Equipment Rep
Trains with every piece of equipment available at all times.
The Luddite
Trains with nothing. Only uses a loin cloth and goggles in workout.
The Barnacle
Leaves right on your feet. Couldn't count to five or ten if his life depnded on it.
The Coach
Not an actual coach, but someone who is consumed with technique. Swimming is a precise set of moves that can be broken down, categorized, and scientifically analyzed.
The Jaded
Could care less about technique. Just wants to swim and leave the analysis to the eggheads.
The Swimaholic
Trains at least 10 swimming workouts a week. Anything less is viewed as not trying.
Fast Guy who Never Trains
Shows up once a month and breaks national records in practice.
Hardest Working Man in the Swim Business
Trains like a ferocious animal in workout, but has no speed when it comes to racing.
Lane Guy
Works out in a lane that is far too fast or slow for him.
The Crack Guy
Dude, pull your swimsuit up or get a bigger size.
The Newbie
Shows up to practice in board shorts and a scuba mask.
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As for myself, I would fall into the categories of Luddite and Jaded. Also, I wrote this from a male perspective, but the women are included as well. Any other stereotypes?
What a great thread!
Stroker
This person swims stroke instead of free at every opportunity, without any need to modify sendoff times or distances. You look over to the next lane and see them calmly cruising by swimming backstroke, fly, or breaststroke while you suffer and die trying to keep up swimming free.
And the most annoying sub-type of the Stroker is the Fly Guy. Fly Guy is training for the 200 Fly at some high level event you couldn't qualify for if you had a Johnson outboard motor strapped to your back. Fly guy always asks and usually gets permission to do his sets fly. 40 X 100s on 1:10? No problem for Fly Guy, he's a freak of nature. When you fall out at about #33, Fly Guy offers some unwanted encouragement while barely breathing hard during his 17 seconds of rest between his 34th and 35th 100. 1650 day? Fly Guy does it fly, no problem. Fly Guy whoops your free-styling ass in practice all the time, but that's not good enough. Fly Guy has to swim against you in the 500 free at a meet....doing fly, of course. Fly guy finishes a full 25 ahead of you with a time that would have qualified for the finals in the 500 free at the previous year's state meet, embarrassing you in front of your family and non-swimmer friends (you swimmer friends don't say anything because they know Fly Guy could whoop them too). Fly Guy, who hopped right out of the pool like he's just done nothing more than a 25, then waits for you to finish so he can congratulate you on a "nice swim" from the deck above while you hang on the gutter for dear life, limp as a noodle.
What a great thread!
Stroker
This person swims stroke instead of free at every opportunity, without any need to modify sendoff times or distances. You look over to the next lane and see them calmly cruising by swimming backstroke, fly, or breaststroke while you suffer and die trying to keep up swimming free.
And the most annoying sub-type of the Stroker is the Fly Guy. Fly Guy is training for the 200 Fly at some high level event you couldn't qualify for if you had a Johnson outboard motor strapped to your back. Fly guy always asks and usually gets permission to do his sets fly. 40 X 100s on 1:10? No problem for Fly Guy, he's a freak of nature. When you fall out at about #33, Fly Guy offers some unwanted encouragement while barely breathing hard during his 17 seconds of rest between his 34th and 35th 100. 1650 day? Fly Guy does it fly, no problem. Fly Guy whoops your free-styling ass in practice all the time, but that's not good enough. Fly Guy has to swim against you in the 500 free at a meet....doing fly, of course. Fly guy finishes a full 25 ahead of you with a time that would have qualified for the finals in the 500 free at the previous year's state meet, embarrassing you in front of your family and non-swimmer friends (you swimmer friends don't say anything because they know Fly Guy could whoop them too). Fly Guy, who hopped right out of the pool like he's just done nothing more than a 25, then waits for you to finish so he can congratulate you on a "nice swim" from the deck above while you hang on the gutter for dear life, limp as a noodle.
