Fitness and Lap Swimmers - You out there?

My larger point is that the line between competitive and "fitness" swimming (I don't really like that label) is sometimes blurred, particularly when it comes to what workouts are suitable for which group. My point being that Chris nails it...whether you "compete" or not the best way to improve ones fitness level is to particpate in workouts that vary your routine, up the intensity and ideally offer feedback on improving technique. Fresh air! But look who is pointing this out - two really fast national record holder competitive meet swimmers. Unfortunately, there is a large group of Masters swimmers who do not feel this way - and because you (or I for that matter) am "fast" and do meets, that I don't understand their needs. How do we change this mentality and remove the distrust of "fast" swimmers? People clearly want to get better (as Ahelee pointed out - people listening over lanes)...

Wait, i'm confused ... are we talking USMS members who consider themselves lap/fitness swimmers, or just any lap swimmer. I think there might be a difference there, maybe. And is this restricted to just lap swimmers or can those of us who swim lengths participate. Oh wait.......:bolt:

But look who is pointing this out - two really fast national record holder competitive meet swimmers. Unfortunately, there is a large group of Masters swimmers who do not feel this way - and because you (or I for that matter) am "fast" and do meets, that I don't understand their needs. How do we change this mentality and remove the distrust of "fast" swimmers? Well, if anyone distrusts me then I'm not sure there is anything I can do to change the mentality. Simply saying "trust me" won't work. But isn't it fairly significant that this "national record holder competitive meet swimmer" does almost the exact same workouts as the "non-competitive fitness swimmers" in our group? I'll admit that I do the sets at faster intervals and paces, and I do more butterfly and underwater work.

I'm a fitness and lap swimmer! I'm also a Masters swimmer! I do the infrequent OW competition swim as a way to see the sights, and maybe have a chance at a medal if nobody else in my age group shows up, LOL. (Are you looking for non-Masters-enrolled swimmers reading a Masters forum? There are some here; and there is also a longish thread, "Why should I join USMS?" It's all self-selecting in any case.) Here's one thread (there's at least one other): forums.usms.org/showthread.php Another: "I thought about joining but couldn't come up with a good reason why I should": forums.usms.org/showthread.php Regards, VB :coffee:

I maybe do one meet a year, and swim on my own because the Master's practice times are not the best times for me. So I guess I am more fitness than competitive. The coach has asked me to pop in anytime I want, so maybe one of these days, schedule permitting, I will! I find great benefit to getting coaching, just not a great benefit to being restricted to a particular time to swim! That said, it is after 5am, gotta pack my lunch and hit the road to go swim and it is negative temps out, brrrrrr.

I am a fitness swimmer and read when I'm able--at least the threads that interest or humor me. I have no desire to compete, but gain a wealth of knowledge from this board. I get social satisfaction each morning from the other swimmers I see during the week, I get my workouts from this board or from my own imagination, and get inner satisfaction from the GTD challenge. Sure, it may be fun to swim with a team, but none meet at 7:00 am near my home. And that's okay, especially on those mornings when I am barely able to squeak out a 2000 and just want to run and hide in the warm shower and crawl home.

HEY - I'm so stoked... swimmers actually responded to my thread in the forum! I posted this thread for a few reasons. #1 - Are there USMS swimmers who swim in the lap swim lanes when there is a masters team training in their home town or even their aquatic center? And why do they choose to go it alone? #2 - We know there lap swimmers training on their own, who are not USMS members. Are they reading this forum? Do they even know about it? #3 - Are masters coaches and swimmers scouring the lap swim lanes looking for potential new members and team mates? Do these US Masters representatives know how to "pitch masters swimming"? #4 - Do the masters teams have at least one coach on staff who is patient enough and enthusiastic about coaching novice swimmers? #5 - The SPMA Registrar pointed out to me recently that "UNATTACHED" is often one of the largest teams entered in swim meets. Do these unattached swimmers know about this Discussion Forum as one of the best resources for coaching, swim practices, and various swim advice? When I used to work for Swimmer Magazine and various other sports publications, all the big swim companies were my clients. These companies were pretty confident that they had us sold (the hardcore training swimmers) already. What they were most interested in, was how to reach all the elusive Fitness & Lap Swimmers! As publishers, we had all the stats. We knew (do you know?) that swimming is the #2 sport in the nation next to walking. But the fitness and lap swimmers are next to invisible because they are swimming in public & private lap-swim lanes, back yard & community pools - and buying their swim suits at generic Big 5 type sporting goods. They are not members of USMS, yet. At the moment, our USMS numbers are relatively puny when one considers the huge numbers of adult fitness swimmers in the USA. Looks like we have an opportunity to help make that change with our new Exec. Dir. and USMS committees newly energized. I'm always on the watch for a potential new USMS member - no matter how fast or novice. I do especially like and appreciate the fast ones... But how am I going to help change the look of America (and my own NOVA team) if I don't keep an eye out for and recruit adults who need us even more than they know? Swimming like we do is a real priviledge. I'm pretty sure we are meant to share the "health". Thanks for writing on the thread. Ahelee

I was a competitive club swimmer in high school. Now I am what has been more or less deemed a fitness lap swimmer that swims OW events to challenge myself. I picked up the USMS membership to do the Big Shoulders this year, and I am enjoying the benefits. I thought about doing a couple of meets late this fall, but did not. Couldn't say why. Ironically, I hated swimming anything over a 200 in high school because I lacked the ability to pace myself. As an adult, I re-entered the pool primarily to workout and soothe the mind as much as the body so I prefer longer distances often swimming 3-5K straight in the workout as opposed to swimming sets. Looking at this and the other thread (and the OWS forum, for that matter), it seems the USMS meet swimmers tend to be the more extraverted bunch who join teams for social and competitive reasons, while the lap/rec/ow swimmers tend to be introverted at best and oddballs otherwise. Even though, I use the old "practice times vs. my schedule" as an excuse for not joining a team, it probably has more to do with my using swimming for that hour or two of solitude a day I need. Either way, I say more power to all of you. In my pool, I get discouraged if it's empty too often. Pools are way too expensive to support for few users. So everyone jump in, and we all get to swim for whatever reason.:drink:

" Even though, I use the old "practice times vs. my schedule" as an excuse for not joining a team, it probably has more to do with my using swimming for that hour or two of solitude a day I need. Either way, I say more power to all of you. In my pool, I get discouraged if it's empty too often. Pools are way too expensive to support for few users. So everyone jump in, and we all get to swim for whatever reason.":drink: Cheers David! I totally get the need for solitude. Sometimes in practice, I just swim hard, keep my dark googles on and then I can't talk between swims! If I wasn't a swim coach now, I think I would enjoy being the aquatic facilities director. I hate to see an empty or very lightly populated pool! I'd book the heck out of the pool schedule with everything I could think of to do in the water - and there tons of activities to do splashing around.

Hey Ashlee, I was a dedicated lap swimmer for about a year before I heard about Master's Swimming. Up until then, I didn't even know it existed. Once I found out about it, I assumed Master's Swimming would be all ex-olympians trying to relive their glory days. Thankfully, I was only 30% right about that (Joke! Please don't hurt me Fortress! Please! Ouch!! Ouch!! OK, OK, Ouch!!). My USMS team is the best thing that ever happened to my lap swimming. The social aspect makes it about ten times more fun, I swim harder trying to keep up, and there is always something new to learn from the coach. Now when my schedule has me swimming laps away from my team, after the person next to me is done asking about my Swimp3 player, I always ask: 'Have you ever tried master's Swimming?'.