Water aerobics classes...

You've suckered me in. I have two thoughts: 1) If someone is obviously overweight and/or out of shape, they catch a LOT of guff in our current society. My personal rule is that I NEVER, EVER say anything negative to those folks when I see them doing, or trying to do something about it. I've even gone out of my way to chat up some of the supersized people and find something to compliment. Just my personal rule; you can decide what's right for you. 2) Avoiding water aerobes and other open swim eccentrics (didn't Freud write an essay, "Lap Swimming and Its Discontents?"), is yet another excellent reason to find yourself a good Masters club with whom you can workout. I have lived in 6 different communities in the last 15 years, varying from dense urban to rural Naval Air Station. With one 10 month exception, I have always found a Masters club I can join and make fit into my schedule. Now with the web placing lots of info within a few mouse clicks, it's even easier. Get over trying to find the perfect solution, and step into the benefits of good enough. You'll never again grumble about that sweet, church-going, bakes brownies for the little league team, little old lady whose only fault is that she sometimes leaves her noodle in your lane. Lots of folks have talked about common curtesy. Indeed, don't expect to go drag racing in the Mall parking lot on a weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas. You want to swim aggressive, ambitious workouts. That is fabulous; find yourself a team where all the people in the pool share that goal. You want to work out during lap swim times with people with less ambitious goals, don't be surprised if they don't all bow down to your desires. I sometimes use lap swim time, and when I do, I expect to mostly work on drills and refining stroke technique. I don't set everyone in the pool up for failure by planning on doing a 1650 for time. Matt

Originally posted by laineybug Maybe USMS should start a "take your parents swimming day" so more people will get the enjoyment of a water activity with them. Lainey I'd love it if my folks swam with me, but my mom is sensitive about her weight and wearing a swimsuit, especially in public. My dad's knees are shot (cartilage is completely worn out) and he had his shoulder operated on, plus a lower back injury, so swimming would be painful for him. As for the Hydrobics Classes: I swim at the University here in town, which has two 25 yard pools. One for lap swimming, which starts at four feet and ends at 12 feet, the other is for stuff like the Hydrobics Classes, since it's four feet throughout, so I really don't have any problems with the Hydrobics Classes one bit. Today is another story, I went swimming and two boys ranging between 8 and 10 STOLE my lap lane WHILE I WAS SWIMMING! They were practicing their "Starts" and I just got out until another lane was available. I wouldn't want to be paralyzed by a hyper-active kid, who is practicing on his starts.

Sounds like a good plan.

Originally posted by Sonic Swimmer78 Today is another story, I went swimming and two boys ranging between 8 and 10 STOLE my lap lane WHILE I WAS SWIMMING! They were practicing their "Starts" and I just got out until another lane was available. I wouldn't want to be paralyzed by a hyper-active kid, who is practicing on his starts. While the kids' enthusiasm is great, shouldn't the lifeguard on duty have checked with you first before these kids started practising? It seems to me that someone should have explained to them about pool etiquette. Actually, they could have timed their practising according to your place in the pool, i.e., when you were at the far end of the pool. But again, that's just my $0.05 worth (adjusted for inflation :D).

Maybe there was no lifeguard on duty. At a few of the places I swim at they only have guards during family swim...but then I don't think they allow unsupervised kids around the pool if there arn't guards. Hmm. Yeah I'd be pretty upset if kids stole my lane for that purpose. The problem is if you're doing a set with things like 50's/100's made up of "swim xx slow, xx fast" or a set of 75s or anything that's a little bit funky, the kids might think they know your speed to time their start but arn't aware that this next lap you're going to be going for time, hah. Except...the pools I swim in either don't have blocks or have them covered up and the general public can't use them (probably a good idea..). Uh... I haven't done a start off a block in 5 years. Hmm....oops. How do I break that one to my school's coach? heheh

There was a lifeguard, whom I spoke to, I also spoke to the coach on duty, who was teaching an adult swim course. The boys were redirected to another lane, and their weren't any blocks, they just decided to start off the edge of the pool. I was slightly annoyed, but I found another lane before I let it get to me. The next time it happens (heaven forbid it happens tomorrow) I'll simply talk to whoever they are and tell them to simply find another lane or wait.