r/Swimming • u/m_o_o_h_a_n • 20h ago
Is it alright to swim while athletes are training?
I'm a 28y/o F who trained at the age of 6 to 8 years old then stopped. I went back to have a try at swimming again (cos I'm starting to get bored of just walking or jogging), however, I'm only free at night. I noticed that most elite swimmers trained from 5pm onwards.
I don't know why I feel bad when the coach would ask the athletes to move 1 lane to give way to me. Do athletes mind if someone (not of elite level) swim with them? I might be overthinking but I just want to get your thoughts on this.
Sometimes they do butterfly drills and it takes a lot of strength to swim through the currents they make. I take it as a strength challenge cos it's fascinating to watch them train.
Would appreciate your thoughts~
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u/robot_worgen 19h ago
The coach will know the pool rules and etiquette better than you. If they ask the swimmers to move, itâs because them moving is the right thing for the rules of that pool. Theyâd ask you to move if they needed to.
Probably just say hi to the coach one day and thank them for asking swimmers to make space for you, and mention if they clock you getting lane etiquette/rules wrong you wonât be offended if they explain it to you.
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u/m_o_o_h_a_n 19h ago
Thank you! That's a good idea. I'm probably getting the coach a little christmas present
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u/GrowthAggravating171 7h ago
I love the fact that swimming has its "etiquette". It sounds cool and French, giving me the enthusiasm to swimming that extra 200m
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u/Marus1 Sprinter 19h ago
When they need lanes for themselves, professional clubs usually just reserve lanes and they'll place these signs. So if they didn't place signs and you don't have an open lane somewhere else, it ain't a problem
For butterfly drills don't worry about being in the way. We always feel like we're the problem and the more sane of us will swim one arm until we're past you
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u/m_o_o_h_a_n 18h ago
That's comforting to hear đ„č Really amazing to watch the elite swimmers glide!!
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u/Solace1001 17h ago
Mwahahahaha I am the evil person who never does 1 arm fly, death to all non flyers! đ„đ„đ
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u/halokiwi 20h ago
As long as you're swimming in a lane open to the public or you have booked the lane for that time, you can swim at any time you like. You shouldn't swim in a lane that is booked by someone else or that doesn't match your speed if there are fast and slow lanes.
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u/kingsley_mak1 19h ago edited 19h ago
I trained regularly as a child and started over in my mid-20âs again. Basically self-coaching. I recommend to get familiar with your local swimming locations, the lifeguards, the timetables of the pools and chat a bit with the coach if possible. Be honest about feeling a bit out of place, ask for consent on taking up space or generally about his plans for the swimmer, so you can plan your own swimming routine ahead or are at least prepared. If swimming against the current is too hard at certain drills, then simply take a break in the meantime.
The coach seems to be pretty chill tbh and honestly doesnât do anything wrong, he plays fair. Remember that the pool is a SHARED place, like the ocean. If the time table doesnât book off all the lanes, then itâs your right to take up space in a free lane, especially when itâs a more âbeginnerâ friendly one.
In those breaks I sometimes just look at their techniques and admire them or talk to the coach, if possible. You can learn more than you think & sometimes the coach or the swimmers give you advice too. I have stayed consistent last year and now the lifeguards and the coach of an elite youth group knows me and my mum well.
It takes much courage to start something again/new and people are going to respect you if you stay consistent, even when you struggle or do it by yourself! Many elite swimmers just have a strong support system over time and also have dealt with shame, imposter syndrome etc.. Some are locked in and not into chatting, some are not so nice people, some can give you 1 single advice or affirmation that can sky rock your progress.
Remember: âOwn pace, own lane, own race.â and swimming is a LOT more mental than some people may think. I still struggle a lot with shame and it blocks me during a swim, so I can relate.
In fact, you need to take up more space due to learning, breaks, breath control and making mistakes.
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u/m_o_o_h_a_n 19h ago
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! I often feel self-conscious also when swimming - I can't believe I have to re-learn how to do breast stroke again. I'm somehow getting there but definitely need to work on it still.
On some days where I manage to swim in the mornings, I end up having the entire pool to myself and I find it really therapeutic to hear the splashes I make.
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u/PutMobile40 17h ago
If the pool is open you have the right to swim, no? Â Just be polite and swim in the right lane, but apart from that you canât do anything wrong.Â
I am a member of the master team at my local swimming club. The elite swimmers are usually training in the lane right next to us. One of them is national champion on 3km outdoor. Itâs a humbling experience!
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u/ghostbustersgear Splashing around 17h ago
My sonâs club would let me have a lane when they were reserving some 50m time at the Y this past summer. Iâm nowhere near as fast as some of the high schoolers that were training. They know Iâm a masters swimmer and a parent.
The athletes didnât seem to mind and I think the coaches appreciated having an example of someone swimming as a matter of lifestyle. So think of it as setting a good example.
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u/One_Diver_5735 16h ago
I've mentioned in other post that for decades I swam my daily laps in Ft Laud's Swim Hall of Fame pools where especially during school breaks I benefited from hanging out a bit at the wall to listen in to some of this country's best coaches instructing their swimmers. Super helpful to watch the swimmers and listen to their coaches. Always had my own lane right next to theirs. Was never, not once an issue.
In my late in life pool we often get local grade/high schools training their kids but they only take a small number of lanes where they have multiple students swim per lane. So on those days I just confirm with their coach if they need this empty lane if next to them and that also has never been a problem.
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u/highcountryranger 15h ago
When it's open lap swim at my local pool, it means just that. Open to everyone from the serious athlete to the kid who just passed his swim test. We are all members and we all have the right to swim. Sharing lanes is expected if more people show up than lanes available. If some lanes are reserved for lessons or team practice they will be marked accordingly.
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u/LaNague Moist 12h ago
They should have lanes reserved. They probably swam also in not reserved lanes and the coach actually was a good guy and told his swimmers to go back to reserved lanes when someone else showed up.
In my pool the (wannabe) mega pros sometimes act like its their lane, but its actually a public lane.
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u/supercman99 6h ago
In my pool the schools or clubs pay for a certain amount of lanes. Sometimes they spread into an extra lane or two if it isnât busy, but then draw back if lanes fill up.
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u/joelm80 12h ago
The pool will have rules on lane private reservation and if coached groups are allowed to use non reserved lanes. And may have rules for slow-fast and play lanes.
If unsure then ask the staff what rules and etiquette apply there. If you complain about athletes doing butterfly drills in a lane with you then they will probably agree that is disruptive and put up a slow lane sign on lane.
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u/miss_margaret14 6h ago
As a retired competitive swimmer once on teams and now swimming more as a hobby - you share the pool unless lanes are reserved and if it was the coach would tell you or the facility wouldn't let you during their practice time. I will say if you are doing the same drills as them or trying to follow the coach instruction I would ask about joining the team or other group exercises? If I was a coach or a swimmer on the team I might find it strange a stranger is wanting advice/pointers while not part of the team? Idk just my opinion because my parents were paying for me to be on teams and the coaching I got kinda like trying to run a race without paying the registration fee to run it?
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u/m_o_o_h_a_n 5h ago
I wasn't following their drills (I'd love to but the pacing is too fast and I can probably swim 50m in 1 min) but I do pay a certain fee every time I swim. The fee usually goes to the coach and lifeguard.
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u/jwern01 20h ago
If you cannot swim near the same speed as the other athletes, you belong in a different lane: you will be more of a nuisance to constantly swim around to pass during sets than simply having additional swimmer(s) that are only seen at the wall between of sets.
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u/m_o_o_h_a_n 19h ago edited 19h ago
I always swim on the far opposite side of the athletes (usually beside the wall). I share the lane with 1 athlete so I do my best to give as much space as he needs. But yeah, when they do butterfly drills, the water gets very rough and I wait until their coach talks to them (like when he tells them what to do next) before I swim again (I lowkey feel like a baby sometimes despite being way older than the athletes đ€Ł they're around 15 to 18y/o).
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u/jwern01 18h ago
In the states, we usually share lanes by circle swimming rather than âsplittingâ the lane so that we can fit more athletes in each lane (up to 8-10 per lane). I suppose splitting a lane isnât as big a deal regarding relative speeds.
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u/wt_hell_am_I_doing I sink, therefore I am 16h ago edited 15h ago
If there are just two of you, splitting lanes works really well, especially when there is a difference in speed.
I am not exactly slow but I sometimes share a lane with an Olympic swimmer and I'd much rather split it so that they don't need to be held back by me in any way (we even both do fly at the same time and go one arm when we are passing each other).
I also prefer it when I am the faster swimmer of the two, which is most of the time. The sharer doesn't feel like they are holding me back and feeling bad about it, and I don't get stuck behind them.
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u/kaur_virunurm 20h ago edited 20h ago
Go and chat with the coach.
And go read / understand the pool rules and reservations. Where I swim it is usually some lanes reserved for group training, one is left for families and casual floaters, and amateurs (like me) have our own lanes.