Dear Coach: How can I check
whether there will be a workout on a particular date or not? I'm never
sure when the cancellations are! Also, is there a pattern to the workout
themes? Newbie Swimmer
Dear N. Swimmer: This information is on the website:
http://carletonmasters.tripod.com
(note: there is no "www" in the address). All cancellations are listed --
check under the group you swim with. There is also a link to a file with
the workout themes for the entire Spring/Summer.
Dear Coach: Can you tell me why there's no child
safety supervision on Saturdays in July/August? A Parent
Dear A. Parent: Steve, our Aquatics Coordinator, likes to ensure that
his staff have shifts of a reasonable length (i.e. at least a couple of
hours). Normally the Saturday safety supervisor stays on after Masters to
teach children's swimming lessons. As there are no lessons after
the Saturday Masters workout in July/August, it's not appropriate to ask someone
to come in for just one hour of work.
Dear Coach: I enjoyed the lactate tolerance (sprint)
set on Monday morning. Can we do that more often? I Enjoy Suffering
Dear I. E. Suffering: Only those who are competing regularly really
need to do lactate tolerance (sprint) sets frequently. Thus, we generally
offer this option only about once per month. However, if you want to do
sprints more often, talk to your coach and we'll work something out!
Dear Coach: I want to concentrate on triathlons this
summer. Is there any benefit in doing any strokes other than freestyle in
my training? Wanna-Be Triathlete
Dear W.-B. Triathlete: I strongly recommend against swimming nothing
but freestyle. Even triathletes should spend 1/3 to 1/2 (or more) of
their training focusing on the other strokes. First, it helps avoid
overuse injuries -- lots of freestyle is very hard on the shoulders/neck.
It also leads to more balanced body development, as well as a better feel for
the water. Other strokes (especially breast and fly) tend to make you go
anaerobic more quickly (i.e. are more tiring) and thus are very good for
building your endurance/speed. It's also important to vary the workouts in
terms of repeat distance and the speed you're swimming at (as well as the
stroke). If you do nothing but moderate-paced long distance freestyle (or
long slow distance anything), you will plateau very quickly. Varying the
stroke, speed, distance, etc., will ensure that your body is continually
adapting to the additional load and thus becoming stronger.
Dear Coach: What do you recommend as a swim warm up
if I'm unable to get in the water at a triathlon, either because there is no
scheduled warm up or because I'm afraid I'll get cold standing around wet before
the start if I do go in to the open water to warm up? A Triathlete
Dear A. Triathlete: Start with your usual swim-oriented dry-land warm
up. That means warming up for 5-10 minutes through dynamic stretching
(e.g. arm and leg swings) and/or a light aerobic exercise (e.g. walking).
After that proceed to static stretching of the major muscles you'll be using
(arms, shoulders, neck, legs). If you find you need a really long swim
warm up to be ready, you may want to try using surgical tubing to get the arms
moving with some resistance. Also, make sure you keep warm before the
start of the race to avoid injury.
