I'm still just a newbie to competitive swimming and wondered if other swimmers have experienced one training pool MUCH faster than another. And I mean SCY/SCM pools, not difference between SC and LC pools. There is one pool where I train, SCY, and I am uniformly 8-10% slower than in the pool where our team trains (also SCY). It's almost as though it is a SCM pool.
Nearby SCM pool, I have the expected times converting SCM to SCY. Now I've been a runner for over 35yrs. Never had one track SO much slower than another and consistently so. Temp in the "slow" SCY pool is consistenty lower (75-76degF) than the other two (79-81degF).
And yes, I have thought of actually measuring the slow SCY pool, community pool folks insist it is 25y!
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Former Member
It's not surprising that one pool is 'faster' than another, but that is big difference in speed. If you look, there are quite a few articles on the internet about what makes pools fast or slow.
You mentioned that the slow pool is colder than the others. Is it uncomfortably cold for you? Most swimmers do better in slightly cool water, but if you're shivering, that would explain why you are swimming slower. Another big factor is waves. If the water is too rough for any reason (bad gutters or lane ropes, too many people, etc.), you will probably be slower.
An additional possibility - Are you using your own watch or the pace clocks at the pools? If you're using the pace clock, there is a small possibility that it is going at the wrong speed at the "slow" pool.
Or could it be because you're not training with your team? Many people can push themselves much harder when they are with a team than by themselves (I know this is often true for me). I know this is a lot of possibilities, but hopefully something here will be helpful.
It's not surprising that one pool is 'faster' than another, but that is big difference in speed. If you look, there are quite a few articles on the internet about what makes pools fast or slow.
You mentioned that the slow pool is colder than the others. Is it uncomfortably cold for you? Most swimmers do better in slightly cool water, but if you're shivering, that would explain why you are swimming slower. Another big factor is waves. If the water is too rough for any reason (bad gutters or lane ropes, too many people, etc.), you will probably be slower.
An additional possibility - Are you using your own watch or the pace clocks at the pools? If you're using the pace clock, there is a small possibility that it is going at the wrong speed at the "slow" pool.
Or could it be because you're not training with your team? Many people can push themselves much harder when they are with a team than by themselves (I know this is often true for me). I know this is a lot of possibilities, but hopefully something here will be helpful.
