I have questions about Masters Swimming teams:
How many percent of the people are in their 20s? I'm in my 20s and I feel like if everyone is in their 40s and above then I won't fit in.
Is the atmosphere more competitive or less than a high school team? I regret not joining my HS team. I felt that I wasnt strong enough to handle it because I didn't really know how to swim back then, and I thought it would be too much to go from zero yards to being competitive within one season. Was I wrong? Assuming I'm reasonably diligent, how long would it take on average to be reasonably good? I'm 22 and right now I can only swim 100 yards before stopping.
Stupid me, my bad decisions back then come back to haunt me today. Give me a word of encouragement if you want.
Parents
Former Member
I was on a swim team from the age of five up until thirteen. Then I didn't swim a lap for fourteen years (and didn't do much else to stay in shape either, other than lots of walking). The first time I entered the pool upon my return, I could only do 300 yards before my arms burned so heavy I couldn't lift myself out of the pool and had to grope for the ladder.
Within two weeks I was doing more than a thousand yards, three times per week. Within a couple of months my workout had increased to around 2500 yards. I started in the summer, and by the end of it I was routinely swimming more than 3000 yards each workout. Eighteen months later I was doing 4000 yards continuously, no sets, no stopping, although I've backed off that since to get a more varied workout under my time constraints.
I had a bit of a head start over you, I guess, since I had early instruction and had pretty good technique in my head, even if I didn't quite have the strength in my arms to match. Still, if I could go from 300 yards to 3000 in a single summer, and to more than two miles in a year and a half, I figure you'll be able to improve pretty quickly if you want to.
I don't swim on a masters team now, simply because my schedule doesn't really allow a rigid practice schedule. However, I've had the opportunity to observe the masters teams at my pool (the National Capital YMCA in DC), and I don't think you'll have a problem.
For example, this past Sunday the team had three lanes. In one lane were the faster swimmers, who were pretty much following a workout on their own with minimal supervision. The coach was working with swimmers in a medium lane on technique. There was also a slow lane, where it appeared the coach just had them building endurance, although he would stop them occasionally and offer technical advice. Observing on a previous occasion, I noticed that some of the swimmers in the slow lane weren't able to keep up with the workout, and the coach was adjusting their workout as they went, reducing their yardage a little so they could keep up with the sets.
I say just go do it. You'll be the slowpoke at first, but you'll build up quickly if you stick with it.
I was on a swim team from the age of five up until thirteen. Then I didn't swim a lap for fourteen years (and didn't do much else to stay in shape either, other than lots of walking). The first time I entered the pool upon my return, I could only do 300 yards before my arms burned so heavy I couldn't lift myself out of the pool and had to grope for the ladder.
Within two weeks I was doing more than a thousand yards, three times per week. Within a couple of months my workout had increased to around 2500 yards. I started in the summer, and by the end of it I was routinely swimming more than 3000 yards each workout. Eighteen months later I was doing 4000 yards continuously, no sets, no stopping, although I've backed off that since to get a more varied workout under my time constraints.
I had a bit of a head start over you, I guess, since I had early instruction and had pretty good technique in my head, even if I didn't quite have the strength in my arms to match. Still, if I could go from 300 yards to 3000 in a single summer, and to more than two miles in a year and a half, I figure you'll be able to improve pretty quickly if you want to.
I don't swim on a masters team now, simply because my schedule doesn't really allow a rigid practice schedule. However, I've had the opportunity to observe the masters teams at my pool (the National Capital YMCA in DC), and I don't think you'll have a problem.
For example, this past Sunday the team had three lanes. In one lane were the faster swimmers, who were pretty much following a workout on their own with minimal supervision. The coach was working with swimmers in a medium lane on technique. There was also a slow lane, where it appeared the coach just had them building endurance, although he would stop them occasionally and offer technical advice. Observing on a previous occasion, I noticed that some of the swimmers in the slow lane weren't able to keep up with the workout, and the coach was adjusting their workout as they went, reducing their yardage a little so they could keep up with the sets.
I say just go do it. You'll be the slowpoke at first, but you'll build up quickly if you stick with it.
