Goals

Like anything else in life - swim training starts with a goal. Goals can be very precise, like a specific time you are shooting for or a place you are attempting to reach at a certain meet. Goals can also be rather open - just getting faster, staying healthy, having fun.

I swim Masters and I have found that about 90% of the swimmers I meet do not have a real goal. They either want to get "in shape" or stay "in shape". If you ask what "in-shape" means, they really don't know. I am not sure why that is - but that may be a good subject for a future post.

Good Goal: It should be achievable but challenging; the time range should be close enough to "see it", but still allow you time to actually train; it should be easy to understand but complex to reach; you should tell people who are interested and ignore people who doubt you.

My Goal: PR in the 100 Free for Short-course meters at the Long Beach Regional Masters Meet = 50.20 from 1986 (and yes, of course I would love to break 50)