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:
For one, I feel like if you aren't interested in doing the workout, you should swim alone. Why are you taking up precious space if you are just going to ignore the sets and coaching?
I think you're absolutely right. My standard has always been that the workout, as written, is the focus. If you want to modify that workout in any way, it's your job to stay out of the way of people who are doing the workout, as written.
We're adults, and have lots of different issues and restrictions in the pool.
Going back to my example set... 20 x 100 on some sendoff. If the set it swim, and you're doing it pull, I don't have a big problem with that. If you put in fins, I don't have a big problem with that if you're matching the speed/pace of the lane.
If, for example, it's a set of 200 IMs... if you decide you don't like IMs, and you do them all freestyle, then it's your job to 100% stay out of the way of the people doing the set correctly. If you can lead the lane, and there are few enough people so you're not lapping, then fine. The problem with "free instead of IM" is that the IM is a highly variable speed swim, especially on the breaststroke. So the freestyler tends to either lap people or otherwise get in the way. In a long course lane, you might have more space to get away with this.
But in the end... the set, as written, gets priority. If you're doing a modification, it's up to you to stay out of our way.
(All personal pronouns are of course not directed at anyone in particular.)
-Rick
For one, I feel like if you aren't interested in doing the workout, you should swim alone. Why are you taking up precious space if you are just going to ignore the sets and coaching?
I think you're absolutely right. My standard has always been that the workout, as written, is the focus. If you want to modify that workout in any way, it's your job to stay out of the way of people who are doing the workout, as written.
We're adults, and have lots of different issues and restrictions in the pool.
Going back to my example set... 20 x 100 on some sendoff. If the set it swim, and you're doing it pull, I don't have a big problem with that. If you put in fins, I don't have a big problem with that if you're matching the speed/pace of the lane.
If, for example, it's a set of 200 IMs... if you decide you don't like IMs, and you do them all freestyle, then it's your job to 100% stay out of the way of the people doing the set correctly. If you can lead the lane, and there are few enough people so you're not lapping, then fine. The problem with "free instead of IM" is that the IM is a highly variable speed swim, especially on the breaststroke. So the freestyler tends to either lap people or otherwise get in the way. In a long course lane, you might have more space to get away with this.
But in the end... the set, as written, gets priority. If you're doing a modification, it's up to you to stay out of our way.
(All personal pronouns are of course not directed at anyone in particular.)
-Rick
