I get that lane sharing can be tricky and often necessary, but I have a question for the swimmers here.
At my swimming place, one of the times I go often has lessons and squads happening at the same time, so there are usually only 1 or 2 lanes open for the public. Yesterday, there was only one lane available, and when I got there, it had three swimmers in it: one squad kid doing extra practice (but not following organized sets), one kid who seemed to know the squad kid, and an older lady doing a very slow backstroke.
The kids got out pretty quickly and weren’t a problem. I hopped in with the lady doing backstroke and tried to share the lane. To her credit, she was circle swimming nicely, and she did what she was supposed to do for the most part. However, her slow pace posed a challenge for me. I consider myself fairly slow as it is (around 2:15-2:30 for 100m) and I was much quicker. I’d wait for her to reach the end of the lane and turn, then I’d swim my lap. I finished around the same time as her, then rinsed and repeated. It ended up being quite frustrating doing essentially 50m intervals with a minute of rest each time. After 600m, another guy jumped in, and I chose to leave.
For those of you who are used to sharing lanes, what’s the best approach in this situation? Should I have just passed her instead of sticking to circle swimming? Just to note, she didn’t stop at the wall at all to rest, she just kept going. I didn’t want to interrupt her flow, especially since she seemed to be doing her best.
What do you mean by ‘keep going’? This seems like it would require repeatedly passing her. It might have been better to split the lane, but that can be difficult with swimmers who aren’t stopping.
When it’s just me and one other person in a lane, I usually split the lane down the middle and stay on our sides. Of course, that isn’t possible if more than two people are in the lane.
If it was just the two of you, I would have passed her. She probably expected you to do that if she wasn’t stopping at the wall. Even if she did wait for you, it seems like you would end up catching her frequently anyway.
Sorry, I just remembered the other guy. Once he jumped in, it becomes a matter of keeping track of everyone. Just pass her if you can do it without bumping into the other guy. Oh, and you could always just turn midway through the lane. I do that when I’m not on a timed set.
@Foster
Yeah, if I were that lady, I would have felt strange with you constantly catching up behind me. I would have offered to let you pass or split the lane. I used to go to a gym where there were lots of activities, and it was annoying that we pay for a pool but almost never have it fully open. I was one of those kids swimming back in the day, but now I’ve found a pool with fewer distractions.
When there are two swimmers, you can split the lane. With three, you must circle swim. The faster swimmer usually gets stuck. I can maintain a 1:30-1:40 pace for 1000 yards, so I avoid circle swimming because I’ll have to pause too often. It’s rare, but sometimes you can find a cooperative setup. However, one slow swimmer may say they deserve to swim, so you might not win. Trying to navigate around doesn’t work out well without slowing down.
@Renny
Or be like the person who entered a lane where I was the only swimmer and started circle swimming (I usually split the lane even if I’m alone, just in case someone wants to join).
Alden said: @Renny
Or be like the person who entered a lane where I was the only swimmer and started circle swimming (I usually split the lane even if I’m alone, just in case someone wants to join).
People who have experience swimming usually prefer to circle swim so that more than two people can join. If another person wants to hop in your lane, it makes it easier for them to do so without stopping everyone and having to figure things out again.
Alden said: @Renny
Or be like the person who entered a lane where I was the only swimmer and started circle swimming (I usually split the lane even if I’m alone, just in case someone wants to join).
It’s usually best policy to stay on one side or the other.
Zach said: @Renny
It depends on where you swim, but if there’s a chance of three swimmers, it’s best to circle swim.
If you’re alone, then that changes things.
There’s a good chance your lane partner won’t swim at your pace. Circle swimming isn’t helpful if it’s not necessary. In a high-traffic pool where people come in and out frequently, that’s a different story.
If it’s just you two in a lane, splitting the lane and keeping an eye on when to pass should work fine. However, with three or more swimmers, circle swimming is key.
I just turn around when I catch up to the swimmer ahead of me. I don’t do sets, so I’m not worried about missing flip turns or being precise about laps.
I would have offered to let you pass or split the lane. I used to go to a gym where there were lots of activities, and it was annoying that we pay for a pool but almost never have it fully open. I was one of those kids swimming back in the day, but now I’ve found a pool with fewer distractions.