I am always amused at how often master's swimmers will take individual liberties in workout to suit their own needs. For example:
* Swimming free instead of breaststroke or the stroke prescribed by the coach.
* One handed turns on *** and fly.
* Cutting corners to stay up with the lane
* Using pull gear when it isn't a pull set
* Kicking your favorite kick and not the one given by the coach
* Leaving 2 seconds behind (more like 2 tenths behind)
* Pulling on the lane line
* Swimming when it's a kick set
* etc...
Maybe its all those years of swimming under "do it my way or the highway" type coaches, that I still have a hard time changing anything in the workout. I must admit however that it does feel good once and while to cheat a little.
As a coach, I've asked many swimmers as to why they change the set or cheat and I hear a million different excuses. I'm very interested in hearing from all of you, all the excuses you have or have heard from other swimmers.
Some of my favorite ones are:
* I don't want to get passed!!!
* I hate the other strokes? (from a former IM'r)
* My tri coach say's I shouldn't swim other strokes
Parents
Former Member
Wow, I had no idea my fellow swimmers were all watching to see what corners I cut and considered me a "cheater" if I skipped a set or whathaveyou. As a mature adult, I feel perfectly fine in modifying exercise rather than pushing myself to the point of hurting myself just because "everyone else is doing it."
Lots of people on our team modify the workout in places to fit with their level of fitness - I wouldn't consider them "cheating." A coach doesn't normally have time to go around to each person and go, "So, how are you feeling today? Oh, you've had bronchitis and your kid was up all night? Well, take a minute of rest between sets rather than the 30 seconds everyone else is taking." But I think most swimmers in that situation would modify their workout if they felt bad and I think most other swimmers and coaches would think that's perfectly normal and justified.
I mean, really, do you expect everyone on the team to do the same workout? What about modifying for age, fitness level, illness, or injury?
Wow, I had no idea my fellow swimmers were all watching to see what corners I cut and considered me a "cheater" if I skipped a set or whathaveyou. As a mature adult, I feel perfectly fine in modifying exercise rather than pushing myself to the point of hurting myself just because "everyone else is doing it."
Lots of people on our team modify the workout in places to fit with their level of fitness - I wouldn't consider them "cheating." A coach doesn't normally have time to go around to each person and go, "So, how are you feeling today? Oh, you've had bronchitis and your kid was up all night? Well, take a minute of rest between sets rather than the 30 seconds everyone else is taking." But I think most swimmers in that situation would modify their workout if they felt bad and I think most other swimmers and coaches would think that's perfectly normal and justified.
I mean, really, do you expect everyone on the team to do the same workout? What about modifying for age, fitness level, illness, or injury?
