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I am a fat, vegetarian, culturally Jewish, adorably neurotic, urban femme.
I have been a total slacker lately. I've been spending too much time in my social and dating activities. Anyway I swam only once since my last entry, and I don't even remember what day it was. I remember the swim though. I felt sort of tired and never picked up the rhythm. The whole time it was like being in quicksand. Swim cliche:
I had a great swim on Tuesday. The pool was very empty (late a.m. rules). The big excitement was men in the wimmin's locker room s/p my swim. A femail worker ran up to me as I came into the locker room in my swim suit after swimming, and asked, "Do you want a robe?" I thought maybe my gym had just gone particularly high class all of a sudden. I was taken aback and said, "Nooo," with a slight, confused giggle. Then I got into the shower. I always choose a shower that is not transparent. So I was going about my shower, and then I heard the same femail worker yell, "Men! Men!" By overhearing, I put it together that there were a few men who were fixing the steam room. There were a number of ladies around so this was all done in an odd way, to say the least. I lingered and lingered in the shower, then came out wrapped in an array of towels and went to my locker. A womon in a similar position and I exchanged smiles, like, "This is weird." Then I tossed out a cliche (my favorite gym type of relating):
I varied my routine a bit today, and that added some zest. I forget how important that is. Last night I went out with David (bro), Jan (bro's partner), Christian (Jan's friend), and Eli (Dave's friend). In other words, it was an entirely queer outting (get it??). Christian is going to take a weekly swim class on Fridays for ten weeks. I was excited to hear that Christian swims (I hadn't known that), and that he would be taking a class. I would like to take some lessons too. I am a sucker for routine, so I have avoided groups and lessons, anything different than my laps and stretches. Interactive and new things are scary (especially together), like jumping into cold water (intimidating and exciting). Christian and I were having a tea party conversation about swimming, particularly about Christian's plan for the swim class. Then all of a sudden Christian mentioned that it was at the Chelsea pool, and Eli jumped on it! He made this great series of jokes about Christian just taking the class to pick up guys! I guess you had to be there.
Yesterday I swam in the Village, no special news. Later in the afternoon I talked to my swim buddy C at work, a family man who swims in Jersey. He said, "I swam one lap today." I smiled to myself. Actually he swims less laps than me but does usually swim a fair amount. Still, it cracked me up to get in the pool for one lap! But then he told me that he did weights beforehand. I still need to incorporate that into my routine. I have a hard time starting new things. It's a goal, though. After his lap, he did the steam room and the hot tub. We talked about how relaxing that is, a bit like my concept of "swimming to the shower" (i.e. if you swim, then you get a nice, relaxing shower).
This is my fourth day in a row swimming, and it feels so glorious! I have been sleeping well (without pills even!). When I came in, there was a man sitting by the pool waiting for someone to leave so he could get in without circling. I did a snarky move, circling with a gay male couple, then dashing under a rope into another lane when a swimmer got out of the pool. Thus the man waiting to swim without circling was forced to wait longer. He didn't appear put off, though. Anyone willing to sit and wait likely has an inner peace unknown to us sharks!
I swam in the Vlg right b4 the pool closed. It started out crowded, and then it got down to three of us, each of us with a big lane. Finally there were only two of us. The man beside me started doing a little hop down the lane that was very cute. I always wonder if swimmers save these frilly moves for the privacy of the night. The man who did the hop is a big, muscular dude....Who would have guessed he'd be doing the Bunny Hop?
I went swimming last night before closing, Halloween night. It was pretty empty, always wonderful. There were small pumpkins set up as decoration, also some candy but only bad stuff....maybe because it's a gym. A man with an accent filled out a complaint card about how the pool shower and pool are cold prior to closing. I've never filled one out but think of about a million complaints. When I complain, it will be the ultimate complaint, so that it will be taken seriously! Writing a complaint every day would just be silly! Besides I can do that here!
I went swimming on Saturday afternoon before a date with L. I had been feeling bad on Friday nite, so the swim felt great. It was very cold (including a pre-swim cold open shower pool-side)but that only feels unpleasant in the beginning. Once the heart rate goes up, the cold feels fine. If I haven't swam in too long, I feel like the water is being stand-offish when it's initially cold, like my cats after I get back from a vacation. I have good associations with cold water, mainly from childhood. I imagine a whistle blowing signifying "Kids in!" (no more adult swim). I also associate the cold with ocean water, and I always love ocean water. I can always make myself feel better by telling myself the cliche, "At least it's not too warm." The cold water becomes better, but warm water gets worse...and stays worse for the duration of the swim. A fast-paced swim in a swim cap in warm water causes headaches...and worse (just kidding, only headaches).