Do you mind if I join you?
Do you mind if I join you?
Those three magic words...
Wait. Maybe that's seven. Either way, that simple statement has proven time and again to establish a great mini relationship with the people I swim with in community pools. I use this little sentence to courteously ask if I can join somebody's lane if they're swimming there first. It might seem like common sense, but trust me, it isn't. Some swimmers just hop in with no dialog at all and assume they understand how you're swimming or the speed at which you're training at. I can assure you this is a recipe for a frustrating 60 minutes of your life.
When you develop that basic contact with another swimmer, I feel you're far more likely to inquire upon when they're pushing off or if it's ok for you to swim ahead of them. In a best case scenario there are only two swimmers sharing a lane and you can communicate to them that you'd like to split the lane rather than circle swim. Anybody who has trained understands that differences in speed within a lane can become quite frustrating when you're even slightly faster or slower than the other swimmer... we've all been there. Trying to pass a swimmer or get passed causes a disruption in both swimmers stroke cycles.
This post is perhaps just a simple plea to communicate with a swimmer which you're about to join in a lane. It makes everyone's training less stressful and more enjoyable.
You deserve a cookie by the way.
"You're quick" - Some aspiring triathlete
I swam at a community pool today. I really had no idea how crowded it would be. I figured everybody would be with their families enjoying the end of the holiday or traveling home. I was quite mistaken. It was busier than I've ever seen the pool. I asked if I could join a lane and they welcomed me with a warning of "I'm slow and she's slower", the man referencing his daughter. I laughed and said that was ok and hopped in behind them. I gave them some room and dove in. They stopped on the other end and watched me for at least 100 yards. Over the course of the hour swim, I noticed the father, daughter and a few of his friends pointing and studying my swimming. It was flattering and sort of funny. I finished up my 3k workout with a 200 yard cool down. During my last 25 yards I noticed a swimmer in my lane (I was solo for a bit at the end) with a red cap on seemingly pacing me. I kept it long and slow to finish my final 25 yards and got out. I headed over to the hot tub to find the triathletes I had swam with earlier relaxing in the hot tub. Seconds later the daughter came over saying "Dad, I kept up with him!". She was very out of breath but all similes. The father said "and you came all the way over here to tell me that?", to which she shook her head "yes" vigoriously. He said "looks like you're out of breath and he probably didn't even break a sweat". All four of them looked over at me for a moment, I gave a gracious smile and got out of the hot tub. I was embarrassed yet flattered and (of course) had no intention of letting any of them know that she raced me during the slowest point of my entire workout. The whole thing was funny and made me smile while leaving the pool.