i swim in the medium to slower lanes at a very competitive masters team workouts in san diego, and am usually asked to slide down to slower lanes when the equal ability swimmers (vs triathletes) show up.
the funny thing is most of these swimmers use a pull bouy or fins for the WHOLE workout. i think it's a ego thing in la-la land.
i would like to swim with people who can push me harder, instead of down in the last slowest lane. should i just chalk it up to normal swimmers protocal? or find another team? :confused:
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Former Member
If you truly belong in the slowest lane, work to become the lane leader. All the time, every set, without equipment, unless equipment is specified. Once you can do this, you are already in better shape then the guy in the next faster lane that never leads a set and is always using equipment.
Move up for a set, then move back. If you know the workout in advance, you can pick a set you know you will do well at, kill yourself doing a great job, then move back down and recover.
Cut kick sets short. If you are doing kick sets without fins and everyone else is using fins, then move down, do the kick set until everyone else is done, and move back up. When you are bouncing around lanes, you do the set the lane you are moving to is on. You might end up repeating and missing different parts of the work out, but who cares, you are getting a better workout that is going to make you faster.
Push the intervals in your lane. If you are doing 100s on 2:00, start doing them on 1:50, then 1:45, then 1:40, then you will likely get kicked out of the lane up to a faster lane.
I believe I have used most of those strategies in my swimming career, and I can promise you, I was never the most popular swimmer on the team, ever. But I always got faster.
Wonderful tips! I will try some of these myself! Thanks.
I myself continually struggle with this problem, as I am continually trying to move to the next faster lane. I refuse, however, to use equipment to do so. I've been able to get faster and so far I've been able to move up 3 or 4 times.
I say go with the flow for now, and try to get faster (as qbrain suggest) on your own abilities (versus getting help from the equipment). You'll be much better off in the end.
If you truly belong in the slowest lane, work to become the lane leader. All the time, every set, without equipment, unless equipment is specified. Once you can do this, you are already in better shape then the guy in the next faster lane that never leads a set and is always using equipment.
Move up for a set, then move back. If you know the workout in advance, you can pick a set you know you will do well at, kill yourself doing a great job, then move back down and recover.
Cut kick sets short. If you are doing kick sets without fins and everyone else is using fins, then move down, do the kick set until everyone else is done, and move back up. When you are bouncing around lanes, you do the set the lane you are moving to is on. You might end up repeating and missing different parts of the work out, but who cares, you are getting a better workout that is going to make you faster.
Push the intervals in your lane. If you are doing 100s on 2:00, start doing them on 1:50, then 1:45, then 1:40, then you will likely get kicked out of the lane up to a faster lane.
I believe I have used most of those strategies in my swimming career, and I can promise you, I was never the most popular swimmer on the team, ever. But I always got faster.
Wonderful tips! I will try some of these myself! Thanks.
I myself continually struggle with this problem, as I am continually trying to move to the next faster lane. I refuse, however, to use equipment to do so. I've been able to get faster and so far I've been able to move up 3 or 4 times.
I say go with the flow for now, and try to get faster (as qbrain suggest) on your own abilities (versus getting help from the equipment). You'll be much better off in the end.
