So I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for the new rec center up the road to open. I've been thinking how cool it will be... walk a mile and a half to the pool, work out, walk a mile and a half back... think of all of the calories burned! Think of the workout to be had!
Didn't really think they'd rip me off on the pool.
When they said "warm water fitness pool," I thought "25x25 pool warm enough to keep the blue hairs happy." I did not think "warm puddle just big enough to wave around your pool noodle." After all, all of the high schools in the area have swim teams and they use the rec center pools for practice. It would only seem logical to have a pool of an appropriate size to use for that purpose. Um, no.
What we have is a warm puddle (which I didn't even bother getting into) then we have a kiddie pool with all of the accompanying stuff to climb on, and then we have this "current area" (that's what they call it) which is sort of like a thin lap lane that winds around and through the kiddie area, and has a current to it, to add to your workout when you're walking around with your pool noodle.
Of course, sticking the "current" area in the middle of kiddie land makes absolutely no sense, being that the blue haired ladies don't like to get their hair wet... and being in the kiddie area ensures that you're going to get wet!
I was pondering the merits of trying to swim against the current, but it's not really a wide enough channel to pull that off. Not to mention that I'd probably get whacked with a noodle if I tried that.
Oh well, I guess I'll just go back to the old pool. At least it's quiet and generally noodle-free.
Parents
Former Member
Denver has one of the most progressive recreation dept. in the US.
Denver is progressive? Is that in a future thinking we see the trends stay up to date etc. or progressive in the liberal/socialist political sense? The government within the City and County of Denver limits is probably the later, but alas I can’t discuss that or I’ll get kicked off the board. As far as Denver Rec pools go, I stay away, as most are dated and overheated. However Denver Rec recently built a new center in what was once an old Air Force base called Lowry. It's quite nice; it has a family area with big slide, lazy river, zero depth entrance to pool etc. and a separated 6-lane by 25 yard lap pool. They are running a small age group team out of the facility. This seems to be typical of what there building in the suburbs of Denver. Family areas, with separate competition/lap pools. One recently built pool called The Ridge in southwest burbs has a 25 yard by 25 meter competition pool attached to the family area.
To get a brand new 50-meter pool competition pool, demographically I believe you need an affluent family area, basically a lot kids, whose parents can afford the $120 month average age group swim team fee plus all the other little ancillary fees that go with etc. If you can get 200 to 300 kid age group team paying those kinds of dues you can start to justify a 50-meter pool. And the reality is even with those numbers without a significant private fund raising I’d say the likely hood of a 50-meter pool is low.
Lucky for me I swim at the University of Denver’s (DU) 50-meter El Pomar Natatorium finished in the Fall of 1999. Fortunately we have a strong masters program with about 15 workouts a week. They run masters program like private fitness club. $48 a month auto debited from your credit card or checking acct. At one time we had about 200 members, do the math, $ money talks. Plus they (DU) benefit from the fitness club effect, members paying dues but who aren’t actually swimming. Let’s face it the fitness club industry wouldn’t actually be in business if everyone they sold a membership too actually used the facilities, as they’d be way too small. By the way speaking of fund raising, The “El Pomar” natatorium was built with a grant from the El Pomar foundation. Gotta love those college campuses every building is just a giant tombstone
Denver has one of the most progressive recreation dept. in the US.
Denver is progressive? Is that in a future thinking we see the trends stay up to date etc. or progressive in the liberal/socialist political sense? The government within the City and County of Denver limits is probably the later, but alas I can’t discuss that or I’ll get kicked off the board. As far as Denver Rec pools go, I stay away, as most are dated and overheated. However Denver Rec recently built a new center in what was once an old Air Force base called Lowry. It's quite nice; it has a family area with big slide, lazy river, zero depth entrance to pool etc. and a separated 6-lane by 25 yard lap pool. They are running a small age group team out of the facility. This seems to be typical of what there building in the suburbs of Denver. Family areas, with separate competition/lap pools. One recently built pool called The Ridge in southwest burbs has a 25 yard by 25 meter competition pool attached to the family area.
To get a brand new 50-meter pool competition pool, demographically I believe you need an affluent family area, basically a lot kids, whose parents can afford the $120 month average age group swim team fee plus all the other little ancillary fees that go with etc. If you can get 200 to 300 kid age group team paying those kinds of dues you can start to justify a 50-meter pool. And the reality is even with those numbers without a significant private fund raising I’d say the likely hood of a 50-meter pool is low.
Lucky for me I swim at the University of Denver’s (DU) 50-meter El Pomar Natatorium finished in the Fall of 1999. Fortunately we have a strong masters program with about 15 workouts a week. They run masters program like private fitness club. $48 a month auto debited from your credit card or checking acct. At one time we had about 200 members, do the math, $ money talks. Plus they (DU) benefit from the fitness club effect, members paying dues but who aren’t actually swimming. Let’s face it the fitness club industry wouldn’t actually be in business if everyone they sold a membership too actually used the facilities, as they’d be way too small. By the way speaking of fund raising, The “El Pomar” natatorium was built with a grant from the El Pomar foundation. Gotta love those college campuses every building is just a giant tombstone
