Swim Rant

Ugh, I had forgotten how much fun the battle between 'fast' swimmers and lap swimmers was. So, there I was, wanting to swim a few laps, maybe get in a little work between practice days. I get to the local facility, get to the deck and look out at the 5 lap lanes. Hmm, the Slow lane, nope too slow, the Medium lanes, nope too slow, the Fast lanes, um, huh? 2 Folks in there going SLOWER than the folks in the slow lane. I check the signs, yep, printed in LARGE lettering Slow, Medium, Fast and arrayed from left to right. So I wait about 5 minutes and one of the folks in the Fast lanes finished. I ask the remaining one if I can join her, sure, I then ask, can we split the lane, at least until someone else joins us. Sure, no problem. So I start off, just a nice easy 200. Every 50 I'm passing the other person going the other direction. Shrug, whatever. I finish my 200, someone is there asking to join, um, sure, I have no problems but it's circle swim time. Please note: I am in the FAST lane, now, I'm not burning up the record books but I just took a 200 in about 3:00 or so. So now I have 2 others in the same lane as I. No problemo, push off and start doing some moderate speed 100s, trying to get as long as possible as my lats are still not as stretched out as they could be. Pass swimmer #1 after the first turn, pass swimmer #2 after the 2nd turn, pass swimmer #1 AGAIN, after the third turn . After the 2nd 100, I realize that this is :notworking: . I see the next lane over is empty so I move over there. So I have a lane to myself, so I decide to work on some IM. Hmm, should have checked the hair of the swimmer to the left. After my 2nd 100, she asks me is to not splash so much. I must have had brain-lock and gave her a blank stare like I was simple, cause she said, 'you know, keep the splashing down, it's getting my hair wet' riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. Time to go. So I will not be trying that again. I'll stick to working out with a group of like minded, chlorine suffused, folks who get up before the chickens to go fast, make waves and punish themselves. Paul

I got to practice early on Saturday, wanting to get in about 1000 before practice started. Knowing that would mean sharing a lane with the early morning turtles, I went prepared to wait for an opening and followed proper etiquette for lane sharing. After waiting for the guy swimming with the snorkel and webbed gloves to either look up and see me, or get back to the end of the pool, he finally looked up and waved me in to share the lane. My mistake, I figured that the invitation would come with him moving over to one side so I could use the other. He turned around before the flags (after inviting me in) and started back the other way--still swimming down the middle of the pool! I pused off an started down the side that looked to be mine and hugged the lane line to get by. Did the same each time I passed him for the entire swim. This guy was like a driver doing 45MPH in the passing lane on the highway. He would move over when he saw me coming, but then move right on back after I passed. Weird.

I got to practice early on Saturday, wanting to get in about 1000 before practice started. Knowing that would mean sharing a lane with the early morning turtles, I went prepared to wait for an opening and followed proper etiquette for lane sharing. After waiting for the guy swimming with the snorkel and webbed gloves to either look up and see me, or get back to the end of the pool, he finally looked up and waved me in to share the lane. My mistake, I figured that the invitation would come with him moving over to one side so I could use the other. He turned around before the flags (after inviting me in) and started back the other way--still swimming down the middle of the pool! I pused off an started down the side that looked to be mine and hugged the lane line to get by. Did the same each time I passed him for the entire swim. This guy was like a driver doing 45MPH in the passing lane on the highway. He would move over when he saw me coming, but then move right on back after I passed. Weird. stop moaning... :p

stop moaning... :p It's a rant! Do you really want to pick a fight???:duel:

So I have a lane to myself, so I decide to work on some IM. Hmm, should have checked the hair of the swimmer to the left. After my 2nd 100, she asks me is to not splash so much. I must have had brain-lock and gave her a blank stare like I was simple, cause she said, 'you know, keep the splashing down, it's getting my hair wet' riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. Time to go. Oh man you're too nice. I'm not sure what I would have said but it would have been Fly on the next 50. Perhaps: "Hello? Pool...water...swimming hat..."

From the depths of page 19, my rants: 3. The recreational swimmer who "races" me for one lap while I'm in the middle of a set of 10X200. They do one lap, furiously slapping the water and then rest up for fifteen minutes. . I loved this one; this happens to me all the time especially when I am in the middle of hour number 2 of swimming and some fella gets in and "races" me on a 25. He stops and I just keep on going. Here's one more: the triathletes I lake swim with think they need wetsuits right now because the water is 79 degrees! I just tell them they are being wimps. And sure enough, 10 minutes into swimming they are no longer cold. They have a sprint triathlon this Sunday and are going to buy wetsuits. I just shook my head; their transition time is going to cost them getting out of that thing before the bike. :dunno:

I loved this one; this happens to me all the time especially when I am in the middle of hour number 2 of swimming and some fella gets in and "races" me on a 25. He stops and I just keep on going. Here's one more: the triathletes I lake swim with think they need wetsuits right now because the water is 79 degrees! I just tell them they are being wimps. And sure enough, 10 minutes into swimming they are no longer cold. They have a sprint triathlon this Sunday and are going to buy wetsuits. I just shook my head; their transition time is going to cost them getting out of that thing before the bike. :dunno: If I can swim in the Hudson in a grape smuggler at 78-80...they can certainly hack Texas lakewater without a wetsuit...for some it's like going scuba diving but making sure you have "Big Ben" strapped on to your wrist for show...

Other swimmers just joining your lanes without even a hello and at the opposite end to where you are already starting from. Then setting off to lap as you're starting a 100 for time causing near collisions and promtping evasive actions and entaglements with the lane rope. No biggie, they at least saw what I was doing and held up in the water...well I wasn't going to stop...I was there first and "etiquette rules" are you join in with the workout in progress. Finally, the lifeguard not getting your attention at the wall to tell you the lane rope is being removed for open swim, and just deciding the best way is to drag the lane rop on top of you. I got close to bellowing expletives at them from the water...I kept it to a rather agitated demeanour and a "I'll do the same for you!" What happened with trying to get my attention at the next wall? I could have caught my arm or hand and injured myself. Was it that much of an emergency that the open pool paddlers got that lane that they couldn't get my attention first? Grr.

In a few days I am heading for noodler and floating matress heaven. Where people jump in and swim across the pool when I swim lengths. I will not despair, I will be where the Margaritas are big and cool. I may even swim a length or two. Who knows I may even swim across the pool myself and go to the swim up bar.

I have another bout of iritis aka dry eye run amuck (no corneal abrasions though). No swimming for a week. I had just started 4 weeks of harder training, so I'm bummed. I don't know whether to swim in my meet in Dec. as planned. Argh. :sad: