Pool Swimming

Had a funny encounter this morning at the Atlantic Club pool in Red Bank.  People are so compulsive about their lanes and their workouts.  We’d all like our own lane to swim in for as long as we want, but unless we are ready to build ourselves a private pool we are stuck with the availability at our local club.  “I don’t like to circle” is unfortunately not an option.

The members of our club (Jersey Girls StayStrong Multisport) who are also Atlantic Club members have decided that we will meet informally at the Atlantic Club pool in Red Bank in the morning one week a month to swim together as a group.  Whatever lanes we can get we will deal with, we are all full paying members of the club and many swim there regularly.  But many also take the drive to the Wall Township facility to take advantage of the masters swim that is available in the morning.  It’s just minutes from my house but I thought to be fair and to encourage swimming workouts for the group, I’d take the 20 minute drive once or twice a month to swim in Red Bank with the members that are more local to that facility.  Anyway, about 8 of us were swimming in the three lanes that are available there this morning.  I stopped to give a technique pointer to one of our group in the next lane when I notice someone tapping her foot on the pool deck.

I looked up and she rather impatiently asked “Could one of you give up your lane?”  I looked at her, rather puzzled at the request and didn’t say anything.  Her response was “I’m on a schedule.”  I said, “so are we, you are more than welcome to circle swim with any of us.”  The woman I had been helping said that she was more than welcome to jump in with them but her lane was “slow” (as indicated by the lane sign).  I looked up again and said “you are more than welcome to circle swim in my lane” to which she responded “you said you are slow.”  Well . . . . I responded, “I am anything but slow.”

My workout partner held her breathe at the challenge, I was ready to step up my workout to prove a point and I’m sure she was too, but the challenger chose to walk back to the locker room and skip her morning swim.  What a shame for her.  I’m sure it totally ruined her morning, but had she gotten in the pool she probably would have found that (1) we are a very friendly, supportive and encouraging group and (2) she most likely would have enjoyed swimming with us.

Not a minute or two later another swimmer came into the pool area, I looked up and said “you are more than welcome to circle swim with us” and he did.  Although my swimming partner and I were a good amount faster than him, we made it work and he moved to the next lane when it opened and we all enjoyed our morning and our workout.

So, until you can build your own pool . . . . learn to play well with others!