I have noticed that some (many?) of you swimmers have the opportunity to train with age-group swimmers. How did you manage to arrange that?
I typically train early mornings (5:30, as soon as the pool opens). The local Masters club only trains in the evenings while I am still at work, so the majority of my sessions are solo, trained in the "public lanes". This works out fairly well; I am a fast enough swimmer that I usually end up with my own lane or sharing with other like-minded people. The problem is that, left to my own devices, my work-outs are all about the same. Same times, same strokes, same distance. I always go about 4000 to 4500 meters, one half swim, one quarter kick, one quarter pull. I do some sprints and tons of traditional short-rest interval training. Ho hummmmm...
It would be nice to periodically (or routinelly) swim with the age-group swimmers of my speed calibre, but I just cannot see how to arrange that without coming across as just plain kooky (and not in a good kooky way either) Maybe it is just the very traditional, old fashioned culture in this area that makes this difficult.
As an example: I once asked why the masters swimmers do not share swim meets with the age group swimmers more often to defray the costs of pool rental and increase the number of paying competitors. The major answer was that many parents do not want a bunch of "dirty old men" warming up in the same pool as their young impressionable daughters. This took me aback: at the time my daughter was a competitive swimmer and I just could not fathom that anyone could have such a dirty mind that they could imagine anything sexual happening in a crowded warm-up pool.
For the swimmers that have the opportunity to swim with age group teams: was this opportunity offered-up voluntarily by the club, or did you have to campaign the club to allow you to join as a master swimmer?
I moved to my area 3 years ago and started working out pretty much on my own with an occasional "coach" in the water. Then one day I started talking to one of the age group coaches and he invited me to join him. I did so soon after that and really enjoyed working hard with kids who were a lot younger. I was prorated in my payments as well since I was not swimming as often as they were. Sadly when a new coach came in he told me that I was "taking up lane space" (due to not paying as much). I have now joined a new team and am enjoying getting to know a whole new group of kids. Rarely does my age (38) come in to play with the kids and I am usually treated like one of them. But, being a female I don't get the "dirty old man" issue. I am the only adult on the team that practices in my pool so I don't know how they would feel about a male being there. Oh and I am now no long prorated so no one can tell me I'm taking up lane space any more :applaud:
As for doing it periodically, I don't know how many teams would go for that. I know my coach expects us to be there 4-5 mornings a week and the kids to do doubles (I have a 4 year old so he understand that I can't come in the afternoons). I'd ask the local team if you could join them but make sure you are ready to jump in fully, not half way.
I moved to my area 3 years ago and started working out pretty much on my own with an occasional "coach" in the water. Then one day I started talking to one of the age group coaches and he invited me to join him. I did so soon after that and really enjoyed working hard with kids who were a lot younger. I was prorated in my payments as well since I was not swimming as often as they were. Sadly when a new coach came in he told me that I was "taking up lane space" (due to not paying as much). I have now joined a new team and am enjoying getting to know a whole new group of kids. Rarely does my age (38) come in to play with the kids and I am usually treated like one of them. But, being a female I don't get the "dirty old man" issue. I am the only adult on the team that practices in my pool so I don't know how they would feel about a male being there. Oh and I am now no long prorated so no one can tell me I'm taking up lane space any more :applaud:
As for doing it periodically, I don't know how many teams would go for that. I know my coach expects us to be there 4-5 mornings a week and the kids to do doubles (I have a 4 year old so he understand that I can't come in the afternoons). I'd ask the local team if you could join them but make sure you are ready to jump in fully, not half way.