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Add page to: Add page to: So my ankle screwed up and the little walking I did do got reduced to pretty much zero and then I felt worse than ever. This page is dedicated to the ups and downs of trying to get healthier, fitter and more energetic - a public record should keep me on my toes, right?
Really didn't feel like swimming this morning. Almost didn't. I am going to do a free latino steet dance class tonight so did not feel obligated to go but went anyay. Felt a bit tired and really not at all like swimming. Ended up doing just over half hour. Pool at 50m. First few laps were a chore but after that much easier. Felt better after but still could have given it a miss. Will update you on the Latino dancing thang later.
Lucky I did go for a swim this morning, ended up through a chain of spontaneous events hanging out with friends and roaming from here to there. Had lots of fun but Latino dancing did not eventuate.
[$36.70 / $152 + locker fee: $2]
No swimming this morning as I am going to do the AquaAttack class tonight... and then, if I am not dead, perhaps a few laps to follow.
AquaAttack was excellent. The 45 mins felt more like 20. The thing was not to run into others when doing stuff. Good for tummy, etc - but fun as well. Did a few laps (about 15 mins) but did didn't go too crazy. Pool at 25m. Another friend agrees with whole pool water/burping theory.
[$31.20 / $152 + locker fees: $2]
Could. Not. Get. Out. Of. Bed. Think watching ALIAS is killing me, used to be a late night person but these days I need my sleep. Perhaps once I've been doing this for a while I'll get my normal energy levels (and sleep patterns) back up to scratch. Tonight. Honestly.
Got there. Finally. Just before 9. Was in pool at 9 anyway.
See, I met a friend after work for a 'quick coffee' - you all know how they go. Rarely quick. THEN I look over at the arcade (because I was going to go back and do a bit of work) and think "wha the...?" as there are things around the outside... I click. Christmas Drinks. Ask friend if she wants to pop over quickly for Christmas drink.
So we cake, drink and get chatting to a few folk and get free stuff like shampoo samples - oh, and lollies from Santa. Also get an offer to model for life drawing ($20/hr) - I say no, not that confident with body at the moment. During the course of our quite frivilous chatter we were told a selection heat for bands to go into the Falls Festival line up was being held at Jive (free entry). Want to do that but also want to swim first (I don't want to lead myself astray this early in the piece). Friend decides she might want a swim too. Go to friends place, my place - agree to minimum of half hour swim then plan to go to Jive. Pool was 25m again and did my half hour. Friend agrees pool water makes you burb, well, I figure she does, as she said, "I'm burping already".
Get out of pool. Get changed and head straight to JIVE where we had the pleasure of seeing the New Pollutants (Mr Speed & DJ Tr!p). I love these guys, even though I have only seen them once or twice before. They are seriously cool and have the ability to appeal to a wide range of people. Basically, they look like they are having so much fun they could just be in their bedroom without a care for who is watching. Very entertaining. They have a place created for them in the Falls Festival line up so two "bands" from the night are selected. The New Pollutants deserved it (well, they had my vote) - they are an energetic and entertaining act and the music and video is pretty damn cool.
Obviously not much of this about actual exercise, but really there's not much to report except I swam up and down the pool for half an hour. Plus, I have to make this somewhat interesting. Maybe. Right?
[$22.00 / $152 + locker fees: $2]
Got out of bed, headed to pool. Wanted to stay in bed so much. Was good once I got there and got in. Pool was again back to 50m. Did laps for 3/4 hour and left. Might go back tonight but will see how I am going. Feeling better about myself already because I am making myself go, doing what I have to (even though it is not that hard because I am enjoying it). Only really interested in laps and the aqua attack and perhaps yoga classes for now until my ankle has strengthened up but then will look at getting a personal program set up for gym later. Most aqua aerobic and yoga classes are not really scheduled for people who work for 9-5 and so I will only be able to do one or two per week. There are no classes scheduled for weekends. Laps are fine anyway.
Went again at night... pool only 25m. Freestyle improving can now do at least 25m breathing reasonably normally without choking. Had to stop some freestyle laps and change to breaststroke so I did not plow over the top of others. Happy about improved freestyle.
[$16.50 / $152]
Couldn't get myself out of bed this morning so will have to do swimming in evening. Swam after 6pm for about 1 hour. Pool divided in half so only 25m one way, it's ok but 50m is better. Lots more people too.
Family has started me on a 3 month membership today so don't have to pay per session (it's much cheaper this way) and now I have full access to laps, gym, spa, sauna, yoga and various aqua aerobic type classes).
Took friends advice re freestyle, I can go a bit further, but still choking so spend time doing other strokes so I can keep moving. Pool water makes you burp. It was still light so I took the long way home, giving myself a mini walk.
People at the pool are all ages and shapes and sizes and pretty much are so busy doing their own thing that they couldn't be bothered noticing what others are doing. One person even had a snorkle. Learned that the membership cards do not work in the turn stiles until about 4 days after they've been activated. Had to get card retrived from the turn stile that stole it.
[$5.50 / $152]
I wanted to go for another swim this morning but meant to be having a bbq/picnic in the park and have left it all too late... thought I might leave it until after 6pm. The bbq/picnic didn't work out and a friend asked if I wanted to go for a swim at Largs with her so myself and another friend got organised and headed out to meet her.
Great day at beach, including some swimming - but I've come to the conclusion that for exercise I am better off in a pool where I have some direction (eg. up and back) rather than swimming aimlessly. I like a target. My initial plan is to swim for a minimum of 30 mins non stop but I might try and up the number of laps/speed, etc once I've been doing it for a week or so. One of my friends suggested I get back to breathing on both sides instead of being lazy and breathing on just one side when doing freestyle to avoid running out of breath.
Well, now I've spent money on bathers and goggles I may as well start using them. Went down to the pool at about 8am. Stripped down to bathers, which was not nearly as humiliating as I expected it to be, got in the pool and swam non-stop for well over 90 mins. 50m lanes were open there were not that many people there when I got there but more people started arriving from 9am.
Find it surprisingly easy to zone out and do the laps. What I didn't expect after doing swimming lessons pretty much every year of childhood and after living next to sea or having a pool was that I'd forget how to breathe properly when doing freestyle. Bummer. Oh well, will try to do a bit and work my way back to freestyle. For now the movement and actually doing excercise is the important thing. It does worry me a little that my breathing is sucky as the more effective the breathing the better your body burns up junk. When I left there was a long line at the door.
Worked out that paying per session with a locker was going to get expensive and decided that I'd ask family if they wanted to put in for membership for an early Chrismas present for me. $5.50 entry + $2 locker. Next time I'm coming without purse, phone, etc and won't worry about a locker.
Take a deep breath, say to hell with my non-existent budget and go out and buy googles and bathers (errr... no, not the ones pictured, they just amuse me). I've come to the conclusion that because I keep screwing up my ankle I have to do something to strengthen it as well as something to get me feeling a little fitter and healthier so there is no choice but to go through the hell of appearing in a public place in bathers.
I will keep a bit of a tally as to how much value I'm getting from my membership. The tally is based on the equivalent I would have spent if paying for each visit individually. In doing this I am using the per visit casual visit fee for either pool area or classes (classes include pool area) by comparing this to the total membership fees spent to date.
A running tally is noted at the bottom of each day as:
[$ equivalent of casual entry fees I would have spent to date / $ total membership purchased up to date].
I will note costs for alternative forms of exercise separately as I'm kind of intrigued to see how much this getting fit and healthier ends up costing me over all. Of course, I could get fit for free but it's easier to motivate myself when I have paid for equipment/membership/whatever.