Cheating in workout??

Right now we have a huge influx of new/beginning swimmers. We only have 4 lanes to work out in. Last night we had 2 experienced, fast swimmers, and three lanes full of slower swimmers. It didn't make sense nor was it fair to kick all of the beginners to two lanes and let me have my own lane. So I joined the fast lane. They kicked my butt. We were all a bit frustrated but if I had gone down to the next slowest lane, I would have lapped people in a 100. I modified my workout a bit, by not going on my exact interval if one of the faster people was about to flip. I waited until they passed me, then went. I ended up doing a bit less yardage, and was given different intervals for one set. I don't think it's cheating ... Everyonce in awhile, I modify due to some minor (or severe) ache or pain ... usually I follow the workout exactly ... I am the queen of asking, now when you say stroke can we do IM? When you say such and such can I do blah blah blah instead?

"Masters option". I like that. Sort of like poetic license. Frankly, we're talking about masters here. You do what you can, and (at least we pretend so) nobody judges. Actually, even when I was in competitive swimming in high school, I didn't do other strokes. Freestyle, or I'm leaving. I didn't start with team swimming until high school, and I simply never learned the other strokes. Oh, I could fake a decent backstroke or breaststroke, but I never got butterfly. And you know what? My coach recognized that, and he gave me the leeway to do freestyle. He needed a freestyle sprinter, and I was it, and if I had been required to do fly, I might have decided to bag the whole idea. In my junior and senior years, I was the anchor on the medley relays. Some people might say that I missed out. Perhaps that's true, from their perspective. From my perspective, ignorance is bliss. I added a whole dimension to my life by making the swim team in high school, and I have never looked back. I do what I do, and I think I do it pretty well. I'm happy with that. And if my decision to replace the fly set with free nowadays ticks someone off, well ... that's not really MY problem. I see some people walk 10 yards from the wall before starting their sets. That's "cheating" too, but the way I see it, they're not getting the full benefit of doing the full distance, and if I ever race against them (or someone like them) in a meet, they may choke over the last 10 yards and I'll win. In the same way, someone who gets upset about my bagging fly might take solace in the knowledge that their more comprehensive training might give them the extra tenth of a second advantage that will allow them to touch me (and other like me) out at the wall. (Also, there is one less person taking up lanes in the fly heats at the meet! :) ) I get out of it what I want. I hope everyone else gets out of swimming what they want. Let's not try to make others get out of it what WE want them to get out of it.

Keather/Heather - I just tried to email you and it bounced back - shoot me off an email with your new address...! Kari SORRY FOR THE HIGH/LOW JACK! :eek: Also....as for modifications.....if I'm stuck in a lane with swimmers who are too fast for me (happens on a particularly crowded workout), and we're doing long sets, I'll cut off a 50 to keep the interval or just to keep up. There's no sin in that (I agree with the posts listed above)

Is it cheating when you're pushing off the wall next to an Ohio Class submarine that is 3 inches taller and 40 lbs heavier? ! I say not ! Leave early ! Don't let the Evil Smith get ahead of you. You must establish discipline during workout. John Smith

But coach....if I couldn't swim backstroke or breaststroke when I was a young whippersnapper what makes you think I can swim it as a masters swimmer (nice way of saying old, bald guy). Or how about, I get too much air when I swim backstroke which causes me to realize that I'm swimming a workout. Just let me stick to my oxygen-deprived sprint freestyle so I can remain in my state of unknowingness. I think the endorphins work better that way anyway!

I hear the kids talk about the swimmers that "cheat" all the time. Funny it crops up in Masters. When I work out, I do what I can with the work-out, but sometimes it simply is above my ability and I am in the fast lane of my work-out group. It does not bother me if others modify the work-out. On a Friday night when work has been he!! all week, sometimes people just don't have it in them to do the work-out. I feel, we are adults, we can do what we like!

We are not in the strict regiment of AAU/USS/USA swimming anymore - "modifying" to your strengths and to stay out of the way of your fellow lane mates or adjust to not aggravate injuries is fine with me. I'm here to have fun and so what if I miss a workout or set- well that's easy to say I do workout by myself ;)

I swim in the fastest lane on our team but can't keep up on kick sets with my lane mates. It's actually rather discouraging. So, I have been known to cut a lap or only do a 450 kick if the lane is doing a 500. I do it partly out of self shame but mostly to not slow down or cause others in my lane to be caught up behind me. However, if you can't do the workout on the board, why are you even swimming with a team? It seems that it's very important for everyone in the lane to do the same workout or, at the very least, to no hold up the other swimmers. It's very annoying to have a drill set or a stroke set and have someone swim straight free and screw up the interval or be on my butt the whole time. I also have it on good authority that lane lines are specifically engineered to enable backstroke pulling.

Geek Posted: "I also have it on good authority that lane lines are specifically engineered to enable backstroke pulling." That a boy Geek....

Originally posted by IndyGal Ouch. I guess that helps me decide whether or not to renew for next year. :( Let me rephrase since I didn't make my point too well. You should be swimming in a team workout in a lane that suits your abilities. Your coach has the responsibility to put you in the correct lane or you to self govern if you find yourself in a lane that is either too fast or too slow for your abilities. It is extremely disruptive to have a lane full of circle swimmers and have one person modify the workout or alter the intervals, either slower or faster. I don't think USMS needs some sort of policy about workouts. Most coaches will put together workouts for various lanes. The point is you should not disrupt those you are swimming with so as to negatively impact everyone's workout. Why don't you ask your coach/team why they don't have a lane or practice time for those needing less yardage/more instruction?