Triathlon

What is a 'Verein'?

A 'Verein' is basically a club, a group of people who form an organization to pursue a mutual interest. However, in the same way that the 'Autobahn' isn't really the same thing as a 'Freeway' a the word 'club' doesn't really capture the meaning of what a 'Verein' is.

A few typical characteristics of Vereins

• They're formally organized as non-profits within the German government, so they have some legal framework around them
• They're oraganized around a particular hobby, like swing dancing, or a particular sport. For example, most sport clubs are vereins, sometimes even the profesional leagues
• Most members pay some sort of yearly dues to support the organization - paying to maintain tennice courtes, or other facilities, for instance, or paying space rental in dance spaces for swing clups.
• There are often outside events that the run, like races, etc. These are both for themselves, because events are fun, partly as fundraisers, and partly as a service to the community.
• Leadership is typicalls democratic - there's yearly member meetings to discuss finances, reports, etc.

That last part is the thing that's struck me the most - the way the organization is run, with large verein get-togethers, and then other people taking on responsibility for organizing particular events, etc. within one umbrella group.

Swimming in the Triathlon Verein

Learning to swim well has been a goal of mine for a long time. I've taken a few adult 'learn to swim' classes over the years, and sporadically gone to public pools to practice. Compared to the general population, swimming 1,000 - 2,000 meters at a time isn't nothing, but I was always getting passed by better swimmers, so I felt slow. On top of that, my body didn't feel like it knew what it was doing- the movements felt weird and a bit foreign. So, having a trainer who could guide my practice, especially with technique drills, was important to me.

In the summer, the B07 Sport club has its own 50m outdoor pool - we meet weekly and swim there, doing drills that our coach has prepared ahead of time. I really enjoy swimming outside, and it's great to have access to a 50m pool so close to the city center. In addition, being part of the club means that we have access to the pool during all open hours - even before it's open to the general public - which is a huge benfit for being able to keep training during the week. They also have lockers you can rent, which lets you keep your things there, saving a lot of logistics hassle.

In the winter, we meet on Fridays at the Langwasserbad, a 50-meter city pool. Being able to use this 50 m pool is a big advantage to being in the verein - the swimming complex has multiple pools, only clubs are allowed to use the 50m pool, and they have to reserve lanes beforehand.

Practices are split up into three sections - one 30 min section that focuses on technique drills, and then two power sections, where the focus is on endurance, or speed. Frankly, I'm mostly there for the technique - my stroke is still so rough that I put a lot of mental energy into doing it well, so that I don't have a lot left over to focus on power. So, I usually muddle through the first power section and leave afterwards.

During the week, I practice at a different local pool, one that's close to my offices. It's a normal 25-meter public pool, with two lanes usually set aside for swimmers. Admission costs about 5€ per visit, and now (during corona times), you have to show that you're protected against Corona (3Gs), and register for a time slot. You can just show up and go swimming, but the attendants will complain about the paperwork they now need to, so it's easiest to do it online first.

A map, showing my swimming locations in the city.