Sharing the lane

Hi Denise-- I coach at a masters program that is fortunate enough to usually have a lane for every swimmer (or close to it). I know my swimmers have to mentally adjust when we do have to scrunch together and swim with lane mates. But, I encourage them to focus on the positive aspects of sharing a lane. You actually get to know your teammates better when you are sharing space with them (and that can really add an element of fun - not to mention interesting chats between swims when there is time). I know my newer swimmers are tense about being in the way or being bumped by others or the lane line. I try to let them know that most swimmers who are used to swimming with lane mates know how to get around you as long as you aren't swimming down the middle of the lane so they shouldn't worry about being in the way. The second thing they have to learn to do is be ok with getting bumped here or there by another swimmer or by the lane line. As you get better at controlling your body in the water, you will get more confident and won't be so upset by either. You'll have learned a useful skill in the water and you will be better off swimming anywhere - even an open water swim or triathlon where mass starts are chaotic and people are not only bumping but really slogging it out... You will become a better swimmer as you learn how to swim with all of that displaced water from those big guys next to you. All of these things, while temporarily annoying, will actually make you more skilled in the water if you can stick them out. Good luck to you :) Amy

Hi Denise, I endured a similar experience. Unfortunately, I suffer from vertigo - so I'm extremely sensitive to motion, and what others call "waves" feel like tidal waves to my poor inner ear system. But on good days, I often have to share or circle and sometimes we swipe or brush arms/legs and it's ok. I actually feel the energy in the pool and it makes me push harder. But having said that, I've been an obsessive exerciser for nearly 40 years and prefer to do all forms of exercise solo. I ran solo (never liked races, but did them for the challenge), I do gym cardio solo and prefer to swim in my own lane -- no partners and definitely not with a team. That's just me.

I, too, suffer from Meniere's but swimming seems to actually help - though I don't do, and never have done, flip turns. :bighug: You get an extra hug of empathy for also having Meniere's! Here is some unsolicited advice: DO NOT TRY REPETITIVE FLIP TURNS! :eek: Before I developed Meniere's, I had a pretty darn good flip turn when I swam competitively back in high school. Meniere's came on about ten years ago when I was a gym rat rather than a swimmer, so it never occured to me to make a connection between Meniere's and flip turns. After joining USMS in 2010, I decided to practice my flip turns to get ready for competition. I could never figure out why the first flip turn was awesome, the second one was pretty good, the third one was good, the fourth one was fair, and, well, by the fifth one, I was starting to lose sense of which way was up, down, left, or right! :shakeshead:The more I practiced the worse I got, so I thought maybe I was over-thinking the technique as I tried to tweak my turn. It wasn't until I decided to do some 25 yard sprints from the center of the pool into the turn and back that I knew something was up, if you know what I mean. :bolt: Needless to say, I gave a long hard thought to the issue as I recoved up on deck with my head between my knees. It was an "Aha!" moment I would never like to repeat. Another bit of unsolicited advice: If you decide to do any open water swims, MAKE SURE TO SITE OFTEN! My first open water swim after getting Meniere's was a 3K in a lake where I couldn't see the bottom. I got very disoriented and seasick during the first leg of the swim-- until I increased my siting of the buoy. Once I decreased my stroke count between sitings and had a fixed point to refer to frequently, I was fine. Good luck, Denise. I hope you didn't mind my unsolicited advice! :blah:

Denise, don't give up. I am also someone who started swimming with a team as an adult. I'm not a very big person so swimming in a lane with several other people was intimidating for me, too. I still hit the lane lines on a routine basis and I still gulp water once in a while. (But, guess what - even the experienced swimmers who swam in college do that once in a while too.) The keys for successful lane-sharing are to make sure that all of the swimmers in the lane are about the same speed, and for the swimmers to communicate among themselves. The first one is a responsibility of the coach; if he sees someone who is way faster than the others he should move that person up to a faster lane. The second one is up to you. Don't be afraid to let your lanemates know that you're new and still uncomfortable about circle swimming. They'll understand; they've all been there. And if you are tired or just feeling overwhelmed, just sit out for a couple of hundreds. No one will care if you say "I'm going to sit this one out," as long as you're not standing in the middle of the lane or something. If you are lucky enough to swim with the same core group of people at every workout, you'll get to know each other and you'll learn everyone's strengths and weaknesses. For example, I'm usually about average in my lane when we're swimming freestyle. But if we do a breaststroke set, I might be leading the lane because that's my best stroke. It's important to watch and observe the other swimmers because you don't want to push off the wall right in front of someone who is faster than you. Things work much better if the faster swimmer leads. One of the swimmers on my old team had swum his whole life and coached for many years. He told me that his secret to successful circle swimming was to make sure that he always knew where everyone in his lane was. He said that people who have grown up on swim teams do this almost automatically. It sounds like it would be difficult but it's really not; it's something that you just sort of learn as you become more experienced.

ElaineK,I had to smile at your advice. No worries,I won't be doing flip turns or competitive swimming lol. I'll be lucky to share a lane are my next practice. I'm sorry you had such a rough time with the Meniere's. When it hits it lasts a day or two during which time I'm out of commission. Not fun. Jayhawk and renie, thank you for your comments and support. I'm getting up the nerve to try another practice with a different coach at a different location. Maybe he'll let me warm up in another lane before I get in with the rest of the group.

Hey Elaine, we've chatted about MN before. :) It stinks big time. Had to stop running, which is my REAL LOVE (especially because I can run anywhere, anytime, and it curbed my appetite - after a swim I am ravishing with hunger!) because I had a terrifying vertigo attack while running. I was flattened for 24 hours, unable to move a muscle. I was terrified - I didn't know what happened, all I know is that I had no idea if it would ever stop. Having run for 30+ years, you can imagine how bad it was for me to quit cold turkey. I've learned to plan my swim workouts around my inner ear disorder. (have had several different diagnoses from Menieres to Labrynthitis to Vestibular Neuritis) No flip turns, and sets of 150 of each stroke rather than 1000 yards of back, *** or free. It works for me, I swim 10+ miles a week and for now, the only complaint I have is occasional motion sickness. Denise, welcome to the Meniere's club. If you want to PM me, there are some excellent forums for us Meniere's sufferers. Don't give up. Swimming rocks! (no pun intended!)

Hi Denise, I endured a similar experience. Unfortunately, I suffer from vertigo - so I'm extremely sensitive to motion, and what others call "waves" feel like tidal waves to my poor inner ear system. But on good days, I often have to share or circle and sometimes we swipe or brush arms/legs and it's ok. I actually feel the energy in the pool and it makes me push harder. But having said that, I've been an obsessive exerciser for nearly 40 years and prefer to do all forms of exercise solo. I ran solo (never liked races, but did them for the challenge), I do gym cardio solo and prefer to swim in my own lane -- no partners and definitely not with a team. That's just me. I can empathize with you, Renie! I have Meniere's, so that kind of motion you are referring to = :eek: . Flip turns are out of the question, because the snap down makes me seasick! I can turn sideways without trouble, so I have to do a bucket turn on backstroke. When the outdoor pool in our community has a water temperature lower than our indoor pool, I train outdoors. (The outdoor pool is only open in late spring/ summer.) There is a two-lane, 25 yard lap swimming offshoot to the free-form recreation part of the pool; however, there are no gutters and it's like swimming in a fish bowl! Swimming fly often results in drinking a bit of water when I take a breath, and sprint freestyle feels like I am swimming in ocean currents. I always end up feeling a bit dizzy, but the cooler water and fresh air is worth the trade-off. I am also used to having my own lane and get anxious when I have to share with more than a couple of people. Fortunately, the only time that happens is at a swim meet. I always get nervous warming up backstroke in a shared lane, because I can't see what's going on with the other swimmers and fear having a collision. Warming up at Nationals is a zoo in the pool! I always end up going home with a colorful array of bruises from hitting the lane lines, because I'm afraid of getting too close to passing swimmers. Denise, good luck to you. I don't know what to advise, but I can relate to both you and Renie. :bighug: The only way I enjoy training with other people is if we each get our own lanes side-by-side.

Thank you all for sharing. I don't feel like such a failure knowing others out there have the same concerns. I, too, suffer from Meniere's but swimming seems to actually help - though I don't do, and never have done, flip turns. Even as a kid I couldn't do anything that involved tumbling. Repetitive motion can either be a huge help or bring on dizziness, and when I start to get dizzy, I stop for a few moments then continue and it goes away. It's too bad. I've always wanted to train Aikido LOL. I swam this morning and after a half dozen laps and getting some confidence and regular breathing back, I was fine. I think it's hard when you're new to the sport to get used to being in a lane with others, and like you, ElaineK, I have no problem swimming with others if we're not in the same lane. I practiced staying to one side this morning, and hit the lane line once or twice. I'm intimidated being in a lane with people who are a lot bigger than me because I feel like I'm getting hit by a huge wave. I just have to try it a couple more times and see if it's worthwhile or if perhaps I'm better off swimming on my own, though I'd miss the coaching. I've only been a couple of times but have already improved because the coaches are awesome.

Hey Elaine, we've chatted about MN before. :) It stinks big time. Had to stop running, which is my REAL LOVE (especially because I can run anywhere, anytime, and it curbed my appetite - after a swim I am ravishing with hunger!) because I had a terrifying vertigo attack while running. I was flattened for 24 hours, unable to move a muscle. I was terrified - I didn't know what happened, all I know is that I had no idea if it would ever stop. Having run for 30+ years, you can imagine how bad it was for me to quit cold turkey. I've learned to plan my swim workouts around my inner ear disorder. (have had several different diagnoses from Menieres to Labrynthitis to Vestibular Neuritis) No flip turns, and sets of 150 of each stroke rather than 1000 yards of back, *** or free. It works for me, I swim 10+ miles a week and for now, the only complaint I have is occasional motion sickness. Denise, welcome to the Meniere's club. If you want to PM me, there are some excellent forums for us Meniere's sufferers. Don't give up. Swimming rocks! (no pun intended!) I realized after I posted that you were one of the people I had chatted with about Meniere's. There are a few of us on the Forums dealing with this issue. It sounds like you have had some awful experiences with it. I'm sorry it forced you to give up running. That DOES stink! :badday:

ElaineK,I had to smile at your advice. No worries,I won't be doing flip turns or competitive swimming lol. I'll be lucky to share a lane are my next practice. I'm sorry you had such a rough time with the Meniere's. When it hits it lasts a day or two during which time I'm out of commission. Not fun. Jayhawk and renie, thank you for your comments and support. I'm getting up the nerve to try another practice with a different coach at a different location. Maybe he'll let me warm up in another lane before I get in with the rest of the group. Well, then, that's one or two less battles to contend with in the pool! I think you're doing the right thing by trying out different coaches and pools until you find one that's a good fit for you. Feeling comfortable in the pool is important if you want to swim well and enjoy the experience!