Cheating at practice?

Early leavers drive me nuts!!! Especially in sets that are on a rest interval - RI - (like 50s with 10 sec RI, as opposed to 50s on the minutes for example). Since we often have many people in our narrow fitness center lanes, early leavers really cram everyone together. If you do one-handed touches for fly and *** at practice, it may or may not bite you at a meet. I try to always do 2-hand touch, but sometimes miss because I'm experimenting with how close I can cut it. But I think this is a minor infraction, because it's not going to bother your lanemates. As for my cheating, I do the following: - 1 arm or free for fly, especially at the end of practice (I've injured my shoulders too many times doing fly at the end of practice) - when kicking, I often toss in a length of *** kicking, regardless of the assigned stroke. This is out of respect for my lanemates... I'm trying to stay out of their way

Is it cheating if you make your workout up as you go?? And by doing so, I guess I never leave early. Getting to the pool at the time I wanted too is a whole different thread though!!!

I find on the rare times I go to coached workouts I have to force myself not to cheat.On my own I never cheat,but when I have a coach it's like I'm an age grouper again. One coach I really respect said"listen very closely to what the coach says,but then do what you think is right because YOU ARE A MASTERS SWIMMER."

The only one I do on this list is use a pull buoy, but I call that pulling, not cheating :) I try not to use pulling gear as a crutch, though, but as a legitimate part of the workout. What about one-arm fly when someone's coming the other direction? I do that, but I guess a true purist might just kick until the other swimmer is past. As one of my coaches used to point out, "It's masters swimming. You can do whatever you want." You're only going to get out what you put into a workout.

I was awimming with some age groupers, one girl was really complaining about a breathing set. I told her that since I was an adult, I could breath whenever I wanted to. The coach told me to swim in my own lane and mind my own business. I swam 25 yds breathing with every arm. Well, there's a reminder of what an even bigger cheater I am. I regularly cheat on breathing sets. I always do bilateral breathing. But if we have a long breath control sets and I'm too winded, I breathe. Not sure how much breath control stuff helps anyway as one of the latest threads revealed. I try not to breathe out of turns if I can. I usually breathe into them so I don't have to breathe out of them. I'm not above "turtling" a turn either, especially if I'm just warming up. As for one armed fly, I do that if I have to or do more SDKs. It's survival. I don't want to get killed by another flyer. If I stopped to kick, I'd lose all momentum. I guess my only redeeming non-cheating trait is not leaving early. I also try to coordinate with lanemates on "choice: stroke" sets so we don't run over each other and stay in the correct lane with people of fairly equivalent speed. It's masters, so anything goes and it's hard to think how a blanket workout wouldn't have to be adapted to the physical capabilities or injuries of different people. If you've got sore shoulders, you may have to skip or drill fly or skip the paddles. If you've got sore knees, avoid breaststroke. If you're training for sprints, you may have to opt out of some stuff like Ande does. I'd also rather think about technique or pacing than worrying about who's wearing fins or pull buoys or kicking the assigned kick stroke. We don't need police at practice too. That has got to be self-policed. So cheat away like any mature adult. :banana: In "cheating," perhaps you will make yourself a better swimmer by doing what is most suitable for you and adapt your workouts in the most helpful fashion. If you get DQ'd at a meet, no one to blame but yourself. I'll be sure to report my first DQ so everyone can laugh at me. Wait, I already have. I crawled out of the water on a 100 IM when I lost my goggles and was laughingly handed a DQ slip. At least it wasn't for a one handed touch.

Hey, fins are cheating; they have a wonderful purpose; they get your heartrate up, they strenthen your legs and they help to keep you more buoyant de-stressing shoulders!!! Donna Not clear whether you meant are or aren't, DB. I'm thinking you meant "aren't." But everyone seems to think I'm sorta cheating even when I don't kick much with the darn things. I'm OK with being a cheater. Cheatin's fun. Besides, I now take the liberty of making fun of people that use paddles. I wish I had a GP swimming in my lane like Cruise. That's an unfair advantage. I think it's cheating. Alternatively, I could order one of those custom made suits with the words "Frayed labrum alert: don't mess with me or risk BickerFest on it." Might be worth the investment. Are we allowed to speak of suits yet? ;) (I'm sure someone will say no ...)

Am I really the only goody-goody around here? I never "cheat," but I also never begrudge people who modify sets because of injury or personal goals (like when triathletes do an IM set freestyle). I think there must be others out there who follow their coaches' workouts exactly as assigned. And I hope no one yells at me for being honest about this. I know I am very blessed not to have injuries that prevent me from doing certain strokes and drills.

Am I really the only goody-goody around here? I never "cheat," but I also never begrudge people who modify sets because of injury or personal goals (like when triathletes do an IM set freestyle). I think there must be others out there who follow their coaches' workouts exactly as assigned. And I hope no one yells at me for being honest about this. I know I am very blessed not to have injuries that prevent me from doing certain strokes and drills. No, you're not being goody-goody. I think some of us are just joshing a bit. I try not to cheat, although I do one hand a lot of fly/*** turns. I think most modifications are due to injuries and rehab and whatnot. That effects everything you do and what equipment you can use. Some sinning might be just laziness (like my turns) or an off night for whatever reason. A good coach will usually have a lot of different intervals for different lanes. We tend to have days when we focus more on free and more on strokes. (So I tend to avoid Tuesday distance free practice.) Often, but not always, the "stroke" set is choice so people can choose their fav stroke and coordinate with their lanemates. I think the most important thing is to not begrudge people any necessary modifications and respect your lanesmates. You're doing that. It's courtesy, not goody-goody-ness. You have plenty of time to turn into a craggy, hoary, evil, sinning master when you get older and injured like some of us. :rofl: Meanwhile, enjoy your youth and swim in style.

Pulling on the lane line on backstroke? Guilty. I did it yesterday once or twice. posted by julieopl That is my favorite backstroke drill in fact...LOL! I also have been wearing paddles and fins togethr lately because I am so overweight, I feel like I'm sinking without these extra enhancements. Newmastersswimmer

I was awimming with some age groupers, one girl was really complaining about a breathing set. I told her that since I was an adult, I could breath whenever I wanted to. The coach told me to swim in my own lane and mind my own business. I swam 25 yds breathing with every arm.