Swimming 101 for Runners

Image by Powerhouse Museum via Flickr

After several weeks of inactivity from my injury I was going stir crazy. While training, I incorporated spinning as an “active rest” cross training activity, but found that it was aggravating the injury as well. This left me with one last thought on how to keep up my cardio with minimal impact on my ankle: swimming.

I have nothing against swimming, but I was never motivated to go out to a pool and do laps. As a kid, I was often referred to as a “fish,” and had to be hauled out of the water. I went from “guppy” swimming lessons through to receiving my bronze cross when I was a teenager. The thing is, I haven’t really done “laps” since I got that cross.

Breast stroke, side stroke, fancy diving too… oh don’t you wish you never had anything else to do but…

But this injury provided the impetus to take the plunge. I figure that if I was having hesitations about going to a pool, there must be other runners out there feeling the same thing. So here are some things that I thought I’d share for the lane swimming beginners out there:

Equipment:

Like running, equipment for lane swimming is pretty minimal. All you really need is a bathing suit and a pair of goggles. Other things that I’d recommend from my initial foray is a cheap pair of flip flops (for wearing in the showers and on the deck), and if your prone to, or don’t like getting water up your nose, a nose clip. I shave my head so I don’t have any hair worries, but if you have long luscious locks, you might want to get at a cap.

Lanes:

Think of the pool as a highway, but instead of the fastest lane being to the left, it’s in the middle. This may very by pool (region/country/etc.), but here’s the break down as far as I’m aware:

Slow: the right lane of the pool. This is for slower (dur) swimmers who are going at a more leisurely pace. I recommend starting here unless you know you’re a speedy Gonzalez. That way you can watch how fast the other two lanes are going and adjust accordingly. I’d rank this as equivalent to one of those school zones where you have to drive slowly and watch for children.

Medium: the left lane of the pool This is where I was for my first time out. Swimmers in this lane were going at a steady pace, but nothing too crazy. Making a driving analogy, this would be your typical 50-80k speed limit. Swimmers in these lanes are doing strokes and crawls.

Fast: the middle lane of the pool. These swimmers know what they’re doing and do it pretty fast. This would be some highway drivin’ swimming. I’m sure this depends on who shows up, but at my first time out, these swimmers were hustling. They also do that fancy dive under, kick the wall thing to turn around… I want to do that!

Don’t be a fool in the pool (etiquette):

Yup, just like other sports, there are rules of engagement that will keep the peace in the pool. Here are a few:

• Awareness: always be aware of where other swimmers are. This can help prevent uncomfortable run-ins and head knocks.
• Allow faster swimmers to pass you at an end of a rep. On the other side, if a slower swimmer has already started the rep, a faster swimmer should wait to give them some lead-time to avoid charging up on them. This also applies to the type of stroke you’re doing – faster strokes go, well… faster.
• When resting in-between sets, stay to the far side of the lane so that you’re not blocking those who are still swimming.
• Don’t just stop in the middle of a rep (to adjust goggles, swim suit, etc.), wait until you’re at the end of a length.
• Realistically choose your speed. If you know you’re a speedster, don’t give the people in the slow lane a heart attack. And if you like to savour your laps, you can avoid frustration by staying out of the fast lane.
• I’m a little unclear on the rules of passing other swimmers and have read different things you’re supposed to (or not) do, so I’d advise not passing other swimmers… just go to a faster lane.
• If you’re not sure, you can ask the life guard that is on duty.

The only other thing I’ve heard is that water running (which can be great for maintaining fitness while injured) is not allowed in a lane swimming setting. You have to go to the general swim for that.

So there you have it. You’re full of knowledge and ready to go out and do some laps! And if you’re in Toronto, here is a link to the many pools you can go and swim in (page 72).