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Slow Lanes/Pools?
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 2014-08-25 9:01 PM |
Master  1770     Bedford, MA |  Subject: Slow Lanes/Pools?I've swam in a few pools recently and swim in different lanes at my 'home' pool, and I seem to notice a difference in speeds depending on where I'm swimming. This pool is about 9' feet in the deep end and 3' in the shallow end. Today I swam in the outside lane at my 'home' pool and felt like it was slower than the middle lanes. My 50 times were 1-2 sec slower than 'usual.' I also swam in the pool at my old HS a few weeks ago, which has is 12' deep for 2/3 of the length, and my times seemed to be significantly faster than what I'm accustomed to. This is obviously far from scientific, but I was swimming intervals on the same send off and at the same intensity. Has anyone who is a 'swimmer' noticed this before? Is it just me and I had a bad day today? |
| 2014-08-25 10:09 PM in reply to: natethomas2000 |
Master 10208 Northern IL | Subject: RE: Slow Lanes/Pools? I never swim as well with the wall lane either. Too much wave rebounding off of it to be as fast. Also, some pools have better jet or water return setups than others. I've seen a difference going down vs coming back. Both in speed and stroke count. Sometimes consistently like 2 strokes difference one direction vs the other, regardless of how long the interval was. |
| 2014-08-26 5:05 AM in reply to: natethomas2000 |
Champion 7036 Sarasota, FL | Subject: RE: Slow Lanes/Pools? There's less reflective turbulence in the center lanes, that's why they put the top qualifiers in the center lanes at swim meets. At some meets using ten lane pools, they'll not use the outside lanes #1 & #10 for that reason. There's been a lot of work over the years on the design of gutters and lane lines to reduce turbulence, but you still have to deal with the walls and bottom at some point. Mark .
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| 2014-08-26 6:55 AM in reply to: natethomas2000 |
Member 1748 Exton, PA | Subject: RE: Slow Lanes/Pools? The center lanes are the fastest. Your best swimmers(highest qualifying times) get the placed in the center lanes for meets. All pools are different, some pools you notice it a lot, others not so much. |
| 2014-08-26 7:13 AM in reply to: 0 |
Master 8247 Eugene, Oregon Bronze member | Subject: RE: Slow Lanes/Pools? Definitely a difference. It makes me think of one pool that I only swim in a few times a year (only on a few Saturdays when I'm swimming with the masters club in Oregon at winter break). I was doing a long distance set, and kept feeling like I was swimming lopsided, particularly off the wall. Couldn't figure out for the life of me what it was--was worried it was some effect from an injury a couple of years ago that I hadn't noticed for ages. I asked my coach to watch me swim and she pointed out that I was only "swimming lopsided" because there were water jets coming off the wall at both ends of the pool! I've also noticed that some pools just"feel faster" than others and the same pool feels faster at some timesthan others. Quite possibly this is just due to differing fatigue levels due to other training, nutrition, time of day, etc. but sometimes I could swear it is something physically different about the water. Edited by Hot Runner 2014-08-26 7:14 AM |
| 2014-08-26 7:58 AM in reply to: natethomas2000 |
| 631 | Subject: RE: Slow Lanes/Pools? One of the pools I swim in is 25y, 5 lane w/o much gutter overflow, the dive well are 7 feet. When you get a lot of people in it there are visible waves. There is no where for the water to go. It is a slower pool. Water temp also impacts speed. |
| 2014-08-26 8:12 AM in reply to: 0 |
| Master 10208 Northern IL | Subject: RE: Slow Lanes/Pools? Originally posted by Hot Runner I've also noticed that some pools just"feel faster" than others and the same pool feels faster at some timesthan others. Quite possibly this is just due to differing fatigue levels due to other training, nutrition, time of day, etc. but sometimes I could swear it is something physically different about the water. Some of this could be that something did change in the pool. For one I swim in, they seem to have a heater/chiller return that is separate from the normal filtration jets. It's down towards the far end and goes across the lanes. It's a little noticeable when swimming, but has been very noticeable for kicksets when they have it turned on. Sometimes I'd have to severely angle towards the jet side or I'd get shoved into the lane line! Edited by brigby1 2014-08-26 8:13 AM |
| 2014-08-26 8:52 AM in reply to: Hot Runner |
Member 1748 Exton, PA | Subject: RE: Slow Lanes/Pools? Originally posted by Hot Runner I've also noticed that some pools just"feel faster" than others and the same pool feels faster at some timesthan others. Quite possibly this is just due to differing fatigue levels due to other training, nutrition, time of day, etc. but sometimes I could swear it is something physically different about the water. several things effect how fast a pool is. Gutter design depth depth transitions water flow (from filters) water temperature air temperature water density(yes this can change) what lane your in Lane line design tension on lane lines how many people are swimming in the pool length of pool (many pools are not right on 25 yards or 25 meters)(or 50 meters if your lucky enough to have an oly pool) |
| 2014-08-26 5:08 PM in reply to: mike761 |
Master 8247 Eugene, Oregon Bronze member | Subject: RE: Slow Lanes/Pools? I'm guessing in my case it's water temp (varies a lot day to day as the pool uses passive solar--sometimes there's a whole lot of solar and sometimes there's very little) and density. Guessing that chemical use varies a lot as it's a school facility and lots of little kids use it. Turbulence definitely a factor, too. Last year I had to do my weekday workouts during the HS practice (usually in an outside lane) and with all those big kids splashing around, it made a difference of up to 5 seconds/100m on my sets. Almost like open water swimming when they were doing fly or sprints off the blocks. |
| 2014-08-26 8:32 PM in reply to: natethomas2000 |
| 96 | Subject: RE: Slow Lanes/Pools? Ive been to a lot of swim meets and i dont think it makes much difference. My kids swim coach used to say "outside smoker" when talking about someone in lane 1 or 8, which were lower seeds, going fast. |
| 2014-08-26 8:39 PM in reply to: mike761 |
New user 230 penticton | Subject: RE: Slow Lanes/Pools? Originally posted by mike761 The center lanes are the fastest. Your best swimmers(highest qualifying times) get the placed in the center lanes for meets. All pools are different, some pools you notice it a lot, others not so much. The main issue with pool is the filtration system and water jetécurrent. But for swim meets, those needs to be shut down completely. So i most decent pools, there is absolutely no difference in speed from lane 1 to lane 8. The center lane are simply use for the fastest swimmer for ``the show``. There is no advantage other than swimming next to the other fast swimmers. in training. that is a different story....every pool as different current... |
| 2014-08-27 11:06 AM in reply to: natethomas2000 |
Master 3205 ann arbor, michigan | Subject: RE: Slow Lanes/Pools? I would never call myself a "swimmer" so I might not be in your focus group..... I swim mostly in a fitness club pool. A five lane, 25 yard, salt water pool that always feels slow to me. It is three feet deep at lane 1 and about 5.5 feet feet deep at lane 5. The deeper lanes seem to be faster to me right up until you get next to the wall and then it feels slower again. Maybe it is all psychological but I preferentially swim in lane 4, the deepest one that isn't next to the wall, whenever it is open. About once a week I swim in the local high school pool, designed for competition, much cooler, much deeper and I am usually a couple seconds/100 faster on the same or even less effort than I am at the fitness club. I don't know if it is depth, temperature, pool design or what but the difference in speed is real and not subtle. |
| 2014-08-27 12:03 PM in reply to: wannabefaster |
| 1660 | Subject: RE: Slow Lanes/Pools? I tend to distrust pool lengths in facilities that aren't clearly designed with competition as a purpose. They often say 25 yds or meters, but I've found them to often be off by about enough to give you 1-3 sec variance per length.
Water temp is also a big one, but I tend to notice when it's cool enough to make a difference. (Love competition pools - they're outright cold when you jump in, but it'll be a fast day!) |
| 2014-08-27 12:32 PM in reply to: jonnyo |
Member 1748 Exton, PA | Subject: RE: Slow Lanes/Pools? Originally posted by jonnyo Originally posted by mike761 The center lanes are the fastest. Your best swimmers(highest qualifying times) get the placed in the center lanes for meets. All pools are different, some pools you notice it a lot, others not so much. The main issue with pool is the filtration system and water jetécurrent. But for swim meets, those needs to be shut down completely. So i most decent pools, there is absolutely no difference in speed from lane 1 to lane 8. The center lane are simply use for the fastest swimmer for ``the show``. There is no advantage other than swimming next to the other fast swimmers. in training. that is a different story....every pool as different current... I've never heard on pool filters being shut down for competition, and believe the Dept of health would have a big problem with shutting filtration and chlorination systems down for meets which generally take several hours. Her e are the rules on that from USA swimming: 103.6 /M/ OVERFLOW RECIRCULATION SYSTEM — The pool water recirculation and overflow system shall maintain water level in line with the overflow rim of the pool gutters without creating appreciable current or water turbulence and shall maintain smooth and calm water surface during competition. 103.7 WATER AND AIR TEMPERATURE 25 feet per minute. I think most people who were competitive swimmers will tell you that the center lanes were faster. When I say faster we are talking 1/100's to 1/10's of a second, not something that most triathletes feel. However there are pools that have more advantage and some that have none. I have not competed since the mid 80's and 8 lanes pools were very rare, 10 lanes almost non-existent. The newer and larger pools tend to reduce the advantage and in some pools eliminate it, but definitely not all of them. I spent most of my competitive career swimming in pools that built in the 60's and yes these pools are still around and being used for competition. |
| 2014-08-27 1:20 PM in reply to: mike761 |
| 1300 | Subject: RE: Slow Lanes/Pools? Originally posted by mike761 I agree center lanes are faster but that also could be just from growing up always knowing the fastest guys were usually in lanes 3/4. I did read something recently about a study being done on currents in pools with some interesting stats about the outside lanes. If I can find it I'll post a link. I wanna say I read about it on ST. Originally posted by jonnyo I've never heard on pool filters being shut down for competition, and believe the Dept of health would have a big problem with shutting filtration and chlorination systems down for meets which generally take several hours. Her e are the rules on that from USA swimming:103.6 /M/ OVERFLOW RECIRCULATION SYSTEM — The pool water recirculation and overflowsystem shall maintain water level in line with the overflow rim of the pool gutters without creatingappreciable current or water turbulence and shall maintain smooth and calm water surfaceduring competition.103.7 WATER AND AIR TEMPERATURE.1 /LSC/ Water temperature between 25 to 28 degrees Celsius (77 to 82.4 degrees Fahrenheit)shall be maintained for competition..2 Air temperature within 8 feet above deck level in indoor facilities shall be not lower than 76degrees Fahrenheit, with relative humidity maintained at about 60% and air velocity at about25 feet per minute.I think most people who were competitive swimmers will tell you that the center lanes were faster. When I say faster we are talking 1/100's to 1/10's of a second, not something that most triathletes feel. However there are pools that have more advantage and some that have none.I have not competed since the mid 80's and 8 lanes pools were very rare, 10 lanes almost non-existent. The newer and larger pools tend to reduce the advantage and in some pools eliminate it, but definitely not all of them. I spent most of my competitive career swimming in pools that built in the 60's and yes these pools are still around and being used for competition. Originally posted by mike761The center lanes are the fastest. Your best swimmers(highest qualifying times) get the placed in the center lanes for meets. All pools are different, some pools you notice it a lot, others not so much. The main issue with pool is the filtration system and water jetécurrent. But for swim meets, those needs to be shut down completely. So i most decent pools, there is absolutely no difference in speed from lane 1 to lane 8. The center lane are simply use for the fastest swimmer for ``the show``. There is no advantage other than swimming next to the other fast swimmers. in training. that is a different story....every pool as different current... |
| 2014-08-27 3:11 PM in reply to: 0 |
Champion 7036 Sarasota, FL | Subject: RE: Slow Lanes/Pools? Originally posted by Goggles Pizzano ]I agree center lanes are faster but that also could be just from growing up always knowing the fastest guys were usually in lanes 3/4. I did read something recently about a study being done on currents in pools with some interesting stats about the outside lanes. If I can find it I'll post a link. I wanna say I read about it on ST. It was actually an article from the Wall St Journal. A study of the results of the 2013 Worlds in Barcelona seemed to indicate that there may have been a circular flow in the pool. Here's the article:
Mark Edited by RedCorvette 2014-08-27 3:12 PM |
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