Anyone give up on swimming to the pace clock and find comfort in just lap swimming for exercise? I have never swam any other way than intervals even after a 20 year layoff.
But I have been on a three month downward spiral. I'm so far out of shape that the couple of workouts I tried were so discouraging that I just want to quit. Yet I swam in a lake last week and felt pretty good. Went to the pool today and intended to just try to swim for 30 minutes straight but damn that clock - swam 6x200 on 4:00. Three months ago I could do 10 on the 3:30 in my sleep and 10 seconds faster per. I just don't want to do this anymore at least not now to even get back to that point. I wouldn't mind just trying to swim a 5k this summer nice and slow instead of competing. I pretty much just need the exercise to lose some weight and be healthy. Yet compteting was what always had motivated me even if it was just against myself and the clock.
So did anyone take this tact and live to tell me how awesome it is? You burn more calories, no more flip turns, no more clock, just swimming.
Pace clocks are mostly irrelevant if you're doing AFAP training.
I would argue that any type of training, to be most effective, needs some kind of feedback loop. And the clock doesn't lie.
Now, I swim for ME.
That is what I would hope the goal would be for all Masters swimmers; just to swim for ourselves, no matter what our goals are in swimming. For some, it's just to stay fit. And, for others, it's breaking a world record. But, I would hope those goals would be our own goals; not what somebody wants for us.
When I first got back into swimming, I had no thought of competing again, like I had done 30 years before, in high school. But, as I got better and felt faster, the competitive spirit returned and I saw it as my opportunity to compete again my way. Not having to answer to a coach or fear disappointing my teammates was liberating! Now, I could choose the events to enter at swim meets! :banana:
The last 21/2 years in USMS has been a blast and I love going to swim meets! And, I love competing against the clock.
If the clock is making you unhappy and frustrated, chuck it until you are ready to face it again. And, just swim for fitness if competition doesn't excite you. But, if your goal is to get faster, the clock is a necessary tool that you will need to embrace.
I agree with Celestial that there is a time and season for everything. Right now I am not really training, I am staying fit. So I do the whole workout, 4500-6000 yds, all of the IM stuff, but I don't worry too much about the interval or the clock. Instead of :05, I'll give myself :15-:20. I still check the clock to make sure I'm staying on PACE, but I'm not racing (at least till the end of the workout, then I usually pick it up.) I don't need to. Dammit, I'm a 45-yr-old woman, I think I have earned the right to swim for the joy of swimming some days. I can still chase my friends another day. Which is ALSO fun (my friends are a hoot) but, dang, nothing feels so good as that water rippling along on a beautiful weekend afternoon and you just feel strong and GOOD. Who cares if it takes me another 15 mins to finish the workout? 1.75 hrs is just as good as 1.5.
Now, I swim for ME.
Okay, here's what I mean by a perfect swim.
Yesterday I get to the pool at 6am with a 5000m workout. I'm doing the drills, IM stuff, yada yada, but at my own pace. About 3000 into it, my sprinter friend shows up (motto: "sometimes, you've just got to want to throw up."). She spends the last 200 of my current set warming up, which is about all she has patience for. :) At that point, I'm at the 20x50's speed set, which is so her style. She joins me, and I have fun chasing her bubbles TRYING to keep up. Two more friends show up and warm up, joining us for the last 12 50s. At the end, we're all laughing and cheering each other on, plus we make a nice little train going down our one, narrow 50m lane for the adults (swim team with our kids has the other lanes). After that, I do another 800, my friend does MAYBE 100 and disappears, and the other two do their distance long-and-strong workouts. Total for me: 4800 (kids got out early). For my friend: 1300 maybe. Meet her in the shower, have a blast laughing together. Everyone very happy. It was a good morning for all.
All goals are valid if you're swimming. :applaud:
