Swimmingly

Jun. 25th, 2007 01:24 pm
jack: (Default)
[personal profile] jack
I went swimming at Jesus Green yesterday and it was great.

I just did 13 lengths of Jesus Green, but felt quite cleansed after. My legs felt weak afterwards, and my arms ached a touch this morning, from which I judge it to have been actually a decent workout, and yet easy to *do*, not in constant pain like trying to go jogging :)

I hadn't been swimming for years[1], not since I was at school. Dad and I used to swim quite a lot (often and far, in fact, I was briefly quite selkie).

[1] Except last week, I *had* arranged to go in the cam at the puntmoot, in lead up to taking up swimming again.

I thought it might be too cold, it hadn't been a very summery day, and flirting with raining. But the water was cool, which felt pretty good, and to make up for it, the showers were full and hot, which felt very very good. Though it would be nice to be sunny *sometimes*

I thought I mightn't be able to do it any more. In fact, I was AFAICT, pretty slow -- I can still swim, but not with a very efficient technique any more. But I can get up and down enough that it works rather than doesn't work.

I thought I might be embarrassed at stripping off in public -- my sveltness wars with my tact and my constantness as aspects that appeal people to me the least :) I think the same every time I get a new girlfriend, for that matter. But since Ghoti's party, I decided I might be able to improve it, but didn't see any point worrying about it. And indeed, no-one objected, and somehow when everyone's drenched its different.

It was quite quiet. There were at most half-a-dozen people, all circular swimming, so pretty much no-one's in anyone's way whatever happens. A couple of people in mini-wetsuits (which makes you look like you know what you're doing), a couple of middle-aged men who look like they could swim for leagues, a young couple who seemed to come to swim two lengths and shower together :) A young man in red shorts who practised diving with the lifeguards whenever the middle was clear. I met one of the men in the changing area coming out, and he said he came every day, and highly recommended it.

ETA: And I dropped my watch, but it overfulfulls its waterproof rating, and a nice man found it for me, and I can still manage to scoop stuff up from the bottom in a shallowish end.

Date: 2007-06-25 11:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com
What was that? When I first saw it (or read the book? no, that was after :o), I just thought it was stupid and didn't remember it very well -- only in retrospect did I consider it might be so bad it was really [80s chic retro] cool, so I don't remember it all. I think maybe it was the perfect example of a film which is as a whole engaging (good characters, exciting fast-paced plot, etc), but where every single fact portrayed was painfully imaginary :)

Date: 2007-06-25 11:59 pm (UTC)
mair_in_grenderich: (Default)
From: [personal profile] mair_in_grenderich
best. film. ever.

swimming pool scene.

Date: 2007-06-26 12:02 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com
*thinks* She trapped him on the roof with a phantom swimming pool, and he set off all the fire alarms, but I thought they were near the start? And I remember something about moonlit swimming when they were being cute at the end? But not what.

Date: 2007-06-26 12:05 am (UTC)
mair_in_grenderich: (Default)
From: [personal profile] mair_in_grenderich
I remember something about moonlit swimming when they were being cute at the end?

that's about all there was to remember.

Date: 2007-06-26 12:07 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com
They got naked in a unisex shower block? Or they went naked swimming?

Wait, does that mean there really was a swimming pool?

Mum and Dad's romantic story is after they met they walked up the river together and swam across to the pub in their underwear.

Date: 2007-06-26 12:09 am (UTC)
mair_in_grenderich: (Default)
From: [personal profile] mair_in_grenderich
no nakedness at all. it's not that kind of film!

O_O did they then go into the pub in their underwear?

Date: 2007-06-26 12:14 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com
So they just went swimming?

Wait, but what about the existence of the swimming pool?

Well, they were young and in love :) (Or made it up for all I know :)) (PS. Hi mum, I hope you don't mind my relating, I think it's sweet...) AIUI they rolled their clothes up and carried them mostly out of the water, and then put them back on.

(Though, eg. when we go punting and jump in the river in T-shirt and shorts, or swimmming things, you may dry out in the sun quick enough you don't mind hanging around wet. It's only when it's a cold wet day that you really get soaked through and feel miserable from then on :))