it's pool time!

Much like everyone else in the country a heat-wave has settled upon Brooklyn.  That heat wave came just in time for the grand opening of the neighborhood pool.   This is momentous because the pool is OLYMPIC sized and hasn't been operating for thirty years. 

Folks are pretty thrilled!  (not my picture)

I could hardly contain my excitement when I found out that it is FREE and that they have a morning-lap swimming program!  From 7-8:30am I can swim around the pool in circles sans any minors.  When I was a kid I hated lap swimming time - no kids allowed but now I'm a grown-up and enjoying the benefits of my age.

This morning was the first day of lap swimming.  I pulled on my Speedo suit - and yes, it is from high school but it was my "competition" one so I barely used it - and grabbed my towel and jogged over to the pool.  It was 7am but it was already getting steamy out and I was pretty happy to be headed into the water.  At the pool there was a group of adults crowded around the "registration table" (a picnic table with a umbrella over it) and everyone was writing down their names and emergency contacts.  There was a definite level of excitement.  

Each "lane" was marked off into slow, fast, and medium levels.  I chose the medium.  I didn't think to bring my goggles to NYC with me so I had to wing it.  

The water was awesome!  After six years of swim-teaming it up every winter I can honestly say that I have been swimming maybe a two dozen times in the seven years since graduation.  Example: I bought a new bathing suit (not swim suit) last summer and have yet to use it.  This was so different than swimming in a dimly lit over-chlorinated pubescent cesspool.  Granted I am talking about a community pool but I'm swimming in it first thing in the morning - so it's been filtering all night long and there is sunlight - actual sunlight overhead.  I've never (seriously) swam laps in an outdoor pool before. 

My fellow swimmers were like much of the New York experience.  Everyone just wants to get a little exercise and is nice to each other because you're all in it together.  Now, maybe in the "fast" lane it was a little more intense but over in our "medium" lane there was no judgement if you swam a couple lengths and took a break.  There were all sorts of folks from the pink-haired girl with the tattoos to the mom who accidentally brought her kids.  

In the water I remembered that I had arms.  Living in the City I have definitely remembered that I have legs and was very happy to re-discover this and am very grateful to and for them.  Until then I thought those arms were just for collecting a few days groceries sans a basket or lugging laundry to the corner laundromat.  They were just for securing my bag and holding books and the occasional downward facing dog position.  In the water they are used to propel. In my head I just hear the voice of my high school coach schooling me on my form.  Then I remembered this is a community pool.  No judgement.

I managed to muster up a 500 and in respect to my arms I called it a morning.   That was my event in high school - back then it took me somewhere between 6-7 minutes to swim it.  I never said I ever won the event but I did it.  My pace was much more leisurely this morning.  

The true tell of the sad state of my upper body strength was getting out.  I could do it - but it was weak.  

Tomorrow is another day.