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slow pool, fast pool
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 2009-07-13 7:35 PM |
Master  1410   White Plains NY |  Subject: slow pool, fast poolIs there such thing as a slow pool and a fast pool? I swim in 2 pools in my area where I have very consistant 100 yard pace times anywhere between 1:35 and 1:40. The water temps in these pools are ~82 degrees. I was on vacation this past weekend and the pool that I swam in was 1 lane less wide, just as deep, but 86 degrees. I was on 3 days of swimming rest and felt strong, but my 100 yard pace times were consistently in the 1:50 - 1:55 range. 15 seconds on average slower. Now the water temp was a bit too warm for my taste, but it didn't fatigue me. I was noticing that whenever I pulled, my glide was like through sticky molasses. I just couldn't glide. My stroke count was about 1-2 strokes higher as well. Is warmer water thicker?!?!?!? I am totally baffled! I still got in a good 2500 yards and good workout, so I still had a successful swim. What makes a pool fast or slow? |
| 2009-07-13 7:45 PM in reply to: #2282547 |
Veteran 207 Sun Prairie, WI | Subject: RE: slow pool, fast pool I would think that technically warmer water is less dense than colder water, so that's kinda contradictory to your results...Did you only swim in this pool once while on vacation or several times? Maybe it was just a bad swimming day for you or the pool was really a 25 meter pool instead of yards? Sorry I cant be more help, but thats all I got! |
| 2009-07-13 7:45 PM in reply to: #2282547 |
Master 1728  portland, or | Subject: RE: slow pool, fast pool There are "fast" pools and "slow" pools. Water depth, type of lane dividers used, the pool walls, and the flow of water through the pool all affect the "speed" of a pool. Also, I struggle to swim fast in a warm pool, but the difference in time that you experienced would lead me to believe the pool was a 25 meter pool vs 25 yards. scott |
| 2009-07-13 7:47 PM in reply to: #2282584 |
Champion 8766  Evergreen, Colorado | Subject: RE: slow pool, fast pool yaqui - 2009-07-13 7:45 PM There are "fast" pools and "slow" pools. Water depth, type of lane dividers used, the pool walls, and the flow of water through the pool all affect the "speed" of a pool. Also, I struggle to swim fast in a warm pool, but the difference in time that you experienced would lead me to believe the pool was a 25 meter pool vs 25 yards. scott ^^^What he said. |
| 2009-07-13 7:48 PM in reply to: #2282547 |
Master 1572 PA | Subject: RE: slow pool, fast pool I don't know for real what it is, but I grew up as a swimmer, & we definitely talked about slow and fast pools. And from what I recall, the slightly cooler pools were faster. Can't remember if depth played into that as well. Maybe all psychological, but rinky dink 6 lane YMCA pool that is warm, dimly lit and no deeper than 6 feet at its deepest....vs sweet college facility where it's a good bit deeper at one end, really well lit, great lane lines, cooler temps....no question which is the fast pool. |
| 2009-07-13 7:52 PM in reply to: #2282547 |
Champion 5575 Butler | Subject: RE: slow pool, fast pool Absolutely. That is all they talked about during the Bejin Olympics about how the pool was built for speed. |
| 2009-07-14 8:29 AM in reply to: #2282547 |
Veteran 249 Littleton, Colorado | Subject: RE: slow pool, fast pool I know the heater broke at the pool I swim at. Gradually over 2-3 weeks the pool got cooler and cooler (and less and less crowded) until they finally fixed it. I'm still a relatively new swimmer, so who knows how many other factors are at play, but my swim workouts in the cold water were slower than before and after the heating issues. warm pool is probably 84ish? Cold pool was probably low 70s. |
| 2009-07-14 9:27 AM in reply to: #2282547 |
| Regular 132 College Station | Subject: RE: slow pool, fast pool During the olympics they talked about fast pools and how they are different. depth is huge, the deeper the pool the faster it is. deeper pools take away from the turbulence (sp) and help make the pool calmer. Ditto with the width of the pool. More lanes gives water more room to move, thus reducing turbulence. In the olympics the pool was deeper and had extra lanes on the side that weren't being used. This made the pool faster. |
| 2009-07-14 9:29 AM in reply to: #2283602 |
Master 2372 | Subject: RE: slow pool, fast pool Pools for Olympic competition are kept at between 77-82F. This is the temperature at which the human body is the most compatible. Cold enough that the doesn't overheat and warm enough so that there is no decrease in performance due to making the body work to stay warm. I always seemed to get a better pull in colder water, but that may be more mental. Also factors are how the lane lines are constructed, the baffles (or lack thereof) at the water's edge, etc. Personally I hate swimming in pea soup (~85F+). |
| 2009-07-14 9:33 AM in reply to: #2282547 |
Elite 4564 Boise | Subject: RE: slow pool, fast pool Did the pool feel extremely warm? I've had a few practices where the water temp got too hot and it just feels like all of the energy is sapped out of your body. One time even our coach was spraying us with a hose to try and cool us down. |
| 2009-07-14 11:58 AM in reply to: #2282547 |
| New user 13 | Subject: RE: slow pool, fast pool This explains so much! I started swimming in the outdoor pool recently, and was consistently slower by almost exactly the same rate (although much, much slower that you guys!). I was beginning to wonder if both pools were really 25 yards. Indoor pool, "fast": 83F, max depth 10 ft Outdoor pool, "slow": air temperature ~76F, max depth 8 ft Thanks, this was really puzzling me. |
| 2009-07-14 12:02 PM in reply to: #2282547 |
Expert 1040 SF Bay Area | Subject: RE: slow pool, fast pool I've heard that a gutterless pool is faster. |
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