Value of Masters Swim vs EN workouts solo?
I've been wondering about the pros/cons of dropping in to the Masters workouts in town, which get a lot of positive feedback from other local triathletes who said they have made big improvements. Of course, if you go to masters you must do their workouts, and I dont know how that might impact the training load designed by RnP. A big plus with the masters is that its the only 50m pool in this half of the state, and the coach is quite good at stroke analysis. Otherwise its continue at the 25yd club pool, solo in the am with the EN workouts as prescribed. I'm in the last stage of the OS ( which I've hacked as the last 6 wks of GF plan to help transition 10 wks of INT HIM next.) So swimming is still optional and more about technique right now. What does everyone else do for swim training?
Comments
Swimming masters will probably have you swimming 2-3" per 100 faster than you would solo. Swimming faster is a good to way to develop the ability to swim...faster
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Bonus if you can get some good 1:1 technique instruction from the coach.
One drawback I've seen is a bit of a lack of urgency from Masters squad. Last summer Barry Plaga and I would do our own workout at lunch next to the masters squad. Probably got in over 800-1000m more than they did because we didn't stop to chit chat, waste time on the pool deck, etc.
Masters is great, especially if you have a coach who will give good stroke feedback. You'll have good motivation to push it harder and swim faster. The downside is usually less focus on technique and more trying to keep up with the fast folks.
I tend to do 2x Masters workouts a week, and one solo workout where I do longer sets like 6 x 500 or a straight 4000 or something gruesome like that.
I was in a Master's group that was really focused on going to swim meets. You were required to make 3 sessions per week, race with them at some point in the year, etc. When I was going on a 3 week vacation and they told me I was required to do land exercises so as not to lose any work, I decided that they were crazy and dropped out. That program has since folded. I am sure that I am not the only one that was like "Hey- this is a hobby."
I recently joined a new Master's program and absolutely love it! The coach has us work on all 4 strokes, work on technique, but forces us to swim just beyond our comfort zone with speed exercises. She makes me faster. When I had to do the T-test or RR, I just let the coach know I was not in Master's that day, then went to an open lane and did it. In 2010 I did only EN workouts in open water and I was very happy. But now, for indoor swimming, I need someone else to push me.
Once I am back in OWS, there is a group I swim with. It is not a specific work out, we just swim around the lake stopping at different beaches. We are all trying to be the first to get there, so it is as competitive as you want to make it. Some days I am always last, what do I care. I am still swimming hard for me.
Thanks for all the great feedback everyone! So sounds like consensus is 1-2 masters session a week would be a good thing. I'll make that part of my week plan.
I'm late to this, but I'll add one thing. (I'm a pretty mediocre swimmer, not a super duper guy.)
I joined a masters group a few months ago, and I'm really enjoying it. Makes swimming more fun again. And I'm faster. But it does come at a cost (at least for me)...which is that the workouts are *work*. No more thinking that "it's just a swim" as far as cumulative fatigue. No, it's not the same as additional running at that intensity would be, for sure... but I do have to think about it a bit.
Biking after 5000-6500 yards of hard work on Saturday mornings (2 hours on the books, runs 90-130 min in reality usually) is an unusual brick! I will say this, though... I can get the intervals and such done on the bike fine...but there's no getting around the fatigued feeling that first 20 min or so.
I should also say that my masters group is (a) small, (b) all triathletes, (c) associated with a "regular" youth swim club, and (d) involves very little stand around and chat time. Sounds like YMMV on that.
I agree that a Masters group is a lot of fun. My local Masters club is mostly "real" swimmers I think, so our workouts have stuff like kick sets, IM sets, etc. Certainly makes me a better overall swimmer, but perhaps not always the best way to improve my triathlon swim splits when I'm hanging onto a kickboard for a few hundred meters at a time. Great workout and lots of fun nonetheless.