Had a weird thing happen at practice today. I was finishing my swim with a set of 25yd butterfly to work on my stroke. I had the lane to myself, and for a time, both lanes to either side were empty. About midway through my set, an older woman got into the lane next to me and started swimming. Ordinarily I'd pay it no mind, but at one point when I was resting she turned to me and said "you know, it's really hard for me to swim backstroke when you're swimming like that, you're a real jerk!"
When she began her statement, I thought she was going to make some kind of joking comment. But as she finished it, I realized she was serious, and it kinda caught me off guard. Since the lane on the other side was open, I moved over a lane so as not to disturb her, and tried to apologize when she was at the end of the lane, but she just curtly replied "fine" and went on about her swim.
So my question is this, does swimming butterfly make me a jerk? I'm not going to stop swimming fly, but I'm just curious if anyone else has run afoul of other swimmers getting bent out of shape in this manner. To summarize, we both were in separate lanes (6ft wide), and she was swimming, not water walking. I wonder if Phelps runs into these problems :D
I know when someone starts looking like they are going to join me in my lane I switch to FLY on purpose, to scare them off. The kids on the team I coach say I look scary when I swim FLY.
There are a select few who know they can join me even when I am doing fly but we know eachother and how to swim together. It's those newbies that I try to scare off.
I'm not surprised. Some people also get offended when they feel you are swimming too fast. Apparently you need to slow down to their speed to be polite.
:wave: That's happened to me. Someone once actually complained to the lifeguard that I was passing and " it's hurting my feelings." (His answer: "Well, you shouldn't be in the fast lane")
But to answer the original question, I suppose it depends on where you were swimming. If it's in pool where serious swimmers train, she's the jerk -- what does she expect? But I think it would be different if you were in a recreational pool (like an apartment house or hotel pool). There I'd kind of hold back a little.
I don't think it's the stroke, per se, that would make someone a jerk in the pool. Today, this rather large guy was "sprinting" freestyle in an adjacent lane splashing up a storm and causing sizable waves. Another good swimmer in his lane had to try to constantly avoid him when he swam. He knew he was making a mess, but persisted. I found that offensive.
Hey, at least you tried to apologize for not doing anything wrong.
Ordinarily I'd pay it no mind, but at one point when I was resting she turned to me and said "you know, it's really hard for me to swim backstroke when you're swimming like that, you're a real jerk!"
The proper comeback would have been (per George Costanza)... "Oh yeah, well, the Jerk Store called, and they're running out of you!"
Not to get on a tangent but I have a question.
I got yelled at warming up at Zone SCM meet due to a near head on. The person entered at the bulkhead, not the block side where to me everyone was entering. Since I knew the person I was following passed as I approached the bulkead, I slid over early, which I often do, and that's when I collided. She yelled at me, which really bothered me, since I was at a USMS Championship meet.
Is it cool to enter from both sides during a warmup?
Not to get on a tangent but I have a question.
I got yelled at warming up at Zone SCM meet due to a near head on. The person entered at the bulkhead, not the block side where to me everyone was entering. Since I knew the person I was following passed as I approached the bulkead, I slid over early, which I often do, and that's when I collided. She yelled at me, which really bothered me, since I was at a USMS Championship meet.
Is it cool to enter from both sides during a warmup?No it is not cool, nor is it supposed to be allowed.
Well, I got to swim today with no incident. I doubt if I'll change any of my habits, but I'll have to keep my wits about me because if I see this woman again there is a part of me that would like to be a jerk. I've tried being a jerk in the past and have realized that I'm not cut out for it. I always feel bad afterwards (even if the other person deserved it) and regret behaving badly.
:bliss::bouncing:
