Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Our first attempt at this! This sprint series has two goals. 

1. To get us all racing - a concept too foreign to casual masters swimmers
2. Establish a weekly practice schedule - an important motivational tool

I wanted the first attempt to be invite-only. I invited about 12 people and our final number was 8. I think a very solid turnout for relatively short notice. Those who understood the aim were enthusiastic to try this. We're trying things no other MIchigan Masters team is trying. I won't claim that gathering and racing is somehow revolutionary but in masters... sorta! I think a limited number of people are very ready for this. The session was energizing and exciting. We cheer, we motivate, we race. Exactly what I was looking for. Time will tell if this is a concept that can endure.

Our set was a 1,000y warmup, followed by a brief speed set and onto the main set of 6 x 50's on 6:00. The concept here is to allow enough rest for maximum sustained speed. We want quality and a chance to go off the blocks. Masters swimmers don't get enough chances to do this. We used my starter box which put us in the competitive mindset and gets us ready to race.

I'm pleasantly surprised how well this went. We all showed up to compete and did just that. We supported each other and got the feedback we needed to feel like we all made progress. Great job Swim Champs!