Can't answer your questions about masters as I have never gone, but another option in the GTA is C3. Has both technique and masters type of swims on the cheap. I pay $90 for 3 months and that gives me several options for coached workouts, plus other swim times. I like it because it is all triathletes so I don't feel so slow. ;) check it out... www.c3online.ca

Masters is a mixed bag. They are run very differently. In our group we have fitness swimmers. They just want to get in a structured work out. We also have comptitive swimmers and triathletes - wanting to get better. Many in our group elect to do free during the stroke workouts... not much the coach is going to do about that. We pay to swim and it is not like an intense 'team' practice.

Our coach is more than willing togive critique when asked or when a stroke is just plain pathetic (my back stroke). But he is not likely to ride you about breathing off the wall. We are adults after all!

I came from a non competitive swim background and masters was the single best thing I did to get better. I put off swimming with them until my 2nd season as a triathlete because I thought everyone there would be so much better then I was. Well, they probably were, but I started in the slowest lane and gradually moved up to faster lanes.

It is a mix of fitness swimmers, competitive swimmers and triathletes. The coach is great and doesn't "over coach" anyone. He will give suggestions as much as you wish, but realizes everyone has different expectations and goals. Even when we are doing mixed stroke sets, I don't swim anything but freestyle (missing medial disc in knee) and sometimes don't do as many kick sets as some of the other swimmers but that's ok. Even though the sessions are an hour and a half sometimes I have to leave for work after an hour and that's ok too. I usually swim 2 days a week with masters and 1 on my own.

As far as cost goes, I think we get a pretty good deal . The program is run by the Ann Arbor Michigan Parks and Recreation Department. Here are the rates for resident and out of town and for 2,3 and 5 days a week. This is for a 3 month period.

Resident...... Non-resident

2 days $55.......$66

3 days $76 ......$82

5 days $100 ....$120

Mark,

If you are going for a master's team, you should try to go at least 2x and preferably 3x per week. 'Regulars' tend to get more attention than drop-ins in my experience. My other tip would be to stand in front of the coach and ask that they watch your stroke for a couple of repeats, or call him/her over during a workout and ask about a specific part of the stroke (ex - what am I doing wrong at the front of the stroke, or how can I get my hips higher). You'll need to know a little bit about what you want to improve for this to work, but it's your best route. Remember, you're competing with others for attention so be vocal but reasonable.

Etobicoke Olympium team is outstanding. It's the single thing I miss most about Toronto since I moved to Montreal. Great team and great coaching. Wait list opens in April I think. I have a couple of friends who likes the Fitness Institute team (lap animals), and I hear North Toronto is good too. Are you in the city or in the 'burbs?

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Man, that is good pricing. Not good enough to entice me to winter in Ann Arbor, but good.

I pay $50/month. Classes meet 4x week, but I usually only make it to 2 because of trying to balance 3 sports. From November 1 through this past week, I made a special effort on swimming, though and averaged 3+ times per week. Not surprisingly, I got better. I'll never be much of a swimmer, but I won't be as bad as I have been.

The benefit I get out of master's class is that it simply keeps me in the water longer. Our classes go for an hour with the first 10 minutes or so warmup on your own. No way I swim for an hour by myself. I just don't enjoy it that much, and every 25 yards, I get to decide whether to quit when swimming. Peer pressure stops me from doing that when I'm with the masters class. Watching people who really know how to motor is fun too.

Expect structured workouts -- which is good and also expect to do strokes other than free, whihc you should do because they help your freestyle. Amount of input from coach depends on coach, but ask if you want some. I'm in a very good masters program that has 13 workouts per week (can go to as many as I want) -- times include early AM, mid morning and evenings and wekends. $180 for 6 months -- and all the coaches are triathletes as well. Sounds like your pricing is a bit high, but if ts the only option do it, because masters is the single best way to improve your swim.

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"We will either find a way, or make one." -- Hannibal, General of the Carthaginian Army

My Masters group is $165 for 3x a week for 6 months. I've been through 2 coaches so far (first one left after the birth of first child, can't blame him) and the present one is actually a swim/tri-coach. Both were free with feedback about one's form. I'm sure it's just luck of the draw from program to program.





John

Well, in Ottawa, Ontario I am in a Masters/Tri swim club that is 4x a week at a 6:00 AM start for an hour each time.

It runs for 3 months and is $180 CAD taxes in.

Three coaches although usually not all at the same time. 5 levels (lanes) of speed ranging anywhere from 10 minutes+/500M to sub 7 minutes/500M measured at time trials ususally once a month.

Very structured workouts with a lot sets/strokes other than free including multiple sets of 25M hard with sets of 20 pull-ups or push-ups finishing with 25M zippers or other stuff.

For example this monrings workout started with: 200 Free, 100 Kick, 100 Catch-up, 200 IM followed by 3 sets of 200 free at one minute pace/50M with the second set with paddles followed by 3 sets of 400M at one minute pace/50M with the second set with paddles.

All the coaches are triathletes with some X-pro level.

I've been happy with my progress after a year. Went from 10+minutes for 500M to 8:30.

Railton

The masters club at the place I go (Dynamo in Atlanta) is $72 per month. For that you can do two workouts each workday, and then go in again on saturday.

http://www.dynamomasters.com/

As to what you should get out of it:

1) a coach that motivates you to do better (faster, better technique, farther, whatever it is you need)

2) stroke work, if you need that - you may have to bug the coach to get it, but once he/she figures out you are receptive, they will work with you (at least a "good" one will).

3) as you say - good swimmers to swim with. That can be as valuable as having a coach work on your stroke - watch good swimmers swim, and copy them!

4) A group that razzes you if you miss a workout - keeps you coming.

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"My strategy is to start out slow and then peter-out altogether" Walt Stack