...when I need it the most!
I'm doing Big Shoulders on 9/8, first time, longest OWS I've ever done (previous longest was an Oly tri I did in '10).
Every year, the last 2 weeks of August, my Y closes the pool 'til the day after Labor Day for cleaning and maintenance. I totally get it, not upset about it, but it's right at the shank of my training!
What makes it worse is the fact that:
-The "alternative" pools available to us, at no extra charge (which is nice), open at 6am (my Y opens at 5:30am), and they won't open at 5:30am for those of us who are used to the Y's 5:30 opening--I've asked. I need to be on the road for work by 7am, which leaves me 45 min. to work out. If I was tapering, no problem. But it will be the peak of my training.
-I am on an "away" plan with two other Y's in other towns, and they have much better hours, but I have to travel about an hour to/from each of them.
-(If this sounds terrible--sorry!) I finally found a place for OW workouts--a small, murky lake by a friend's house. It's a private development, so one must have a homeowner's permission to swim there, which I had. My friend died last Friday, 8/10, and she was a widow, so there was no one else living there and her family is selling the house ASAP. I am, of course, deeply saddened that I lost my friend--I was very fond of her--but now I've also lost my OWS training venue.
So...I punt!
I'm open, of course, to creative suggestions, but for now my plan is to go ahead and use the "alternate" pools for a few 45 min. workouts, and make those workouts hard/fast/intense.
I'll also do 3-4 longer workouts at the "away" Y pools.
I'll also step up my cross-training, with strength workouts, cycling and running.
And I'll hope for the best!
(Thanks for reading my rant/whine, and as I said, I'm open to ideas!)
My local Y has also shut down the pool for cleaning and maintenace from August 20 to Sept 3. They do it every year just before Labor Day.
I think they time it to coincide with the end of their session of swim lessons as the kids return to school. Then after Labor Day the next sesion of lessons start.
I am glad they clean and maintain the pool, but the timing just before Big Shoulders ....
I was able to swim yesterday at another Y that is near my job. It will be closed starting the 26th, so looking for another pool next week.
My local Y has also shut down the pool for cleaning and maintenace from August 20 to Sept 3. They do it every year just before Labor Day.
I think they time it to coincide with the end of their session of swim lessons as the kids return to school. Then after Labor Day the next sesion of lessons start.
I am glad they clean and maintain the pool, but the timing just before Big Shoulders ....
I was able to swim yesterday at another Y that is near my job. It will be closed starting the 26th, so looking for another pool next week.
