Swim Rant

RE: Swim Rant

Former Member — Sat, 13 Apr 2019 06:34:12 GMT

Yesterday morning, due to a meeting at work, I had to swim on my own at one of our city's other rec centers and not with my Masters group. I get out on the deck a few minutes after 6, get a kickboard and bouy, and set it down in the only open lane left. Just as I was getting ready to jump in, a guy asks if I could move and swim in the next lane over, where another person was swimming, letting the person that he was with to have the lane to himself. I then asked if it was a private lesson and when he said no, I refused to give up the lane. I then go on with my workout and less than 5-10 minutes in had another person in the lane with me. At the conclusion of my swim, has a conversation with the lifeguard on duty about it. Apparently one guy is training the other and they are funky about having to share lanes with other people. If that's the case, don't come at 6am!

RE: Swim Rant

Former Member — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 05:56:35 GMT

Basically anything unhygienic in the pool. Specially those who urinate in the pool. Yuck!

RE: Swim Rant

knelson — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 03:42:31 GMT

Basically anything unhygienic in the pool. Specially those who urinate in the pool. Yuck! I'm with you on that. It's gross enough that you don't mind swimming in your own urine, but forcing others to swim in your urine is beyond the pale.

RE: Swim Rant

Gary P — Wed, 24 May 2017 03:20:49 GMT

Reading these rants makes me realize how incredibly blessed I am with my health club's pool. We have two sides, one a warm therapy pool, and the other a nice cool 6 lane 50yd. lap pool. I very very rarely have to share a lane with anyone other than my own daughter. No noodlers, no bandaids, no nothing except my own 9 year old kiddo getting aggravated with her 35 year old fat out of shape momma only being good for one or two races per swim lol. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Yeah, you're lucky. Sounds like fun, swimming with your daughter. I'm also lucky that I can take a late, long lunch a couple times a week, and get to the local YMCA at a time when the lap pool demand is low. Most times, I get a lane to myself. Occasionally, I have to split a lane. Only very rarely does it get to circle swimming at that time of day.

RE: Swim Rant

Former Member — Tue, 23 May 2017 15:07:07 GMT

RE: Swim Rant

skiboy58 — Sat, 01 Apr 2017 02:19:59 GMT

I swim at the local Y and not with a team, so I guess I deserve what I get. But anyway...my pet peeve is people get in the fast lane and they have no business. A guy the other day jumped in and swam without even putting his head in the water. Nothing wrong with being a "learner," but just don't get in the fast lane when it says you are supposed to keep a pace of 't enforce anything unless you ask them to. Posted sign clearly says you are supposed to be able to swim at a certain pace...how about a little enforcement.

RE: Swim Rant

Gary P — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 05:31:12 GMT

The front desk says it is because of chemical issues, but a sign on the pool says 'waiting for parts'. Chemical regulation is often automated these days. So "chemical issue" and "waiting for parts" aren't necessarily contradictory explanations. Hope you find a suitable alternate location in the meantime.

RE: Swim Rant

Jimbosback — Mon, 27 Mar 2017 03:28:12 GMT

Sorry for the necro, but this was not really worthy of a new thread. In what seems to be a recurring theme, my pool just closed during the most critical training period for Nats. The front desk says it is because of chemical issues, but a sign on the pool says 'waiting for parts'. No workout for me today. Time to look up lap swim times at the county pool. :censor:

RE: Swim Rant

Former Member — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 07:09:30 GMT

TRIATHLETES! Or rather, triathletes who's athletic origins are in the disciplines outside of the water. Bad enough on their own, and even worse when they come to group practices and demand their own lane.

RE: Swim Rant

FindingMyInnerFish — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 10:47:33 GMT

Even with a group practice, there's some juggling--during kick sets, I'm abysmal; I go last in that case. During pull sets, I can lead my lane. One of my lane-mates will use fins whenever possible. I avoid fins if possible (too much chafing). When she's wearing fins, she leads. Or mybe all the lane mates go ahead of me. When she's not (the coach insists on a non-fin set), I'm in front. And we shuffle positions throughout the practice. Oh and IM? I'm improving at fly and the others in my lane either don't know how to do it or barely...and can out-swim most of my lane mates in breaststroke (even though I'm pretty slow) and free, but at backstroke, I can feel them at my feet (probably checking their calendars to see how long I'm going to take). ;) It's a juggling act if more than two people are in my lane. Simpler when there are only 2 of us, but that typically doesn't happen. Oh well, gets me ready for open water swimming. Fortunately, most of the time, we work things out among ourselves. Two big differences. 1. Teams are generally sorted into lanes of swimmers of roughly the same general speed. The disparity of capabilities of a local population of lap swimmers is far greater than on your typical team. I'm substantially faster than 95% of the regular lap swimmers at the local pool. In a circle swim situation, I'd be passing many of them once ever 3 lengths or less. And there are a couple of young college studs (and one studette) who occasionally show up. They would find me to be an annoying floating chicane in their lane if forced to circle swim with me. There are maybe two regulars who I'm truly circle-swim compatible with. 2. Everybody in a lane at a swim team practice is doing the same workout at the same time. Every lap swimmer has their own workout in mind. Even if you're in a lane of compatible circle swim partners, somebody (or all) have to compromise their workout plans so you aren't running over each other when one is doing sprints, one a kick set, and the third a moderate-paced distance swim. Don't get me wrong, I'll circle swim if I have to. But I'd much rather split a lane if there are only two per.

RE: Swim Rant

james007 — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 05:28:17 GMT

That's my point...there is way to much incompatability among swimmers for me to waste my time with circle swim. I'm better off going home to my weight room and doing land training. However, as I already said, I don't have to either, I swim at a small "y" with very few swimmers early in the morning so I can work out as I please for at least 2 hours alone...it's pure bless...no noodles, water arobics people telling me I'm getting their hair wet...just me and my watch and work sheet :banana:

RE: Swim Rant

Gary P — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 01:04:48 GMT

Every single team from age group through elite colleges use circle swimming so while it may not be 100% as effective, my guess is that it is not too far off if done correctly (i.e., don't draft all the time, center your turns, etc.) Two big differences. 1. Teams are generally sorted into lanes of swimmers of roughly the same general speed. The disparity of capabilities of a local population of lap swimmers is far greater than on your typical team. I'm substantially faster than 95% of the regular lap swimmers at the local pool. In a circle swim situation, I'd be passing many of them once ever 3 lengths or less. And there are a couple of young college studs (and one studette) who occasionally show up. They would find me to be an annoying floating chicane in their lane if forced to circle swim with me. There are maybe two regulars who I'm truly circle-swim compatible with. 2. Everybody in a lane at a swim team practice is doing the same workout at the same time. Every lap swimmer has their own workout in mind. Even if you're in a lane of compatible circle swim partners, somebody (or all) have to compromise their workout plans so you aren't running over each other when one is doing sprints, one a kick set, and the third a moderate-paced distance swim. Don't get me wrong, I'll circle swim if I have to. But I'd much rather split a lane if there are only two per.

RE: Swim Rant

KeithPav — Wed, 09 Dec 2015 11:03:52 GMT

I feel for you...I could swim with a masters group several miles from where I live but I choose not to. Where I swim I usually have a lane all to my self and its only a 1 1/2 miles from home...I will share a lane with no problem but I will not do circle swim. I well leave the pool first. I really don't see how one can work out effectively with circle swim....but that's just me. I'm the exact opposite. I have been swimming circles since i started swimming almost 40 years ago and absolutely hate taking a side. Every single team from age group through elite colleges use circle swimming so while it may not be 100% as effective, my guess is that it is not too far off if done correctly (i.e., don't draft all the time, center your turns, etc.) Without circle swimming you are limited to only 2 swimmers per lane. When I first started back swimming after about a 16 year stint on the couch, the fitness center only had 4 lap lanes and no one would swim circles so there were always situations when the 9th swimmer showed up and had to wait for someone to leave. That seemed so crazy to me. I could not wait to find a new pool.

RE: Swim Rant

james007 — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 06:46:13 GMT

RE: Swim Rant

Karl_S — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 03:49:06 GMT

FSU purposely built an indoor 25 yard x 40ish yard pool specifically to make it a non swim team pool. How dumb is that? I've actually heard the same thing about multiple pools around here. It appears that it is easier to generate capital to construct a pool if you guaranteed the potential patrons that they will not have to compete with swim teams for lane space.

RE: Swim Rant

knelson — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 03:42:33 GMT

Any way this guy comes over and stops me in the middle of a timed sprint at that (Yuk) and tells me I am in his lane...I just looked at him in disbelief...he continued to rank and said he was a paid member. Absolutely amazing and I should be shocked, but I'm not. Even worse is this bully probably gets his way from some people.

RE: Swim Rant

TRYM_Swimmer — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 01:07:19 GMT

FSU purposely built an indoor 25 yard x 40ish yard pool specifically to make it a non swim team pool. How dumb is that? Then they built a lovely 25 yd x 50m oudoor pool way OFF campus for the team! Honestly. They didn't want anyone to see how much better in shape the swimmers are compared to the revenue-generating mob.

RE: Swim Rant

Celestial — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 08:59:06 GMT

I would like to rant on the gross lack of INDOOR 50 meter pools in the USA. Lets go Metric. I've finally said it now comes the hate mail...LOL FSU purposely built an indoor 25 yard x 40ish yard pool specifically to make it a non swim team pool. How dumb is that? Then they built a lovely 25 yd x 50m oudoor pool way OFF campus for the team! Honestly.

RE: Swim Rant

FindingMyInnerFish — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 06:41:51 GMT

I swim early in the morning for about 3000 to 5000 Yds. So here I am swimming and all 5 lanes are taken with one swimmer each. Any way this guy comes over and stops me in the middle of a timed sprint at that (Yuk) and tells me I am in his lane...I just looked at him in disbelief...he continued to rank and said he was a paid member. I said good for him because I have not figured out how to swim for free yet either and continued to swim. I was ready to pull of his trunks and send him to the locker room naked. :argue: HIS lane? You could tell him the pool's new policy is that reserved lanes cost extra--and has he paid for the lane yet? ;)

RE: Swim Rant

james007 — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 11:58:24 GMT

RE: Swim Rant

Former Member — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 10:35:56 GMT

Due to an illness this was my first time in the water for over a week. My SCM taper meet is in 3 wk.I'm not sure how to taper given the last week,arrrggg. I've just been through exactly the same scenario. I usually have a slightly lighter week in meet-3, but still work pretty hard at race pace. Then, less again, then very little work in the last week. I simply made my meet-3 week more like I'd planned to do the week I missed and just picked up as planned the following. It won't make a massive difference.

RE: Swim Rant

Jim Culp — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 12:52:13 GMT

Drafting- I am so tired of a lane mate that always has an excuse why he can't lead the lane but drafts so close on my heels that I can never see him coming out of turns, etc. Aggravating:bitching: There now I feel better – at least until the next time he’s at practice :)

RE: Swim Rant

james007 — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 11:49:04 GMT

I agree...and many times their stroke and head position and speed are terrible too:blah:

RE: Swim Rant

james007 — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 11:33:42 GMT

I would like to rant on the gross lack of INDOOR 50 meter pools in the USA. Lets go Metric. I've finally said it now comes the hate mail...LOL

RE: Swim Rant

Bobinator — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 08:01:53 GMT

Due to an illness this was my first time in the water for over a week. My SCM taper meet is in 3 wk.I'm not sure how to taper given the last week,arrrggg. Good luck Allen. The older I get the more I'm noticing the positive effects of rest before a meet. I'd do what Stewart said and look at the extra week off as a high octane fueling session!