This may or may not have been discussed in the past but I am wondering what are people's favorite pools. Which one is your all time favorite to practice in and to race in.
My favorite practice pool was The Baylor School's old 6 lane, 25 yard pool. I think the deepest part of the pool was 4 1/2 feet. Shallow, really wavy and crowded. I knew if I swam fast in that pool, either in duel meets or practice, I could swim fast anywhere else.
My favorite pool for big meets is the Tracy Caulkins pool in Nashville. We would go to our LCS and State Championships. The pool is fast. When you dove in, you would get pysched to race in the pool.
What about others? Would love to hear about other pools.
Thanks!
John
Former Member
I always like the unusual pools for workouts - 20yd, 100 ft, or 100m since they make you think more about what you are doing and how you are swimming.
I grew-up in central Indiana and am partial to the IUPUI Natatorium (Indianapolis) which has hosted many international meets as well as US Olympic Trials for both Swimming and Diving. For years after its construction, it was the standard for comparison with deep flat bottom, wave-vanishing guttering, and excellent temperature controlls. See for yourself: www.iunat.iupui.edu/.../competitionpool.asp
Favorite for swimming fast: Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln Nebraska.
Most interesting: My indoor age-group pool where about 80 of us worked out in the old Hastings Nebraska YMCA - 3 lanes wide, 17yds long. We didn't do circle swimming, we did "snake" swimming.
We would all line up in single file and start down lane 1, swim back on lane 2, then go down lane 3 and then get out of the pool because it was so crowded.....wait until everyone had finished swimming down lane 1 and then start all over again.
It seemed quite normal at the time.
It's no wonder all the kids from Hastings Nebraska were excellent sprinters and had the fastest flip turns but really stunk at the distance swims.
For both working out and meets my favorite pool is the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, WA. They cater to competitive swimmers. The pool is always the perfect temp. I'm really looking forward to SCY Nationals being there in 2007.
I didn't realize how spoiled I was until I moved away from the Puget Sound area. Now I celebrate the days when the pool gets under 82 degrees.
Seagurl51,
Not that this is related, but I noticed that you make a lot of posts and that your location seems to change frequently. Is there more than one Kyra, or is it always you?
Cleveland State! I hadn't thought about that place in quite awhile. Is it still around? I went to a NCAA meet there in 1976? or was it 77? John Naber tore it up--not only winning both backstrokes, but I'm pretty sure he won the 200 free--and it was from an outside lane.
Best competition pool: The University of Texas
Best city pool: Venetian pool, Coral Gables, FL
Best Hotel Pool: Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge, Glenwood Springs, CO--go in the winter!
Originally posted by patrick
Best Hotel Pool: Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge, Glenwood Springs, CO--go in the winter!
So true! Not to mention the beautiful drive, especially from Vail to Glenwood Springs.
