Water aerobics classes...

You've suckered me in. I have two thoughts: 1) If someone is obviously overweight and/or out of shape, they catch a LOT of guff in our current society. My personal rule is that I NEVER, EVER say anything negative to those folks when I see them doing, or trying to do something about it. I've even gone out of my way to chat up some of the supersized people and find something to compliment. Just my personal rule; you can decide what's right for you. 2) Avoiding water aerobes and other open swim eccentrics (didn't Freud write an essay, "Lap Swimming and Its Discontents?"), is yet another excellent reason to find yourself a good Masters club with whom you can workout. I have lived in 6 different communities in the last 15 years, varying from dense urban to rural Naval Air Station. With one 10 month exception, I have always found a Masters club I can join and make fit into my schedule. Now with the web placing lots of info within a few mouse clicks, it's even easier. Get over trying to find the perfect solution, and step into the benefits of good enough. You'll never again grumble about that sweet, church-going, bakes brownies for the little league team, little old lady whose only fault is that she sometimes leaves her noodle in your lane. Lots of folks have talked about common curtesy. Indeed, don't expect to go drag racing in the Mall parking lot on a weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas. You want to swim aggressive, ambitious workouts. That is fabulous; find yourself a team where all the people in the pool share that goal. You want to work out during lap swim times with people with less ambitious goals, don't be surprised if they don't all bow down to your desires. I sometimes use lap swim time, and when I do, I expect to mostly work on drills and refining stroke technique. I don't set everyone in the pool up for failure by planning on doing a 1650 for time. Matt

You've suckered me in. I have two thoughts: 1) If someone is obviously overweight and/or out of shape, they catch a LOT of guff in our current society. My personal rule is that I NEVER, EVER say anything negative to those folks when I see them doing, or trying to do something about it. I've even gone out of my way to chat up some of the supersized people and find something to compliment. Just my personal rule; you can decide what's right for you. 2) Avoiding water aerobes and other open swim eccentrics (didn't Freud write an essay, "Lap Swimming and Its Discontents?"), is yet another excellent reason to find yourself a good Masters club with whom you can workout. I have lived in 6 different communities in the last 15 years, varying from dense urban to rural Naval Air Station. With one 10 month exception, I have always found a Masters club I can join and make fit into my schedule. Now with the web placing lots of info within a few mouse clicks, it's even easier. Get over trying to find the perfect solution, and step into the benefits of good enough. You'll never again grumble about that sweet, church-going, bakes brownies for the little league team, little old lady whose only fault is that she sometimes leaves her noodle in your lane. Lots of folks have talked about common curtesy. Indeed, don't expect to go drag racing in the Mall parking lot on a weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas. You want to swim aggressive, ambitious workouts. That is fabulous; find yourself a team where all the people in the pool share that goal. You want to work out during lap swim times with people with less ambitious goals, don't be surprised if they don't all bow down to your desires. I sometimes use lap swim time, and when I do, I expect to mostly work on drills and refining stroke technique. I don't set everyone in the pool up for failure by planning on doing a 1650 for time. Matt