I want to work on improving my swimming to hopefully do a triathlon. I am really a lousy swimmer. I'm always the slowest person in the pool. My endurance is fine from running etc., but my strokes/form are terrible.
Everyone says masters swimming programs are the best workouts, but I don't want to go near one because I would lag behind even the oldest, most out of shape members.
What should I do?
You'll never get faster if you don't try :)
I practice with an age group team. I am 39 they are teenagers. I am usually the slowest person in the practice. Yes, it's an ego bruise but I'm not there to compete against them. I'm there to get coaching, get in a good workout and enjoy myself. So go, have fun and get faster.
Hey ! Jump in wit us & maybe you will find triathletes that are in the same boat/pool. Most teams welcome new swimmers even if you are slow now , you will get much better.
Find a team in your area! I swam for years on my own, and I was nervous about joining a team. I am not fast either, but I have gotten better since swimming with the team. My team welcomes all levels of swimming ability. I have met the greatest people swimming on a team. Many teams will let you try out a few workouts to see how you like it.
Swimmy
President
Terrapin Masters Swim Club
www.terrapinmasters.org
I'm not sure why masters swimming has this concept of being elite swimmers, maybe the use of, "master," in the name. I get asked this quite a bit, and I thought the same thing too.
But I thought much of the same, that I wasn't good enough, and many other things. For my first masters workout, I did swim in the slowest lane, but within a month I was a few lanes over. Right now, I'm in one of the faster lanes with the group I swim with, and I couldn't imagine swimming this much on my own.
Today I was talking to a coach of more than likely, THE LARGEST masters swimming organization in the world.
He told me his favorite thing about swim coaching is working with brand new non-swimmers who stroll into their program.
After 30 years in the masters swimming business, this is the only thing that gives him a rush of love for the sport.
(and he was an Olympic swimmer!)
Take the plunge :)
I want to work on improving my swimming to hopefully do a triathlon. I am really a lousy swimmer. I'm always the slowest person in the pool. My endurance is fine from running etc., but my strokes/form are terrible.
Everyone says masters swimming programs are the best workouts, but I don't want to go near one because I would lag behind even the oldest, most out of shape members.
What should I do?
I started swimming again after twenty years off, and I've found that masters is in general a very laid back and welcoming environment. It is far different from swimming in college. Instead, you can compete at meets if you want, or just go for the exercise and to improve your technique. About a third of our team are training for triathlon events, a third go to meets and a third swim for exercise.
You may start out not being the fastest, but you will pick up improvements in technique quickly and you'll be rolling along in no time. Where you will find the biggest improvement in longer distance swim events like the triathlon is in efficiency, and you'll improve that rapidly with a structured practice on a team.
So go for it! Best of luck...
I feel like one of the faster people at the pool I usually swim at when I swim alone but when I join the masters group I try to work out with occassionally I am clearly one of the slowest there. No one cares. Everyone does what they can of the workout (I rarely finish the entire thing) without concerning themselves with who is faster or who finished first. We are all there for different reasons and although we swim the same workout and consider ourselves a group, we are still all swimming to meet our individual goals. Relax and don't worry about it, Masters Swimming is fun and a lot of people who are really fast now did not start out that way. Go try a practice and have a good time, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Go ahead and do it - you know you want to or you wouldn't have posted, no? And the best way not to get better at something is to not do it -OR the best way to get better at something is to do it..
So just do it already!
And like so many things - the first year is the best because you see such incredible improvement!
Have fun on your masters team!
