Chickened out of my first Masters Swim

I know where you're coming from.   For months, I'd show up at the pool after the masters class was over, and do their workout.  Or try to.  I was too intimidated to join in.  But I finally did.

My challenge to you is at the next available opportunity, tomorrow or whatever, suit up, show up, and give it a shot.  You might be surprised at the results

BTW, I admire the honesty, and can relate to approaching esablished groups of people.  It's tough

That sucks that you got psyched out about it.  You should definitely go back tonight and give it a go.  You always notice the fast swimmers but everyone's different and everyone's going there to improve, same as you.  I swim with a tri club and have such admiration for people who you can see are really gutting it out in practice.  I'm a good swimmer but there are a few in our club who are brand new to swimming and they work their tails off and have really improved.  Last week we swam with another swim group and there's a woman who only learned to swim at all in January.  Everyone was really supportive and patient, nobody cared if she was slower because she was clearly focused and working hard.  Anyway, I just added that because I could be one of those quick people you saw and if I was, I wouldn't be judging you.  Go, register and work your butt off!  

The funny thing is that I feel your exact fear about group bike rides.  Our first one is in about 10 days and I've never done it and I'm terrified.  I've caught myself praying for rain a number of times.  We're all in the same boat with some aspect of tri, I think.

I'm in a similar position as you.  I've emailed the local Masters group and received a very encouraging email that all levels are welcome at all classes.  Yeah, but the group I watch early are doing, like you mention, these really long sets of all kinds of strokes I can't do.  Coach is scary -  barking out orders, similar to your description, in a language I don't speak.  I figure as some point I'm just going to have to get over it, join in and start getting better.

I, too, admire your honesty. Sometimes we have to talk ourselves into things, and that can take a few attempts.

I will tell you in the Masters group I swim with, there are 2 or 3 soooooper fasties - former D1 swimmers. One of them has been consistently first out of the water with the overall best swim in his first 3 triathlons this season. Yeah. Talk about intimidating.

But you know what? They are just regular ol' people, who happen to be really good at swimming. I had to share a lane with TWO of the super-swimmers one day (eeeek) due to a lane shortage in the pool, and they were so nice to me. They waited for me to finish sets before starting the next, talked/laughed with me inbetween sets, and a few times turned around 3/4 of the way down the lane so I wouldn't have to wait for them to pass at the wall (). Maybe they are just really nice people, but I learned it's not nearly as uncomfortable as I had it worked up in my head.

LOL, that's how I often feel on this forum.  At least I've learned that when a thread title is total gibberish it usually is a bike brand. 

As I read your thread I was thinking (in a friendly, non-judgmental way) that you simply need to get over it.  Then I read the reply that said the poster was similarly terrified of joining a bike group.  That hit home.  I can live through being the slowest swimmer in the pool, but feel a bike group is another universe altogether, that I just don't belong in.

Doing anything for the first time just plain sucks. You don't know the routine, who to talk to, where to go, where to put your stuff, what lane to get in, all that crap....

But it's just crap. So what if you mess up, get in the wrong lane, swim an extra 50 cause you're not paying attention, don't know what the coach means with his weird a$$ acronyms. You'll get it in a couple sessions, make some new friends and be well on your way to becoming a comfortable regular.

The first day is always lame and will undoubtedly have a good story to go along with it. Like you walked into the girls locker room by accident or something similar. What's the worst that could possibly happen? Seriously, think about the worst possible scenario....I bet it's really not that bad ; )

I hear you!  I almost made myself sick walking into my first Masters practice.  What if they are all experts and I'm just taking up room?  What if the coach is mean? What if they don't like me???  And all the other what ifs!!

I took a deep breath and walked in.  IT WAS AWESOME!  Everyone was nice, the coach was helpful and informative, and there were people there that swam slower than me!  My swimming has improved so much in the last year that I even had the courage to go to a masters session on the mainland when I was in LA.  Same result!

So, literally, take the plunge and go for it.  You'll be a much better swimmer for it (even if you only swim freestyle...like me!).

Judging by your avatar, if you'd ask them get out of the pool to stand on deck for 30 minutes and watch your form, I bet they would have done that too and then bought you breakfast afterward.  :-)

Do you think badly or judge someone struggling to run, perhaps for the first time in poor shoes, cotten T and shorts?-probably not

Do you judge or look down on a novice cyclist struggling to learn to ride with you or your group? I doubt it

Most people experience the same anxiety you are and can identify with it. Most people are fairly gracious and helpful when they can. "Flip the script" in your head and maybe you will feel different about the experience

Thanks for the comments everyone.  It does feel good that I'm not alone in this and others have been able to overcome this barrier.  While I'm not fast on the bike or run, I do feel comfortable in groups because I've been doing it for years.  Swimming, like some said, I don't understand the culture.  In High School our Water Polo / Swim teams were always competing for State, and the teams had an aura about them, much like Football teams do in other schools.  They just seemed above everyone else. 

Part of it too is being largely self taught, I don't know if I look like a spaz in the water or quasi-competent.

ChrisM, I definately will get in this week, its either Thurs or Fri.  Wednesday I have to come in to work early, so that's a no go and Friday I work late and won't have to leave before Masters ends.

My wife also bought a kayak a few weeks ago and she is going to escort me on my Open Water Swims every week. 

We chicken's need our own swim group!

I've been swimming on Sat mornings while my daughter is a swim practice.  The YMCA masters are there at the same time and they invited me over but I had to tell the coach that I'm just not there yet in stamina to do what they are doing.  300 WU is about half of my whole swim distance right now!  Hopefully soon I'll jump in with them as long as I don't have to do Fly or breast because I never learned how to those strokes!

I promise you that everyone on the team will not be paying special attention to you. In fact, probably the only person to pay attention will be the coach. Unless you are swimming neck and neck with the faster swimmers, they won't be aware of your presence. Swimmers are most aware of the swimmer who touches the wall ahead of them, right with them, or just seconds after them.

Get in there! Challenge yourself. Being on a swim team will make you a better swimmer. You already know that.

Triathlete's Rule #37 - skip individual medley days at masters class.

There's a really good chance that fly set self-selected-out all of the non-fish.

I swim with a masters group 2 days a week.  I am the youngest and the slowest.  Their is a guy who is 60 who can still do 100's on the 1:30 lap after lap.  Everyone is freindly and will cheer me on to keep up the hard work.  They will modify workouts so the slower swimmers finish with the faster ones.  The guy who got me started with them usally finishes in the top 15 in Olympic and 70.3 he will even beat a few of the pros. 

If you want to go faster swim with people that are faster.  Do you not do any tri's just becouse you will not be the fastest swimmer or biker or runner.  NO.  The only way you are going to get faster is work with people that will push you to go faster and improve your form. 

So jump in do your best and have fun.

Actually I find the Masters swimmers more friendly and fun than the gym or community center swimmers.  It's a more friendly environment - people chat, encourage and play in between working as hard as they choose to work.  At times it's a bit too much fun and not enough work!

All Master's teams are different but if they are like most, there's a spot in one of the lanes for everyone.  Start modest and get in a lane where you are sure you can keep up.  Gage the pace, and move lanes accordingly.  I swim at a college campus and it's always interesting when a new quarter starts and guys in board shorts and no goggles jump in the fast lane.  It takes a couple weeks to find your peers in the pool but everything settles in with time.

Then, after you've got a rhythm and found your place in the pool remember what my high school coach would say: "Unless you're in lane one I am not impressed if you're the fastest in your lane.  I'm impressed if you're busting your a** to keep up with the fastest in your lane." 

I managed to actually attend the first Masters Swim workout as part of a free intro week last year.

An hour of being completely lost, chasing after the elderly woman in front of me, and having an elderly man brushing my feet every lap....

I never went back.

Which Masters did you go to?

You ought to give Mike Murphy in Loma Linda a call. He's a real sweetheart and (I know he was still doing it a couple years ago) puts on a great Masters workout. We used to have triathletes, too. And dinners. Unlike the workout you went to, we did not have triathletes for dinner, so to speak.

Yucaipa Swim Team.  I don't want to judge them too unfairly, because it sounded intimidating but I never interacted with them either.  Although I don't think I would have lasted in the workout.

I googled Mike Murphy and I haven't found anything.  Was that out of the Drayson Center?