Joys of Lap Swimming

curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

I thought that I would start this thread as a counterpoint to the “Perils of Lap Swimming” thread. I was thinking that some people may stumble on this site as they are learning about swimming and I didn’t want them to only see the “angry Bob” stories.

It’s different swimming pool laps vs open water in many ways. But one of the big differences is the social aspect. There is no avoiding other people when you swim at the pool. Most of those interactions are fun and positive. There is also a mutual encouragement aspect when a group of people are all swimming in the same pool.

This idea was brought home to me yesterday. There is this girl who has been showing up reasonably regularly since the beginning of the year. She is quite large and I’m sure the first step out of the locker room in a bathing suit was a bold and intimidating moment for her. The thing that I noticed is that despite her obviously being out of shape she actually had pretty good form. She was approaching her workout in the best way possible for anyone who is just starting out. Short distance, rest, short distance kick, rest, a little bit of chin ups on the starting block, rest etc. For an hour.

She now has made it to February. I decided to strike up a conversation with her. It turns out she must have had some severe back problems because she sure seemed to know all the parts and afflictions as she described how it had completely messed her up. She said that she used to swim a lot when she was a kid. I said that I could tell because she had good form, she just didn’t have the strength and endurance yet. She was very happy that I noticed and said that getting back into swimming has been the first thing that she has been able to do that hasn’t caused pain.

I said that since she had made it through January, she was now committed. She said that she is getting better at not making excuses and actually getting to the pool. I’m really glad that I took the time to talk with her. She now knows that other people are watching her progress and are rooting for her. Plus she now knows that she has to keep showing up. Heh, heh, heh… I hope to be able to help her keep motivated. It must be extremely difficult to put herself out there like she has and it is going to be a long haul just to get in half decent shape. But it will be so worth it.

For me, this kind of thing is one of the joys of lap swimming.

suziedodsevmomalinakaKatieBunslknightIronMikessthomasCamilleSoloChrisgreeneamkonetdpm50gaedtke2flystormsswimpapaswimPasquale
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Comments

  • I like this!
    One of the things I like about lap swimming is when I swim next to the youth teams.
    You know.. when the water gets roiled up, the waves from their splashing and diving come rolling into your lane..the excuses I hear when my head is out of the water... the laughter!
    It makes me feel 15 again and instantly brings back memories of when I was on a youth team.
    Besides being good for training, it's good for the memories.

    evmoKatieBuncurlythelittlemerwookiessthomasCamilleamkonetdpm50
  • loneswimmerloneswimmer IrelandCharter Member

    There is no sea state that I've ever encountered that replicates the unique sensation of swimming in the one public lane (all my pool swimming is public lane) while the rest of the pool contains the Aqua Aerobics Ladies.

    This belongs in both threads.

    evmomalinakaKatieBunrosemarymintsuziedodscurlythelittlemerwookieswimdailyssthomasSolodpm50gaedtke2timsrootheartSean

    loneswimmer.com

  • rosemarymintrosemarymint Charleston, SCCharter Member
    edited February 2017

    I sometimes have days that are so stressful and intense, that the only thing I want is to follow a black line for a few hours, simply to shut my mind off. It's quiet in there. Back when I lived in another town and had to fight for a lane in a pool 30 minutes from home, I would occasionally get to swim with an elderly woman in the lane next to me. She swam with as much focus as I did, though much more slowly and without as much finesse as she must have when she was younger. We never said a word to each other while, just shared a quick smile if we happened to finish a set at the same time. I never knew when she would be there, but it was always an incredible calming treat to get to share the water with her. One day we finally had a conversation in the sauna -- she was 94 and swam every other day for 45 minutes, no more, no less. I told her I wanted to be her if I got that lucky to live as long. After that conversation, she decided we were friends and every time we saw each other, she would test out one of my "toys" (fins, kickboard, pull buoy, etc.) She fell in love with my yellow fins because she thought they looked like duck feet ('cause they kind of do.) You can't even begin to imagine how awesome her giggles were when she was trying those out and realizing how fast she could move with just a flick of her toes. I miss her and wonder if she is still swimming.

    suziedodscurlythelittlemerwookieevmoIronMikeMoCossthomasdpm50KatieBunJaimieswimpapaswimheart
  • KatieBunKatieBun CornwallSenior Member

    Here's something from a few weeks ago which made my day. There was a girl of about 12 (ish) in my lane, hammering out a tough set. I tried not to get in her way. We both climbed out over the end of the lane, having finished our sets at the same time. She laughed as she pointed out our finishing together.... and since she'd opened the conversation, I asked her if she was doing extra training. She said she'd left swimming club, as it had become too expensive, but that she knew what she had to do, so she was writing her own sets and training in the public sessions. Nobody was pushing her. She smiled all the way through her set. Impressive young lady! If I ever feel lazy, I think about her commitment and feel guilty enough to work harder.

    suziedodscurlySolothelittlemerwookieevmoIronMikedpm50JaimieBridget
  • I just switched to swimming at my local YMCA and the change had been great. Lower water temperature, homey feel, and more swimmers and lanes. It's busier but everyone is sharing and making it work. It's good slowly meeting the regulars, and experiencing the open water training of swimming while the aqua aerobics class does their thing. I'm glad I switched. Plus there is complimentary coffee!

    KatieBundpm50
  • wendyv34wendyv34 Vashon, WASenior Member

    There's a guy who has been coming in to my pool for a while. He had suffered extensively from Lyme disease, losing his ability to speak or stand. When he first started coming in, he was in a wheelchair and needed an aide to get onto the pool lift. He couldn't swim a length of the pool without stopping. He got a motorized scooter several months ago, so he can get to the pool on his own. He's been coming in twice a day, nearly 7 days a week since then. He's made amazing progress! He's able to stand up and get on the lift himself and can swim 50s without stopping, much faster than he used to. We regularly chat with him about his progress and encourage him. He just lights up with a huge smile when we talk about how much swimming has changed his life. His tenacity is humbling and an inspiration.

    SoloMpolIronMikeKatieBunsuziedodsJSwimcurlyamkonetdpm50Jaimie

    It's always a bad hair day when you work at a pool.

  • glennglenn cape town SAMember

    for the great thing about laps in a pool is I swim straight

    suziedodsKelliedpm50JaimieNoelFigart
  • ssthomasssthomas DenverCharter Mem​ber

    So, I swim at lap swim about 98% of the time in the winter. I love the social aspect of masters, but hammering out 3000 yards of 50s in an hour and 15 minutes doesn't always appeal to me, which is why I lap swim. Obviously, I like it- or I wouldn't keep going.

    I've met SO MANY people in the last year or so since I've been consistent at the same pool:

    -The really, really nice swim instructor, Janice, and several of her students. She only does more advanced private lessons- either to get kids ready for club or to help refine some of the triathletes swimming skills. She noticed my swimming, and didn't hesitate to tell me how much my kicking (or lack thereof) sucked. :-) We've become friends- she has me talk to some of her students (young and old) to give them a little more motivation. The 3rd grader, Chris LOVES to race me when we can get a lane next to each other. I assured him that in less than 5 years, he'd be MUCH faster than I am. Janice is definitely more outgoing than I am, so through her I've gotten to know so many others at the pool.

    -There's this guy, Eric. He's a pretty good triathlete. He thinks he's a terrible swimmer- but he's actually pretty good. He says hi and gives me a hug whenever I see him. He was very impressed with my Lake Powell swim, so he tells everyone he meets at the pool about me and encourages people to swim with me, so they can say they've swum with a record holder. I think it's hysterical and really don't mind sharing lanes with random people (so long as I'm not getting kicked in the face)

    -Then, there's the lifeguards. I adore them. They're high school kids, mostly, and they're just the nicest. I've worked at some pools where the lifeguards clearly aren't impressed with the girl who swims forever. These kids though- so nice. I told them I don't care if they pull the lane ropes out on me while I'm swimming (since they have to transition from short course in the evening to long course in the morning). They're very impressed I can swim backstroke without lane ropes... I have a few favorites and I'm usually sad if they aren't there when I am. They miss me if they don't see me for a few weeks.

    -I've also seen a daughter/dad team who come in and do workouts together. Warms my heart. :-)

    So yeah, I'll complain about the crazy people- but the benefits are really better than the not benefits.

    KatieBunsuziedodsjendutSolocurlyIronMikeChrisgreenedpm50BridgetCarly
  • Love this thread! I share so many sentiments with everyone. I can get grouchy and turn into a teenage hating old lady pretty quick- but this thread reminded me of some of the things I love about the youngsters and the pool.

    In the evenings I also love it when the club kids are there. They motivate me and I try to race them- which in turns pushes me to really work all out! Their enjoyment and love of the sport is great. We had one of them joining us 2 times a week in the morning at masters practice last year. He was a pure joy, and man did he make me work!

    And when I work out alone, as much as I try to keep my head down, I can't say it doesn't lift the ego when someone asks for help, because you're "really moving" lol.

    I am fortunate that I seem to have more "good" stories than "bad" about sharing the pool, and I will try to remind myself of that!

    suziedodsSoloKatieBuncurlydpm50Jaimie
  • dpm50dpm50 PA, U.S.Senior Member

    Several cool things that I've experienced...

    There was the guy who swam in the next lane from mine one day and wanted to watch me swim because he thought I swam well. (No, I don't THINK he was being creepy--it didn't come across that way). ;) He said I made swimming look easy. (Who, ME?) So, he swam a 50 with me--and proceeded to dust me! ;) Humble pie!

    Then there was the time I had finished my workout and the pool had just been set up for open swimming (lane lines taken down, rope across the middle of the pool). I did some easy drills and then was more or less relaxing, when a man told me I looked like a good swimmer so he asked for my advice--about why he would get so tired when he did freestyle. I watched him and realized he was trying to swim too fast and burning out, so I suggested he slow down some more and he was able to get across the pool (he was still in the swimming the breadth phase). He was so excited by not feeling as wiped out that he thanked me for my help.

    I mentioned in the other thread that one day, the only uncrowded lane had a much faster swimmer than I am, but the guy invited me to join him in his lane. I protested that I'd be in the way, but he said no prob, he could get by. We both finished our workouts around the same time, and chatted a little--which is how I found out he was a high school swim coach. So I asked him if he'd mind looking at my stroke b/c I was training for a five mile swim--he had me swim away from him and toward him, then gave me some very helpful feedback and encouragement.

    Or there were the lifeguards who applauded when I finished a 10 thousand yard swim.

    Mostly, these days, I swim w/ my masters' group--our coach is wonderful! He challenges me, giving me intervals where I'm saying "I have to do 100 on THAT?" Yet I'm also flattered that he thinks I can do it. He's also a great wit--he'll come out with some joke or pun or such when I'm feeling discouraged, so he makes me laugh.... I said to him once, "Oh my God, I'm a terrible swimmer," to which he replied, "I can't tear you in two." He pushes and challenges, but he's also just as ready to tell me when I've done well--and when he compliments me, I KNOW I'm doing something right.

    curlyCamille
  • Sarah4140Sarah4140 DenverMember

    In the winter I mostly swim on my own, lap swim, 4-5 days a week--I have flirted with masters but am so terrible at non-free strokes that it ends up being a real grind and I always return to swimming on my own. My home pool is a Denver recreation center in the (quickly gentrifying) 'hood, and the mix of people at the pool is wonderful. Some of my favorites: the youngish hipster guy who is a sous chef at a local restaurant--he has an enormous beard and he thrashes back and forth for a few laps and then talks to the lifeguard in Spanish; the shy teenage lifeguard who guards before she goes to school--she swims for the local high school team and has mastered guarding whilst dozing in the lifeguard chair (I'm always afraid she will fall out); the woman who is about my (middle) age with only a right leg--she comes out on the deck on her crutches and always gets in the pool on her own, refusing help; the young triathletes who come in and hammer out 2500-3000 and then, if we end up finishing together, say to me "you swam a LONG ways"--
    yes i love open water but I also love winter in the lap lanes!

    IronMikecurlyBridget
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    Sarah4140 said:
    ...Some of my favorites: the youngish hipster guy who is a sous chef at a local restaurant--he has an enormous beard and he thrashes back and forth for a few laps and then talks to the lifeguard in Spanish...
    yes i love open water but I also love winter in the lap lanes!

    How funny! There is a guy at my pool who fits that description except the Spanish speaking part. He comes in once a week and cranks out some laps. At some point we will be stopped at the end at the same time and he always looks over at me and goes, "Damn you are fast". I always say that fast is relative. I never say it's because he's a triathlete... ;)) I suppose if he shaved off the hipster beard and lost the board shorts he would be a little quicker, but he's a good guy regardless. And the restaurant he works at is a good place too.

    KatieBunBridget
  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    edited March 2017

    "Perils" are winning.

    ssthomasJaimie
  • KatieBunKatieBun CornwallSenior Member

    Well, I was having an awesome swim today, after 3 days away at the CS&PF Dinner.... times were down, I had loads of energy, felt great..................... then at 2k, I caught my wrist on the lane rope and............. continued in Perils of Lap Swimming. L-)

  • ssthomasssthomas DenverCharter Mem​ber

    I could put this under perils, but I'm going to add it to the joys- cuz in the end it made me smile. :-)

    Last Saturday, I was 4000 yards into a 6000 yard set. The fire alarm went off and they made us all get out and go stand outside while the fire trucks came and cleared the building. We were standing, wet and cold, in 30 degree weather for about 15 minutes.

    I saw a few grumpy faces- but for the most part, people were taking it all in stride. The lifeguards had grabbed towels and pulled a few mats out for people to stand on. The sun was out, so it wasn't toooooo terribly cold. Every kid I saw was laughing.

    On our way back in, a lifeguard asked if that had ruined my workout- I told him it wasn't ideal, but a great lesson in flexibility. He laughed and I assured him it was no big deal. :-)

    This Saturday, I learned that a 3 year old had pulled the alarm in the basketball gym. His dad happens to be a police officer for the next city over, so he made his kid stand in the lobby and greet the firefighters when they came in to explain to them what he had done. I think he learned his lesson- and really, what little boy hasn't wanted to pull the fire alarm?

    curlySoloKatieBunrosemarymintdpm50Bridget
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    evmo said:
    "Perils" are winning.

    I noticed that and I didn't want to load this one up with fake posts. But somehow we need to get the joys to overcome the perils. (I had a great day today. First day after a recovery week. I felt like Michael Phelps. Except for the speed part.)

    ssthomasSoloBridget
  • swimrn62swimrn62 Stowe, VTSenior Member

    Great threads. Thanks to a tough work life, I get up really, really early 4-6 days a week to swim in a pool. It's difficult every morning; often cold, always hard to find a parking space, and on occasion I convince myself to roll over and go back to sleep (the 4 day weeks). But no matter what, as soon as I jump in and push off the wall, I'm gone. Not tired, not @ work, not thinking of current or past events. I'm just joyful for the duration. So while I could weigh in on either side, I chose joy (and chose NOT to read the urine thread, posts, or articles).

    ViveBenecurlyCamilleBridget
  • SoloSolo B.C. CanadaSenior Member

    I swim with a gal who is 25 years my senior, and I am 53. She hobbles into the aquatic centre with a great big cane, which has 4 big rubber feet. I think that cane has more traction than my 4X4 truck. The lifeguards usually help her get into and out of the pool. She may be crippled on land, but in the pool she is amazing! Swims for an hour every morning, does a variety of sets and drills. I would never ever tell her that she reminds me of the Star Wars character Yoda! I am in awe of what she must go through every day to get to the pool and inspire us all with her performance.

    IronMikeViveBenecurlydpm50ChrisgreeneflystormsBridget
  • ViveBeneViveBene Member
    edited March 2017

    Lap swimming in winter usually makes me feel better, there is a clear interval to swim (unlike "head for the 3rd buoy" :) ), and a good hot shower after eases afflictions of all kinds.

    Solo
  • MoCoMoCo Worcester, MASenior Member

    I had a 1K TT at the end of a 5K workout last Saturday, and I may or may not have bribed myself to swim hard by promising myself a stupidly hot epsom salt bath for that night. I love cold water, but I also love hot baths.

    ssthomasdpm50evmoJaimie
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    Darn it! The Perils currently outweigh the joys 100 to 20. Lap swimming must be terrible...

    Well, I will try to swing the balance ever so slightly. Yesterday I was well into a nice set and taking my 15 sec rest when a semi regular showed up at the lane next to me. He asked how I was doing and I gave him a slightly out of breath "great". He smiled and said, "well at least you are here and that inspires me." I thought that was pretty cool. Even though swimming is an individual sport, we all inspire each other.

    100 to 21. Take that!

    evmoSolossthomasdpm50flystorms
  • A couple of years ago, one of the pools I frequent for lap swimming hosted the Pan Pacific Para-Swimming Championships. There was some grumbling from the lap swim regulars about reduced lap swim hours, but some of us volunteered to be timers for the meet. Among the amazing swims I got to time were one fella missing both an arm below the elbow and a leg below the knee doing a 400 meter (LCM) freestyle in 4:40 and change, along with a lady with absolutely no arms and no legs below the upper thigh completing a 50 meter backstroke.

    dc_in_sfcurlyssthomasCamilledpm50IronMikeChrisgreeneflystormsBridget
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    mamiller said:
    ... Among the amazing swims I got to time were one fella missing both an arm below the elbow and a leg below the knee doing a 400 meter (LCM) freestyle in 4:40 and change...

    Holy Moly! He can beat me with one arm tied behind his back. That is incredible!

    Solodpm50
  • ssthomasssthomas DenverCharter Mem​ber

    Last night, a man I've swum with a few times who is hard of hearing was expressing stress about having to ask to share a lane with someone. A friend and I were sharing and two other lanes only had one person in them, each, but both of the people swimming solo were doing things like elementary backstroke down the middle and swimming fly down the middle My pal was reluctant to ask either of the others to share. Since apparently, I've been very assertive lately, I flagged down one of the solo guys and asked if my buddy could share. Of course, the guy was more than open to sharing and immediately moved over to one side and they both shared a lane happily and sang kumbaya. :-)

    Solorosemarymintdpm50Bridget
  • SoloSolo B.C. CanadaSenior Member

    So, I swam with 'grumpy girl' today. She has been a regular for the last few months, and most people bail from her lane as soon as she gets in the pool, me included. She always picks the medium lane, even though she is quite accomplished. If someone gets in her way or crosses the lane, or some small thing occurs, she can become vocal...
    Well, she got in this morning and the other lap lane was pretty full so I just stuck it out and swam with her. After a few minutes, we both hit the wall at the same time, and she came over to talk to me. I held my breath expecting to be scolded for something.
    She was grateful to have someone swim with her! Wow. Turns out she was in a car accident a year ago and still has a dreadful concussion. She can't swim in the fast lane because the bottom drops off, and the changing slope gives her vertigo, also the head injury seems to affect her ability to cope with any change in the lane in front of her, for instance if one of the water walkers crosses in the lane. She also explained that the constant headaches make her irritable and short tempered

    IronMikessthomas
  • SoloSolo B.C. CanadaSenior Member

    ^continued
    She seemed so genuine and nice, and I just wanted to hide under the pool deck because of the way I had thought about her without knowing anything about her. I had a concussion from a bike accident, so everything she was saying resonated. Now I look forward to swimming with her again!

    dpm50dc_in_sfjendutssthomascurly
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    There was an elderly couple who swam at our pool. The man was really nice and he would swim a slow majestic breast stroke while singing in Italian. (He once told me that he lived in Trieste during WW2). I would occasionally share a lane with him although it did require me to be even skinnier than usual. He was quite rotund and to his credit he still wore his speedo briefs proudly. He recently died and his family showed some pictures of when he and his wife were young. They were quite the striking couple.

    She, on the other hand, never quite rubbed me the right way. But she was a somewhat regular swimmer and usually swam in the slow lane. She started showing up less and less frequently and that was fine with me. One day I was swimming along in the fast lane and she was just floating across my lane in the middle of the pool. I stopped and glared at her and she calmly continued across the entire pool to the slow lane. Another day she walked across the end right as I was doing a flip turn. I saw her at the last minute and missed her, but jeez...

    I was chatting with her pleasant husband in the locker room after a swim. He told me how difficult it was because he was taking care of her and she had Alzheimers. I put this in the Joys of Lap Swimming because it's interesting that something as mundane as paddling back and forth in a pool can yield life lessons in a subtle way.

    Also, I want to run up the score...;)

    evmorosemarymintssthomasSolodpm50flystorms
  • rosemarymintrosemarymint Charleston, SCCharter Member

    Also adding to the score here as I would far more prefer to hear the good stories than the bad...

    When I was training for my first marathon swim, I would do my long swims on Saturday morning. Half the pool was reserved for laps and the other half was for swim lessons allllllllll morning. They would start with the babies and then by the end of my swim, they'd have 8-10 year olds working on their dives and stroke. As loud as the pool would be, I always looked forward to watching the range of ages experience the water and see the utter and total joy of a toddler about to fling themselves into the pool. Once the teachers realized my schedule that year, they would bring their kids learning stroke to the lane next to me, so they could watch me. They would even occasionally stop me to find out when my IM sets were and I would always tell them whenever you want them to be.

    Perhaps that was why I loved training for my first marathon swim so much -- my long pool swims were NEVER lonely!

    ssthomascurlyCamilleSoloIronMikedpm50
  • Leonard_JansenLeonard_Jansen Charter Member

    Several years ago, the one Y I swim at had a 30-something lifeguard named Melissa who was 100% reliable in showing up at 5:30 am, was bright and happy, could resolve any dispute with just a smile and was absolutely loved by everyone. She was a former drug addict and had lived on the streets and had turned her life around. One day she showed up looking like she had been run over by a truck - I mean really bad and could barely interact. I asked her what was wrong and she broke down crying. Her 20-something brother had fallen in the shower the night before and had died. She was totally distraught, not only because of the death, but also because her minimum wage lifeguard job meant she had no way to get to his funeral in Seattle (2000+ miles from here). Within 15 minutes, all of the 5:30 AM lap swimmers and water walkers got together and we were able to collect enough money to allow both Melissa and her disabled father to fly and stay in Seattle for the funeral. Knowing that you are swimming with people like that makes all those laps just a little easier.

    -LBJ

    rosemarymintSoloslknightcurlyswimrn62IronMikeMoCossthomaswendyv34dpm50JSwimflystormsaafairmanAnthonyMcCarley

    “Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.” - Oscar Wilde

  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member

    Wow, hard to follow that up, @Leonard_Jansen but I'll try.

    The Y my girls swam at was great. It was small (4 lanes) and had an inordinate number of noodlers. Hard to get laps in, but the girls' coach welcomed parents who wanted to swim with the team anytime.

    One mother and I would regularly swim with the team. The coach (with our permission) would chide the kids "Look, Mr. Tyson can swim without complaining," and it really did motivate the kids to have two old people swimming with them.

    Great coach, very welcoming, and despite me and the other woman not paying anything extra, he'd still coach us. Learned a lot from him.

    Sadly, the coach wasn't liked by many parents ("He's too tough on poor Stevie") and finally left. Broke my daughter's heart. Half us parents wanted our kids in a competitive program, the other half just wanted their kids to get exercise or a babysitter. :(

    Solossthomas

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    IronMike said:
    Wow, hard to follow that up, @Leonard_Jansen but I'll try.

    ...Great coach, very welcoming, and despite me and the other woman not paying anything extra, he'd still coach us. Learned a lot from him.

    Sadly, the coach wasn't liked by many parents ("He's too tough on poor Stevie") and finally left. Broke my daughter's heart. Half us parents wanted our kids in a competitive program, the other half just wanted their kids to get exercise or a babysitter. :(

    I've had a couple coaches over the years. In high school I couldn't stand my coach. He was tough, disciplined etc. We had serious workouts and he would have his expectations for every swimmer written on every single set. We would have to report our times and he would write them all down on his clipboard. I thought he was the worst coach ever.

    Now that I'm mature and all, I realize that this guy was the best coach in any sport that I have ever had. I wouldn't be half the swimmer I am without his skill and dedication. And somehow he imparted to me that work ethic that he had. Sometimes parents should sit back and let the coaches do their job. And sometimes the results aren't evident that week or month.

    One other subtlety in my coach's methods. Note how I mentioned that he had every swimmers times reported and he set every swimmers goals and expectations. That was crucial. He had every swimmer performing to the best of their abilities. We had swimmers who were top notch and swimmers that were swimming in lane 6 and the coach demanded that everyone did their best. And that's what it's all about...

    SoloKatieBundpm50CamilleJaimieBridget
  • MoCoMoCo Worcester, MASenior Member

    I got to the pool far later than normal and my friendly guard "accidentally" gave me a couple extra minutes to swim before pool close so I could get almost all of my workout in. I think my workout was far more aerobic than originally designed because I swam it pretty much straight through, so even though I was 300 short I'm calling it a wash.

    ssthomasmsathlete
  • ssthomasssthomas DenverCharter Mem​ber

    I did my first 10,000 yard swim in a long time at the pool last night. The lifeguards cheered and celebrated with me when I was done. Love those kids!

    SolopavlicovIronMikerosemarymintKatieBunmsathletecurlydpm50flystorms
  • dpm50dpm50 PA, U.S.Senior Member

    Had that happen once! So sweet! Do they know your max distance! That would be standing ovation territory!

    BTW, congrats on the USMS Swimmer ink!

    ssthomas said:
    I did my first 10,000 yard swim in a long time at the pool last night. The lifeguards cheered and celebrated with me when I was done. Love those kids!

  • jendutjendut Charter Member

    ssthomas said:
    I did my first 10,000 yard swim in a long time at the pool last night. The lifeguards cheered and celebrated with me when I was done. Love those kids!

    Yes, well, I think the guards cheer every Sunday when I finish but only because they can stop watching me (the expression would be "watching paint dry") My own children actively avoid working that guard shift- imagine the horrors of your MOM being that WEIRD lady!
    :))

    rosemarymintSolossthomaswendyv34MoCodpm50
  • ssthomas, what a great article in USMS!
    You are an inspiration to so many of us, and if i was on deck watching you I'd cheer too!

    flystormsdpm50
  • EllisEllis Baltimore, MarylandMember

    I travel often and always try to find a lap pool at or near my hotel. It is surprising how willing people are to open their doors to a visiting swimmer. For me, an early morning swim changes the mind numbing travel routine of work-eat-sleep-work into a routine that includes some "me-time" and keeps me feeling good all day. Seeking out local lap pools has the added advantage of providing opportunities to swim on rooftops and in basements; in hot pools and cold pools;, long course, short course and oddball sized pools; chlorine, saltwater, and ocean-fed chemistry strategies, and the list goes on...

    IronMike
  • MoCoMoCo Worcester, MASenior Member

    With a little bit of help from the local master's swimmers at my pool for the April SSL lessons, I taught myself to flip turn on Monday.

    But that was a sidebar to the most joyous moment I've ever had in a pool - seeing my mother, a lifetime non-swimmer in her late 60s, elementary backstroke her way all the way down the pool and all the way back. She last tried to learn to swim when she was pregnant with my older brother... in 1971.

    SolorosemarymintViveBeneflystormsdpm50
  • So, this almost went in the "perils" thread, but swimming being swimming, and not some lesser pursuit, it belongs here.

    I was at the Y this afternoon, looking to jump in for maybe 30 minutes before my overnight work shift, and the only spot open was in the lane with this particular dude I've encountered many times. He wears orange shorts, maybe 26 years old, decent shape and a good swimmer, All good things, except every single time I'm in the pool with him, he's racing me. I'll be doing 1000 or 2000 straight, and it'll take me 200 to lap him, and another 200 to pass him. He kills himself to keep up, finally gasping at the wall as I go about my business. This is a pet peeve of mine, I think. I don't mind a little competition -- it's human nature, and I frequently feel the pull myself -- but to lollygag up and down until you're caught from behind, and then overtly race, it's over the line.
    Anyway, Orange Shorts was there, and I was looking at 30 minutes of exasperation, when he beckoned me to join his lane.

    "I always want to swim with you," he says. "I like swimming with the fastest people, and at this pool you're the guy."

    I was disarmed.

    "There's always somebody out there faster," I said. "But I appreciate you saying that."

    "You just never stop, you keep going and going," he said, "and trying to keep up is the best workout I ever get."

    He was so earnest and cheerful. I didn't know what to say, because I had constructed a story about him in my mind, and this interaction simply didn't fit. In my brain, he was cherry-picking these face-offs between us, and then claiming victories he didn't deserve. In reality, his behavior wasn't disrespect at all, but the exact opposite.
    "You do pretty well for yourself," I said, trying to muster half the grace he'd just shown me. My ensuing 30-minute swim was really enjoyable, and when he matched his speed to mine for a few laps, it was all good. We later introduced ourselves, so he is no longer Orange Shorts to me.

    I think many of us make the same mistake I did, not just in the water but everywhere in life. We allow our darker selves -- often our anxieties -- to author the stories about ourselves and others, and then be believe them as fact. It's a bad scene, to say the least. Almost every time I've done this with regard to the person in the next lane, and then encountered them in the locker room or the lobby, they have turned out to be delightful and I felt silly for making them the villain.

    This phenomenon seems particularly true among marathon swimmers, and somewhat among runners as well. Now, weekend warrior cyclists, on the other hand, -- the ones with the full team kits and the $5k rides -- go ahead and assume the worst. You'll be right more often than not.

    IronMikethelittlemerwookiessthomasjendutevmocurlydc_in_sfSoloViveBenegregorywannabeflystormsSydneDJaimieswimrn62dpm50SpacemanspiffKatieBunAnthonyMcCarley
  • timsroottimsroot Spring, TXCharter Member

    loneswimmer said:
    There is no sea state that I've ever encountered that replicates the unique sensation of swimming in the one public lane (all my pool swimming is public lane) while the rest of the pool contains the Aqua Aerobics Ladies.

    This belongs in both threads.

    I've done that before. It was an interesting practice

    IronMikerosemarymintdpm50
  • rosemarymintrosemarymint Charleston, SCCharter Member

    timsroot said:

    loneswimmer said:
    There is no sea state that I've ever encountered that replicates the unique sensation of swimming in the one public lane (all my pool swimming is public lane) while the rest of the pool contains the Aqua Aerobics Ladies.

    This belongs in both threads.

    I've done that before. It was an interesting practice

    I used to do it all the time, if only because I love swimming in rough water and that was the best I could do in January.

    Solo
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    curly said:

    Sarah4140 said:
    ...Some of my favorites: the youngish hipster guy who is a sous chef at a local restaurant--he has an enormous beard and he thrashes back and forth for a few laps and then talks to the lifeguard in Spanish...
    yes i love open water but I also love winter in the lap lanes!

    How funny! There is a guy at my pool who fits that description except the Spanish speaking part. He comes in once a week and cranks out some laps. At some point we will be stopped at the end at the same time and he always looks over at me and goes, "Damn you are fast". I always say that fast is relative. I never say it's because he's a triathlete... ;)) I suppose if he shaved off the hipster beard and lost the board shorts he would be a little quicker, but he's a good guy regardless. And the restaurant he works at is a good place too.

    Yes, I'm quoting myself. But I wanted to give an update on the board shorts guy. He ditched the board shorts and is now wearing jammers. I mentioned it in the locker room and said I bet he felt faster. He said he "was totally stoked". He is training to do a triathlon at the end of summer. I asked what distance and he said a half iron man. I guess he's going big or going home. Pretty cool that he is progressing so well. He says he's swimming two miles for his workout. Who knows, maybe he will catch the bug...

    IronMikeflystormsBridget
  • BridgetBridget New York StateMember

    mamiller said:

    Among the amazing swims I got to time were one fella missing both an arm below the elbow and a leg below the knee doing a 400 meter (LCM) freestyle in 4:40 and change, along with a lady with absolutely no arms and no legs below the upper thigh completing a 50 meter backstroke.

    Sounds like a great change of pace! I had a paraplegic woman swimming in my Stroke Tech class years ago who said a goal of hers was flip turns. I figured we could find a progression to get her moving and grooving. Just for fun, she offered to just try one and it was totally fine! I just looked at her and said, "What do you want from ME?" ;-) She was so pleased. Sure, there was a little room for fine tuning, but really, trying really does count for a lot. Thanks for prompting a flashback.

    flystorms
  • ssthomasssthomas DenverCharter Mem​ber

    I went swimming this morning (gasp!), so I got to blend with the AM crowd. In the locker room, a very old lady named Eloise was getting ready to swim. A younger lady (in her 60s maybe) was commenting on how impressed she was that Eloise does the aqua aerobics class, and then goes and does laps afterward. Eloise said that she loves the aqua aerobics, but she feels like she can do a better workout swimming laps, so she does both- one for fun and one for a workout. I about died when she said she does "all of the strokes I can remember from when I was a kid. I think I've got them all. I don't keep up with the young kids these days. They do all types of weird things now." The lady she was talking to suggested that swimming can't be all that different over the years, which also had me laughing. But, I want to be like Eloise. She said as long as she has the energy and she's able, she's going to keep going. #lifegoals

    wendyv34curlyIronMikerosemarymintflystormsViveBeneBridgetDoc2dock
  • ssthomasssthomas DenverCharter Mem​ber
    edited June 2017

    I was getting out of the pool today, my favorite lifeguard comes over:

    Lifeguard 1: Hey! What are you doing? You still have 30 minutes left.
    Me: I'm done.
    Lifeguard 1: What? Keep swimming or I'm going to be mad.
    Me: Dang.... I'm tired though
    Lifeguard 2 comes over: Done so early? How far did you swim?
    Me: Just 9000 tonight, but I swam 6 hours yesterday and I'm sore.
    Lifeguard 2: Wow. 6 hours?!
    Lifeguard 1: Oh yeah? 6 hours, no big deal. ::Turns to the other guard:: She races airplanes don't you know? And she WINS.

    I'll miss Lifeguard 1 when he leaves this fall to be a duck hunting guide in Canada!

    IronMikewendyv34lakesprayflystormsViveBenedpm50KatieBun
  • MoCoMoCo Worcester, MASenior Member

    I'm just bumping this because now that it's summer, the outside lap pool here is open and I was reminded this AM of how absolutely glorious it was to swim outside. Not quite as awesome as my lake, but so much better than the basement pool I normally swim in.

    flystormsdpm50
  • ssthomasssthomas DenverCharter Mem​ber

    I would like pool swimming A LOT more if I could at least do it outside. We only have a few outdoor pools in Colorado though, and none that are really close to me. My regular pool does have an outdoor pool they open after Memorial Day, but it's about 2 feet deep on one end and 3 feet deep on the other. And it's about 85 degrees, with no pace clock. Not a real viable option. So, I stay inside. On the plus side- the indoor and outdoor pools are tied to the same thermometer/boiler- so they have to average 81 degrees between the two of them. If the outdoor pool is hitting 85, the boiler shuts off, making the indoor pool that much colder. Whoever designed that setup was either an idiot or a genius! :-)

    Solorosemarymintdpm50KatieBun
  • MoCoMoCo Worcester, MASenior Member

    @ssthomas too bad you're not in Boulder. Rally Sports has a pretty decent outdoor pool that's open year round. Pace clock and everything. I swam in it on a visit one February.

    My outdoor pool doesn't have a pace clock, but I can make a pace clock screen on my garmin so I live.

    ssthomasdpm50
  • curlycurly Issaquah, WASenior Member

    Another aspect of summer is that the kids start showing up en masse. Yesterday the locker room looked like a bomb had gone off. There were clothes, backpacks and shoes everywhere. I thought it was going to be another addition to the perils of lap swimming thread. I went into the pool and the sound was deafening because it was a couple parties and a pile of random kids. I usually am really wary when I swim with a bunch of kids because they dart in and out of lanes and pretty much are a hazard. Much to my surprise I had an absolutely uneventful swim. I commented to the lifeguard how great the kids were. She told me that they had had a little talk before the kids hit the water. Well, it worked! Kids at a pool in summer is one of the most fun sounds possible. How can't you have a great time? And when they don't bug the adults, life is pretty darn good.

    Solossthomaswendyv34flystormsdpm50
  • SoloSolo B.C. CanadaSenior Member

    My pool isn't that big, we have 4 double lanes. About 4 hrs into my morning swim I looked up and noticed there were at least 100 kids in the pool. It was complete bedlam, and I had had no idea. I was all alone in my double lane, and all the other lane ropes had been removed without me even noticing. There was a guard stationed at each end of my lane, scaring all the non swimmers out! I love my lifeguards, and I think I owe them a box of donuts now!

    curlywendyv34flystormsdpm50SydneD
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