Forgive me if this topic has been raised before, but here goes:
I was jogging around my favorite urban lake yesterday thinking about swimming (of course), and I decided that one thing I'd like to do before the end of the year is actually compete in a real live swim meet.
I don't have regular access to an organized swim program because of my work schedule, but I'll happily take any advice on how to train. Currently I'm about 20 lbs. overweight, but I jog regularly and swim about 3 - 4 times a week. Thus far, all my swimming has been for the fun of it.
Any ideas on how I should actually train for a competition? What kind of workout regimen, schedule, etc.?
Now, I know that Masters swimmers are great, wonderful, supportive and not at all hostile to those of us who are complete novices. However, I would like to make a decent showing, even if I finish last in whatever events I swim. (Also, I don't know what meets are coming up at the end of the year, so if anyone has any clue on competitions in the Seattle area, that'd be swell.)
I came up with the idea because I'm training for a 5K road race at the end of July, and asked myself why I "compete" in a sport I only marginally like, while I don't do the same in swimming, which I consider just about the most fun you can have with your clothes on. So to speak.
Thanks!
Adam
Parents
Former Member
"I would like to make a decent showing, even if I finish last in whatever events I swim"...
That's the right attitude going in...The great thing about Masters is your heats are grouped by time, not by age (in most meets) so you will be in close company in most of your events.
I'm a relative new-comer myself. After a 20+ year hiatus from swimming I got back in ambitiously 3 years ago. In my first 6 months of training I had no structure to my workouts and no real gameplan. I was just putting in yardage, but I felt that I was ready to give competition a try. I was very (very) pleased with my times and the overall Masters experience provided me with a boost to go further.
Regardless of how it goes, If you view your first meet simply as a benchmark from which to build on you will get the most out of it. Set yourself up to succeed in that first meet and allow a little leeway in your seed times. Your second meet will provide you with better feedback and so on...
I guess after all that, I'm just echoing what Rob said..."focus more on having a good time rather than on having good times."
There will be plenty of opportunities to place high expectations on future meets. (My 2nd meet, a month later, was Y Nats! ).
"I would like to make a decent showing, even if I finish last in whatever events I swim"...
That's the right attitude going in...The great thing about Masters is your heats are grouped by time, not by age (in most meets) so you will be in close company in most of your events.
I'm a relative new-comer myself. After a 20+ year hiatus from swimming I got back in ambitiously 3 years ago. In my first 6 months of training I had no structure to my workouts and no real gameplan. I was just putting in yardage, but I felt that I was ready to give competition a try. I was very (very) pleased with my times and the overall Masters experience provided me with a boost to go further.
Regardless of how it goes, If you view your first meet simply as a benchmark from which to build on you will get the most out of it. Set yourself up to succeed in that first meet and allow a little leeway in your seed times. Your second meet will provide you with better feedback and so on...
I guess after all that, I'm just echoing what Rob said..."focus more on having a good time rather than on having good times."
There will be plenty of opportunities to place high expectations on future meets. (My 2nd meet, a month later, was Y Nats! ).
