Hi everyone...
Tonight is my very first masters swim practice and I'm really quite nervous.
While I've been a competitive swimmer since the age of 5, swam on a US team, competed in both long course and short course US Nationals, and then went and swam in college.....I'm a nervous wreck about tonight's practice. Although I have more than enough swimming experience, I'm terrified that I won't fit in with the master's team.
I've been "out of the water" for 6 years now and I'm very out of shape and I've gained a considerable amount of weight. I can't believe that I've allowed myself to get like this, but it obviously didn't happen over night. So I've been doing cardio and weights at the gym to get myself back in shape but it doesn't seem to be working very well. I realized how much I miss swimming and that I'd like to get back into the sport and thats how I got interested in masters swimming. I'm excited to swim for me...not for the coaches, not for my parents. I'm looking forward to ENJOYING swimming, rather than dreading practices and having kick boards thrown at me if I have to stop during a set. I'm excited to meet people and have fun.....but I'm still so nervous to step foot onto the pool deck.
I guess I'm mostly embarassed. I know its silly to be like this, but I'm afraid everyone will be in good shape and I'll get run over during the practices. I'm wondering if maybe I should put off swimming for a little while until I can lose some more weight.
Can anyone please shed some light on their first masters practice and what you might have been feeling?
I really appreciate any help or advice that you can give me. Thank you!
Glad you decided to go! Congrats on your courage!
I didn't get into serious swim practices until last year. I would sometimes just do plain lap swimming during running injury recoveries... even tried an open water mile a few years ago b/c I missed running in races and wanted to compete in something. Finished second to last and hadn't a clue about open water swimming or masters' practices or anything!
Last year, they announced a masters' group starting up, and I was curious, but like you I wondered if I would fit in. Figured everyone would be super-fast and that the workout would be mega-yards. I called the coach, fully expecting him to say that everyone would be highly competitive and much faster and I should hold off. But no, that excuse was taken from me. He was so friendly and positive, I thought Okay, I'll try it.
I came out of the water feeling all rubbery... wondered during the sets if I was going to end up draped over the lane ropes... had to ask what a pull buoy was. Was the slowest swimmer there. Still not fast... but what did the coach focus on? THAT I COMPLETED THE WORKOUT! He would encourage as well as push... I'd hear "good job!" as often as I'd hear critiques (friendly critiques) of my stroke etc. This coach took my workout as seriously as he did that of the faster swimmers. His enthusiasm and confidence were contagious.
I was disappointed when he had to back out of the masters' swimming coaching due to mounting school and work commitments, but his influence kept me at it and wanting to return to masters' swimming, so I joined another group and am back again... and again the slowest swimmer at the practice, but loving it!
With your experience, you'll be in the faster lanes soon and new people will be saying, "I'm not sure... that DV looks wicked fast... will I be able to fit in?" And you can tell them your story.
Glad you decided to go! Congrats on your courage!
I didn't get into serious swim practices until last year. I would sometimes just do plain lap swimming during running injury recoveries... even tried an open water mile a few years ago b/c I missed running in races and wanted to compete in something. Finished second to last and hadn't a clue about open water swimming or masters' practices or anything!
Last year, they announced a masters' group starting up, and I was curious, but like you I wondered if I would fit in. Figured everyone would be super-fast and that the workout would be mega-yards. I called the coach, fully expecting him to say that everyone would be highly competitive and much faster and I should hold off. But no, that excuse was taken from me. He was so friendly and positive, I thought Okay, I'll try it.
I came out of the water feeling all rubbery... wondered during the sets if I was going to end up draped over the lane ropes... had to ask what a pull buoy was. Was the slowest swimmer there. Still not fast... but what did the coach focus on? THAT I COMPLETED THE WORKOUT! He would encourage as well as push... I'd hear "good job!" as often as I'd hear critiques (friendly critiques) of my stroke etc. This coach took my workout as seriously as he did that of the faster swimmers. His enthusiasm and confidence were contagious.
I was disappointed when he had to back out of the masters' swimming coaching due to mounting school and work commitments, but his influence kept me at it and wanting to return to masters' swimming, so I joined another group and am back again... and again the slowest swimmer at the practice, but loving it!
With your experience, you'll be in the faster lanes soon and new people will be saying, "I'm not sure... that DV looks wicked fast... will I be able to fit in?" And you can tell them your story.
