Swim Rant

The team I work out with on Saturdays as a drop in just raised their fees from $5.00 to $10.00. Guess I won't be swimming with them on Saturdays anymore. And I thought a $5.00 drop-in fee was a bit high.

I actually complained that the pool was too cold today - I couldn't believe I did it! But for the past 3 weeks the leisure pool has been ok as long as you're moving in the water. However following a small child in/out of the water and sitting around in it is not a great workout, plus after about 1/2 hour she starts turning blue. However my biggest rant is that a number of people over the last few weeks were saying that they thought it was a bit cold, yet it was only me that actually went up to the desk and said something :frustrated: Apparently they keep it at 85/87.... felt 80/82. I'm surprised the noodlers haven't complained.

Apparently they keep it at 85/87.... felt 80/82. I'm surprised the noodlers haven't complained. I would love it if our pool was kept at 80/82. They finally agreed that 86 was too warm and lowered it to 84; still too warm for a good swim workout. But, I can see if you aren't constantly moving, 80/82 can get cool. When I go to another pool to work with a coach one or two times per month, I start getting cold if I don't keep moving.

I would love it if our pool was kept at 80/82. They finally agreed that 86 was too warm and lowered it to 84; still too warm for a good swim workout. But, I can see if you aren't constantly moving, 80/82 can get cool. When I go to another pool to work with a coach one or two times per month, I start getting cold if I don't keep moving. Where I swim, they have a leisure pool and a separate competition pool (25yd x 10 lanes :bliss: although they only guarantee 2 lanes available at a time due to schools/swim team/lessons) So the competition pool is 78 or so and fantastic for a good workout. The noodlers get to use the leisure pool which has a 25yd x 3 lane section plus the kiddie part, which is where I play around with my 3 year old. For some reason since the end of summer it seems barely warmer than the competition pool. Back in May I'm sure it was much much warmer! Maybe they're trying to save $$?

ARRRRRRRRRRRGGGG.SPMA SCM Champs are not going well.First,and worst,my wife Strained her hamstring causing her to fall at the airport getting a subpatellar hematoma so that instead of swimming at the meet she is confined to the hotel room with ice on her knee and hamstring for 48 hr.She told me to go swim "for her",so I did.I swam my favorite event today,100M BR.I swam the fastest time in my age group,1:15.30,fast enough to be the AA time,fast enough to finish ahead of Bob Strand(who,granted,wasn't in his best shape) only to be DQd.What is really irksome is that I purportedly took 2 dolphin kicks off the 3rd turn.I KNOW I didn't.I am not someone who pushes the envelope on this.I take my dolphin kick in the middle of the pulldown to avoid any possibility of confusion.My teammate,Ginger Pierson,who is a multiple BR WR holder and knows a lot about BR,said she watched the race closely and I did not do that.No official notified me(aren't they supposed to do so?)A friend told me it showed up on the score board so I tracked the meet referee down,asked what happened,said I was protesting and after some discussion with the turn judge he said"Its a judgement call and I have to back my judges."So again ARRRRRRRRRGGG.

What is really irksome is that I purportedly took 2 dolphin kicks off the 3rd turn.I KNOW I didn't.I am not someone who pushes the envelope on this.I take my dolphin kick in the middle of the pulldown to avoid any possibility of confusion.My teammate,Ginger Pierson,who is a multiple BR WR holder and knows a lot about BR,said she watched the race closely and I did not do that.No official notified me(aren't they supposed to do so?) That really sucks. Unfortunately, the meet referees can't overrule the S&T unless they see the race. Otherwise, it's down to "judgment." But they are supposed to come up to you and inform you of the DQ and the basis of the DQ right after the race. (And they did that with me at Nats.) You could have protested on that basis alone. I've never heard of a DQ showing up on the timing board. Is that sufficient to satisfy the rule of informing the swimmer? The new rule about the timing of the dolphin kick has certainly resulted in a lot of DQs ...

If you are leading a race, you will be watched and if you are leading that means during your pullouts, swimmers are passing by the other way. When I watch from above, there is alot of distortion from surface waves and I have trouble seeing exactly what is going on underneath. Perhaps inexperinece in judging coupled with this visual problem led to the DQ.

ARRRRRRRRRRRGGGG.SPMA SCM Champs are not going well.First,and worst,my wife Strained her hamstring causing her to fall at the airport getting a subpatellar hematoma so that instead of swimming at the meet she is confined to the hotel room with ice on her knee and hamstring for 48 hr.She told me to go swim "for her",so I did.I swam my favorite event today,100M BR.I swam the fastest time in my age group,1:15.30,fast enough to be the AA time,fast enough to finish ahead of Bob Strand(who,granted,wasn't in his best shape) only to be DQd.What is really irksome is that I purportedly took 2 dolphin kicks off the 3rd turn.I KNOW I didn't.I am not someone who pushes the envelope on this.I take my dolphin kick in the middle of the pulldown to avoid any possibility of confusion.My teammate,Ginger Pierson,who is a multiple BR WR holder and knows a lot about BR,said she watched the race closely and I did not do that.No official notified me(aren't they supposed to do so?)A friend told me it showed up on the score board so I tracked the meet referee down,asked what happened,said I was protesting and after some discussion with the turn judge he said"Its a judgement call and I have to back my judges."So again ARRRRRRRRRGGG. :badday: :bighug:

Swimmers who consistantly wear fins or paddles or both and decide that leaving less then 5 seconds behind you is fair or stopping so that they can catch the draft is fair, that really urks me!

Breaststroke DQs The rule and the interpretation of the rule re the pull before the kick (off blocks and walls) creates a logical disconnection. I have researched this in depth, including speaking to the highest levels of USAS rules officials, the ultimate answer being that the system does not want those calls, and thus overturns them in the video rooms at the high end meets (I have previously supplied links to several examples). You just can't be sure the swimmer did not do even a tiny down or side motion with the hands (even though the hands stayed together, sometimes locked together) before the kick. However, not all officials get the unwritten 'memo'. My concern is consistency across officials and meets. I think the rule regarding this does not need to be rewritten, simply dropped. A pull does not really mean pull anymore with the current interpretation of FINA intent. Another occurrence (that sometimes gets a DQ but usually does not) that also goes against the written rule...the last strokes before a wall. The breaststroke is unique in that it is a cycle stroke...pull, then kick, pull, then kick etc. However, relatively common (ie, not 1 in a thousand) at the finish as the wall is faced 'early', many (not most) swimmers put in a double pull (with no intervening kick). There is no requirement that swimmers be notified right after their swim about their DQ. Officials try, but the next heat is not delayed in order to notify.