Hi team,
I’ve got 2 * 25m pools that are convenient - near my home, and near work.
Different benefits to both (one salt, close to home), and end of trip facilities amongst other things at work for the other.
They’re 25m though…
There is a more official 50m pool, less convenient but not by much.
Wondering what you would do / recommend?
All my Garmin training laps / workouts were built on 50m in mind.
Since it’s not much less convenient definitely the 50m.
The best 6 strokes of every lap are the first 6 off every wall.
Do you want 6 or 12 good strokes per 50?
I started a thread on this a decade ago.
Personally I like the 25m better. It’s easier for me to pace and be consistent in that size pool.
You will become a much better swimmer in a 50m pool.
For me it had to do with multiple factors, none of which has to do with the distance. Cost, hours, amenities (gym, showers, hot tub/sauna, etc), and crowds. I chose a small franchise gym with a 3 lane 25m pool, walking distance from my residence, at $20/month. Open 5am-10pm, no lifeguard requirements, and very little use. Over two years and I never had to wait for, or share a lane. Plus, a full gym, so I could lift and use the treadmills and bake in the sauna and relax in the hot tub, etc.
For a 50 meter pool it was either the university a mile away, or swim club 3 miles away. Twice the membership fees, crowded, open swim hours were few, and always at the mercy of a life guard showing up for work. I’m not sure, but I think the swim club also required a membership to a national swimming organization similar to USAT.
Or the Y, also a mile away, also over twice the costs, 25m pool, always crowded, kids, and lifeguard. One pro is the monster state of the art gym… but not worth it to me.
My last option is the local Air Force base, since I’m retired military. It’s free. But also 8 miles away. They have a 25y indoor pool, and 50m outdoor pool. The drawback is only 3 hours of open swim in the early morning, indoors, and the outdoor pool, open June July Aug, isn’t roped off. The pool is open for anyone, mostly kids, to do whatever they want. I swam a lot there early on, but gave up when it just wasn’t worth the hassle.
Honestly swim in the one most convent, swimming is swimming. Overall you will become a better pure swimmer in a shorter pool, lots more technical stuff to learn and improve. LCM pools are great for OW training, but one often gets into slower grooves and you can get sloppy on your walls and breakouts. It is kind of a personal thing with really good swimmers on which they like best, but even there they all make what they have work for them…
Sounds like you might be new to swimming(AOS), so perhaps you would benefit more from the 25m pools…
You will become a much better swimmer in a 50m pool.
Why do you say that?
My experience has been the other way.
if one were to swim 2000 in both pools and have every stroke they take scored as Good, Avg or Poor, the 25M pool would have the most good strokes and far fewer poor strokes.
I agree but I just wanted to see the argument the other way.
Gerry Rodriguez: not much difference, but the 25 m pool is better because you spend more time in that streamlined position you get after the push off and that helps you learn to maintain it when swimming.
David McNamee: the 50 m pool is better, particularly close to the triathlon season, because your arms don’t get any rest in races and if you try to spin your arms for an hour non stop in a race after doing push offs every 25 m in training, you’re in trouble.
The ultimate expert (me) says: swimming is moderately boring to boring AF, and using both pools helps change things up and make training more interesting (possibly leading to more consistency).
It is nice you have so much choice. My choices are 25 metre pool or 2500 m quarry
The ultimate expert (me) says: swimming is moderately boring to boring AF, and using both pools helps change things up and make training more interesting (possibly leading to more consistency).
that is a completely passable reason to swim LCM, to occasionally where wetsuit shorts, or do whatever even if it is slightly suboptimal. Getting to the pool is what matters more than the size of the pool!
It is nice you have so much choice. My choices are 25 metre pool or 2500 m quarry
Ha - my only choice is 25yd pool at 7AM, or it’s the Vasa erg!
I can’t say which is better 25m, or 50m, but I suspect whichever one you do less of, is the one that’ll bring your more benefit. I rarely swim in 50m so I def see and feel the added distance with less wall turns, and that can help endurance, but I can see the arguments for streamlining, more better strokes, etc.
If I were doing a lot of OWS, I’d probably prefer the 25m, as it would be more variation from OWS compared to the 50m, but heck, I’ll swim in anything now as long as I don’t have to share then lane!
For whatever reason I find I get into a better rythm in breast and fly in 50 LCM (without all the turns). Short axis strokes, as you point out I have more better strokes in 25 scm. Also in 25scm, I spend more time overall underwater dolphin kicking and get a better leg/core workout on 25scm days vs 50 lcm days. Overall I like 50 lcm days better, but it may just be a function of better overall quality of swimmers at the 50 lcm “fast lane” during lane swim. In my city at the 25m pools the fast lanes can have everyone from 30s per 50m studs to 2:30 and it CAN be chaos. At the 50 lcm pool the swimmers are just better, and travelling all over the world, whenever I hit a 50 lcm pool, it seems you just end up with a better crew of swimmers in the “fast lane” (whatever that means locally, but generally, in 50 lcm pools you get those who get lane etiquette in the faster lanes (not that I am fast compared to fast swimmers, maybe just a touch faster than your local lane swimmer).
50m pools force you to work to make it more than 6 good strokes.
You will become a much better swimmer in a 50m pool.
Yup I agree.
Wondering where the thread is on this, I will give it a read?
I have never swam in yards. Though coming on a road trip to the states later this year so will get my experience later this year.
Personally, who can look past swimming in a clear lane 50m outdoor on a sunny morning. One of life’s simple pleasures.
For enjoyment reasons, I am leaning to 50m, though I swim 50m regularly, but don’t swim outdoors very often. Whether that makes me a better or worse off swimmer, don’t know.
My pool flips between SCY (August through March) and LCM the rest of the year.
Mentally, I love LCM for long intervals especially as an adult learner of swimming with mediocre at best flip turns. But my form breaks down much quicker. I’m much faster SCY. I use the FORM goggles which gives score on your form and there’s huge difference in my form between LCM vs SCY.
Another thing I’ve notice as my pool just flipped is how much easier my longer workouts feel (>3.5k).
But as others have already mentioned, whatever gets you to the pool for consistently is key.
You will become a much better swimmer in a 50m pool.
Why do you say that?
My experience has been the other way.
Pretty much was kajet said above and in particular I agree with Macnamee.
For sure the number of days I am in the pool has the most direct impact on my swimming improvement, but in the summer when I have access to a 50m pool I notice my shoulders/arms don’t tire as quickly when I get to open water races. I’m a shit swimmer so I’m not exactly the person to be emulating but that is my experience.