Group or alone?

I’ve always swam (practiced) alone. Group swims do not appeal to me at all. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. You got the right idea, decide what is most important to you and then choose... or do both. If social interaction, varied workouts, and constant availability of a coach were important to me I’d definitely go with groups. But what is more important to me is having my own lane and the time flexibility thing. I also prefer to do the same thing for weeks and months at a time (I never get bored ‘cause swimming is my #1 meditation), and I hate using props (boards, buoys, paddles, etc.). Dropping my times, or improving my performance at meets is not a big priority for me, if they were I’d definitely go with coached sessions. Another big reason I like to swim alone is that I abhor collisions, and I am more easily prone to injury because of a severe arthritic condition. Another factor is simply a matter of cost (at my current facility my costs would double if I swam with the coached masters group). I also fear that the swim harder with a group thing would be to my detriment as I tend to be pretty competitive and I’d probably blow out my shoulders trying to keep up the normal healthy people. If your current club coach does no technique work (or sprint work too for that matter), then find another coach/club. It is ALL about technique. With out at least some emphasis on technique you are totally wasting your time IMHO. Forget where you are in the pecking order. I’m pretty confident the vast majority of your swim mates could care less, and if you apply yourself you will not be the slowest for long. As long as you feel better you are doing the right thing. I’m a bit confused by “Better times (probably), but no flexibility”. I’m guessing you mean better time slots for workouts at the pool, but less flexibility in the time slots... as opposed to better event times and less flexibility in your body. But in regards to the latter I’ve found that great suppleness in your body is a fantastic asset to swimming. This has become even more apparent to me as I’ve dialed up my butterfly practice. Have fun!

I’ve always swam (practiced) alone. Group swims do not appeal to me at all. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. You got the right idea, decide what is most important to you and then choose... or do both. If social interaction, varied workouts, and constant availability of a coach were important to me I’d definitely go with groups. But what is more important to me is having my own lane and the time flexibility thing. I also prefer to do the same thing for weeks and months at a time (I never get bored ‘cause swimming is my #1 meditation), and I hate using props (boards, buoys, paddles, etc.). Dropping my times, or improving my performance at meets is not a big priority for me, if they were I’d definitely go with coached sessions. Another big reason I like to swim alone is that I abhor collisions, and I am more easily prone to injury because of a severe arthritic condition. Another factor is simply a matter of cost (at my current facility my costs would double if I swam with the coached masters group). I also fear that the swim harder with a group thing would be to my detriment as I tend to be pretty competitive and I’d probably blow out my shoulders trying to keep up the normal healthy people. If your current club coach does no technique work (or sprint work too for that matter), then find another coach/club. It is ALL about technique. With out at least some emphasis on technique you are totally wasting your time IMHO. Forget where you are in the pecking order. I’m pretty confident the vast majority of your swim mates could care less, and if you apply yourself you will not be the slowest for long. As long as you feel better you are doing the right thing. I’m a bit confused by “Better times (probably), but no flexibility”. I’m guessing you mean better time slots for workouts at the pool, but less flexibility in the time slots... as opposed to better event times and less flexibility in your body. But in regards to the latter I’ve found that great suppleness in your body is a fantastic asset to swimming. This has become even more apparent to me as I’ve dialed up my butterfly practice. Have fun!