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Evening all,



Couple of quick questions.



Q1. Do you stretch before swimming or are there any drills you use before starting.



Q2. How do you guys get around swimming with the plebs breastroking in the fast lane [:@] etc. Im polite, and as a result my sessions get ruined. Im guessing your going to say early mornings or join a swimming club.



G

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Comments

  • TommiTriTommiTri Posts: 879
    i run to the pool, then stretch as I would normally, which is about 10 mins of yoga-esque downward dog etc, tends to warm everything up nicely.

    Ah for the plebs who don't understand what fast medium slow means I swim up and down the middle, provided your lanes are wide enough! They will soon move out of the way, or get the message and move lanes. I used to be kind, but like you it was screwing up my sessions. If anything ever happens just remind them that this is the fast lane, go fast or get out of the way, hehehe
  • sfullersfuller Posts: 628
    you get those plebs early morning too! saying that though, I swim fast-ish and I hate it when some people think they can over-take in a non polite way, like cut in front of you when you are just about to push off at the end of the pool rather than just over-taking down the lane! if im not going fast enough I wish they would just tap my foot and on the next full lap ill get aside so they can swim by.
  • After trying to avoid the billy breaststrokers i find the best way is to just full steam ahead over them!! this gets the message over [:D]



    By the way i dont use this method on kids or old people,well not all the time [;)]
  • As I mentioned a month or so ago, we are STILL swimming at Princes Lake on saturday mornings. No problems with crowds slowing you down. Only 3 of us this morning, maybe had to do with the fact that the water temp. was down to 5C. My last remaining "old style" filling in my back molar, started to hurt after about 15 minutes. Rest of me had gone "comfortably numb" by then.



    See you next week-end???



  • bennybenny Posts: 1,314
    a tumble turn with lots of splashing water does help!!![:D]
  • bennybenny Posts: 1,314
    or team up with a friend or two; some drafting training will anoy or scare the doggy swimmers.
  • husslerhussler Posts: 237
    1) I dont generally warm up, just dive in and do a steady warm up of around 800m.



    2) Swim over the top of anyone in my way.... only after trying the usual foot tap drills and when they ignore it and turn anyway.... just go straight to 'swim over them' drills when there are no lane ropes....



    I have had a fair few arguments with others in the pool who then complain to the lifeguards who just tell them to get out of my way lol[:D]



    Kids especially piss me off as they deliberately stand in front of me and try and get out the way at the last minute so quite a few times i have connected with a punch or very strong kick which usually sees them cry off to their parents.... just get the message... get out my way!



    You have to be selfish sometimes in order to get ahead.
  • sfullersfuller Posts: 628
    you punch and kick kids? .....
  • husslerhussler Posts: 237
    Not really... just make lots of splashing and swim forcefully past them and if they are stupid enough to get in the way then thats their own fault. I only want a channel thats around 2' wide along the pool and when theres plenty of room in the rest of the pool it damn annoying! Especially as i put earlier that they do it on purpose
  • nivaghnivagh Posts: 595
    The pools I tend to swim in have a "no overtaking" rule, which, as far as I can tell, means that you have to tickle people's feet and hope they stop to let you past at the ends. Which is very annoying when you're doing fast hundreds or something similar. Most people are sensible enough to get the message when their toes are tickled.



    As for warming up, just lengths of different strokes in the slow lanes, and some drills if I have time / am feeling virtuous.
  • ardkeenardkeen Posts: 152
    At least you have lanes, just go thru them but try and avoid hurting people out of frustration.
  • BARNYBARNY Posts: 157
    I SFULLER - I hate it when someone who is slower than I doesn't wait for me to nip by at the end of each length as it is very much harder to pass someone while doing a length and not hit poeple (coming back the other way) or without going out of your zone. I feel you should stop at the end and let someone go if they are faster than you!... once they are passed you you get many many lengths until you have to do them the service again. Other selfish act is slow(er) poeple who push as hard as they can off the wall to try keep in front then go slow so get in your way in the last 1/4 of every length - make it even more dificult to pass them.. Without forcing by at the end of the length... As a triathlete I actually belive that not pushing of the wall at all helps not only extend each and every length but also stengthen me for how races are. SO no offence but thats the other side of opinion for you - why should faster pople ruin their session to get past you!? :o)



    As for pedestrians in the fast lane - Imtimidation is the only way. Sorry but these poeple are being sumpremly selfish - INTENTIONALY! - of course if the whole pool is busy then its tough tities for everyone - I tend to walk straight out again.



    Many many swimer of different abilties can share a lane bbut only if they are considerate and accepting of theior place in the pecking order... so,,, make love, not war... then intimidate the bar stewards.



    I dont get road rage but lane rage.. my god!
  • bennybenny Posts: 1,314
    One of my local pools has one lane only (rest is playground), so on sunday mornings or busy evenings it's shared with sometimes up to 9 or 10 others= at least 5 diff abilities.

    In such case I change the training in a pure technique training, drills; and since swimming is 80%technique and 20% fitness, I suppose I don't get held back by these people.

    Don't let others ruin a workout; instead shift it in your advantadge!
  • Streching or any land based warm up before a swim is fine but you can achieve all of this in the pool as long as you stick to about 60%. i coach at the local swim club and we do a land based warm up for the young squads (8-9) but the older ones warm up in the pool. This is just because the young kids dont know how to pace themselves.



    We will do between 400 and 800 to warm up usually front crawl and back crawl as these strokes involve all the muscle groups. Its worth considering back crawl as a warm up because it uses the same muscles as front crawl but does not have the respiritory restrictions.



    Roger so far?



    Your problem with the breast strokers is a common one. Even at swim club we have an issue because you have up to 10 to a lane so that might not solve the problem. I would look around at different pools if you have any close by. we have about 10 in a 15 mile radius so we are pretty well off. I chose a centre that has a 25m lap pool, a 15m todler pool and a lazy river with slides. this keeps the 'mess about' kids and the non swimmers away from the lap pool which has 2 fast lanes, a wide medium lane and a wide slow lane. i swim every weekday at lunch time and i often have a lane to myself but rarely more than 2 to a lane.



    If you have no choice but to share a lane with someone going slow, adapt you swimming to the lane speed. kick drills (with a kickboard) are a real workout. you could also try catch ups, zips or finger drags to lengthen your stroke and shorten the recovery (you might need to google these). if you dont have the lane ropes out why not try vertical finning (trying to swim upwards with fins on). hold your position out of the water for 60 seconds with a 15 second rest 4 times, this has the same effect as 4 x 50 FC kick.



  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    Or you could just punch the kids.









    Joking honestly...joking.
  • JulesJules Posts: 987
    There's a thread about warming up for swimming before a race somewhere.
  • sfullersfuller Posts: 628
    BARNY wrote:


    I SFULLER - I hate it when someone who is slower than I doesn't wait for me to nip by at the end of each length as it is very much harder to pass someone while doing a length and not hit poeple (coming back the other way) or without going out of your zone. I feel you should stop at the end and let someone go if they are faster than you!... once they are passed you you get many many lengths until you have to do them the service again. Other selfish act is slow(er) poeple who push as hard as they can off the wall to try keep in front then go slow so get in your way in the last 1/4 of every length - make it even more dificult to pass them.. Without forcing by at the end of the length... As a triathlete I actually belive that not pushing of the wall at all helps not only extend each and every length but also stengthen me for how races are. SO no offence but thats the other side of opinion for you - why should faster pople ruin their session to get past you!? :o)



    As for pedestrians in the fast lane - Imtimidation is the only way. Sorry but these poeple are being sumpremly selfish - INTENTIONALY! - of course if the whole pool is busy then its tough tities for everyone - I tend to walk straight out again.



    Many many swimer of different abilties can share a lane bbut only if they are considerate and accepting of theior place in the pecking order... so,,, make love, not war... then intimidate the bar stewards.



    I dont get road rage but lane rage.. my god!





    So you are one of those people who thinks they own the pool then?!?





    I agree that the slower swimmers should let the faster ones by, but there is a method to do this.... touch the feet (as mentioned in a few peoples posts), the people I was referring too in my above post are those who just cut you up at the end of the pool and in my opinion that is unacceptable, when someone is attempting to do it to me I will quite gladly push off the end of the pool wall hard to get back in front just to spite them. They dont have the right to 'bully' me in the pool, I wouldnt to someone slower than me, even if this disrupts your 'training'.



    Rant over.
  • Well said sfuller! I was swimming in a lane by myself this morning, when an older lady joined me and did the classic 'breaststroke without getting your hair wet style'.



    Instead of punching her or cutting her up as advocated by some, I just slowed it down and did some drill work instead. Everybody's happy.
  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    I use them as speed markers, push off at a prticular point in their lap & see if you can catch, catch & pass, catch, pass & go again until the next catch..guestimating how long that took etc etc.
  • BARNYBARNY Posts: 157
    I was much less cynical until I was blinded by the sunlight shining out of your backside.



    I maintain that the most afective way to keep everyone in the lane moving closest to their desired speed is to let them by when they come up behind you... tapping on the feet is often seen as threatening to many, including me.



    Now where'd I put my rose tinted googles?...
  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    I'm a bit confused by the supposed problem of having people pass on the turns... this is the safest way to pass, surely? It doesn't mean you think you own the pool. Passing on the turns means you are considerate and safety conscious, rather than performing an awkward and dangerous pass on the actual length.



    For anybody who has been forced to overtake on the straight you will notice a few things: 1) You have to push off about 2 metres behind the slower swimmer, 2) You have to make up the length of that swimmer in the water, call it another 2 metres, 3) You then have to get 2 metres ahead of them before moving back into the correct position.



    So, because somebody has failed to pay attention to a faster swimmer coming up behind them, you have up your speed sufficiently to gain 6 metres over a 25m length... which is often a tough or impossible change of pace. It also means that you have to spend most of the length on the wrong side of the lane, getting in the way of other swimmers and risking a head-on collision. This is dangerous. Also, if you fail to make the full 6 metres on the slower swimmer then they will get to the end, turn, and be pushing off in your face.



    So let the faster swimmers through, even if it means you have to pause for a few seconds. And if somebody has to pass on the turn because you are obstructing them then accept your mistake.



    Of course, in a really busy lane you can't just bash up and down heedlessly, so slowing down to do some drills is often the best (read 'safest') thing to do, but I think that people who would deliberately obstruct other swimmers and therefore try to cause a dangerous situation just because they themselves have failed to be observant are acting very poorly.



    It's all about water safety. Mess about and somebody will get hurt.
  • sfullersfuller Posts: 628
    Tapping on the feet is threatening? its not to me. surely cutting someone up at the end of the pool without any prior notice is more threatening/aggravating than a light tap on the feet.



    Bopomofo - I agree completely that the overtaking should be done at the end but in a civilized polite fashion. A slower swimmer may disrupt a faster swimmers 'training' but also a faster swimmer, by making the slower swimmer stop and pause for a second or two, will disrupt there training too... it works both ways.



    Also, if you are civilized and polite in the pool the other swimmers are more likely to happily let you by.
  • nivaghnivagh Posts: 595

    I'm with sfuller. Tapping somebody's feet is a fairly normal consequence of coming up on a slower swimmer. I would never tug an ankle or toe - that would be threatening, not to say aggressive!

    I don't think waiting for a second to let a faster swimmer by would be dreadfully inconvenient even for a "fast" swimmer. After all, once the faster swimmer has gone by, they're not going to catch you again for several lengths, if they're in the correct lane...
  • Just to add my comments as its something I feel quite strongly about.



    I think to lots of people who aren't doing specific 'swimming training' - ie to a program/regularly/for a reason - then tapping them on the feet can be quite intimidating and breaching the bounds of personal space. I know its not hurting someone, but you are touching them on lets face it - a relatively intimate part of their body (going back to the old pulp fiction line of would you give a guy a foot massage!). I also know some people, mainly ex girlfriends, who can't stand having their feet touched by someone - that is talking about a long term partner, let alone someone in a public swimming pool.



    I agree, that if you are in a pool with lots of swimmers/triathletes - then its common practice and fine as thats a language that everyone understands.



    As for turning in front of people, I usually work on the theory that i'll swim right up behind someone and give them one turn and a length to then let me pass on the next one. Ie if you just sneak up behind them they may have turned before they noticed you and thus not realised their error. But if they turn again then they are just being inconsiderate swimmers, as they should realise that you are faster and let you pass. When that happens i'll just speed past them on the next length - but I agree with some of the posters here that passing in a busy pool can be more dangerous. Specially when it involves swimming 3 abreast (ie a front crawler coming down the other way as you pass - this doens't bother me after doing mass swim start triathlons, but normal people don't like this!)



    As for your comment about why should the slower person pause, as opposed to the faster person. I believe, and I may be wrong here, that if you are in the 'fast' lane, then the slower people should slow down for the faster people as you are swimming in the speed/sprint lanes. Just like if you are in the 'slow lane' you should let the speed be dictated by the slowest person, as you are travelling in a lane or people who want to swim slowly.



    I akin it to motorway driving in many ways. The slow lane is for people who want to go slowly. The middle lane is for people who want to go consistently at a medium/fast pace. The fast lane should be for people who want to 'overtake' - ie have bursts of speed, ie sprint lengths followed by rest periods - or interval training. The problem is that everyone has excessive pride and 'over-seeds' their own swimming ability.



    Sorry for the rant but i'm currently very bored in a Polish hotel room with only BBC World news to keep me occupied!



    Jack
  • treefrogtreefrog Posts: 1,242
    In my experience there's an awful lot of foot tapping in a triathlon swim, so if you are the tapee then get used to it or move over a lane. And if you're the taper then keep at it and the tapee will move over?
  • GGGG Posts: 82
    Wow,



    Big response to this one. Now I know im not the only one i feel less annoyed by it... until the next time the lanes get blocked up.



    I think I have found the cause, which matches the motorway analogy nicely. That is we have our happy swimmers in the slow lane keeping their hair dry, no problem. But like the motorway we have some unaware slowbies blocking the middle lane blisfully unaware of the chaos ensuing behind them. This invitably drives some to go in the fast lane, and slow down the sales reps and big german car drivers. The other victims tailgate and attempt some rash overtaking.



    Here here for footapping!

  • bennybenny Posts: 1,314
    although accidentaly splashing a bit of water when passing is great fun too! [:D]
  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    I'll tap feet in a training session with other trained swimmers, or in a race, but never in a lane with untrained swimmers. We may all be used to it, but 99% of other people would probably think you are being too pushy or aggressive and I always think it could backfire. I've done it once or twice by accident, but always immediately apologised - though this has resulted in the person realising their mistake and feeling OK about it.



    In all these matters, acting with a bit of consideration and courtesy - whether passing or being passed - should do the trick. I think we all get annoyed with rudeness or ignorance in any form. There's usually a way around it.



    Right, that's the moderate view out of the way... time for a RANT! There's this idiot down our pool most mornings who swims slow/medium breaststroke using that David Wilkie 'arms straight out at the sides' kind of style. Being about 7 feet tall with long arms he occupies the entire width of the lane, and he has NEVER EVER EVER in living memory (and I talked to loads of other swimmers about him) EVER moved over to let anybody pass. He will swim up and down, up and down with a damned great queue of frustrated freestylers behind him, being overtaken by people in the slow lane. I've tried foot tapping, asking him politely ("Mind if I swim through?"), saying "EXCUSE ME!" quite forcefully etc etc and he will NEVER give way. I have a feeling that one of these mornings I'm just going to hold his head under the water until the police arrive. [:@]

  • JulesJules Posts: 987
    Bopomofo wrote:


    Right, that's the moderate view out of the way... time for a RANT! There's this idiot down our pool most mornings who swims slow/medium breaststroke using that David Wilkie 'arms straight out at the sides' kind of style. Being about 7 feet tall with long arms he occupies the entire width of the lane, and he has NEVER EVER EVER in living memory (and I talked to loads of other swimmers about him) EVER moved over to let anybody pass. He will swim up and down, up and down with a damned great queue of frustrated freestylers behind him, being overtaken by people in the slow lane. I've tried foot tapping, asking him politely ("Mind if I swim through?"), saying "EXCUSE ME!" quite forcefully etc etc and he will NEVER give way. I have a feeling that one of these mornings I'm just going to hold his head under the water until the police arrive. [:@]





    Where do you swim? Is it worth asking the staff to have a quiet word with him?
  • bennybenny Posts: 1,314
    Bopomofo wrote:
    Right, that's the moderate view out of the way... time for a RANT! There's this idiot down our pool most mornings who swims slow/medium breaststroke using that David Wilkie 'arms straight out at the sides' kind of style. Being about 7 feet tall with long arms he occupies the entire width of the lane, and he has NEVER EVER EVER in living memory (and I talked to loads of other swimmers about him) EVER moved over to let anybody pass. He will swim up and down, up and down with a damned great queue of frustrated freestylers behind him, being overtaken by people in the slow lane. I've tried foot tapping, asking him politely ("Mind if I swim through?"), saying "EXCUSE ME!" quite forcefully etc etc and he will NEVER give way. I have a feeling that one of these mornings I'm just going to hold his head under the water until the police arrive. [:@]



    HEY!!

    I can't help being tall,slow,clumsy and deaf!! Be a bitmoreconsiderate of MY feelings, will ya!!?? [:D]

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