I know that you're there... and you have something to say.
Lets' hear it.
But seriously. Do Fitness and Lap Swimmers really read this Forum?
I wish they did, but I doubt they see the potential.
Fitness and Lap Swimmers, I'm a masters swim coach.
I watch your lanes - oh maybe 15-20% of the time I coach the masters lanes.
I see those of you lurking on the side lanes listening to the sets - and to the stroke instruction...
Watching swimmers underwater for stroke demonstrations.
Its' ok - and a really good thing.
A decent masters swim coach knows how to recruit right out of those lap swimming lanes.
Ahelee
P.S. I loved reading the thread, "As an outsider to harcore swimming..."
Finally some swimmers after my own heart.
Except that I like to recruit lap swimmers to our program!
Former Member
And is this restricted to just lap swimmers or can those of us who swim lengths participate. Oh wait.......:bolt:
Wugh. My mind is going. I can feel it, Dave.
But your flip turns make up for it!
:lmao:
No doubt. But have you ever seen someone so excited at executing a flip turn that slowed them down! :groovy:
I'm one of those "spies" one lane over. I've held myself under lane lines so frequently watching people do flip turns that I'm surprised no one has served me with a restraining order.
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.
I don't think there's a difference. I consider myself someone who swims for fitness, yet is a USMS member. I keep my membership to help support the organization, and get the nifty GTD certificates.
Hmm, cool but what are nifty GTD certificates? Maybe a stupid question ... but I have no idea!
... anyway, I think anyone who swims wants to swim well, and achieve a goal or they would not be there. This forum can help reach goals, and shares excellent advice strategies across the gamut of needs. So, maybe there isn't a difference generally, just varying expectations.
GTD = GO THE DISTANCE!!
Check it out. Pretty amazing program. Very well run and supported.
Probably one of the best programs for our Fitness Lap Swimmers!
www.usms.org/.../gothedistance
My mother and I are examples of some of the different types of members of USMS. I mainly enjoy meets and competition. As a young woman, my mother did compete in meets and open water swims. All along, however, she did not enjoy competition. She said it made her anxious and took the fun of swimming away from her.
My mother has been swimming twice a week with a masters group for over ten years and has no desire to do a meet. She derives a good bit of joy in getting individual instruction from the coaches and trying to perfect her strokes. Also, she enjoys the sense of accomplishment from completing a challenging workout.
Despite the fact she did meets and competition in her youth, she does not remember her places or times. What she does remember, however, is the day she decided to swim the distance across the English Channel non-stop at the pool where she lifeguarded. She got a friend to count and did indeed swim the distance and did it without goggles!
This is the perfect thread for my mother. I will encourage her to post here.
I have a lot of respect for the pure "lap swimmers" out there. The kind that can knock out 3000 or 4000 yards non stop. The kind that put on a swim snorkel and don't come up again until they are through.
I am the kind of swimmer that can max out about 1500 of straight lap swimming (and I have to be really "in the zone" to do that). The swim coach was invinted for people like me, that would not get much more than 1/2 hour per day if someone was not pushing us to do more.
I'm a fitness lap swimmer but not a member of masters. I would join and possible even attend a meet here and there, but the 2 teams in my area have either very early or very late/too far away practices. I already have 2 kids that swim 5-6 nights a week, I really don't need to be adding my stuff to our crazy schedule. If I can go to the pool in the morning and knock out 2 miles a couple of times a week I'm happy.I mainly come to this board because there is a wealth of info from technique to equipment to nutrition and so on.
We all swim to improve and maintain our level of fitness. Some of us also choose to compete for a variety of reasons. Knowing that I have an upcoming meet helps motivate me to get out of bed at 4:30 in the morning and put forth some effort in the pool.
I don't think there's a difference. I consider myself someone who swims for fitness, yet is a USMS member. I keep my membership to help support the organization, and get the nifty GTD certificates.
Hmm, cool but what are nifty GTD certificates? Maybe a stupid question ... but I have no idea!
... anyway, I think anyone who swims wants to swim well, and achieve a goal or they would not be there. This forum can help reach goals, and shares excellent advice strategies across the gamut of needs. So, maybe there isn't a difference generally, just varying expectations.
