I have been really sticking to my workout regimen these past two weeks. After a less than spectacular exercise winter, I’ve gotten back on track, running, swimming, biking, I’m doing it. When I can. Last night I had a biking on the trainer night planned because, well, it’s been raining here and I might have drowned if I tried doing anything outside. Yes, it rained that hard. 9 inches in two days. All I can say is thank goodness it’s not snow.
Back to bike training…. When I got home from work, I really wasn’t in the mood so I thought I would make it my day off and I got in my pj’s. Ten minutes later, however, guilt kicked in, and I changed into workout gear, kicked that bike’s butt for 30 minutes, all while watching out for the kitty, who was intrigued at how my feet were moving and kept threatening to attack. And when I got off the bike? I did a core workout. Oh yeah! Instead of being lazy, I sucked it up and had a great workout.
This morning, I got up to go to the gym to swim…still raining…. but because of the weather, my son was late getting home from work (night job) and he had my car. No swim this morning. Not to worry, I told myself, I’ll swim right after work. The gym is only a few minutes away. If I leave exactly on time, I can get there before the crowds.
I made sure I had my swim gear in the car and bolted from work at 5:00. I got to the gym at 5:10 and fortunately decided to check before changing. Can you say Spring Break? I belong to a family gym. All the families and their little kids were at the pool. No lap lanes available. At 6:00, they close the pool to swimmers for water aerobics. No sense hanging around.
I asked at the desk what the pool is like at 8:00 pm. I was just that determined today. The desk guy said it’s never crowded that late. It closes at 9:00. I went back at 8:00, and walked out on the pool deck to find families and kids taking up all of the lanes….again. No one was really swimming. But no lap lanes. One guy finally got out and I asked if I could share a lane with the guy still there, and another gentleman came over to tell me he had been waiting.There were no other clear lanes.
I left. Really, really frustrated. But I stopped by the desk first. I pay good money to swim at this gym and that’s really all I use it for. Lately, I can’t get a lane no matter when I go to swim. Even in the early morning. No managers on call so I made a few suggestions to the girl at the desk, who was lovely and said she’d pass my message along. I suggested that there be a dedicated lap lane or dedicated hours (after work) for people who actually want to swim.
Lately, every time I go to swim, the lanes are full, and it’s people floating or exercising on the sides of the pool. If they were swimming, we could work out a rotation, but when they aren’t, it’s impossible.
I get that they pay the same amount of money as I do and are just as entitled to use the pool. But c’mon. There needs to be a dedicated lap lane or dedicated swim hours for people like me. They have dedicated times for swimming lessons and dedicated times for water aerobics. And dedicated times for birthday parties. But there never seems to be dedicated time for swimmers. It’s hit or miss. And lately, I’m missing. And I’m getting tired of shelling out $45 a month to not work out at the gym.
Ok, rant over. So today ended up being my day off this week. And I’ll double up tomorrow. I’m headed to the pool again in the morning. Run after work. (They promise the rain will have stopped by then.)
If I can’t get a lane in the pool tomorrow morning, however, I’m changing gyms. It’s gotten to a point where every time I go to swim, I get all tied up in knots before I even get there, because I anticipate the frustration. Hey, does that burn calories? If it does, maybe today was a workout day after all!
What are your pet peeves with the gym?
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That’s bad. I gather you only use this gym for the pool? I’m lucky that my pool always has a few dedicated lanes for lap swimmers, even marks them for slow, medium or fast swimmers. Hope you can either work something out there or find a better option.
Update: Got my swim in this morning. 60 laps. My own lane. One other person in the pool. Bliss.
As far as I am concerned, if they aren’t swimming they need to get out of the lane. I have caused a rucous at my gym over this but I don’t care…I pay for that pool and will not be usurped by girls in bikinis hanging out!
Thanks Jill! It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who feels this way.
my frustration is with the pool at the gym too. i go to a YMCA and it’s great because they have everything but they are also trying to cater to everyone. i have an issue with these older women who are just there to doggy paddle and chat in the lanes and give me this look if i try and impede on their time. i’ve learned that i have to be selfish and figure out a way to get in that pool even if i inconvenience someone else. good luck! hope you can get your swim in tomorrow.
I can feel your frustration, I got frustrated just by reading it.
I don’t swim but the swimming pool in my village has several hours a week where the pool is only open for swimming lanes so no playing by kids then.
You’re really back on track, noticed it already on daily mile. Great job Diane.
Ugh frustrating! I feel your pain. My pet peeves are people just dog-paddling or playing instead of swimming and getting in the way. I also hate when people who ARE swimming are just plain jerks! I shared a lane with 2 guys recently who were total jerks! The first guy refused to swim in a circle–which is the etiquette and the second guy decided he wanted to just swim down the middle of the lane–continuing to run into me. I was so angry I finally stopped in the middle of the pool and yelled at the guy to stop being an ass and share the lane. I am STILL mad about that experienced.