Why I hate the pool. December 3, 2006
Posted by anton in : Training, Blogroll , add a commentI hate the pool. Pools have no character.You can walk into a pool anywhere in the world and it could be…anywhere in the world. I hat the pool because I have to go there to swim when I have a perfectly good lake 500 meters from the house. Going to the pool reminds me that I can’t go to the lake. Running trails around the lake reminds me I can’t swim there.
It’s a great lake…90 acres. Pretty clear. Flat. Gets white caps when the wind blows. You can canoe on it. Can’t swim in it.
It’s in a state park and the Department of Natural Resources says you can’t swim in it. No special reason. I asked.
Now, mind you, the lake does collect runnoff from the surrounding area which is mostly urban…Has a resident geese population and beavers for crying out loud…Can you spell E.coli?
I envision myself walking down to the shore wetsuit in one hand and towel in the other. Getting into the water and swimming about a mile one way and about one mile back..No turns, no chlorine, no lane lines,…peaceful and calm..getting out and going home…Nope. Not going to happen.
I schlep over to a pool that I have to pay for and swim in a lane I have to share with Moby Dick. Back and forth and forth and back dodging the Great White Whale as he can’t seem to stay on one side on the line painted on the bottom of the pool. Really, He bugs me, Moby does,… we chat a little. He has all the right to be there. He’s overweight…and just huge. 6′5″ maybe with arms the size of my thighs. He wants to do a tri one day. He askes about the IM tat and seems in awe. Just hard work and luck I tell him. We work on his swim stroke.He takes pointers to heart. He says he is sorry as he leaves, for taking up so much of the lane and making a pressure ridge as he swims by…we laugh. He is obviously uncomfortable about his size.
Moby Dick, the Great White Whale…hated because he is what he is…that’s all. I decide Moby is alright.
I hate the pool because it sometimes reminds me that I’m human and once in awhile prejudge people based on how they look and god I hate that. I should know better. The pool is a mirror really. It shows all your fitness faults and your technique problems…and sometimes it reminds you that even Moby Dick is human.