I recently joined an LA fitness near me in VA because they said the pool, which has only a few lanes but seldom crowded, is 25 meters. But when I swam at the rec center, which I know has 25 yard lanes, it felt like the lanes were longer than those at the gym, and wonder if anyone has had experience with this chain and its pools. I figure you don't tell a bodybuilder a 50 lb. weight is 60, and you don't tell a swimmer a lane is 25 meters when it may only be 20 yards at best. Aside from going in with a length of rope and measuring, I don't know how to figure it out. The staff has a persistent deer in the headlights look when you ask them a question that's outside their comfort zone.
It's also the only gym I've been to where there is no air circulation in the spin cycle room, but that's off topic.
I heard some lady bonked her head pretty hard the other day doing backstroke because there aren't any ceiling flags.
Years ago I had a membership at a Bally fitness center. They had a 4-lane, 25-yard indoor pool but it had no backstroke flags. It drove me crazy because even when I tried to keep track of where I was by remembering certain "landmarks" (such as ceiling tiles), sometimes I still messed up.
One day I wrote a letter to the facility manager. In the letter I described what backstroke flags were (I included photos) and emphasized that they are a SAFETY device that can help prevent injuries. I offered to buy the flags for the facility, if they would just agree to install them.
Instead of mailing the letter, I took it to the facility and spoke with the manager. He had never heard of backstroke flags. I showed him the photos and I think we may have even walked back to the pool area so I could show him what I was talking about. I told him that in true competition pools the flags are mounted on poles that are a specified height above the water, but for lap swimmers it would be adequate to just install the flags up near the ceiling. I think I also explained that they needed to be 5 yards from the end of the pool, and showed him how the lane lines change color (to all one solid color) for those 5 yards to correspond to the placement of the flags.
The facility manager was very receptive (note that I continued to emphasize the SAFETY aspect of the flags) and agreed that if I bought the flags, his maintenance man would install them. I offered to be there when they were installed but he was confident that from my letter and explanation they would be able to do it.
I bought some cheap plastic pennant flags, like these:
www.storesupply.com/pc-11847-451-pennant-string-assorted-color-105l-15165.aspx
I delivered them to the facility and they installed them. It was great - most of the patrons probably never noticed the flags at all, but I guarantee that anyone who did backstroke saw those flags!
Today if I were to do this I would also emphasize that swimmers can actually get concussions if they swim into the wall. If a simple set of $10.00 flags prevents even one concussion, it's well worth it.
I heard some lady bonked her head pretty hard the other day doing backstroke because there aren't any ceiling flags.
Years ago I had a membership at a Bally fitness center. They had a 4-lane, 25-yard indoor pool but it had no backstroke flags. It drove me crazy because even when I tried to keep track of where I was by remembering certain "landmarks" (such as ceiling tiles), sometimes I still messed up.
One day I wrote a letter to the facility manager. In the letter I described what backstroke flags were (I included photos) and emphasized that they are a SAFETY device that can help prevent injuries. I offered to buy the flags for the facility, if they would just agree to install them.
Instead of mailing the letter, I took it to the facility and spoke with the manager. He had never heard of backstroke flags. I showed him the photos and I think we may have even walked back to the pool area so I could show him what I was talking about. I told him that in true competition pools the flags are mounted on poles that are a specified height above the water, but for lap swimmers it would be adequate to just install the flags up near the ceiling. I think I also explained that they needed to be 5 yards from the end of the pool, and showed him how the lane lines change color (to all one solid color) for those 5 yards to correspond to the placement of the flags.
The facility manager was very receptive (note that I continued to emphasize the SAFETY aspect of the flags) and agreed that if I bought the flags, his maintenance man would install them. I offered to be there when they were installed but he was confident that from my letter and explanation they would be able to do it.
I bought some cheap plastic pennant flags, like these:
www.storesupply.com/pc-11847-451-pennant-string-assorted-color-105l-15165.aspx
I delivered them to the facility and they installed them. It was great - most of the patrons probably never noticed the flags at all, but I guarantee that anyone who did backstroke saw those flags!
Today if I were to do this I would also emphasize that swimmers can actually get concussions if they swim into the wall. If a simple set of $10.00 flags prevents even one concussion, it's well worth it.
