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.
Originally posted by Frank Thompson
Dorothy and Everyone:
Another source of information for the park district and schools to consider in building an Aquatic Center. Today its one of the featured stories "Pool of Dreams" on the USA swimming site and the Rockwood project was one of the first projects that USA Swimming Facilities Development Department contributed to.
Here is the link - www.usaswimming.org
Ah yes, familiar with this too. Last summer our age group team went down to Parkway's long course meet. The parents who went met the Rockwood folks and got more information on this. One of our parents in particular is bound and determined to do this very thing and has been digging all kinds of information up on portable pools, and such.
Originally posted by Ken Classen
Lucky for me I swim at the University of Denver’s (DU) 50-meter El Pomar Natatorium finished in the Fall of 1999.
My jealousy is legendary.
Well, back in the 1960's you could have a meet in a 331/3 pool. Image doing 3 laps for a 100 yard swim. But by the 1970's swimming in 331/3 pools were rare. I swam races as a 12 year old doing 66 2/3 yard and the novice team held meets like that.
I was just thinking here. 25 meter pools are not that bad. As a kid I swam on one since the owner of Virgo swim school came from Scotland and in Europe 25 meter pools are the norm and it was indoors. It is the same in distance as a 50 meter pool but with extra turns. So, it develops you for both meters and yards. And its cheaper and easier to built than 50 meter pools. Why more pools are not built this way or converted to 25 meters by adding on to existing pools I don't know.
Originally posted by cinc310
Well, back in the 1960's you could have a meet in a 331/3 pool. Image doing 3 laps for a 100 yard swim. But by the 1970's swimming in 331/3 pools were rare. I swam races as a 12 year old doing 66 2/3 yard and the novice team held meets like that.
The pool I swam in for high schopol was 33 1/3 yds. For meets we had a bulkhead we put in at 25 yds. It was very odd to swim time trials and practices. I woudl constantly lose count of where I was. I have problems now & I think it is becasue of that pool.
Personally, in my area, I haven't had any serious beefs with the places I swam in.
Back in the spring of 2004, I used to swim at the Socorro Aquatic Center, which is owned by the Socorro Independent School District. It has an outdoor recreational pool with a zero depth entry, water slides and what not. It's only open from Memorial Day all the way to Labor Day. The Indoor pool is a 25 Meter pool, which the High School teams use, is great to swim in, but unfortunately, it is overly-chlorinated and the air quality isn't the greatest. The smell is quite strong, that it leaks into the locker rooms and the end result reminds me of a Taco Bell being repainted with latex paint, while getting the floors mopped with a great deal of Chlorox.
When I joined USMS in the summer of '04, I stopped swimming in that facility and started swimming at the University pool, which is a great facility. It houses two 25 meter pools, one for competitive lap swimmers and the other for Hydrobics and Aquatic Therapy. The pools use Bromine, which is less expensive than Chlorine and the air quality is much better there than at the SAC. The Mens' Locker Room is great to take a nice warm shower after a good workout at the pool and the floors are rarely ever wet. The only way to have access to this pool is to either be a student at the University, a faculty member or be a member of the University's Alumni Association, which I am proudly a member of. Membership is $35.00 annually and although it costs five dollars to use the pool, (without a time limit) it's well worth the money.
I also swim at the Military Base's indoor long-course on Saturdays, which is just as great as the University's facilities. The only difference there is that the Military Base uses Chlorine. The air quality there is good too.
As to the whole Water Parks thing, I suppose that's okay for recreational goers. However, they're not ideal for swimmers, which is why I stress saying that research is always important when looking for a good place to swim. I also forgot to add that I take the bus to these pools and time to get to these pools varies from half an hour to fourty-five minutes. Although they're not close to my house, like the Socorro Aquatic Center (five minutes from my house) I'd prefer making a longer distance to go to quality facilities for my workout.
The pool dilema is always frustrating especially in Savannah. This past summer we endured a hot pool and pool room (many days over 100 deg. in the pool room and 86 in the pool), no air conditioning. Talk about not being able to breath...
In 2006 they are going to tear off the bubble and build a regular roof. Like that is going to fix the problem when they kept telling us the air condition wasn't working!
So for now I have moved over to a small pool Richmond Hill and the city is going to be building a new indoor pool in 2007 (junior Olympic). We'll have to wait and see how the city defines that.
Donna:
Is the Savannah pool you are referring to the Chatham County Aquatic Complex where the 2004 USMS LC Nationals were held. Just curious because I know they had a bubble and not a regualar roof.
Yes Skip it is the Chatham Aquatic Center. Since I swam in the evenings. The place was unbearably hot during July, August and September and they kept telling us the AC was broke. Bubbles just pull in the heat.
A new roof will be a big help! But they still have to fix the AC in my opinion. After this is the south!
