I’m in a bad mood, because I haven’t had a relaxing time swimming lately. Last time, I was in a lane with someone who kept switching sides. This morning, I was swimming side-by-side, when someone entered the lane and ran head-on into me. Ouch! After that, I swam circles, but constantly had to keep an eye out for other people. Spotting isn’t easy for me. I get dizzy and it messes up my rhythm. I know that I’ll be better prepared for an open water swim, but I would rather relax in the water, especially if I’m trying to get through a long set!
I have to say, I don’t think I was very polite to the person I collided with. It would be nice to apologize and see if he’s okay. I have such a temper and feel badly about my rash “calling out.” I (loudly) told him that he needed to let each person in the lane know he was there. I told him we would gladly switch to swimming circles. Still, he left the pool.
Oops.
I know that this pool is very convenient, because it’s in my neighborhood and it’s free. Still, I’m starting to think that I need to go to a pool a bit farther away that is $3 per swim, but has more lap lanes. Either that or I need to drag myself out of bed early enough to swim during “lap swim” time.
Some rules for lap swimming:
- Ask the people already in the lane if you can join them. It’s polite. Do it. Plus, it lets them know you’re there.
- If there are two or more people in the lane, make sure they all know you’re joining them before you start swimming. That means waiting until they finish a lap and make eye contact with you.
- If there is only one person in the lane, ask if they want to go side-by-side or in circles.
Hilarious picture! I am hopelessly obsessed with ginger cats and dachshunds.
I used to hate circling in pools, but that was when I had the free time to visit the pool at any time of day (college years… *sigh*)
Now that I have joined the power hour, post work rush, I am just pleased to find a lane full of polite swimmers. I do not fault you for your outburst at all! I recently almost ran into a man just floating around in my lane, and I exclaimed loudly as I came up for air. I didn’t pass on any instructions, and I think he eventually just floated on, somewhere else. Not cool, man. not cool.
I like that photo! That looks like one seriously cheesed-off cat! I wouldn’t like to be in his way when he gets out of the pool!
Anyway, my local pool has a half-and-half setup, where half the pool is for free swimming and general messing about and the other half is divided into three lanes; slow, medium and fast. The lanes are wide enough that you swim down one side and up the other in the direction indicated on the board at the shallow end of the lane. There is just enough space in the middle (usually!) to overtake.
Maybe you could suggest your pool adopts this system? – more people can do lane swimming and not get in each others way, then, and you don’t constantly get stuck behind some granny doggy-paddling her Christmas waistline off away from the delinquents in the free swim area as you bomb along doing front crawl, as she’ll be in the slow lane and you’ll be in medium or (gulp!) fast lane!
Thanks for the info. My local pool has lap swimming hours first thing in the morning, where the entire pool is open for lap swimmers, without the lane ropes. Once regular pool hours start up, there is one, wide lap lane that’s roped off.
My problem is that I never wake up early enough for the lap swimming time. Plus, the water is so cold that early!
this is funny.