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.
_________________
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?
The Smacker
Doing breaststroke sets while The Smacker is swimming in even an adjacent lane can be deadly as this individual will somehow end up kicking you, usually in a bad place.
I swam with one of these in college. Unfortunately she WAS a breaststroker:afraid:, and of course for some odd reason our coach always put the sprinters next to the stroke specialists (probably to keep the distance swimmers from attacking us out of jealousy when we were hanging out on the wall...)
Adonis
A male swimmer who is built like a Greek god, well-mannered, kind to the ladies, and slightly devious. He can be a world class swimmer or he can be a decent athlete who has just taken up swimming. He is slightly reserved and generally an observer. Even women who don't usually gawk find themselves fixated on him. All women, whatever the age, find some way to get his attention whether it be asking for swim advice, car advice, home repair advice, etc.
If he is single, older women are not sure they would want their daughters dating him because they see the devious streak. Women his age and even slightly older go after him with a fury because they see him as a challenge. The GGTTW types truly resent this guy because he always seems to get the girl.
There may be only one of these (at least I hope there aren't enough to be a "stereotype"): Women's Swimsuit Guy. There is a guy who is often moving from sauna to spa when I get to the pool (24 Hour Fitness) at 4:30am. He is dressed in a one-piece women's string thong bikini thing. It's very odd. I've never seen him in the pool--not sure his suit would stay on if he tried to swim in it. Probably not safe to enter the spa or the sauna after him though.
:bolt:
That would freak me out! I'm surprised a noodler hasn't reported him to the manager! You might want to warn the noodlers to keep their smelling salts handy if this guy sticks around.
Maximum effort, minimum efficiency
I watched a rec swimmer today and counted 58 strokes in one 25 yard length :eek: Perhaps this is normal, she was doing backstroke.
Maximum effort, minimum efficiency
I watched a rec swimmer today and counted 58 strokes in one 25 yard length :eek: Perhaps this is normal, she was doing backstroke.
Wow. My new target in practice for backstroke is "to the nines" - 9 or more SDK and no more than 9 strokes per length. 58 strokes is almost 175 yards' worth...
Last week I observed a lap swimmer take 35 strokes for 25 yards of freestyle and 25 strokes for breaststroke. Anybody got any butterfly stats? :afraid:
Get off of your soapbox for a moment and think about the context in which the comment was made. If not for stereotypes, much humor is obsolete. Ridgid, judgmental reactions do not help. In fact, no one here needs a reminder about political correctness. Borat was a fiction, picking the country of Kazakhstan simply because it is funny to pronounce.
I will admit that my reaction was strong, but who is the one being judgmental here? If nobody here needs to be reminded of political correctness, then why are some threads shut down and posts deleted by the moderators?
I'm sure you've been up on your soapbox a few times if something has hit close to home. Stop judging me for getting up on mine. :oldman:
Adonis
A male swimmer who is built like a Greek god, well-mannered, kind to the ladies, and slightly devious. He can be a world class swimmer or he can be a decent athlete who has just taken up swimming. He is slightly reserved and generally an observer. Even women who don't usually gawk find themselves fixated on him. All women, whatever the age, find some way to get his attention whether it be asking for swim advice, car advice, home repair advice, etc.
If he is single, older women are not sure they would want their daughters dating him because they see the devious streak.
:rofl:
Women his age and even slightly older go after him with a fury because they see him as a challenge.
See Cougar. . .
The Voyeur
Watches you very closely throughout the duration of each and every practice. At best you are uncomfortable with this. At worst you are slightly freaked out. You're not sure which is better or worse - that s/he is looking at your technique or er, . . . other things.
The Egomaniac
Races and swims as fast as possible the entire practice while never working on making changes or improving technique. You can visit 5 years later and EM is exactly the same in terms of style and stroke habit. It's like you were never gone for that time frame.
The Parent
This person is only a few years older than you; however, s/he will correct you several times each practice on everything from stroke technique to attitude, lane etiquette, and grammar.
I will admit that my reaction was strong, but who is the one being judgmental here? If nobody here needs to be reminded of political correctness, then why are some threads shut down and posts deleted by the moderators?
I'm sure you've been up on your soapbox a few times if something has hit close to home. Stop judging me for getting up on mine. :oldman:
I dislike getting into this type of discussion because it does not follow the thread, but here we are.
I have reread my post and fail to find any judgments being made. It is a plea for you to lighten up on a light subject into which an unnecessary emotional point was injected. No one was ridiculing you or anyone you know. Or any country, ethnicity, race or religion. In fact, they were simply referring to completely fictional characters in a movie playing out completely fictional scenarios.
Next, please be clear on the difference between PC, which is a stupid ideological ploy, and political statements, which are not tolerated.
Have a nice day.
I'm not sure that men's motivation to swim is to attract women either. I started swimming again after I was already married. I like doing it because it gets me high. Seriously. Things start to get a little surreal during a hard set.
If I wanted to attract women, I'd write a sweet love ballad for the piano. Instead I spend that time in the pool chasing the dragon.
