So, after years of training in an Olympic-style pool designed for competitive swimming, I just moved to a small town with a "nice enough" leisure pool which ostensibly is supposed to be 25 meters long. The issue? I am just busting a gut to hold pace times which normally would be cruising for me. I am a full 5 seconds slow on the hundred across the board.
I did spend much of my summer working stroke correction in an outdoor pool without too much speed work, but I did rock-out quite a few hard sets to maintain fitness. I just cannot fathom how a change in pools can gut performance this much. Could it be the stress of the move (2000 miles and a whole new carreer) or perhaps the fact the pool is kept really warm? Its as if the pool is about one or two meters too long. (BTW: I usually go about 15 strokes per length and this pool has me working hard to get less than 17 strokes).
Any ideas or similar circumstances?
Former Member
Maybe your turns are not good, and yes there are slow pools around. I remember racing a bunch of US Swimmers that all had best times of 49 seconds for a 100 at the McGill university 25 yard pool. I beat them and did 52 seconds flat.
In 1955 when getting ready to compete in the Pan American games I was a full 10 seconds slower for the 100. But the very next day I took 10 seconds off my 100 time.
Two ideas:
1) There may be a signfcant altitude difference between your old training pool and your new one. If so, it could take some time before you are fully aclimated.
2) Even if you have been swimming regularly, if you haven't been doing hard paced sets, it's not impossible that you may have lost 5s/100. This happens to me if I go into "leisure mode" for 3 or more weeks, wherein I cut my total mileage significantly and mostly ignore the pace clock. In my experience the speed comes back with about 3-4 weeks of steady work.
Could it be your times were from a 25 yard pool?
Actually my old pool was "officially" measured just last year for Western Canada Junior Nats, so I know that it was 25 meters. This new pool I am not so sure about since it was obviously never designed for serious training: too shallow at one end for official racing and really dark. And too warm. I am still wondering about the stroke count, especially since I am really digging to keep that count under control.
This living out of a suitcase is killing me. I have got to get settled in a real home and get my schedule back under control.
Could it be the stress of the move (2000 miles and a whole new career) or perhaps the fact the pool is kept really warm? Its as if the pool is about one or two meters too long. (BTW: I usually go about 15 strokes per length and this pool has me working hard to get less than 17 strokes).
Any ideas or similar circumstances?
The stroke count increase is the most alarming thing. A warm pool will make you tired quicker, but it's not going to change the stroke count 2+ per lap. Since you're from Canada, I'm going to assume all these pools are supposed to be 25m. Well, measure the pool and you'll at least have one answer.
My only similar experience was swimming at a hotel pool in the Bahamas at the Atlantis. We suspected it was 25m, but we didn't really know and had no way to measure. Stick with it, stay positive, and you'll be fine in the end!
2) Even if you have been swimming regularly, if you haven't been doing hard paced sets, it's not impossible that you may have lost 5s/100. This happens to me if I go into "leisure mode" for 3 or more weeks, wherein I cut my total mileage significantly and mostly ignore the pace clock. In my experience the speed comes back with about 3-4 weeks of steady work.
This is what I was thinking, too. If you haven't been doing the hard-paced sets all this time (and who could blame you?) that would account for your slower times.
If I cut back for just 3 weeks, I lose just about 5 seconds per hundred myself. It comes back, though, and it takes maybe a little less time than it took to lose it.
Are there other differences like the type of gutter and lane markers?
My pool is 100 ft (one less turn per 100), shallow 3.5 ft for half the length, no lane lines and no overflow. I'm about 5 sec slower per 100 yds.
I can feel my speed pick up as I move to the deep end.
I'd bet that your pool is not exactly 25m.
Some pools have currents. In one 50m pool I've noticed 5 seconds difference going west than if I was going east. The effect was most pronounced in lanes 1 & 8 and not detectable in the center lanes.
Some outdoor pools I've swum in have little eddies and funky currents in the outside lanes that tend to pull swimmers towards the ladders. I'd call these slow pools even when the gutter construction is good.
I'd vote for too warm as a reason. It may be the air flow affecting your breathing. Can you get to a serious pool to compare?
Actually I have to be thankful for the pool I have here. I am now living in an extremely picturesque and isolated community on the west coast of Canada. Its a ferry ride to everywhere and only fifty kilometers of highway covers the entire peninsula I now call home.
