Since joining an new group, I have run into an old problem. What to do when the coach has a workout designed that is something that it outside your swimming goals?
We are focused on Backstroke this week. Since it is highly unlikely that I will ever compete in Satan's stroke in an individual event other than surviving 25 to 50 yards/meters on a 200 IM, but I intend to compete in *** stroke, is it wrong to opt out and swim breastroke?
I opted out and swam breaststroke, working drills where drills were written, kicking where kicking was planned, and hammering the sprints when it was time to sprint.
Since I have aged up four brackets and will now compete in the 50-54 bracket, there are probably a finite number of swims that I have. I would rather focus on breaststroke where I am motivated and don't mind chasing the backstroke intervals.
Thoughts?
Don
I started the thread as we were into a week of backstroke drills. I last swam a competitive 100 backstroke about the same year my current masters coach was born. I have not felt the need or desire to swim backstroke other than in an IM since. Swimming back drills is not likely to improve my *** stroke or my fly, the events that I will swim.
The majority of my swimming career there were posted work outs. Not only were they posted, but at least half of the time they were split into training groups (sprinters, stroke, mid-distance, distance) with specific sets for each training group. The coach had copies of each and would watch specific sets in specific lanes, offering advice and encouragement as needed. We knew what came next, and which sets we were expected to hit the hardest.
Now it seems that we are to be kept in the dark and not allowed to know what the next set will be. Some of us have been swimming a sufficient period of time to know that we would probably get more from a set of 3 x 200 stroke descend than a surprise timed 1000 free.
I would like coaches to realize that we are not all either IMers or there to swim free. Some of us are there to focus on training a particular stroke.
I do enjoy working out in a group, with some one else pushing, keeping us honest on the intervals and to offer critique and encouragement. I enjoy chasing backstrokers on stroke sets.
Just want to have the chance to work on what I know I need to work on.
Right, but part of the trade off of having the group is sometimes doing what you don't want to do because it is important to the other people in your group. I hate IM sets, and yeah sometimes I whine about them (though I am getting better at not doing that), but I would never say we should not do them--what about the IMers? I would rather put pins in my eyes than race a 4IM, but some of my besties are 4IMers, so I try to think of them as I suffer through.
Masters seems to have fewer coaches and fewer lanes per swimmer than age group or college teams, so you can't have all your training groups broken out. Oh well. Do your best. And if you need some extra breastroke, swim alone or talk to your coaches about doing more stroke choice sets.
That rant off my chest, what you choose to do when you don't like a set seems like it is a question of team atmosphere as much as anything else. Some teams are okay with people going nuts and doing whatever as long as people who want to swim the set as assigned are not impeded; others have a culture where barring injury you are expected to do the set as it is given or get out and be mocked by your teammates for wussiness. I've swam with both kinds, but I do swim on and prefer the latter. I like that everyone gets to have a set they are good at sometimes and get to watch people who cream them suffer. Every fly set we have, I get to remind myself it is hurting the nonflyers so much more. And then IM comes and I go at the end and someone else gets to feel awesome. To me, that is team in a way I really enjoy.
And lately we've been getting to split into distance and sprint once a week--because we asked. We showed we respected our coaches and their training and so they listened and now, instead of making up things to fit around the sets, we get the workouts we want. To me that is the better option. But if not, I could always swim on another team or alone.
I started the thread as we were into a week of backstroke drills. I last swam a competitive 100 backstroke about the same year my current masters coach was born. I have not felt the need or desire to swim backstroke other than in an IM since. Swimming back drills is not likely to improve my *** stroke or my fly, the events that I will swim.
The majority of my swimming career there were posted work outs. Not only were they posted, but at least half of the time they were split into training groups (sprinters, stroke, mid-distance, distance) with specific sets for each training group. The coach had copies of each and would watch specific sets in specific lanes, offering advice and encouragement as needed. We knew what came next, and which sets we were expected to hit the hardest.
Now it seems that we are to be kept in the dark and not allowed to know what the next set will be. Some of us have been swimming a sufficient period of time to know that we would probably get more from a set of 3 x 200 stroke descend than a surprise timed 1000 free.
I would like coaches to realize that we are not all either IMers or there to swim free. Some of us are there to focus on training a particular stroke.
I do enjoy working out in a group, with some one else pushing, keeping us honest on the intervals and to offer critique and encouragement. I enjoy chasing backstrokers on stroke sets.
Just want to have the chance to work on what I know I need to work on.
Right, but part of the trade off of having the group is sometimes doing what you don't want to do because it is important to the other people in your group. I hate IM sets, and yeah sometimes I whine about them (though I am getting better at not doing that), but I would never say we should not do them--what about the IMers? I would rather put pins in my eyes than race a 4IM, but some of my besties are 4IMers, so I try to think of them as I suffer through.
Masters seems to have fewer coaches and fewer lanes per swimmer than age group or college teams, so you can't have all your training groups broken out. Oh well. Do your best. And if you need some extra breastroke, swim alone or talk to your coaches about doing more stroke choice sets.
That rant off my chest, what you choose to do when you don't like a set seems like it is a question of team atmosphere as much as anything else. Some teams are okay with people going nuts and doing whatever as long as people who want to swim the set as assigned are not impeded; others have a culture where barring injury you are expected to do the set as it is given or get out and be mocked by your teammates for wussiness. I've swam with both kinds, but I do swim on and prefer the latter. I like that everyone gets to have a set they are good at sometimes and get to watch people who cream them suffer. Every fly set we have, I get to remind myself it is hurting the nonflyers so much more. And then IM comes and I go at the end and someone else gets to feel awesome. To me, that is team in a way I really enjoy.
And lately we've been getting to split into distance and sprint once a week--because we asked. We showed we respected our coaches and their training and so they listened and now, instead of making up things to fit around the sets, we get the workouts we want. To me that is the better option. But if not, I could always swim on another team or alone.
