practicing with age group team?

Hey all, I know this has come up before but my searches didn't really return anything. I've been swimming with a masters team for a couple years now after a long break from swimming, I quit sophomore year of college after 10 years in the pool. I'm finally starting to get some speed back but feel that I need some more intense workouts to take it to the next step. The next step being to achieve some SCY top ten times and to place better at Nats. I think what I need is mainly more time in the pool and swimmers who are significantly faster than me to motivate me. The main event that I'd like to concentrate on is the 200 *** but on the side I'd like to improve my 100 and the 500+ Frees. I could probably have a decent 400 IM too. But all of these require some significant time in the pool as compared to 50s and 100s. I love my masters team and will continue to swim and compete with them but am hoping to practice with an age group team a few times a week to augment this. Has anyone done specifically this before? How have you found the coaches, kids, and parents to be with a 30-something swimming with a bunch of teenagers? And how do most elite age group teams train these days? I'm hoping for 2 1/2 hour workouts in the 10k range (yeah, I know). I'm going to email a few coaches and see what they say. And I'm bugging some of my coach friends but I wanted to get some opinions from other masters swimmers too. Thanks for any tips.
Parents
  • Justin, I moved across the country and found that I wasn't getting enough time in the pool with the local masters team so I asked the age group coach if I could join them. It has been a year now and I love it. I practice with their senior program for 90 min a practice on weekdays and 2 hours on Sat. They have a higher level practice but it's invite only and I haven't been invited. Those kids do 3 hours a day and 3 hours on Sat. I love the kids I swim with. They keep me young feeling (I'm 36). The parents don't seem to mind and some welcome it since I can be a "friendly" influence on their kids. The coaches have been super in supporting me and my goals. They let me taper when I need to and work harder on certain days when needed, too. The team has been so good that I went to their ack to swim picnic this weekend. I'm a part of them! I highly recommend getting in with an age group team if you need more than what you are getting. Good luck. Alison
Reply
  • Justin, I moved across the country and found that I wasn't getting enough time in the pool with the local masters team so I asked the age group coach if I could join them. It has been a year now and I love it. I practice with their senior program for 90 min a practice on weekdays and 2 hours on Sat. They have a higher level practice but it's invite only and I haven't been invited. Those kids do 3 hours a day and 3 hours on Sat. I love the kids I swim with. They keep me young feeling (I'm 36). The parents don't seem to mind and some welcome it since I can be a "friendly" influence on their kids. The coaches have been super in supporting me and my goals. They let me taper when I need to and work harder on certain days when needed, too. The team has been so good that I went to their ack to swim picnic this weekend. I'm a part of them! I highly recommend getting in with an age group team if you need more than what you are getting. Good luck. Alison
Children
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