…is me. Week in and week out, I’m the slowest. This is a relatively small, stable group of about 7-8 regulars plus the coach. Everyone once in a while someone new will show up for a week or two, sometimes slower than me, sometimes faster, but few stick around for long. (I think the reason for that is because it’s HARD.) And though my times have improved over the past year or so, I’m always dead last. I’m in the slow lane, but anyone who’s in it with me is faster than me.
The coach is great. Everyone has different goals and he’ll tailor the workout to meet your needs. He knows a few of us are triathletes, so depending on what race is coming up, he’ll change the workout/pace to suit the distance. My point? It’s humiliating after a while. Everyone else is fairly close in ability level, so they all do similar workouts. I have my own workout up on the board and swim by myself (though I may share a lane). I’m beginning to hate always being the slow one. Of course, that’s true for races, too, but it’s not quite so obvious there. Anyway, I sometimes try to find reasons why I can’t make it to masters class, realizing that not going is only compounding the problem - I won’t get faster if I skip workouts.
There are other masters programs in the area, but I’ve heard that 1) they just post workouts at the end of the lane and then you’re on your own to do them with the other people in the lane - very impersonal, no real coaching goes on, and 2) a woman that I think is fast told me she’s one of the slowest at those workouts, which is a bit discouraging.
I’m trying to keep my enthusiasm level up, but I’ve come to realize this is becoming an issue with me. Anyone else find themselves in this position? Any advice?