Just wondering if anyone else has this problem and what anyone might think is the best solution....
I've been working back into competition shape after some time off. I started by swimming on my own, then swimming a couple of days with the Masters team to swimming 4-5 days with the Masters team. I'm making progress, getting back into shape and all, but still have a hard time keeping up with a few of the intervals in sets our coach provides. Some others in the group also have trouble. I don't think the coach should change the intervals; I think I simply should continue to improve to meet them.
My question is, if you can't make the intervals for a set, do you shorten the length of the swim to make the interval (i.e. doing 250s instead of 300s), or use fins to keep up? Right now I use fins and swim the prescribed distance, and the fins help me make the time. Others shorten the distance to make the time.
I'd hate to become dependent on the fins or somehow hinder my progress by relying too much on them -- what's too much anyway? -- but I haven't wanted to cut short the yardage.
Any thoughts? I appreciate your help!
Our group is divided into fast and slow, with fast doing both more yardage and tougher intervals. I got stuck in with the fast folks when I started with our group in September. At first, I had a lot of trouble hanging after the first couple of reps, but the slow folks didn't want me in their lanes either. I just dropped a 50 here and there as needed and stayed with the group's set, picking it up when the group got back to my wall. I felt like I was getting a lot more exercise than I had been swimming by myself, so I didn't sweat the yardage drop. We never have more than 2 to a lane, so I could drop out and back in without affecting the other swimmers.
I'm not a fan of using fins to keep up for all the reasons mentioned in other threads about them.
You don't say how long you've been at it with the team, but I would just keep plugging away without the crutches. After 2 months, I'm not dropping many 50's these days. I think the conditioning comes together pretty quickly, and part of it is getting used to your coach's demands and your lane's pace -- although we're not holding anything like what Ande's group is pulling off.
Now I'm glad the coach stuck me in where she did.
Our group is divided into fast and slow, with fast doing both more yardage and tougher intervals. I got stuck in with the fast folks when I started with our group in September. At first, I had a lot of trouble hanging after the first couple of reps, but the slow folks didn't want me in their lanes either. I just dropped a 50 here and there as needed and stayed with the group's set, picking it up when the group got back to my wall. I felt like I was getting a lot more exercise than I had been swimming by myself, so I didn't sweat the yardage drop. We never have more than 2 to a lane, so I could drop out and back in without affecting the other swimmers.
I'm not a fan of using fins to keep up for all the reasons mentioned in other threads about them.
You don't say how long you've been at it with the team, but I would just keep plugging away without the crutches. After 2 months, I'm not dropping many 50's these days. I think the conditioning comes together pretty quickly, and part of it is getting used to your coach's demands and your lane's pace -- although we're not holding anything like what Ande's group is pulling off.
Now I'm glad the coach stuck me in where she did.
