People watching & judging whilst lane swimming.
People watching and judging whilst Lane Swimming
Its 7.30am cold and dark outside and an ever-changing group of old enough to know better humans are ploughing up and down the pool. We are wearing very little and most of us have heads underwater with goggles on most of the time. So we have a strange view of various body shapes swimming up and down. There is a slow, medium and fast lane. So we start by judging our selves. Im in no doubt, slow lane for me. Lane to self- bliss, two/three in lane swimming same speed fine. More than that it gets challenging. Especially if you change stroke, like me; front crawl-slow, breast stroke-very slow, backstroke ridiculously-slow. You don’t want to be in the way of others but also want to keep swimming not constantly giving way. But you also don’t want to be held up by a ‘numpty’ definition slower than me, terrible stroke, hard to pass and they mess up your goal for the day. We all have a goal. Why else would be get up at sparrows f.rt to be here. Im trying to get in the number of lengths in an hour I used to do 10 years ago. Im 10 lengths and five minutes behind at the moment.
So Im feeling good, holding my own and keeping space to swim with 2 others, when a new body descends the steps into the water up ahead. ‘No keep going to faster lanes’. The younger fitter bodies usually do exactly this. Oh no, really big lady gotta be one of us slow coaches. Wrong, straight to next lane and speeds off. Clearly disabled person now descends steps and heads to fast lanes. Then a very frail looking lady joins us and speeds past me. Another rather large gent joins us and proves to be rather nippy. One of my previous compatible speeders leaves the pool and is visibly older and less fit than me. And guess what I am now the ‘numpty’ in the slow lane. Of course we are all very nice, ‘no worries..you go first….’ But we dont mean it. We mean ‘bugger, I thought I was pretty good till you turned up’. Or on rarer and rarer occasions these day. ‘Oh bugger, I cant get past you, I could turn before you but then I only score a short length, If I wait till you are out of my way, my goal for the day is a fail.’ And now, mostly I know ‘Im that numpty’ and thats what they are all thinking. So I keep smiling, ‘after You, no worries’.
The joys of a ‘want to be fitter’ early morning swimmer. Anyone relate?
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I relate emotionally 100% @Tjay practicality zero % as I can’t swim a stroke. 😆
Thanks @scorpio I’ll take the emotional support 😀
Tjay, that is like me on my rowing machine. I looked over at one woman and then asked her if she had used it before and she said no and I helped her a bit and then we chatted, chatted, and chatted and rowed some.
@roseinbloom I am so impressed with us all. Even all my lane ‘buddies’. We are doing what we can and feeling better for it. 💕
On my walks I see a number of types of people, but no one quite like me. I see a lot of cyclists, done up in all their regalia and looking like they’re ready for the Tour De France. I see joggers with their proper track suits and pace recording devices. I also see a lot of dog walkers. Finally there’s me, walking with no purpose that would be obvious to anyone who tries to work it out, wearing ordinary shorts and an ordinary t-shirt, and probably carrying my coat because I’d have warmed up significantly by that time. Perhaps my cap on my head to protect the bonce if it’s sunny. Everyone else looks obvious but me? I reckon I look pretty strange…ha ha!
Always think a guy looks dodgy with no dog. Sorry @dj
Unfortunately, there’s truth in that these days. But only because of the way society has changed. It never used to be considered creepy to enjoy watching children when they’re playing and having fun, but nowadays I’d turn and look the other way just because of what people might think. It’s a bit sad. Anyway I don’t have a dog and I’m not likely to get one, but I might go for a clothing upgrade soon, when I’m a few more pounds lighter. Something that makes me appear a little more like a fitness freak perhaps. At least that way I’d be judged only for that and nothing else.
Yes we too often jump to judgements. Its rather a cruel society at times.