Dear Coach: Can you
remind me of stretches I should do before swimming? Returning
Swimmer
Dear R. Swimmer: Always start with dynamic stretches to
get warmed up -- swing your arms and legs around to ensure your muscles are warm
before doing static stretches. Once you are warm, the static stretches
should focus on the major muscles and joints you'll be using during the workout,
especially shoulders, hips, and legs. Feel free to ask for a demo if you
need some ideas!
Dear Coach: Isn't it safer to stop at
the wall to let someone past, rather than to keep going so the person has to
pass in the middle of a length? What happens if one person is passing
someone going one way, and another person is passing someone else going the
other way? Not a Fan of Passing mid-Length
Dear N.a.F.o.P. m-Length: Amongst novice swimmers,
stopping at the wall is fine. However, for more experienced swimmers, it's
expected that you will pass or be passed without adjusting your speed or
stopping. It's key that everyone is aware of where their lane-mates
are. Passing cleanly is a skill -- practice it during warm up to become
better at it! It may take a couple of lengths to get by someone (it
doesn't have to be done in one length). As long as you know where everyone
is (as everyone in the lane should!), it's also possible to do the
4-abreast pass as the Carleton lanes are wide.
Dear Coach: Since I started swimming with
Masters my fly, back and breast have improved a lot. However, I haven't
seen as much improvement in my freestyle. What do you recommend? A
Triathlete
Dear A. Triathlete: Since you're a triathlete, I expect
that your freestyle was by far your best stroke before you joined Masters, so
it's not too surprising you've seen the least improvement there. However,
there are things you can do. First you need to really concentrate on your
swimming in workout. Ensure that you are always following the pace times,
and following the speed requirements specified (e.g. moderate, fast, build,
fade, negative split, etc.). That way you can better track exactly where
you are at. If you are doing all that, it's still possible to plateau from
time to time. Things you can do to help get out of the rut are to improve
your speed, improve your endurance, and/or improve your
technique. To improve your speed, you should participate in the short
distance time trials currently underway and do some all-out sprints. This
will help your speed during your longer freestyle swims. To work on your
endurance, you many consider asking your coach if you can try a faster lane.
Also, asking your coach to give you some technique pointers or taking
stroke improvement lessons (see below) will definitely make a difference,
especially for those with only a few years of swimming experience.
Private and Semi-Private Masters Swim
Lessons 