I need some help here folks.
Those of you who "know" me know that I am a beginning "serious" swimmer. I've been slowly but steadily working my way up to swimming a mile as my first goal I'm pleased with the progress I've made, feel stronger, dropped some pounds, added some muscle - all good stuff.
Because I am a slower swimmer, I've tried to be careful not to get in the way of stronger swimmers' workouts. I try to enter lanes where I can match the pace and let people pass me if I get overtaken.
Usually, if I share with just one other person, we split the lane down the middle rather than circle swim. This works out great. If we add another swimmer, we circle. I thought this was the norm for two people.
This evening, though, I asked to share a wall lane with a man who was a faster swimmer. All the other lanes had 2 people. No one was circling. I suggested we split the lane, and he said, no - circle swim only. I warned him that I swim slowly, but no dice. Circle swim only.
So we circle swam - no, he circle swam, and I got out of his way every 50-75 yards. I'm mad at myself because I messed my own workout up as I was pushing myself to swim faster and exhausted myself far short of my goal.
So, please help me out here: is it wrong to split a lane with just 2 people? What is the "right" way to handle this situation? As I develop into a stronger swimmer, I feel I have a place at the pool. I'm just not just where that is.
Many thanks - Barb
Parents
Former Member
The guy was obviously silly-wrong to insist on circling. Did he forget how to swim straight? Worried that some cute guy might show up and be afraid to get in with the two of you? Who knows, but maybe he had some weird reason that you'd rather not know! Next time either don't stop for him to pass as it sounds like he was plenty fast enough to get around, or don't stress out about having to stop and instead have some fun with it - do some speed work trying to stay on his feet for 25 each time he passes you, something like that. It's boring and unimaginative for you to swim without stopping every time you get in the pool anyway. Get some fins, swim underwater, go off the blocks and do a sprint, try one-arm fly. Be a wild thing - risk partial disregard for your lane mate.
The guy was obviously silly-wrong to insist on circling. Did he forget how to swim straight? Worried that some cute guy might show up and be afraid to get in with the two of you? Who knows, but maybe he had some weird reason that you'd rather not know! Next time either don't stop for him to pass as it sounds like he was plenty fast enough to get around, or don't stress out about having to stop and instead have some fun with it - do some speed work trying to stay on his feet for 25 each time he passes you, something like that. It's boring and unimaginative for you to swim without stopping every time you get in the pool anyway. Get some fins, swim underwater, go off the blocks and do a sprint, try one-arm fly. Be a wild thing - risk partial disregard for your lane mate.
