Swim Rant

Ahmed, actually this was at a gym with no lane speed postings. He just didn't want to share, but sorry, sometimes sharing must happen. And no matter how ticked he was, I really don't think that's any sort of excuse to kick someone. You are absolutely right and correct, the way you described that situation and whether there were speed postings or not, or whether one swimmer is Olympic material and the other catatonic, there is, of course, no excuse for kicking another person. I mean, I was ticked the other day when I was circle swimming in the "Fast" lane (I belong to a different gym now) with 2 women who really should not have been in the Fast lane at all. But it would have never occurred to me to kick one of them to get them out of the lane. What you do is NOT to kick them but a) overtake them so fast that they will realize that you're way faster than they are and b) cut in in front of them, so closely that they feel that they might have been kicked had you been a fraction of an inch off. Naturally, you do it safely but close enough to make them think. And if they object, you could always tell them that, as you were overtaking (since they're so slow), you had to swerve to avoid colliding with an oncoming swimmer. As I'm writing this, I'm hoping that I never have the gall and nerve to swim in a Fast lane if I discover that I'm sharing it with a visiting Ian Thorpe or an Alain Bernard or even a Botoukalabmvera Fanithopouliotidos (but also an Olympian, though of a lesser caliber) but that I would notice them in time to go over, way over, way way over, 15 lanes away.

I'm new to this site, but this thread is making me laugh. ..................snip............... I think the worst thing that ever happened to me was when I got in a lane with a guy who did NOT want to share. He made a point of doing a sprint and then resting and then blasting past me again every other lap, kicking hard and creating a LOT of wake. Finally at one point he decided to do breaststroke with very wide pulls and kicks and just as I was going by him, he totally kicked me in the upper arm. Hard. I stopped swimming and yelled at him. He just said, "Sorry!" sarcastically. Grrr! Hi Kellyim and welcome. I don't know how much faster (or slower) you were than that guy (who didn't want to share), however let me present the other side of the coin: In the City (Public) pool where I swim during lane swims, there are always swimmers who will completely ignore the "speed" signs (Fast, Medium Fast, Medium and Leisure) and will always try to swim in the Fast lane, even though they would be considered "slow" in the Leisure (noodles-needed-just-to-float) lane. The only way to get the message across to them, that they do not belong in the fast lane, is to overtake them fast, using a very slow arm recovery (for sarcasmic effect) and kicking a bit more "noisily" than usual and abruptly cut in in front of them. After two such "events" most of them "get it". This is a last resort tactic, after the lifegards have failed to convince them to "PUHLEEZE" move to a slower lane, if they don't want to swim to the sides of the lane and leave space for others. There, I have vented some as well.

I move heaven and earth to get to my team LC practice on a week night and I run smack into impenetrable traffic. After 40 minutes of stop and go, I just turned around. That was going to be my only LC practice this week... Trying another pool. If its crowded and I can't do fly, I'll be really cranky.

I'll be really cranky. Wouldn't that be 'crankier'? Or maybe 'crankiest'?

you obviously want death...painful death... Pretty sure I can out run her now, at least for the first mile or so :toohurt:

The pool at my YMCA was 86* today! Ugh! Most days it is at 83*, which is still way too hot. I understand that they need to strike a balance between kids swim lessons, the arthritis swim class and lap swimmers, but this is ridiculous. I called and complained asked other lap swimmers to fill out a complaint card. I was sweating for a half hour after my cold shower. At least there's no chance of pulling a muscle... :bitching:

Wouldn't that be 'crankier'? Or maybe 'crankiest'? LMAO. Crankier. This is what happens when people advise me to lift heavy weights and threaten to ban my Pro. Good thing I have a vacation coming up!

Pretty sure I can out run her now, at least for the first mile or so :toohurt: Dream on, Hulk. You haven't even broken the 9:00 minute mile barrier yet. I have a nice 4.5-5 mile loop I do ... feel free to join. :agree:

Ah come on even I can do 1 mile 't keep up in the beer department. So you and I can carry on with the fourth part of the gridge. :)

Wouldn't that be 'crankier'? Or maybe 'crankiest'? you obviously want death...painful death...