So a lady friend of mine and I were discussing Masters training yesterday, specifically the art of sharing a lane with a mixture of like-minded people not necessarily doing the same work-out (ie: public swimming). Right now all of us are in the same boat; the local indoor Olympic-standard pool has been closed for bi-annual maintenance and we are all having to share a wierd old 50-yard outdoor pool which has long-course lap swimming for only a four hour window each day. Most everyone knows everybody by now, so we are all getting along pretty well. With the exception of the triathletes.
So, without trying to poke a sleeping bear with a stick, why is it that tri-athletes cannot seem to get along with competitive swimmers in the training pool? Here are my observations of the group we have here, though they might not be typical examples:
1) Holy smoke are these guys serious about talking about serious training. Note how I worded that. They talk the talk a lot, ignore anything us competitive swimmers might have to say on the subject of training swimming, and generally clog up the end of the pool as they talk. and talk. and talk. Despite the fact they all sport the same middle-aged paunches, they just cannot conceptualize that they are not truly elite athletes and they do not get to set the rules of the pool.
2) They hog the lane. If these guys can drive, how come they cannot figure out circle swimming? It seems to me a pretty simple concept that you stay on your side of that black line on the pool bottom going one way, and then circle to the other side of the line on the way back. That darn line was not painted on the bottom of the pool just so you can swim straight.
3) Circle swimming and trying to mesh the circle swimming of several lanes is just a foreign concept to most of them. It just seems proper that if lane one is circling clockwise, lane two should circle counter-clockwise so you don't bash you freaking arms across the lane lines. The tria-athletes seem to always circle the absolutely wrong way, and with those wide-ass strokes they all seem to use, it is almost inevitable that you will clash. Thankfully most ex-competitive swimmer have developed that 6th sense that tells you to duck when you are about to be smashed (you all know that 6th sense: its called watching where you are going, another apparently foreign concept. Goggles are obviously used for finding floaters at the bottom of the pool rather than looking ahead periodically)
4) Interval training. Tri-athletes seem to believe that is a innovative, modern concept that needs far more study (usually done while they have deep discussions at the end of the pool) before they actually implement it. Serious tri-athletes just know that swimming the same 1000 meter swim with no set pace every single session is a clear formula for winning the next Iron-man. The tri-athletes seem to resent the breaking up of swim sets into reps on intervals, especially if it done by some pathetic competitive swimmer that keeps on passing them while they grind out that standard 1000.
5) Finally, my greatest irritation: X marks the spot!! When you sit at the end of the pool, discussing deeply distressing new concepts such as interval training, circle swimming, and high elbow recovery on the front crawl, why must you sit right in the center of the lane. Did it ever occur to you that the center of the lane has a big cross painted on it and generally Xs and crosses designate landing zones. Of course I know that you rarely use flip turns, but some of us poor simple-minded swimmers do and, from force of habit and in the interest of not smashing into the person behind us, we usually flip-turn on the X. We also tend to come in on one side of the line (that line on the bottom of the pool, put there presumably for some swimmers to find their way back to the discussion at the end of the pool) and leave on the other side. Its called circle swimming.
Is there some shortage of information on swim training for tri-athletes? I know that there are all sorts of magazines and books about triathalon; do they all ignore the fact that to succeed at swimming you actually have to follow some sort of structured training program? Do they even touch base on simple pool training etiquette?
I used to think that it was just my cross-eyed cussed and curmugeonly ways that found the local tri-athletes to be slightly slow and backward with regards to training-pool etiquette, but my lady-friend was far more cynical than I: she was pretty sure that the tri-athletes purposefully are difficult as part of a competitive strategy.
Former Member
3. At my pool, I will do my best to observe circle swimming but find that by doing so, I have near collisions with those who don't. At the noon swim period, often only a local swim coach and I have even heard of circle swimming. I had hesitated to share his lane, however, since he is a good deal faster--but he actually invited me to do so after seeing me trying to weave my way around those who didn't observe the practice. (He's also shared great tips and suggestions about my stroke and I definitely have benefited from his
I actually watch for people that understand pool etiquette, regardless of speed or ability and either make them welcome in my lane or actually invite them over. I find that by filling your lane with people that know how to train, it discourages the many people who think that lane swimming should be a free-for-all scrimage.
The black watch comment hits home a bit right now. The pool I have to use right now has not one training clock up, so I am having to wear a watch right now. Drives me crazy, but I do find it easier to keep track on distance swims.
Sorry to all the tri-athletes here: I did say that I thought that the group we had here in this city might be a different breed of trainer. I actually know many of them fairly well; the guys that come out to train with the Masters groups really know how to get along in the circle swimming millieau. On the other hand there is a bunch of these guys that just cannot or will not try to get along. The feeling is almost "clique" like. (note that most of us competitive swimmers get along really well with the regular public swim fitness crowd; they know us and better yet, know how to live and let live. This includes the elderly lady we all term "dog paddle" lady for good reasons)
The most irritating one so far: the guy that boasted to me that he could almost keep up with me on the 50 meters, but he thought that the wet suit probably was helping him somewhat (do you think?). That does beg the question as to why he was wearing a wet suit in a heated pool in the middle of winter and why he thought that a fifty sprint would compare to a 400 meter interval pace.
HPG,
maybe you should move away from where ever it is you live..... the triathletes i know can all swim pretty well and follow the pool rules etc.
Ditto, I never have issues with the triathletes, pretty civil people, mostly men, who treat me pretty well when I share a lane with them. Maybe because I don't try to convert them to my way of training! Let them train how they like.
I agree with Chaos. The triathletes around here are great. (I don't live where cha0s lives) Lots of them swim with USMS teams and we all get along fine.
I suggest that you try talking to them in the same tone of voice you use with your swimming friends. After you establish a rapport you might be able to slowly interject things they need to do to become a better lane mate.
If they want to do straight/uninteruppted swims just suggest splitting into 2 lanes so both parties can do what they want to do in optimal conditions. I think taking the pro-active yet respectful approach will get you what you want and possibly win you some friends. Starting a pissing war with triathletes is petty and childish. sorry :( :bighug:
I dont have any problems with the Tri's in my pool....they are faster than me anyway. I think you have just run into a bad group...dont blame the entire nation of Tri's.
Maybe it's just Canadian triathletes. :)
Our folks in Scottsdale are great. Intense, for sure, by I admire that intensity. Plus, it's fun to get to know their faces and names so I can cheer them on as they pass me on the run of any splash & dash I do.
I really get a kick out of the tris who use an abacus! And I've seen several instances. . .
Me too. I love to slide an extra disk(or more like 6 or 7) over while they swim.
Maybe it's just Canadian triathletes. :)
Our folks in Scottsdale are great. Intense, for sure, by I admire that intensity. Plus, it's fun to get to know their faces and names so I can cheer them on as they pass me on the run of any splash & dash I do.
Patrick...the Tri's up train at Cactus are unique in that they have "bought in" to doing training that is more in-line with a regular swim team. I have rareky swam or coached multisport athletes who will actually do stroke work, drills, kick sets, etc...these folks do and they have all show incredible improvement in their swim legs.
On the other hand I still can't get you to SDK 15m of every wall when doing backstroke work...hmmm.
My team is made up of more triathletes than competitive swimmers. If I had to generalize, I'd say the triathletes are better with pool etiquette, and they will swim every stroke. Perhaps my team is the exception.
I too am a swimmer first and foremost who does an occasional tri, and I too am also a bit miffed by the anti-tri comments. For every triathlete that does any of the afformentioned annoying things in a public swim, there is a swimmer who does the same.
At the public 50m pool at which I've been known to frequent during the summer, the triathletes have better lane etiquette than the swimmers. I can't begin to tell you how annoying it is to be cruising into the wall and have a head-up breaststroker push off just as you get ready to do a flip turn. It's the triathletes that move over and hold up (or like described in an earlier post, will join my workout).
From my perspective, I think some of the swimmer-only community here on these forums harbors some envy and jealousy towards triathletes. So you don't like swimming lots of freestyle or in murky water; or you don't like wetsuits; or you still have training wheels on your bike; or you don't like the culture that says spending $5k on a bike is ok; or you think running is boring; or you can't run (x) miles without (y) body part(s) hurting... You are probably jealous/envious that these wanna-be triathletes have the balls to stretch out of their comfort zone and attempt to rise up to an athletic challenge that deep down you think you'd like to do and wish you "could" do yourself. Instead of bitching to your lanemate at the next rest interval, how about putting yourself out there and go tri (sic) a race.
I swim with some very elite tri's. For the most part they are friendly and courteous. HOWEVER, they will never do anything other then free and they hate to do anything that may resemble a quality set. They will frequently change the interval if they feel we are getting too much rest. I know I can change lanes when they do this but I don't and then I complain that we never do quality or the interval is too fast to do stroke.
Aquageek sadly is right. Go to letsrun.com and read any threads about triathletes. No mercy! :eek:
Thing is, I think we all have some flaw that someone could mock. We each have to do what we do and find our own satisfaction and if someone mocks our choices, so be it.
Sometimes it's a matter of learning a sport's etiquette and that takes time, requires patience of both parties, whether the newcomer to the sport is a triathlete or not.
I don't know what specific pet peeves cyclists have about newcomers, but runners tend to get heated up about beginners lining up too far in the front or stopping short to take walk breaks or running/walking 3-4 or more abreast. Headphones are a constant debate topic--probably better to bring up your religious or political views before even mentioning your views about headphones, especially headphone use during races. For swimmers, it seems to be the wearing of wetsuits, the refusal to do any stroke but freestyle, the refusal to do flip turns, the tendency to brag about one's equipment, speed, status in sport, etc. (actually that last one is probably a pet peeve whatever the sport).
If I'm in a practice in which other strokes are included besides freestyle, I'll give them my best shot--hey, the coach sets up the practice, not me; s/he has more experience than I do in these matters or I'd be coaching instead; so s/he gets to call the shots regarding strokes and other details. I wonder, thouigh, if much of a newcomer's discomfort with other strokes comes from lack of confidence. Surrounded by people who are very efficient in the other strokes and not being so oneself is pretty intimidating. I simply choose to accept that I'm learning, not an expert and have to start somewhere. But perhaps for some, it's difficult to allow themselves that kind of vulnerability, so they'll seem to diss the stroke work etc. and treat it as unimportant rather than acknowledge insecurity.
As more and more people start trying to get fit, we'll see more and more etiquette no-no's. And with that, we'll need to be more and more aware of the need to cooperate with one another.
