Who swims over people? (Page 3)

Inadvertently, probably...I know I've had incidental contact with other swimmers.  In general, I try to avoid being so close that I risk getting my goggles kicked off or swept off because it takes a long time to get them back on.  If I'm swimming properly, my hand enters the water ahead of my shoulder/head and the arm extension pushes my hand out in front of me.  If I'm swimming properly, I might hit their feet or legs, but I shouldn't be striking their body with my hand without knowing they're there ahead of time (aside from the floater/treader who is stopped and vertical in the water).  If my hand comes slamming down on somebody, I'm doing something wrong.  I have had my arm get tangled up with another swimmer's arm.   Occasionally, I'll have to roll around a little to avoid "swimming over" someone. 

I do have a problem when someone tries to grab my ankle as I don't consider that "incidental" contact.  It's usually pretty obvious whether it's a brush or a grab. 

What am I thinking?  "I'm sorry"  but I know I don't have time to stop and apologize or I'll be in someone else's way.  (I also think "what other idiot is swimming this far outside the line??"  ) 

skarl - 2009-07-28 12:23 PM

crowny2 - 2009-07-28 10:07 AM

mrbbrad - 2009-07-28 11:02 AM Do you do it? Do you do it on purpose? What goes through your head? Walk me through that thought process please.

I've only done it once and it was purely accidental.

Quad Cities Triathlon last year.  Just turned the last buoy and was headed home.  I usually site every 6-8 strokes.  I was just starting to look up when I was literally on top of and face to face with a woman doing a very, VERY lazy back stroke.  Had no idea I was on top of her till I was because her feet were way down in the water (no attempt at a kick) and so there we were.  Happened in a split second.  As I was rolling off of her, I muttered an out of breath apology and kept going.

Otherwise, I don't try to swim over them, I just swim past them. 

Hope you both had wetsuits on

I think that in some countries we might now be legally married. 

I've heard that is hard to swim uphill, but vertically, that's nuts. There must have been a lot of DNFers

still waiting....

X2 -  KenyonTri, If you are serious about your post could you please stay away from races in the northeast?

Why would it be okay to grab someone and hurt them?  Maybe somebody might end up on top of you accidentally (leaky goggles and didn't see, got turned and came across you from an angle, etc.).  If someone crashed on the bike and took you down, would you start beating them?  I could understand a reaction if someone shoved you down in the water or threw a punch at your face.  Two wrongs don't make a right.

Okay, your choice.  Personally, I choose to keep my focus on moving forward and getting to the finish line as quick as possible without taking time out of my race to thump another triathlete in order to teach him a lesson.  But to each his own.

So, what's the next topic -- What Kind of Gun for my Transition Bag?

I've gotten into a lot of trouble for stating this before, but I still pretty much stand by this...  If you want to try swimming over me, you risk a broken nose from a swift kick or punch to the face.  I don't care about the disqualification or consequences.  I'm not putting my life at risk from someone willing to push me under water and climb over my back.

Now if you tap my feet or smack my leg, I'll more than likely move over a bit a let you pass.  If you brush up against me or even whack me pretty hard with a stroke as you go next to me, I won't mind that one bit.  Contact happens.  As in NASCAR, "rubbin' is racin'."

But the ankle grab followed by the back climb and push-down?  Good luck taking your chances with me with that.  You'll come out of the water bloodied in some way I can guarantee that.  So for those who answer, "yes - the slow swimmers are mere speed bumps to go over," think about what I wrote the next time you race.

As for me?  I'm not fast enough to catch and pass people and even if I were, I wouldn't swim over someone if you had a gun to my head.