue. All groups are different. I love my masters group but we're on a hiatus right now while the pool is getting maintainence.

As for the different strokes, I like Kimmy's approach. It is good to try the others. Backstroke helps to each some of the aspects of roll and body position in the water and that translates to a faster freestyle. Butterfly really works your catch at the top of the stroke and your abs, also good for your freestyle and breast stroke improves your pull through the top half of the stroke. But you also don't want to wreck your season by doing butterfly when you might be hurting your shoulder.

What IS Masters? The OW coach I had swam Masters and he said I should go. I know they do some OW swims and some pool swims. There's a pool right near my house that does Masters swimming at a really convenient time to me but the group says they are gay/lesbian so I'm not so sure they'd want me.

How does one go about finding a group near them? Is it an organization (ie you are a member) or is it a group and you pay them? I never even knew it existed until about 4 weeks ago :o but now I want to keep up on swimming. Is there a website that lists all Masters groups? I tried to look and couldn't find one.

Masters is really just a swim team for adults. There is a national organization with a website that can help you find practices in your area as well as swim meets, ets-http://www.usms.org.
I am officially the slowest swimmer at our practice, but everyone including the coach is very supportive. I only really learned to swim 4 years ago for triathlons and I am still learning. My biggest accomplishment lately is breathing on both sides. We are still working on little things like butterfly & breast-I am just not coordinated enough. DH is a swimmer, which is why I started, and his theory is that the better all around swimmer you are, the easier your tri swims will be.

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Originally Posted by MDHillSlug

My swim coach had me doing free and back. I never asked why back when she knew I was training for triathlon. I think it may have something to do with exercising the opposite groups of muscles.

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IME, you a better workout by swapping strokes. Less risk of a repetitive motion injury, and more muscles get worked. Also, working on form on a stroke that you'll "never use" tends to pay off. You get a better feel for how your body moves through the water under a variety of circumstances. No big deal if you're only ever in a pool, but a very big deal in open water.

I actually wish more instructors taught things like somersaults and other basic underwater gymnastics. Good way to get a "this end up" map into your brain.

WOW! I swam 2.5km this morning! :D We were set to do 2.8k!

I still got double lapped at one stage... But that's okay... The two people who double lapped me had been doing squad for many seasons.

I'm SOOOOOOO SLOW! and SOOOO unfit. My couch is trying to build up my water endurance so we go as far I can and when I really start to drop off the back... he makes me stop and rest. I've been told to put flippers on for the second half of the main sets because to try and just finish. To build up the base level so I can start swimming fast and keep up.

I really enjoyed it this morning though. I got to do over 300m backstroke which is my favourite. It was a fast 300 for me too. Why can't my freestyle be as fast as my backstroke eh??

I know we're supposed to do different strokes to work different muscles... But breaststroke is damn terrible! I'm trying my best... I just dunno how people do it!

Torrilin YUP. I agree. I'd love to learn turns! And somersaults are a part of that. :rolleyes:

I had a great swim this morning but i still struggle with the recovery breast stroke lap..I just go so slow that i often just do backstroke(we're told during whatever drill we might be doing that the recovery lap can be stroke of our choice.)

Our main set was 8X 100's, timed. I went too hard out on the first 2 100's but managed a time of 2:02. It went downhill from there and the next 2 100's were 2:10.. The last 100 i can't remember :rolleyes: It was suggested to try and aim for 2:10, which i shall do on MOnday.

Kicking drills werreeee grrrrrreaaaat! Have i told you i love kicking drills :D (without a board i'm a bit wonky..)

C

psst Light-did you watch The Chasers war on everything last night?? Hhaaaaa haaaaaa

psst: CC... BF and I were in stiches... Got hooked last year! BF was a big of CNNNN and he got me into it!

By the way I'm glad to see that I'm not the only person who struggles with Breaststroke.

I LOATHE breast-stroke! I really think there are two types of swimmers out there, natural breast-strokers, and natural free-stylers. Breast for me is completely painful and an exercise in futility. No matter how much I focus on form and technique, after about one lap my hips and knees have extreme pain. I've always had tight hips (certain yoga poses were torture) so it doesn't surprise me. A friend of mine is almost as fast in breast as I am in free, her body just 'gets it' more.

Class last night was good, except I decided I need The Boy to not be in my lane. I got a cramp and had to stop mid-25 sprint and he stopped too, and for some reason it just pissed me off. Do your workout, leave me alone, I'll figure it out myself, I've been doing it for a year anyway!

I think he was confused as to why I snapped at him, but I guess because last year I did swim all by myself, I realized I in some ways resent him being there with me. I like that he's taking the course, but I spend all day with him most of the time, so it's nice to at least be in seperate lanes for swim class.

:( And I feel kind of mean for feeling that way... he thinks I just don't like that he can keep up with me (to which I think, yes, you're right, in some ways I want to tromp you in class, but if you're in a different lane as me and you keep up I don't care, I just don't want you always on my back, I want something to myself).

I understand your feelings. You want something that's yours and now you need to share swimming. Add in the "we're never apart" feeling and you have a recipe for resentment. By swimming in separate lanes at least you can concentrate on doing your own thing. That's probably a good compromise.

I swam 1500m this morning. I had planned on doing another 100m but I seem to have tweaked something in my right shoulder. :(

Yep, lastnight I took quite a beating- literally.
The outdoor pool has nice wide lanes, perfect for sharing, but no lights in the pool, so we are stuck in the indoor pool for the evening session.
The indoor pools lanes are a bit narrower. For a seasoned swimmer it's not that big of a deal, but get a novice in your lane and WATCH OUT! :eek:

I was swimming with a girl who was a drifter. She was a very nice girl, but she drifted all over the place as she swam. Despite my hugging the lane lines and whacking my hand repeatedly (YOUCH!) on the "rope" to try to stay as much to my side as possible, she hit me head on twice. It made for a very stressful session. Not only was I trying to work on my stroke, but I was trying to avoid a collision at the same time.

I was starting to feel like I was in an Ironman swim. Not only did we have the head ons, but I was kicked and whacked a couple of times as well.

Like I said, she was a nice girl, she apologized for whacking me, but it was stressful. I mean I found myself sighting in the pool to see where she was as if I was in open water looking for a bouy!

So all in all it wasn't such a good masters night for me. I didn't feel like I accomplished anything other than getting out alive. I may need to switch back to morning masters...

Hi All,
Well, since you guys are the only ones that "get it", I have to share.

I had a smokin' OWS last night. My best of the season. If I can feel that good in two weeks at Nationals, I will be so happy.

2200 in 33 mins......

Now if I could just feel that good on the run!

Nice time! Thats what, 1:30/100 yards? Smokin! :eek:

You know Kimmy, I never think in those terms outside the pool. For an OWS I always think in terms of my time over 500 or 1000 yards. Funny.

I did have a wetsuit on, so that added to some of the speed, but I just felt great. I have developed a nice cadence for my ows, and I can zone out and just cruise.

A long way from my choking, panic on the first attempt in my wetsuit in April.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rocknrollgirl

Hi All,
Well, since you guys are the only ones that "get it", I have to share.

I had a smokin' OWS last night. My best of the season. If I can feel that good in two weeks at Nationals, I will be so happy.

2200 in 33 mins......

Now if I could just feel that good on the run!

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:D :D :D :D :D

This is sooooooooo exciting.

It is so silly, but I felt so good about it all day. It is not like I can even tell anyone. Nobody cares...and they think I am nuts anyway.


The funny part of the story is....

We are now swimming locally at a lake. My friend lives across the street from the lake. Nobody is allowed on the lake, unless you live on the lake. So my friend took us over to meet her across the street neighbors to see if we could park at their house and swim off their dock. We they have become our adoptive grandparents. They leave us bottled water on the dock while we swim. It is really cute.

Last night there was a swan in the lake. Bob, our adopted grandpa was so worried that I was going to get attacked that he sat on the dock with his pellet gun to protect us.

Aaaaaaawwwwwwwwwww. That is sooooo cute.

I know what you mean about people not getting it. I used to go into work and say thing like, " I know you really don't care and may not even have a clue what I'm talking about but I swam a 1:30 100 today. Thanks for listening." Then I'd walk away. They all think I'm nuts too.

RNR- I LOVE IT! Such nice folks!!
And the 2200 in 33?? HOLY SMOKES! Did you leave a wake???!!!:D

RM...I do not know, but Chris said I was moving. It was just one of those days where I felt really good.
Oh please, please, please let me feel that good in Tahoe.....

OK, I am done praying now.....


(well not totally done, oh please, please, please don't let the run suck too much)

OK....done for the moment....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by teigyr

What IS Masters?

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I think it means we're old :rolleyes: ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by teigyr

There's a pool right near my house that does Masters swimming at a really convenient time to me but the group says they are gay/lesbian so I'm not so sure they'd want me.

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I'm sure it'd be fine, just ask. I bet that they'll welcome you in and say something like "as long as you're accepting/respectful c'mon in".

As a general rule we're a friendly bunch and don't bite .... unless you're into that and ask us to. JK TE, really! :rolleyes:

It's nearby and convenient and you'd swim more often what's not to like?

You could be the token straight gal :) ;) :D

There's an LGBT bike club near me (Different Spokes) they have straight folk on rides and even in the club. Simple matter of if you like the riders and it's convenient for you .... whatever gets you outside and moving. :)

Hey, Teigyr, what time is that swim? (maybe I could go with you?) My swimming really sux, and I do want to get better at it.

Trek, thank you :) I never want to intrude and I'm a pretty much "live and let live" person unless I'm behind a slow person on the freeway. My judgments are by actions (ie animal abusers, etc) rather than lifestyle. Not to take this OT but your points are good and hopefully they feel the same way.

Knot, will PM you links :D Have a few options but the one pool is probably pretty close to you. Also wouldn't mind doing some OW swims.

And this isn't Masters related but yesterday I did a small OW swim. I remember when I had trouble going 20 strokes in the pool without resting. In OW I went up to 55, I counted on my last length! I am so far from perfect but I am getting better. I could have done more, also, but it was my last length and I didn't want to push it.

Good night tonight at class. We did 1750, so we're getting back up there. The first few weeks of class are always builders so people don't get trampled right away. We focused on technique of the catch and pull, I was feeling good and no ankle pain. Also ran a fast 9:08/mi on the way to class! I felt gooood!

2.6km!!!! ^_^

1min 15 per 50m lap!!!!

YAHOO!!!

Okay so I was wearing flippers for all but 400m... :eek: I still went the distance!

I can do 200 freestyle (without flippers) in 4mins 48s now... That's WAY faster than my time at the Luke Harrop Tri in February.

WHEWW! Lots of sets. Oh and my favorite one armed drills. UGH!!
AKA controlled drowning! ;)

But my 200 time was 4:50. So I kept my 2:25 per 100 pace over the distance. I'm not getting faster- yet. But I do feel better in the water.

I had a guy next to me tonight that kept calling me speedy, and said I had lungs of steel. I may have lungs of steel- but there aint no (good english ehh?! ha ha) "speed" in my swim!! :D

The pool we are swimming in doesn't have lights. So the only light we have is from above. Kind of cool to swim in the dark. Kinda creepy, but cool.

How's everyone doing with their swimming.

My coach is trying to kill me.

Our workout today:

400 IM
8 x 50 - dolphin kick on back for 25 then freestyle for 25 with fins

Main set:

3 x 200 on 3:50 interval
2 x 200 on 3:40 interval
Repeat above

Then puke and do 200 choice cool down.

I think I'll sleep well tonight.

I'm still working out on my own, but finally feeling confident enough that I might consider masters swimming during the winter.

I'm working on increasing my endurance, swimming longer each time, and nearing 1000m straight FS. The last two workouts felt really good, fast (for me) and smooth. I'm also doing extra work on my kick and I'm starting to work on bilateral breathing.

Ours started us on butterfly yesterday. This makes freestyle look like a piece of cake.

Since everyone else has gone through the "winter technique phase" probably at least once (long time club members) - I was at the bottom of the ladder again. I'm getting used to it (I always was, just being in the club keeps rubbing it in)...

oh not entirely: I beat the guys on legstroke only. hehehe.

I went to the pool on Saturday. It was my first swim post Nationals. After a week of resting, eating ice cream cake and drinking wine...I swam like a brick. Betcha did not know you could do brick workouts in the pool! It was just plain ugly!

RnR is your new Avatar from Nationals? Coooooool.

Hi everyone,

May I join in this discussion?

I am 53 and a Master's swimmer. I am currently training for a swim meet in November. I guess that you could call me a sprinter, because I am only signing up to do the 50 yard freestyle, and maybe the 50 yard butterfly and the 100 IM. I used to swim when I was young, but I have not competed in more than 30 years! So, in some ways, I feel like a beginner again.

I am using the "immersion swimming" technique. It is brand new to me and I am getting more comfortable with it every day. I am finding it difficult breathing every three strokes instead of my usual every four strokes. But my coach wants me to keep practicing as he says that this will make me a more balanced swimmer.

And I'm working really hard practicing not swimming freestyle on my stomach, but instead just "passing through" my front side, while rotating my hips from side to side. My coach says that I should never be flat on my stomach - it is the most inefficient way to swim freestyle. I should swim freestyle like a fish does - always staying on my side.

This is all new learning for me. I can't believe how much swimming has changed in the past 30 years! Where have I been?

So, anyway, hello to all of you other swimmers. Happy to be aboard!:D

Lynette

Yes Yoda, that is a pic from Nationals. They came out ok....I like that one and one at the finish. The DH got some good shots, but they are a pain to post because the files are huge and when I shrink they they look crappy. I will post a few of the small ones that I clipped from the event photographer.

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Originally Posted by Over50Newbie

I am using the "immersion swimming" technique.

I should swim freestyle like a fish does - always staying on my side.

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hee hee. Fish don't swim on their side. Well flounders do.

Just kidding. I think TI is great. it's just that the above is a fact.