How Much Did Masters Swim Help You?

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2009-06-17 3:24 PM

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2009-06-17 3:26 PM
in reply to: #2225075

Master
2009
2000
Charlotte, NC
Subject: RE: How Much Did Masters Swim Help You?
The Master's class at my Y stunk so it didn't really do me much good.
2009-06-17 3:33 PM
in reply to: #2225075

Extreme Veteran
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Dallas, TX
Subject: RE: How Much Did Masters Swim Help You?

For me, they help a ton.

2009-06-17 3:40 PM
in reply to: #2225075

Champion
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Montague Gold Mines, Nova Scotia
Subject: RE: How Much Did Masters Swim Help You?
I don't swim with a masters group but my tri club has a coach on deck and we swim 3x/week.  This has been my progression (1500m - OW unless indicated):

2005 - 29:29 - masters once a week for about two months
2006 - 26:00
2007 - 24:53
2008 - 23:36 (23:13 pool) - started with tri club in January 08
2009 - 25:13 (22:26 pool) - rough OW swim, hopefully better as season progresses

Shane

Edited by gsmacleod 2009-06-17 3:41 PM
2009-06-17 3:50 PM
in reply to: #2225138

Champion
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Subject: RE: How Much Did Masters Swim Help You?

In my (limited) experience, Masters was mostly about sprinting.  Esp if you're slow.  If you're the slowest in the slow lane the sets are impossible to keep up with so it's sprint, sprint, sprint.   However, going for a month as I did really gave me more confidence and I swam more mileage than usual as well.  I would recommend trying it, but don't forget about longer easy sets that you will need to prepare for the Half.

2009-06-17 4:19 PM
in reply to: #2225075

Elite
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Subject: RE: How Much Did Masters Swim Help You?
If you can find a GOOD masters coach, who can really help your stroke they can easily give you the time drop you are looking for. That said not every masters program is good. I would do some looking around in your area, maybe ask fellow triathletes or even swim teams and find out what works best.

2009-06-17 4:27 PM
in reply to: #2225075

Champion
19812
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MA
Subject: RE: How Much Did Masters Swim Help You?
Have you tried working with a good swim coach who understands triathletes?

My Masters is taught by fast guy of the day and not very helpful. I have a swim coach who has helped me with technique and a tri coach who gives me workouts. I'm improving but still slow.
2009-06-17 4:33 PM
in reply to: #2225075

Member
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Subject: RE: How Much Did Masters Swim Help You?
does a Masters class mean that you have "Mastered" the sport (ie...good swimmer) or does it mean that you are just older than the youth swim classes generally offered. 

I would feel silly entering a class called "Masters" after the slow torturous 11oo m I swam today.
2009-06-17 4:53 PM
in reply to: #2225268

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2009-06-17 5:38 PM
in reply to: #2225075

Extreme Veteran
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Tucson
Subject: RE: How Much Did Masters Swim Help You?

Our tri club had Sunday workouts with a coach.  He took me from head out of the water swimming to completing an OW 750M in 21:45 (Oct 08).  Not fast by any means.  (I have done other tris, but lets use this for comparison because they were both OW and in a sleeveless wetsuit - no waves).  I joined a Master's program in April.  The coach made 1, ONE, change to my stroke (I now do more of a catch up stroke) and I swam an OW 800M in 18:35 (May 09).  So if I add 1 minute (about the time it takes me to swim 50M) to my Oct time that is 22:45ish.  I have taken 4 minutes off my time in essentially 2 months (Apr to May).  I did a pool swim in March that was 825 yds in 18:32.  I did an 800 yd swim in 15:20 last week. 

To recap:

a) Added 1 or 2 more days of swimming with Masters (not all sprinting, there are days of long work, IM days, etc)

b) Changed my stroke slightly

=vast improvement in my swimming.  I probably moved from way BOP to back-mid MOP.  Now I'm on to aerobic capability and staying strong longer.

Yes, Master's helped me a TON.  I'm not speedy, but I'm fast compared to what I was a few months ago!

2009-06-17 5:42 PM
in reply to: #2225268

Elite
4048
2000200025
Gilbert, Az.
Subject: RE: How Much Did Masters Swim Help You?
sipe - 2009-06-17 2:33 PM does a Masters class mean that you have "Mastered" the sport (ie...good swimmer) or does it mean that you are just older than the youth swim classes generally offered. 

I would feel silly entering a class called "Masters" after the slow torturous 11oo m I swam today.


Masters just means that you are over 18, and not competing in NCAA, NAIA, US National, etc.

John

2009-06-17 6:12 PM
in reply to: #2225075

Expert
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Subject: RE: How Much Did Masters Swim Help You?
If you swim just by yourself your mad, I've tried it before and never again.

I never swim without a tri or masters or general squad. It's just too boring and your almost never do as much distance or intensity. It's way easier to push that little bit harder when all the other people in the squad have to do it.

You form good friends with people in swim squads also.
2009-06-17 6:14 PM
in reply to: #2225268

, Arizona
Subject: RE: How Much Did Masters Swim Help You?
sipe - 2009-06-17 2:33 PM does a Masters class mean that you have "Mastered" the sport (ie...good swimmer) or does it mean that you are just older than the youth swim classes generally offered. 

I would feel silly entering a class called "Masters" after the slow torturous 11oo m I swam today.


You just need to be over 18 (usually), I joined with no stroke experience and they got me on my way to being able to complete my first sprint next month.
2009-06-17 6:23 PM
in reply to: #2225160

Pro
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Burbs
Subject: RE: How Much Did Masters Swim Help You?
BikerGrrrl - 2009-06-17 4:50 PM

In my (limited) experience, Masters was mostly about sprinting.  Esp if you're slow.  If you're the slowest in the slow lane the sets are impossible to keep up with so it's sprint, sprint, sprint.   However, going for a month as I did really gave me more confidence and I swam more mileage than usual as well.  I would recommend trying it, but don't forget about longer easy sets that you will need to prepare for the Half.



That was my experience.

the group I went to had all ex D1 college swimmers... the sets were things like:
5 x 200 on 3:00
10 x 100 on :45

I couldn't keep up so it was basiscally swimming as fast as I could for an hour... plus, I kept getting swum over and it was more stressful than helpful
2009-06-17 6:54 PM
in reply to: #2225075

Master
1591
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San Diego, CA
Subject: RE: How Much Did Masters Swim Help You?

Masters has helped me a lot. I was a very slow swimmer when I started. I've improved my 100m average 50 seconds in a year. No 20 min HIM swims but I've watch other swimmers improve just as much.

Several of our Masters coaches are triathletes and they offer workouts that are geared more to triathletes, we do longer sets and work on endurance.

2009-06-17 7:07 PM
in reply to: #2225427

Elite
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Boise
Subject: RE: How Much Did Masters Swim Help You?
trishie - 2009-06-17 5:23 PM
BikerGrrrl - 2009-06-17 4:50 PM

In my (limited) experience, Masters was mostly about sprinting.  Esp if you're slow.  If you're the slowest in the slow lane the sets are impossible to keep up with so it's sprint, sprint, sprint.   However, going for a month as I did really gave me more confidence and I swam more mileage than usual as well.  I would recommend trying it, but don't forget about longer easy sets that you will need to prepare for the Half.



That was my experience.

the group I went to had all ex D1 college swimmers... the sets were things like:
5 x 200 on 3:00
10 x 100 on :45

I couldn't keep up so it was basiscally swimming as fast as I could for an hour... plus, I kept getting swum over and it was more stressful than helpful



Not physically possible


However I'm sure if you found a good masters program you could ask for more of a distance focus instead of just sprint focus.

2009-06-17 7:30 PM
in reply to: #2225075

Champion
7595
50002000500252525
Columbia, South Carolina
Subject: RE: How Much Did Masters Swim Help You?
Didn't help me.  I tried a couple.  From what I've seen of the 'is Masters good for you' threads, the answer is that it depends an awful lot on the dynamics of the particular Masters group.

What has helped me tremendously is meeting with a coach from time to time.
2009-06-17 8:48 PM
in reply to: #2225075

Master
1478
1000100100100100252525
Horseheads, NY
Subject: RE: How Much Did Masters Swim Help You?
It helped me a ton!  I am a newbie and when I started with the masters group at the beginning of this year I was around 2:15/100.  I have shaved about 30 seconds of that time.  I attribute that to both time in the pool and pushing myself with the masters group.  I have gotten some coaching from the leader of the group but he is not an "on the deck" coach.  If you don't have a speedster group as some have described above, I think you can get some really good benefits.  I can see how it would vary by group though.

George
2009-06-17 9:28 PM
in reply to: #2225075

Veteran
203
100100
, Washington
Subject: RE: How Much Did Masters Swim Help You?
A ton, although our Master's coach is a triathlete and former college swimmer.  In 6 weeks, I've gone from a 34 sec 50 Yard to a 36 sec 50 Meter-long course.  That's basically like dropping 4 seconds off my 50 in yards.  1:23 100 yards to 1:26 100 long course meters (roughly 12 sec improvement).

For us, a given day is usually a certain emphasis.  Tuesdays is IMs and meet prep techniques (turns, touches, etc).  Thursdays is always primarily a freestyle/OWS emphasis.  Of course, I'm VERY fortunate and my group meets 10x a week and has 2 OWS carpools a week during the summer.

Basically it boils down to YMMV and it's probably best to see if they'll do a tryout week for you for free, or at least talk to the coach and see what kind of workouts they do normally.

Jim

Edited by deskjockeyjim 2009-06-17 9:30 PM
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