You’ve Decided to Give Masters Swimming a Try.
Okay, you’ve decided you want to give masters swimming a try. Maybe you are a lap swimmer who is ready to move up to the next level. Maybe you swam on a team before. Maybe not. Maybe you’ve been a couch potato for a bunch of years. Okay, raising kids is not being a couch potato, but it’s not swimming either. So you are just a little bit out of shape. Or maybe you are a triathlete who is really good at running and biking, but swimming is your weakest event, i.e., you sink in water. We welcome all of you.
Here are some truisms about our team:
1. The term “masters” refers more to age than to skill level.
2. You most definitely are NOT as fast as you once were. One of our many mottos is, “The older I get, the faster I was.”
3. Even triathletes can learn to swim faster.
4. Anyone can get in shape. YES! It’s true! All you have to do is keep showing up. You might turn body fat to muscle, changing the shape of your body. Your incredibly healthy cardiovascular system will prompt your family doctor to say “whatever you are doing, keep doing it.”
5. If organized swimming isn’t fun, what’s the point? The only way to find out if this is for you is give it a try.
It's Free! For One Week!
The first week of workouts is at no cost to you. This should give you time to decide if masters swimming meets your expectations. Print out this coupon and bring it with you to your first workout!
What To Expect.
Each pool location has locker rooms for men and for women. In all cases, locker room facilities are adequate with lockers and showers. You should bring a swim suit, goggles, a towel, a lock for your locker, and any desired locker room/shower items.
At practice, swimmers tend to gravitate to lanes in which the swimmers are all the same speed. It may take a few workouts to figure out which lane is right for you.
At your first workout, introduce yourself to the coach. He’ll ask you some questions and then suggest a lane for you to try. If the lane is not right for you, you may change lanes during the workout. Introduce yourself to the people in your lane. “I’m Bill and this is my first time here.”
Workouts vary in duration from one to one and one-half hours. Total yardage will be between 1500 and 5000 yards, depending on the lane and the length of time of the workout. The workout will be broken into sets. A set may be a kick set, a swim set, a stroke set, a distance set, a sprint set, etc. No two workouts are ever the same. If you get tired, stop and rest. It’s okay to rest. If you get really tired, get out and go home. Just make sure you come back. Conditioning takes time. Especially for us masters swimmers.
Next Step.
Okay, you are ready for the next step. For additional information, you need to contact someone within the O*H*I*O Masters Swim Club. Go to the WHO TO CONTACT tab.
