Tentative Harmony In The Swimming Pool

I am (seriously) contemplating the Sundowner Half Ironman in September, so I think I best do a swim this week. I take the car to work and then afterwards risk the Wednesday laned session which is always hell because they cram everyone into three lanes whilst swimming lessons take place in the other half of the pool.

It is as bad as a I remember. The non-swimmers seem to have spilled over into the first lane as all are swimming with floats. The other two lanes both have a token back-stroker along with a couple of breast-strokers who are getting held up by then.That's something in itself.

I attempt to swim a length and fail. It’s not possible to front crawl for a whole length without having to stop or overtake someone. Another chap gets in the next lane and attempts the same thing. He fails too. Then someone starts doing butterfly. That clears one of the lanes but starts an argument and almost a fight. One chaps storms out, another moves lanes. The attendants look at their feet. Eventually there is a bit of shuffling of personnel in the lanes and a tentative harmony breaks out.

Having at first feared I would struggle to get 10 lengths in I eventually manage 80 before meeting L for a mocha.

(Wednesday 16^th July)