OK, I'm a Dinosaur. I actually like sets like 10x100 on the same interval all the way through.
Why do all of the sets have to have some kind of break in stride or change in interval or undefined purpose today? I have been swimming in Masters long enough to know that our bread is buttered by the fitness swimmers and their singular lack of desire to compete. But do the coaches believe that we are all ADD enough not to be able to complete one set on one interval ? Or do we as swimmers really pose such a dilemma that the coaches do the very worst thing possible - try to make every one happy. The ultimate result of that is to make virtually no one happy.
If you are giving a set to your swimmers, can you tell them what it (the set) should accomplish for them? What they should get out of it? If you simply gave the same set oveer and over again every day, it would become boring, of course. But it would also become a benchmark to which each swimmer could chart his or her progress. A desireable outcome by any standard, I would venture.
I fully realise that the Masters coach is handed a bewildering array of talent and motivation with his swimmers, but you, as a coach, do not have to confuse, bewilder or befuddle your swimmers with meaningless or useless sets. Keep them simple and straghtforward, with one defining mission per set. There is nothing surer to get me to go home as a (competitive) swimmer than a set with multiple intervals and distances, changing intensity and changing strokes. And don't deny that you give such sets. Many coaches thrive on designing sets that are like circuit training in the water. I would go on and on, but I have to get up early to find out what new torture my coach has in store. Take it away, folks.
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I agree, Michael, with your sentiment and creating benchmarks for yourself. I have recently tried swimming at a team in So Cal that is making no sense to me. A large fee to swim there and workouts are all over the place with no coherence among teammates. I suppose my biggest gripe is that though I have been there for over a month, the coach keeps assigning me to the slower lanes (ex: 5 x 200yds free on 3:30) when I usually hold 3:00 intervals. I have had to be proactive about what lane I should be in at every workout in order to actually get a workout. I think he has no idea what my capabilities or really cares for that matter. He also likes to do things three and four times through. A real nice guy, but I am confused most of the time. Anyway, I like your ideas. I think I will swim on my own on Monday and do a set of 10 x 100's. Thanks!
I agree, Michael, with your sentiment and creating benchmarks for yourself. I have recently tried swimming at a team in So Cal that is making no sense to me. A large fee to swim there and workouts are all over the place with no coherence among teammates. I suppose my biggest gripe is that though I have been there for over a month, the coach keeps assigning me to the slower lanes (ex: 5 x 200yds free on 3:30) when I usually hold 3:00 intervals. I have had to be proactive about what lane I should be in at every workout in order to actually get a workout. I think he has no idea what my capabilities or really cares for that matter. He also likes to do things three and four times through. A real nice guy, but I am confused most of the time. Anyway, I like your ideas. I think I will swim on my own on Monday and do a set of 10 x 100's. Thanks!
