Top Ten Things I Didn't Like About Atlanta

Exactly why I'm planning to head there instead of Mesa next year. Well, and that minor little time zone thing. HTFU! :blah: Seriously, though - I swam well at 2008 LCM Nationals in OR (outdoors), well at 2009 SCY Nationals in Clovis (outdoor), but stank it up twice indoors - Indy and Atlanta. Is it the time zone change or the indoor pools? Or both?

You west coast swimmers are well used to outdoor pools. And you can have them! They're not that many backstrokers on the east coast who like to compete outdoors. Besides, I try to stave off divorce by only attending one Nats per year tops. One other tiny little factor that favors Auburn: I'll be 50, not 49. For me it's the fresh air. I don't care if it's 40 degrees or 100 degrees outside (as long as it's not pouring rain) - I'll take that over a claustrophobic, stinky indoor pool any day. And no more East Coast meets for me - at least not ones that count...

I don't see how discussing the warm up pool is whining. It was flat out dangerous. The pool itself was dark which didn't help anything. My husband, who is 6-4, 230 pushed off the wall into a br pulldown and some guy swam right over him! There were several people who were far from courteous. I watched this: a lady pushed off the wall doing free, slowly. A guy pushed off and swam right up to the back of her knees and continued to do bfly, until he literally swam over her. I agree there's only so much you can do, but perhaps having a monitor for each lane? Someone who will kick out jack asses like the one I just mentioned. I did like that the lifeguards were attentive and actively engaged. This does need to be addressed. I was having a bad meet anyway, and I certainly didn't need to have some idiot push off from the middle of the lane into my finger and break it for me.

I promise this is the last I'll say. I am NOT a slow swimmer in my age group - multiple top tens to be exact. I AM extremely careful and give way at the end of every 25. I do not even do flip turns in the warm up pool after being flipped ON in Austin. I am small, I am female, and unfortunately older than most everyone else. And lastly I will NOT stay home because there are a few inconsiderate people out there. I understand that everyone has to give a little in the crowded warm up pool, but it seems that a few are unwilling to compromise. I think a speed lane would be good. For those who want to do fast 50's with hard turns, much like the one way sprint lane. In the dive well scenario, you have people revving up, and people cooling down in the same space, and it just doesn't mix. I also think that the on deck coaches could supervise the limited warmup space and conk the offenders over the head with a noodle when they start forgetting their manners. It is a safety issue and someone has liability for our safety. OK, enuf said. I'm going to wrap my fingers in duct tape so I won't be tempted to say anymore! Now, I'm going to

I don't think it's a forgone conclusion that a 2,000 swimmer Nationals is too big. I think bigger is better--up to a point--and 2,000 is probably right around that point for most facilities. I really don't think any of the suggestion Stud made would be an improvement. The status quo is fine with me. If attendance continues to climb then it would be time to think about changes, but for now I think the current format is good (with the caveat that I wasn't at Atlanta).

I think a speed lane would be good. For those who want to do fast 50's with hard turns, much like the one way sprint lane. In the dive well scenario, you have people revving up, and people cooling down in the same space, and it just doesn't mix. I have been to meets (maybe USS?) where they had both sprint lanes and "pace" lanes; the pace lane is what you are describing. It is for people to do race-pace 50s or 100s. I just don't think there was room to dedicate a lane for this purpose. For it to be reasonably useful and true to its purpose, it has to be less crowded than any of the lanes were in Atlanta. And even "hot shot fast swimmers" don't swim fast all the time in warmup (just as they don't spend all of warmup in the sprint lane). I don't think it's a forgone conclusion that a 2,000 swimmer Nationals is too big. I think bigger is better--up to a point--and 2,000 is probably right around that point for most facilities. It does depend on the facilities. 2000 wouldn't have been too big for Clovis, which had an entire 50m pool for warmup/warmdown (I seem to recall over 20 lanes). An 8-lane diving well, with no lines on the bottom and lanes of different widths...well, it required adjustment. Hearing the stories here makes me think that I got off pretty easy: I couldn't do the warmup I wanted, sure -- I doubt anyone could -- but I felt adequately warmed up for most of my races. The area surrounding the pool is important too. The GA Tech pool area had no problem with 2000 people (and their family & friends), which was nice. I even thought that seats in the upper deck were reasonably comfortable. And it was easy to get food & drinks too.

Maybe a suggestion would be to have designated entry points for each warm up lane so that you couldn't enter at both ends and along various points on the wall. You could have a monitor stand between the lanes at the entry point enforcing it, would only require 4 or 5 volunteers. I did see one joker dive enter the warm up pool. That was pretty brazen. In agreement with Chris, those seats in the upper deck were sweet. We sat up there and heckled each other.

For me it's the fresh air. I don't care if it's 40 degrees or 100 degrees outside (as long as it's not pouring rain) - I'll take that over a claustrophobic, stinky indoor pool any day. I'll second that! The hot and humid air associated with indoor pools is something I can live without. I suppose if I trained indoors instead of outdoors I would acclimate to it.

Now that you asked, I'll give my opinion. For me, warm ups were terrifying. Being a small not quite eligible for Medicare sort of female swimmer who is slower than most, but not really that slow, warm ups were combat for me. My warm ups consisted of sprint 25's, at the end of which I would pull off and let everyone pass until I could find an opening for another sprint 25. That being said, I was pulled under by the foot only so that some hot shot could beat me to the wall for his hot shot flip turn. In the process I was shoved me into the lane line, evidenced by the scrapes and bruises on my right side. I have been kicked in tender places, as well as not-so-tender places evidenced by more bruises. I vote that we designate a couple of hot shot lanes, a couple of fast lanes, and a couple of not-so-fast lanes for the rest of us because the status quo is NOT acceptable. Somebody is going to get hurt, or worse if this is not addressed! Don't get me wrong. I understand the frustration that the really fast swimmers both male and female must experience swimming in a lane with the likes of me, but I really try to be considerate of them, and I deserve the same. Nationals belong to everyone, not just the young and fast. YES,designate a slow lane or 2.I like to start my warm up with some really slow swimming,impossible in this situation.Some people like to kick in warm up,either impossible,rude or dangerous.Also I need to swim breaststroke in warm up before breaststroke events.In this pool I was either being run over or kicking people.To the peopleI kicked,I am sorry,I was trying to be safe but it was impossible.

Maybe a suggestion would be to have designated entry points for each warm up lane so that you couldn't enter at both ends and along various points on the wall. You could have a monitor stand between the lanes at the entry point enforcing it, would only require 4 or 5 volunteers. I did see one joker dive enter the warm up pool. That was pretty brazen. In agreement with Chris, those seats in the upper deck were sweet. We sat up there and heckled each other. I probably should have tried spectating from the stands some. But my buddies were hiding down in a corner on the main deck. The diving well pool was crowded and wild as expected. It didn't bother me much, and I just tried to be careful. I was swum over several times while SDK-ing underwater, but not injured in any way. As Kirk notes, I never warmed up in the competition pool, I stuck to the diving well except for that 30 minutes on Thursday night. I suspect it is easier for sprinters to warm up in those conditions. I just need time to loosen up and then I do some fast 25s or bursts, which I carefully time to avoid running over someone. Doing actual pace work seems problematic. And practicing turns and finishes in the diving well in a non starter. I also think it would help if people could not even jump into the diving well. Sliding in from the side is much safer.