The Perception Was, "It's a Race"
I am still swimming laps. In fact, I've been getting up this week progressively earlier, to get used to getting up, get the routine down, and have it down to a science when school really starts. Right now, the alarm goes off, I get out of bed, put my suit on, my cover up on, grab my stuff- carefully placed near the door- and leave. My eyes are hardly open. As I walk down my porch steps, I sort of lurch and stumble out to my car, as my feet are still stiff. Then I drive in silence to the pool, drinking water, and eating my snack.
Once I get out of my car- I'm not much more awake. I'm bleary eyed, off balance. I probably look like death warmed over.
Since I've been swimming most of the summer, I am starting to pick up on some of the "regulars." There's a couple of people I frequently see, when I go. This morning- despite my early early early arrival- that woman was there.
I saw her a few feet in front of me as we walked into the facility. As soon as I saw her, I thought- through my sleepy, hazy brain- "Oh no! Not her!!" She's possibly a very nice woman. I don't know- I haven't ever actually spoken with her. She's older than me, but I'm not really sure how much. She's one of those people that you can't really accurately pick an age for her based on her appearance. Her clothes don't indicate her age. Her physical appearance doesn't indicate it. Just something tells me- she's older than me. Anyway- she was ahead of me. I was a few feet behind her- and not pleased to see her.
She drives me nuts. She gets in the lap lanes- and does NOT swim!!!!! She has this whole routine, slap water, jump, run down the lane in circles, jump/stomp down the lane, run circles, slap the water. I swear I wouldn't care about her odd routine- if she did it in the free swim section with the other ladies there walking in circles or using the water weights. But she insists on using a lane! A lane! A lane that has signs that say, "Lap Swim Only." But no one ever says anything to her. The life guards have never said, "Yo- go to the other area of the pool (that is the same depth) and do your non-lap swimming routine there." The rest of us lap swimmers are 2 to a lane, and she gets a lane to do . . . something that is NOT lap swimming!!! We're jammed up, doing what the sign says, and she's doing something else. Play by the rules in my playground!!!!
As I lurched and stumbled along behind her- attempting to speed up and pass her, because I HAVE to get a lane before her! she kept looking back . . . at me? Was there someone in the parking lot? She was acting nervous. Well her looking back was to my advantage because it slowed her down. We walked up the hallway now, she lost a little ground because she picked up some towels (I get mine when I get out of the pool, so that little task didn't slow me down). She gained ground because apparently her feet are not stiff and slow in the morning. Fine by me girly, I have my suit on, my swim cap, goggles, and lock are in my hand- I will not even take 30 seconds in the locker room. I will win this race! I will. I will get my lane before you- and I will swim down the center of it and there won't be room for anything but lap swimming.
I decided to skip the kick board today- that could be the difference between a lane by myself, or sharing and besides I don't actually like the kick board. It hurts my neck. Yes- the KICK board makes my neck hurt. So I jumped in the lane. I swam fast and kept going. Congratulating myself on winning something already for the day. For keeping order in the pool. I kept swimming and swimming and never saw her. Well, her no show in the pool area really deflated me. Apparently I didn't beat her. Apparently she wasn't coming to the pool or wait . . . what if she saw me limping, stumbling along behind her, walking with as much determination as I can muster at 6:00am and she thought I was coming for HER, not for her LANE?!! What if she thought I was deranged?! I didn't win anything, but the weirdo award for the day. Well- whatever I got the lane and didn't have to share with some dude and have my irritation fuel me, while she did her odd routine.
Once I get out of my car- I'm not much more awake. I'm bleary eyed, off balance. I probably look like death warmed over.
Since I've been swimming most of the summer, I am starting to pick up on some of the "regulars." There's a couple of people I frequently see, when I go. This morning- despite my early early early arrival- that woman was there.
I saw her a few feet in front of me as we walked into the facility. As soon as I saw her, I thought- through my sleepy, hazy brain- "Oh no! Not her!!" She's possibly a very nice woman. I don't know- I haven't ever actually spoken with her. She's older than me, but I'm not really sure how much. She's one of those people that you can't really accurately pick an age for her based on her appearance. Her clothes don't indicate her age. Her physical appearance doesn't indicate it. Just something tells me- she's older than me. Anyway- she was ahead of me. I was a few feet behind her- and not pleased to see her.
She drives me nuts. She gets in the lap lanes- and does NOT swim!!!!! She has this whole routine, slap water, jump, run down the lane in circles, jump/stomp down the lane, run circles, slap the water. I swear I wouldn't care about her odd routine- if she did it in the free swim section with the other ladies there walking in circles or using the water weights. But she insists on using a lane! A lane! A lane that has signs that say, "Lap Swim Only." But no one ever says anything to her. The life guards have never said, "Yo- go to the other area of the pool (that is the same depth) and do your non-lap swimming routine there." The rest of us lap swimmers are 2 to a lane, and she gets a lane to do . . . something that is NOT lap swimming!!! We're jammed up, doing what the sign says, and she's doing something else. Play by the rules in my playground!!!!
As I lurched and stumbled along behind her- attempting to speed up and pass her, because I HAVE to get a lane before her! she kept looking back . . . at me? Was there someone in the parking lot? She was acting nervous. Well her looking back was to my advantage because it slowed her down. We walked up the hallway now, she lost a little ground because she picked up some towels (I get mine when I get out of the pool, so that little task didn't slow me down). She gained ground because apparently her feet are not stiff and slow in the morning. Fine by me girly, I have my suit on, my swim cap, goggles, and lock are in my hand- I will not even take 30 seconds in the locker room. I will win this race! I will. I will get my lane before you- and I will swim down the center of it and there won't be room for anything but lap swimming.
I decided to skip the kick board today- that could be the difference between a lane by myself, or sharing and besides I don't actually like the kick board. It hurts my neck. Yes- the KICK board makes my neck hurt. So I jumped in the lane. I swam fast and kept going. Congratulating myself on winning something already for the day. For keeping order in the pool. I kept swimming and swimming and never saw her. Well, her no show in the pool area really deflated me. Apparently I didn't beat her. Apparently she wasn't coming to the pool or wait . . . what if she saw me limping, stumbling along behind her, walking with as much determination as I can muster at 6:00am and she thought I was coming for HER, not for her LANE?!! What if she thought I was deranged?! I didn't win anything, but the weirdo award for the day. Well- whatever I got the lane and didn't have to share with some dude and have my irritation fuel me, while she did her odd routine.
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