Swimming Pool Problems!

😀 Yes! Swimming pools are back open.

🤯 No! Everybody wants to swim at the same time.

🤯 No! Swimming pool capacity is limited.

🤯 No! Swim time is restricted to 45 minutes.

🤯 No! Lanes are jam packed with swimmers of varying ability.

Some pools – and particularly some time slots – are full. When the slots do become available, they book quickly and leave many swimmers disappointed.

This means a real difficulty in booking a time slot and planning swim training. Or for those lucky swimmers who get in, the lanes end up being super busy, leading to frustration and poor session execution.

I have had several swimmers message me to vent their frustration this week.

What can you do?

✅ Get in quick! Book as far in advance as you can.
✅ Can you be flexible on time slots? Early morning and early evening are the most popular times. Can you swim outside of these times?
✅ Fitting in a swim during the workday? Lunchtime swims? Can you start work slightly later? Early or late lunch?
✅ Some pools are busier than others. Can you try several pools?

So you managed to secure a time slot – but the pool is really busy? You might have to modify that planned swim session.

SHORT INTERVALS
It is often easier to do short intervals in a busy lane. You don’t get caught behind other slower swimmers. 25’s, 50’s, 75’s? Always have a back up swim session for these circumstances.

REST INTERVALS
Be flexible with your rest intervals. You need to time your push off the wall for when you have some good clear water in front of you. That might mean taking less rest so you can push off before your lane buddy starts their next length. Or it might mean extending the rest to allow a big enough gap to the swimmer in front. If that’s the case, you may also need to alter the planned intensity – going a bit harder when you have lots of rest or slowing it down if rest has been compromised.

INTERVALS ARE STILL KING
Just because your swim time is restricted to 45 minutes, don’t think you need to swim continuously and eliminate the rest. You can do a lot in a short space of time – even with rest intervals!

Hopefully, as restrictions ease, so pool capacity increases.

I hope that helps? Anything you’ve done to fit your swims in?

In May, we will be restarting two pool-based swim squads (Saturdays & Mondays) – 90 minute and 60 minute sessions. We will also be continuing our open water swim groups.