Swimming pool challenge

[gooblax]

I've set myself a challenge of going to a swimming pool and trying it out to see if it's something I'd like to do on a regular basis while I'm not back into cycling yet. Figured I'd make and update this thread as the challenge progresses.

The sub-challenges are:

• Going to a new place, not knowing the layout of anything
• Not knowing existing protocol
• Picking a good time to go the first time
• Accepting that my body looks the way it looks
• Not worrying about being judged by people who are more busy looking after themselves and not paying attention to me
• Not using money as an excuse to let myself off the hook
• Making sure that I've actually still got swim clothes, cap and goggles (and they are still wearable, and are not all at my parents' place)
• Picking a good time to go on a regular basis
• Getting a pool buoy in case I need to take it easy on my knee

Just planning out the steps to tackle this:

• Decide on a pool, find out how much it costs and what times it's open (done)
• Tell someone about it for accountability (done, right here)
• Decide if I'm going to go for the first time on a weekend or weekday before or after work (partially done - bus timetable doesn't comfortably allow it to happen before work)
• Look in my cupboard for the swim clothes and towel and stuff but don't move them to a spot where I'll never find them again
• Look at as many photos of the pool as I can find to see if there are any hints as to where the entry is, the change rooms are, what the counter looks like etc. (started, not much info found yet)
• ??? Get the bus to the location and look at it from the outside but don't go in?
• ??? Get the bus to the location, go inside and pretend to have some sort of question to ask and scope things out a bit? (This sounds terrible )
• ??? Get the bus to the location, go inside and just doooo it?
• ??? Delay for over a month until my mum visits and go with her so that I can learn the layout and protocol before having to tackle it alone?

 

[gooblax]

• Swim clothes and towel successfully located (note to future gooblax - I have put them in the upper left hand corner of my bedroom cupboard). All pieces serviceable except for goggles which have a broken nose bridge. Replacement required - either some string or something, or buy a replacement nose bridge from somewhere.
• I'm thinking a weekend day would be good for my first go. For a regular slot I'll probably make it an after work thing, so anything weird I do on a weekend first go will be in front of different people. And I can take as long as I want without feeling like I need to get home to have dinner/sleep etc. I'll have to tell my boyfriend that I'm taking time out of the weekend to do this, but I need to practice having that sort of boundary anyway.

 

[Daniel E.]

BTW, the only important rule I know of at a pool (other than the rules concerning children) is to not dive head first into less than 6-8 feet of water (or whatever the current recommendations are) and, if you must dive, only where marked.

 

[gooblax]

I'm thinking more stuff like this: Pool Lane Swimming Etiquette

 

[Daniel E.]

That is funny about "lane rage." I never had to share a lane in an Olympic pool. I guess those were the good old days

Some pools require splitting lanes if there are just two and going to a circle if there are more than two. Other pools require circling lanes even if you're by yourself. Whatever the case, make sure everyone in your lane is on the same page before you get started.


Busy Pool? Lap Swim Etiquette for Sharing Lanes | ACTIVE

 

[Daniel E.]

A point of some consensus:

I agree...first person there has squatters rights over circles vs. splits, even though most pool rules specifically mention "CIRCLE SWIM ONLY!!!"

Clarifying Lane Etiquette [Archive] - U.S. Masters Swimming Discussion Forums

Of course, I also read that some people -- even after just changing into their bathing suit -- will just change right back if they see the (split) lanes are full Similarly, I would probably play on my phone until the pool population decreased.

 

[gooblax]

As a kid I did swim sqaud in a 25m pool. Usually 2 per lane, though up to 4 on busy mornings. When I visited the 50m pool (for playing in the open play area, not for laps) there were often 3 or 4 people per lane doing laps.

I suspect going before or after work would be busy times and I'm expecting more than 4 people per lane (or 2 if they split it to 25m, which is something they do at certain times at the pool I've chosen).
However my only recent pool experience is with the "ocean pool" near where my parents live, on weekend mornings, during holiday season... So could be completely skewed.