Back to the Bulls
I am pretty lucky with my swimming holes. Not a lot of ego. Canyon lake is 1,000 yard loops with team mates, no ego but some jaw jacking afterwards over beer. At my weekday pool, most are businessman getting in lunch time swims or triathletes with set plans. Everyone is just trying to get in and out.
Then there's my club pools. I don't use them much, in case of emergency like last night. Not because there not good but there's too many distractions with people coming up to me with work issues. But it does seem that when I use club pools there is alway one or two people who think they need to be the fastest guy in the pool for the time he is swimming.
My sets last night were easy 2x200, 2x300, 2x400 with moderate 1x100 in between each set. Just a basic endurance practice. The only other person in the pool came after my WU, midway through my 2x200's. Just about every 100 or 150 yards I did, I would feel him blow by me and 'bull' through a 50 or 100 yard swim then he would just stand there for several minutes or do one lap with a kick board using a breast stroke kick causing large swells in the pool. I paid no head but I smiled to myself knowing that to his 4 lengths I was doing 12 or 16 with only a :20 second break in between sets. On some of my turns I could see his noticeable belly sucking air in and out in large gulps with hands on hips as he walked in circles near the wall.
I admit one of my moderate speed 100's were probably closer to T-Pace or faster and he was not swimming at the time. As usually happens, he left before I was done completing my workout doing close to 500 yards to my 2,600.
Does this happen to any of you?
Then there's my club pools. I don't use them much, in case of emergency like last night. Not because there not good but there's too many distractions with people coming up to me with work issues. But it does seem that when I use club pools there is alway one or two people who think they need to be the fastest guy in the pool for the time he is swimming.
My sets last night were easy 2x200, 2x300, 2x400 with moderate 1x100 in between each set. Just a basic endurance practice. The only other person in the pool came after my WU, midway through my 2x200's. Just about every 100 or 150 yards I did, I would feel him blow by me and 'bull' through a 50 or 100 yard swim then he would just stand there for several minutes or do one lap with a kick board using a breast stroke kick causing large swells in the pool. I paid no head but I smiled to myself knowing that to his 4 lengths I was doing 12 or 16 with only a :20 second break in between sets. On some of my turns I could see his noticeable belly sucking air in and out in large gulps with hands on hips as he walked in circles near the wall.
I admit one of my moderate speed 100's were probably closer to T-Pace or faster and he was not swimming at the time. As usually happens, he left before I was done completing my workout doing close to 500 yards to my 2,600.
Does this happen to any of you?
posted by Comm's @ 8:41 AM
9 comments
9 Comments:
I expect sometimes someone might think that way about some of my sprint and lactate threshold workouts! ;-)
Leading up to a meet, I sometimes do a simulation practice at lane swim that can involve 5:00 repeats for all-out hundreds. Much more standing/slow swim than sprinting -- but the important part of the workout is the sprinting.
I learned early on in triathlon that you can not begin to guess someones swim speed based on their body type. Hell no you can't.
But based on his crawl stroke form and the one other drill he was doing, kick board with a breast stroke kick, I am pretty confident he was not doing any training for a race like you Wendy. You're a freaking swim deity.
Most likely he was just getting wet and being a big shot.
I've never had that happen to me - on purpose. No, mostly at my club pool, there's lots of old people who don't want to share lanes. I have no idea why, maybe they need to have all that real estate to themselves while they do their water walking.
I've been passed by people a lane over, and I think to myself, they are faster because they just got in - where I'm finishing up my first 1500, so that is why they are passing me. Ego? What ego?
Is this guy sharing a lane with you? I suppose you could use it as openwater hazard training...
Never happend to me ...yet Comm....BTW, when's Cnayon supposed to get "refilled"?
I friggin HATE Laps
A.
Comm's you are way too kind! No deities in this house (unless you count the cat, which I expect he does)!
Every pool has one; the key is to just not be that one person. Belly sucking air with hands on hips, too funny!
On Saturday I had almost the exact same experience.
I understand people thrive on competition in the pool, if only to make their workouts more interesting. I try not to get sucked into their games, but rather concentrate on why I'm there.
At the end of the day, I feel better knowing that 3 people cycled through their workouts before I was done.
Now if only I can plan my workouts in a time other than when the water aerobics crew hogs half the lanes. At least with all their bouncing and gyrating around it simulates open water a bit!
BTW, is Canyon Lake open yet?
I play all "games" if the gauntlet is thrown. I usually do a 1000 warm-up. Young bucks with too many tattoos jump in and swim a quick 50 and then they are sucking eggs and have to stop. I just keep plugging along, and find that when I get back to the wall where they stopped they just have to "show me" they can beat me at another 50. It's funny. I don't think they have any idea they are racing someone who could be their mom! And I just stick to my workout..and blow them out of the water so to speak... :-)
Maybe it's a bit snarky, but there is a quiet sense of accomplishment when that second (or third!) person leaves while I'm still plugging along. I've never been fast at anything, but dangit, I'm persistent!
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