I'm happy with the progress I have made after about 5 weeks in the pool. However, as a newbie, I feel terrible for the other swimmer that gets stuck with me in their lane. One program I joined is made up of moderately serious swimmers and the club I joined is a 5:30-6:30 AM group of serious swimmers.
All the swimmers are very pleasant and helpful, but am I'm I viewed as a major distraction and barely tolerated? And if so, am I better off swimming by myself until I can keep up? I'm hesitant to go to the Sat. morning 5:30 club training because there may be more than 2 swimmers per lane. Thanks for your honest answers. Steve
Nobody whose opinion should matter to you is going to think you are a pain just because you are slower than they are. They may not share a lane with you, but that wouldn't be because they "barely tolerate" you. It would be because if you have (say) three people at one speed and one at another, everyone will probably get a better workout if you divide up 3/1 than 2/2.
I think being pleasant and not swimming down the middle are necessary, but not sufficient, to fit into a crowded workout. I have a few other tips.
If you do have to share a lane with people who are faster than you are, make sure you are in the right position in your lane. That position might usually be "last," but maybe not always depending on what everyone is doing.
If you have to skip some to keep up (which is not the best compromise, but maybe it is the only thing that will work in your particular group), don't get in the way at the wall.
Be sure that you understand the set, even if that means asking about the jargon, but don't hold up the entire group if you are not ready to go when they are.
Learn to do breaststroke without kicking way wider than your body, or don't do it when you are sharing a lane. (Kicking your teammates in the ribs over and over again does build ill will.)
Get to practice on time so that people can sort themselves into appropriate lanes right from warmup.
All these tactics plus being pleasant at 5:30 am should make you a respected and valued member of your team regardless of speed.
Nobody whose opinion should matter to you is going to think you are a pain just because you are slower than they are. They may not share a lane with you, but that wouldn't be because they "barely tolerate" you. It would be because if you have (say) three people at one speed and one at another, everyone will probably get a better workout if you divide up 3/1 than 2/2.
I think being pleasant and not swimming down the middle are necessary, but not sufficient, to fit into a crowded workout. I have a few other tips.
If you do have to share a lane with people who are faster than you are, make sure you are in the right position in your lane. That position might usually be "last," but maybe not always depending on what everyone is doing.
If you have to skip some to keep up (which is not the best compromise, but maybe it is the only thing that will work in your particular group), don't get in the way at the wall.
Be sure that you understand the set, even if that means asking about the jargon, but don't hold up the entire group if you are not ready to go when they are.
Learn to do breaststroke without kicking way wider than your body, or don't do it when you are sharing a lane. (Kicking your teammates in the ribs over and over again does build ill will.)
Get to practice on time so that people can sort themselves into appropriate lanes right from warmup.
All these tactics plus being pleasant at 5:30 am should make you a respected and valued member of your team regardless of speed.
