I swim with a small club in a small HS pool. As a result of low attendance, we often get only one or two people per lane at practice. The typical response to an addition is, "let's split the lane!" which is universally accepted. I have never been a supporter of this style of training or lane sharing, because it automatically makes a third person wait for someone to accept his/her appearance at the end of the lane. This is only the first of a myriad of reasons not to split lanes.
The one and only time swimming straight away is correct is during competition.
If you want to enumerate the good things about splitting lanes, please precede the number with "x" so we can keep track of the different lists.
Circle swimming is immensely better and automatically adding people to the group is a no-brain activity.
I will enumerate some reasons why splitting lanes is just bad all around, please feel free to agree and add your own observations. If you disagree, use reason to make your argument. Simply saying that you like it is not acceptable. Recreation swimmers are fearsome champions of splitting lanes and not acknowledging people waiting to enter the pool. For that reason, they get:
#1 - You didn't pay for half of the lane, only the space in which you are swimming. Be observant and share.
2 - Circle swimming forces everyone to be not only on the same set, but almost the same interval.
3 - circling makes you aware of all of the other swimmers in your lane
4 - circling forces people to know how to pass or be passed with civility
5 - circling allows you to drag on the leader or be a tow truck, pulling everyone else in the lane.
6 - unless in a really crowded lane, circling keeps collisions to a minimum.
7 - circle swimming can be symbiotic, making everyone in the lane faster through teamwork.
But what if there are already two people in every lane? Many people are on a tight schedule and can't just wait around until someone is done just because certain people are unwilling to circle. It seems very rude to me to expect other people to wait for a lane.
I understand. Everybody is different and does different workouts. I do a lot of short distance, high intensity sets; 25s, 50s, and 100s where maintaining the interval to the second is critical. That doesn't work swimming circles with people swimming 500s, stroke drills, etc.
If there were three or four of us doing the same workout, by all means, let's circle and push each other. But, might as well not work out if I'm going to run into the last guy in the circle 35 yards into a hard 50 on each repeat because he's swimming a 500. Not good for him, not good for me. Just as disconcerting swimming with somebody working a faster pace than you as it is swimming with someone working a slower pace.
Call me very rude, but I am truly happy to wait for a lane and often do - enables others to get their workout in, and I appreciate it when I'm able (allowed) to do the same.
But what if there are already two people in every lane? Many people are on a tight schedule and can't just wait around until someone is done just because certain people are unwilling to circle. It seems very rude to me to expect other people to wait for a lane.
I understand. Everybody is different and does different workouts. I do a lot of short distance, high intensity sets; 25s, 50s, and 100s where maintaining the interval to the second is critical. That doesn't work swimming circles with people swimming 500s, stroke drills, etc.
If there were three or four of us doing the same workout, by all means, let's circle and push each other. But, might as well not work out if I'm going to run into the last guy in the circle 35 yards into a hard 50 on each repeat because he's swimming a 500. Not good for him, not good for me. Just as disconcerting swimming with somebody working a faster pace than you as it is swimming with someone working a slower pace.
Call me very rude, but I am truly happy to wait for a lane and often do - enables others to get their workout in, and I appreciate it when I'm able (allowed) to do the same.
