I've been swimming masters now for well over a decade and I've hit a bit of a lull. Last year I set my Go The Distance goal at 550 miles and missed it, so this year I revised it downward to 500 miles and as of today I'm 66 miles behind the pace I need to be at to hit that goal. I just don't have the desire to get to the pool as often, or stay in as long, as I usually do.
With that introduction my question really is: how do YOU train long term? Do you try to stay consistent or do you vary from year to year? Historically I've been very consistent, but I wonder if intentionally varying things is a better long term strategy.
I've been swimming masters now for well over a decade ... how do YOU train long term?
I wish I had this problem! I'm about 60% of the way there. With that disclaimer,
I have some pwb-like longer range goals. As a kid, the longest range goal you get is "kill the focus event(s) at the taper meet at the end of the season". Maybe "make trials cuts". As masters, we have the luxury of thinking bigger.
I want to swim every event in competition. Even the 50 ***, eww. The specific goal is, "swim every event at least once in each course in each age group". So, at the end of the age group, I should have at least one stupid time in the 50 *** in SCY, LCM, and SCM. A supersized checkoff challenge.
Simpler and shorter-range: "Swim at least one meet in each of SCY, LCM, SCM, and OW every year". This weekend I'm swimming a 5K OW near Atlanta. That will be it for OW this year, but I'm doing it.
More complex and longer-range: "Swim in a FINA Masters World Championships" (done); "Swim the Borboleta" (a 1650 butterfly event offered every spring by the Riconada Masters); "Swim a 1500 LCM backstroke in Australia" (and as many of those ridiculously long events as possible); "Go snorkeling in the Great Blue Hole in Belize"; and "Swim in a finswimming meet". That may require another trip to Europe. Oh, too bad.
You'll notice that "swim the English Channel", "swim an ice mile", and "swim an OW 25K" does not appear on any of my lists. That's very much on purpose! I don't want to do any of those crazy things!
That's my 2 cents.
I've been swimming masters now for well over a decade ... how do YOU train long term?
I wish I had this problem! I'm about 60% of the way there. With that disclaimer,
I have some pwb-like longer range goals. As a kid, the longest range goal you get is "kill the focus event(s) at the taper meet at the end of the season". Maybe "make trials cuts". As masters, we have the luxury of thinking bigger.
I want to swim every event in competition. Even the 50 ***, eww. The specific goal is, "swim every event at least once in each course in each age group". So, at the end of the age group, I should have at least one stupid time in the 50 *** in SCY, LCM, and SCM. A supersized checkoff challenge.
Simpler and shorter-range: "Swim at least one meet in each of SCY, LCM, SCM, and OW every year". This weekend I'm swimming a 5K OW near Atlanta. That will be it for OW this year, but I'm doing it.
More complex and longer-range: "Swim in a FINA Masters World Championships" (done); "Swim the Borboleta" (a 1650 butterfly event offered every spring by the Riconada Masters); "Swim a 1500 LCM backstroke in Australia" (and as many of those ridiculously long events as possible); "Go snorkeling in the Great Blue Hole in Belize"; and "Swim in a finswimming meet". That may require another trip to Europe. Oh, too bad.
You'll notice that "swim the English Channel", "swim an ice mile", and "swim an OW 25K" does not appear on any of my lists. That's very much on purpose! I don't want to do any of those crazy things!
That's my 2 cents.
