1. Circling with a slower swimmer (especially one doing BR) who will not pause at the wall and let you pass - very dangerous. Last time it took a huge toenail scratch down the back, another down the arm, and a swift kick in the 'nads before I blew up at this guy.
2. The swimmer, doing his own workout, who stands right in the middle of the lane, after finishing each and every one of his repeats. I mean, c'mon moron, what are you thinking? Can't you see I'm me every time plowing down on you? GTF outta the way...
3. Kids, or their beach balls, kick boards, noodles, dinosauers, etc. that always seem to find themselves running smack dab into you during one of your better sets of the season. Especially dangerous for the littler tots when doing backstroke. Where's the lifeguard when you really need them?
4. Brownouts...nough said:doh:
Oh, oh, here's a good one! What about Scuba Divers?? Anyone know what I'm talking about?
They come in, in their neoprene wetsuits, HUGE masks, ...that's right, MASKS, (I hardly call 'em goggles if they're HUGE) and snorkels...
"...Ooh, we're snorkeling... IN A POOL!" Who does that?! I'd understand if it were at a reef where colorful fish dwell... But a Pool?!!
*Speaks in Jacques Gusteau Accent* "Ah yes, wee see ze raire femaile swimmaire in hair beautiful black, red and orange Speedo, swimming ze majestic breaststroke.... Du not get too close, or she'll see you and zen slap you."
GIMMIE A BREAK!!! Snorkeling is for tourists who want to see fish in reefs, not female swimmers in skin tight Speedo's! Oy!
!
This one always baffles me
1. The ridiculous girl who hangs at the end of the lane on the far side (50m pool) with her legs spread to max distance apart so you can't do a flip turn without coming close to breaking one of her limbs.
2. When waiting on slower swimmers ahead of me at the wall so I won't be on their butt in no time (open lap swimming at my German pool), and some douchebag dives in and starts swimming in the gap.
3. The idiot who thinks swimming circles means swimming right up the middle while the rest of us stay right. That gets fixed fast.
4. Seeing so many swimming with no hip roll and poor form - their bodies must really ache after swimming.
5. People gathering at the end of the lane oblivious to anyone else coming in, leaving no space for you to make a turn. Hello people, we're sharing space here!
I feel incredibly lucky after reading a lot of these responses. I go to a Lifetime fitness and we have a lot of lanes so there is usually a free one.
So my peeves are:
1. I cannot figure out freestyle and it makes me feel incompetent and embarrassed when I try.
2. Chlorine kills my hair and skin and my hair just always seems dirty and my skin is always itchy and rashy. Seriously I am just so freaking over chlorine.
3. Days when I can't swim because life or my shoulder hurts or whatever. I just want to spend a twelfth of my life in the pool and never miss a day; that is not so much to ask!
1) practice is always 2hrs before i want to get up - but i do anyway
2) i train way harder than i want to, to go slower than i want to
3) why does swimming take 2x or 3x or 5x the training that any other sport does?
4) how many other sports have you shave your body for the top competition?
5) for 20 years i promised i would not be insane and get up at 5am to train my rear off...yet for 8 years now...im back at it!
clearly swimming causes insantiy or at least re-occuring insantiy
6) masters swimming has caused me to look at a Large pizza and go...dinner for 1
it was way worse when i was younger
my eating doesnt turn off if i take a day off from swimming
7) by taste i can tell the ph level of pool water and what chemicals are too much and in need of...talk about insane!
8) 77 is too cold, 81 is too hot...a 3 degree range seems way too picky, but too cold and i cramp and too warm and i melt
9) $300 for a jammer is ok, but $9 for goggles? no way!
10) $100 for entries is high, but $800 for airfare to the meet, sure
2) i train way harder than i want to, to go slower than i want to
Pet peeve: I train as hard as I think I can, but I still get whooped by some certain Texans ...
Flip side of the pet peeve (why I love swimming): No matter who beats who in the race, we still laugh and commiserate in the cool-down pool and remain friends before competitors
1. The lap pool is taken up by "aqua walkers" while the leisure pool has available lanes
2. Leisure pool is too warm
3. When I am sharing a lane with someone with paddles and I end up getting spanked
4. Seeing bandaids in or around the pool area
1) practice is always 2hrs before i want to get up - but i do anyway
2) i train way harder than i want to, to go slower than i want to
3) why does swimming take 2x or 3x or 5x the training that any other sport does?
4) how many other sports have you shave your body for the top competition?
5) for 20 years i promised i would not be insane and get up at 5am to train my rear off...yet for 8 years now...im back at it!
clearly swimming causes insantiy or at least re-occuring insantiy
6) masters swimming has caused me to look at a Large pizza and go...dinner for 1
it was way worse when i was younger
my eating doesnt turn off if i take a day off from swimming
7) by taste i can tell the ph level of pool water and what chemicals are too much and in need of...talk about insane!
8) 77 is too cold, 81 is too hot...a 3 degree range seems way too picky, but too cold and i cramp and too warm and i melt
9) $300 for a jammer is ok, but $9 for goggles? no way!
10) $100 for entries is high, but $800 for airfare to the meet, sure
Not much body hair left except for the chin since I 59 year old woman even as a kid when all the girls shaved their legs I didn't because mother said you would end up shaving your legs everyday.
Pet peeve: I train as hard as I think I can, but I still get whooped by some certain Texans ...
Flip side of the pet peeve (why I love swimming): No matter who beats who in the race, we still laugh and commiserate in the cool-down pool and remain friends before competitors
:bighug: for the first one; however, I'm sure that made Steve :D!
The flip side is what Masters is all about, and why I love the competition at this level. :bliss:What a great post, pwb! :agree:
