No stopping the ladies

I went swimming this morning for the first time since the changing rooms at the gym have been upgraded. The ladies who don't get their hair wet were still there, walking up and down the fast lane, chatting to each other leisurely at each end and sometimes in the middle as well. Overheard in the changing room from a group of ladies:

"Hello Maud. You are looking a shadow of your former self. Have you lost weight?"

"Yes, I'm down to a size 16 and I haven't been that for over 30 years"

"Oh, well done..." (Maud leaves)

"Didn't she look well?"

"Yes, but she's lost the weight that quickly she'll probably put it straight back on.."

You're probably right. Don't you just hate these new changing rooms? There's nowhere to put your things!"

(I should add here the new changing rooms are luxurious compared to what was there before with large lockers, plenty of space, and clean and functioning showers!)

Warmer in the water than out

Yesterday morning I went swimming before driving back from Ian's. One attraction of the health club near him is that they have an outdoor heated pool so I plucked up courage and dashed outside into the winter air in my swimsuit. Once in the water was lovely but I had to adjust my swimming stroke to make sure my arms did not spend too much time out of the water. as the outside air was pretty chilly! Getting out the pool took my breath away, but I am sure it was good for me. There were three other ladies in there. They didn't seem to mind getting their hair wet!

French ladies who don't get their hair wet

As the rain decided to continue unabated we found the local municipal swimming pool. It is open from 10.00 a.m. until 8.00 p.m. and the best time to swim is between 12.00 and 2.00, when any self-respecting French person is at lunch. The pool was clean, relatively modern and the swimming pool was deep, probably 6 foot at the shallow end and 10 foot at the deep end, so hence it was only possible to swim in it! There were a few ladies in there over retirement age but they put our ladies that don't get their hair wet to shame! Two proceeded to do 25 metre lengths treading water (no easy task!) and one made Ian and I look like we were learning to swim, with her expert tumble turns. She was still in there when we got out! The lifeguards were also unlike any I have seen in England. The man was about 60 years old with a long grey beard and hair and the woman was probably around my age and did not have the build of a swimmer! They spent the time sitting between the children's pool and the main pool, passing the occasional glance in the direction of the water!

When we returned the rain had stopped a little so we decided to take the dogs for a walk. We got half way round the walk when the heavens opened, so I am sitting here in slightly damp clothing, waiting to dry out. (Ian is trying to get his 30 year old tractor started!)

Summer swimming

Ian's triathlon training continues and yesterday he decided that he wanted to go freshwater swimming, so he collected his wetsuit, I put my bike in the car and we headed off to Leybourne lake.








I think the geese were much more at home than him and I watched them for a bit before heading off around the lake on my bike. The nice weather had brought out the crowds and cycling around required concentration to avoid hitting anyone, however, I managed to find a quieter track and came across this swan family happily swimming in this little stream next to the sewage works! They were obviously used to being fed as they came over to see me as soon as I stopped to look!

After my modest exertion and Ian's more strenuous swim we sat and had bacon sandwiches from a little van that did a fantastic trade to all the divers. (The man explained that scuba diving makes you exceptionally hungry!)

Swimming manners

I went swimming this morning and the ladies who don't get their hair wet were out in force! They swam side by side, up and down the lanes in a surreal fashion, never pausing from their conversation to breath. (It is a little upsetting when you don your goggles, swim hat and earplugs and swim properly only to be overtaken by a breast-stroking lady whose head is firmly above the surface!).

In the changing rooms later there was a furore as apparently one of the other swimmers had asked the ladies to move over. This had not gone down too well and the ladies were incensed as they didn't think this particular swimmer was any quicker than them! There then followed a 10 minute discussion on lane etiquette!