Are there masters swimmers "cheating" at practice?
Like:
Leaving early?
One handed touches on ***/fly?
Using pull buoys?
Kicking whatever they want despite what the workout says?
Swimming free on designated "stroke" sets?
Just wondering. I'm heard some grumbling about the leaving early stuff.
Oh, I thought this was about another kind of cheating.
I think Ande wrote about this kind of cheating before...something about eager beaver, early leaver. If you cheat in practice you are only hurting yourself IMHO.
I think you are all wrong to regard such behaviour as 'cheating'.
Instead it should be viewed as adapting the circumstances to suit the needs of the individual.
Isn't that a far more sensible, mature approach, indicative of masters swimming?
Certainly that's why I always get in half way through the warm-up and never swim breaststroke.
We had this new girl swimming at our workout. Wouldn't say a thing, wouldn't follow lane etiquette, went whenever she wanted, and like a typical butterflier had no patience for anybody doing breastroke. I snapped her picture to see if anyone knows her...
Since I'm usually in the "breakdown lane" by myself, I have a lot of flexibility about how I adapt sets, and as a slower, less experienced swimmer, I have to adapt to survive sometimes. ;) Still, I try for the spirit of the workout if not the letter: if, for instance, there's a set of 100 IM, I might aim to do every other one with butterfly (NOT pretty!!), while substituting freestyle on alternating sets. I admit I don't like IM sets b/c every swimming weakness I have is broadcast for everyone to see. :o But I figure that if I can become better at the different strokes, I am less at risk for the overuse problems of sticking to just freestyle. (I admit, though, when I work out during regular lap swims, it's just freestyle--in large part to avoid collisions.)
Before I came down with the flu (not practicing lately), I had the idea to ask the coaches in the different practices to help me with the butterfly so I won't look too pitiful doing it. Main feedback was that I was trying to kick and pull at the same time, and that I should focus on the hips... got a little hold on the movement, but still a struggle.
