New USMS member, and I suspect others like me might hesitate to show up for USMS group workout session for fear of not knowing enough terminology or the way groups swim together. I'm comfortable circle swimming and have done open water group practice swims, but never having been on a swim team, I'm a bit worried about having that goggles-in-the-headlights look if somebody says, "Now let's do a set."
I was a USMS member for two months before I got the courage to attend a swim team workout (thanks to the encouragement of other members here in the forums). I didnt know anything about anything before my first workout. I didnt even know what "start on the top" meant. I had no idea what builds, descends, send off times, rest intervals, and negative splits were all about. I was pretty much the epitome of the goggles in the headlights. That was about a year ago and now I write workouts for all my friends.
I'm not sure what you mean when you ask if there is a pattern to workout group sessions. The only real pattern is that every workout has a warm up, main set, and cool down and some workout group sessions will have a warm up, pre-set (or drill set), main set, and a cool down.
Don't worry about the goggles in the headlights. The coach won't throw you to the sharks until he or she knows you can handle it. The coach will likely put you in a lane by yourself or in a lane with other less experienced swimmers until the coach can evaluate where you are in your swimming abilities. And you'll catch on to the terminology quickly.
I was a USMS member for two months before I got the courage to attend a swim team workout (thanks to the encouragement of other members here in the forums). I didnt know anything about anything before my first workout. I didnt even know what "start on the top" meant. I had no idea what builds, descends, send off times, rest intervals, and negative splits were all about. I was pretty much the epitome of the goggles in the headlights. That was about a year ago and now I write workouts for all my friends.
I'm not sure what you mean when you ask if there is a pattern to workout group sessions. The only real pattern is that every workout has a warm up, main set, and cool down and some workout group sessions will have a warm up, pre-set (or drill set), main set, and a cool down.
Don't worry about the goggles in the headlights. The coach won't throw you to the sharks until he or she knows you can handle it. The coach will likely put you in a lane by yourself or in a lane with other less experienced swimmers until the coach can evaluate where you are in your swimming abilities. And you'll catch on to the terminology quickly.
