I'm new here, but I thought about this question the other day, and figured this was as good a place to post it as any, so here it goes:
Which do you prefer (and why), given the following scenario?
In lane N, you can pretty much lead all of the sets and "set the pace" for the lane in the workouts with your masters club. Are you more likely to stay in this lane or try to move to the next lane (N-1 in my pool), and try to "hang on" there at the end of the lane?
I'm sort of looking at this right now -- I can pretty much lead my lane, but I have been trying hard to work up the nerve to jump into lane 1 in my pool. I think the difference is that most of the Lane 2 types like me were last really competitive in high school, whereas the Lane 1 types are mostly former collegiate swimmers (one of them is actually going to China for American Samoa, I think). I swam a little in college, but only on my own. I'm back in it now after more than 15 years, and I'm starting to make some progress...
Discuss!
Twosox
Moving up a lane is always a difficult choice. If it was up to me I'd still be in the Medium lane every day. But the coach won't let me. Luckily in our workouts most of the time we have two fast lanes and I try to head to the slower one. I can make the intervals in the faster lane but I'm just more comfortable with the little bit of extra rest.
Now as for you wanting to lead due to butterfly I feel you pain but sorry that is a poor excuse. Suck it up and do some one arm butterfly when someone is passing the other way.
If you are in the slower lane and you are catching up to the last person in your lane or the distance between you and the 2nd person is pretty large on consistent basis it's time to move up. Just as long as you can do the the intervals without sitting out part of the workout to get rest. You won't be doing yourself any favors if you do that.
And you can always slowly move up the lane. If one night the turnout is lower in the fast lane move on up for the night. You can always move back for the next workout or for those workouts you want to do more fly.
Moving up a lane is always a difficult choice. If it was up to me I'd still be in the Medium lane every day. But the coach won't let me. Luckily in our workouts most of the time we have two fast lanes and I try to head to the slower one. I can make the intervals in the faster lane but I'm just more comfortable with the little bit of extra rest.
Now as for you wanting to lead due to butterfly I feel you pain but sorry that is a poor excuse. Suck it up and do some one arm butterfly when someone is passing the other way.
If you are in the slower lane and you are catching up to the last person in your lane or the distance between you and the 2nd person is pretty large on consistent basis it's time to move up. Just as long as you can do the the intervals without sitting out part of the workout to get rest. You won't be doing yourself any favors if you do that.
And you can always slowly move up the lane. If one night the turnout is lower in the fast lane move on up for the night. You can always move back for the next workout or for those workouts you want to do more fly.
