Master's Swim? Really? This is helpful?

[Selkie]

Your endurance will improve the more time you spend in the pool. I started out the summer not being able to do one length of freestyle due to breathing difficulties. Tips here from TE'ers, plus working on my own has made me a "serviceable" and improving swimmer. I can now swim more than an hour without taking a break. I'm not fast but I don't get tired. That's after six weeks. I still don't do flip turns and am not sure I ever will (the rebel in me!).

Check out the Total Immersion website (I believe Fiddlefreek suggested it to me and it has made all the difference). I have the book and the Freestyle & Breathing DVDs.

If you are like me, you need to go at your own pace and get comfortable in the water. I'm actually tempted to take a TI class to improve my technique.

[tulip]

I've participated in a couple of Masters swim programs, and I enjoyed them. But I know how to swim--all the strokes. The Masters programs are not geared to teach you strokes, just improve your fitness and technique. And knowing different strokes is important. It's a very athletic and competitive environment, akin to fast club rides where cyclists do pacelines. Not a place to learn new stuff.

The coach sounds like a snarky jerk, but there are all types. Yes, it would be nice if he were up-front and told you that either he you are in the wrong place or work with you to get to where you are more comfortable in the water.

Taking some swimming classes would be really beneficial, and then doing workouts specifically for tri training. You can determine if you want to join another Masters program at a later date.

[crazycanuck]

I don't do a masters class but one of our drills is 1/2 lap backstroke & then immediately to freestyle. This goes for people who swim with our coach-folks like me up to the chicks representing Aust on the worlds tri team. Good to know all strokes

I'd find a new coach if I encountered that guy...!

[tulip]

I have another thought about the strokes. Knowing a variety of strokes is very helpful in an open water swim. There will be times that a breast stroke is more appropriate than the freestyle in the swim with all those kicking people around you.

Another reason for swimming different strokes is to use different muscles and avoid getting injured from doing the same stroke all the time during training. This is particularly important if your stroke is not completely correct--you could be doing one little thing that if done over and over could lead to injury.

Finally, it's just downright boring to do the same stroke all the time.

[MartianDestiny]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I should clarify I suppose. I guess I'm not opposed to learning new strokes, but with my first Tri in ~1 month I'd rather hedge my bets so to speak and be proficient at the 1 for now rather than trying to become proficient at 3 or 4 in a short amount of time. Then after the tri, and assuming I want to continue with this, broaden my abilities with things that are nice but not crucial (like flip turns, etc.)

Given your advice on the importance of other strokes I think I will consider a class more aimed at learning strokes perhaps this fall (or maybe now if they'll let me switch classes).

I think those of you that are saying this is a competitive swimming class are right. I don't think there are any other triathletes there, and only one other (very nice) student has deemed me worthy of being spoken to. The atmosphere is very much "you aren't welcome here", whether that's because I announced "triathlete" (I didn't realize that could be taboo, I'll be more careful in the future!) or because I stink I don't know. Funny this is not what the class was advertised as, but now I think I can read between the lines better.

I think for now I'm going to try to either switch classes or practice the drills on my own. I appreciate everyone's input that he's not totally off the wall in his methods, but I don't think I'm going to be productive dreading class every day (I dread the pool enough as it is right now!).

[alpinerabbit]

As the others said, Masters classes seem to be for those who have the main part of the technique down and just need minor improvements. (heck I blew up my shoulder trying to keep up with the big boys)

All four strokes (well count out fly for me) help you improve the feel for the water, break things up a bit and for backstroke, indeed gives you some power. Flip turns are a nice to have. But playing wall tag with swimmers way beyond your level is frustrating and will get you nowhere.

You have to have pretty good technique to swim any amount of yards breathing 5x. The coach may have been impolite but honest in his assessment
Consequence: speak to him: either he's willing to observe you do tech drills in another lane, according to your own plan, and help you improve your technique and endurance, or you need another teacher. An intermediate-advanced freestyle class would be good, does not have to be TI, but some of their drills are very useful (some I hate dearly).

[MartianDestiny]

Thanks Alpine.

I certainly know what he said was true. Doesn't make me want to work for him though, which makes him a bad coach for me. (my bike shop owner on the other hand knows just how to push me to my limits without saying a word and knows just when to say "you know, how about you try this"...I wish he could coach me!!)

It's already sort of a free for all class with everyone doing something different, so in that regard it's good for me (I don't have to keep up with Joe-competitive-swimmer in lane 4). Honestly though I don't see how anyone gets much out of it. I think the other swimmers use him to time them more than anything, and with 6-8 swimmers all doing something different I can see where that's about all he can do!

I'd love an intermediate/advanced freestyle class. One does not exist at my gym I think I will ask them if I could switch into the intermediate swimming (general) class though. I think it has potential to fit me better at the moment.