I remember the noodler thread of a long time ago, and I just kinda laughed at the idea of how annoyed some swimmers were with the "noodling". Today, I had a particularly ugly encounter with some noodlers.
I haven't swam since my unfortunate exit, after the 200 IM, at Nationals. Tuesday and Wednesday I had really bad food poisoning that had me laid out the entire time (when I wasn't yakking my guts out!), and on top of it all, I'm one month pregnant with number 4. (Happy about pregnancy, not so much about the other things).
So, my first day back swimming was today at the gym, on this beautiful, sunny 75 degree day. Ahhh. There's a 5 lane 25m pool. Albeit too warm because of the charming noodlers!
I got in, swam an easy 1000, and then the noodler class started. I was in lane 2 as lane 1 is really narrow. I knew that the noodlers get lanes 3-5. I went to push off the wall and a noodler was about 7 meters out right in front of me. Good thing I looked, or she would have had some owies. I stopped and looked at her (she couldn't see the glare in my eyes because I had my goggles on). She just stood there looking at me. A "friend" of hers said, "Do you want to move over?" She asked. I said, "No. I don't." To which she replied, "We get three lanes." I said, "You HAVE three lanes." Apparently, when a lane line isn't in, that counts as one! Long and short of it is I moved over.
It gets better. The "lady" (blue suit) who told me about how many lanes they get started chipping on me as I was swimming/kicking. I held my tongue for awhile and then suggested that she "grow up."
I finished 2,000m which was just right for me, now, and was sitting on the deck, while a guy who was obviously waiting for our ONE lane, got in. I was watching the noodlers noticing that of the 25 of them or so, they were all much older ladies or younger, MUCH heavier "ladies". I'm guessing over 300 pounds, which might account for their ill temper. Blue suit was probably pushing 350. As I was sitting their I saw her turn around, look right at me, and clear as day, say to her friend, "The b!t@h got out!" I couldn't believe my ears, was she kidding me?!
I walked over to her and from the side said, "Do you have a problem with me?" She said, "No. Why?" And I said, "I have a problem being called a b!t#h for no good reason." She didn't answer again, but her friend said, "She didn't say that." I told her that I clearly heard her. She said, "She doesn't even use words like that. She said, 'You got out.' " (Oh, they sound so similar! Plus it doesn't even make sense, she wasn't talking to me! Anyway...)
I said again, "If you have a problem I think you should talk to me." She still didn't answer. Her friend said, "If you have a problem, maybe you should go to the front desk." I said, "I'd rather work it out with you." So, I hadn't thought of going to the front desk, but it sounded good.
The manager came over and I pointed them out and he said he'd give me a call... we'll see.
I couldn't believe the rudeness. I'm sure not all noodlers are that rude, but she was over the top.
Former Member
The health club I frequent simply closes their 4-lane pool for "lap swimmers" when noodle class is in order. And I have to admit, if they didn't have the noodle class (probably 50 people) they wouldn't have even built the pool. Happily the noodle class is just one hour a day a couple of days a week. While I'm not happy with the solution it does minimize my stress level trying to share space with a group that doesn't understand what a swimmer needs or having to share lanespace with others who aren't noodling but aren't swimming laps either (What's the term for this ? Floaters ? Bathers ?)
In an ideal world I would be able to consistently make it to my coached Masters workout instead of dealing with the public, but our group works out earlier than I can make without sneaking out of work early.
Oooooh - count me in with (S)he-man's plan! :Lurking:
I actually switched from the Y to another health club for this reason where I was assured the lap swimming areas are for lap swimming only and the noodle classes are in the "family fun zone" area. (The two areas are separated by a bulk head).
Everything was great until one week when people in the lap swimming area weren't swimming, they were either playing or (and I'm not kidding) walking up and down the lane.
Long story short, I complained to the Aquatic's Director. When the situation did not change, I complained to the head life guard.
Karen - keep complaining, in an assertive, yet calm and controlled manner, in addition make a suggestion or two of how to resolve the situation.
At my club, I pointed out that the rules are strictly enforced everywhere but the pool and that the same type of rule breaking would never be allowed on a treadmill or other gym equipment. I suggested that at a minimum when the lap lanes are full, have those who are "playing" and not actually attempting to swim laps go into the family fun zone and I have noticed that the life guards now enforce this rule.
Good luck & Congrats on #4!
BTW, when I win the lottery or become extremely rich and famous, I am going to build a state of the art swimming facility. One pool for those who like it warm, another pool set at the usual competitive swimming temp as well as a bunch of individual endless pools for OW swimmings who can't get outside.
Congrats on the pregnancy!
But, I was in shock to read your story about the cranky noodler! I'm so glad you told the manager. Maybe she's been rude before and if she gets enough complaints, they can kick her 350 lb butt outta there. You didn't deserve that! When I was reading your story, I could feel the anxiety building up and I wanted to yell at the :censor: too!
If she's there again, keep on splashin!:angel:
Thanks for clarifying. I try to chose like speed lanes when the place is busy, but I know that sometimes people don't do that. They look at the lanes and if yours has less people, they jump in no matter that they don't match speed. For me, I am not that big, so I just swim around them and let them side stroke or whatever. However, if I am doing fly, I don't let the splash or waves I make bother me that I may be getting their perfect hair wet!
In the morning I used to have one woman just glare at me if I got anywhere near her in the pool. I got to the point I would slip into an open lane, she would glare, I would smile sweetly and say good morning, how are you? She would glare. I figured she had the problem not me.
One day when one of our local Master's swimmers who is quite tall and quite good(as in world record good), got in, I saw her get really angry. In the lockerroom later, she was complaining about all the waves in the pool because of "them". That is when I realized, because I knew and talked to this swimmer, I was one of "them" to her.
She has not been there lately, just the "thems". We outlasted, ha.
The fact is, the slower swimmers, and the noodlers tend to be quite afraid of someone with any speed. When the pool is busy, they are afraid to tap into a lane and circle swim. I have shown several people at our pool how to effeciently circle swim and that the faster people will swim around them, not over them.
Update:
Today I went to my summer pool, got in and swam about 2200m before i had a lanemate. We split effectively, no issues. Then during warmdown 800m later, a dad and his ~5yo girl got in with us. They just jumped in behind the slower lady in my lane and followed her to the other end. I assumed they were done.
So I am doing my 2arm backstroke warmdown, get about 18m and WHAM! I turn around and I had nailed the little girl. I felt pretty bad, cause she was crying and all. Dad didn't really say much - he probably realized he was at fault - but I went over to the girl, said I'm sorry, and that I didn't see her.
Some other lady who was just getting in stopped to explained circling.
Agreed Susan. I wish I had 1 pool within15 minutes. The gas prices are putting a crimp on my swimming, because I am unwilling to spend the gas unless it is piggy backed with other errands. Luckily DD starts up practice next week, so I have to go into town for her, and will be bringing my suit along.
Was your lane the only lane she could get into because the pool was full? I could see where it would strike me as wrong if there was not much space and someone would not let me circle swim in their lane. Especially if I were similar speed. Sometimes when it is crowded, I have to adjust my intervals. That is just the way it is, if you swim public swim with varying speeds of people.
I see your point about sharing the lanes, and I agree with you that it would be wrong with limited space.
In this case, it was one of four lanes, and marked medium speed (we're forced to choose between slow, medium, medium and medium), and the woman was a head-up breaststroker we'd seen before.
To another point... In my personal case, I'm 6' 185lbs and could be considered a power swimmer; I could do some serious damage running into someone (to me and them), as illustrated in the example I provided a few posts ago. We all know I have a history of inuries.
It is us against them, the noodlers and flooter types being them. We seldom have that trouble at our pool. There are usely three lanes for laps.
What I do dislike is when there are lessons in the pool they will sometimes take 2 of the 3 laps for classes and leave one for lap swimmers.
When the excercise classes are in they sometimes close one of the three laps and give it to the noodle classes.
The good thing is you can avoid most of these things when when you are retired. There are four pools with in 15 minutes of my home, three that are covered by my $29.00 monthly swim card. The other I can buy senior tickets.
I just have to arrange my schedule. If I wanted to swim at a masters workout I can go up to 6 x a week and just swim with the master club. That pool is 10 min away.
If you swim laps you do have to put up with things.
I understand that there are swimmers of all abilities and when the pool is full, I need to share and vice versa. As a compromise to lane sharing, often times I will switch to a kicking set or drills as usually my workout lasts much longer then the casual rec swimmer.
What I cannot stand are those that occupy lanes that aren't even trying to lap swim or feel that THEY are entitled to a lane when I ask to share with them. Just like the lady that only did vertical kicking in the deep end of one lane with her aqua float belt and said No when I asked if I could share a lane with her. These folks needs 10,000 lashes with a wet noodle! :lmao:
Karen-
Congratulations on #4!!! That is great news. I missed you at Nationals (didn't see you at the ball game, but I did see a few of your races), what happened during the 200 IM??? ER, cutting out of the suit? This does not sound good.
As to noodlers, we don't have too much trouble with them at our club. They tend to stay in the "deep water walking" area and out of the lap lanes. One problem we do have is with the water aerobics class that runs during practice. They have the shallow end of two lanes roped off for class (the deep end for water walking, PT, etc). When the class is full and they start moving in circles as a group, they make one heck of a whirlpool! The swimmers in the lane next to them wind up getting sucked into (and under) the lane lines as they come in to flip. We have asked them if it would be possible to circle the other way (after explaining why) and you would think we were asking them to clear the pool and do regular aerobics.
They hate us because we always complain about the warm water, plus we are all "splashy" swimmers. :frustrated:
