Gill Park Pool: the jury is still out

It wasn't until this morning that I had an opportunity to go to the most promising pool. Between working, other activities, laziness, and serious alarm malfunctions, it's taken me this long to embrace the Park District's pool. It was crowded. However, there were six lanes, making them much more appropriately sized. Everyone arrives to the pool between 6:57 and 7:03. Of course I got there at 6:35, ready to start early if they (heaven forbid) left the door unlocked. When the clock strikes 7 it's a mad dash to the pool and a crazy start; somewhat similar to a triathlon start. No one stretches, no one eases into anything, they just go. So I went, too. It wasn't the bliss of my cheater-pool. But it was far better than Welles Park. It started out that I was splitting a lane with a crazy fast swimmer (love those), but I didn't care because I had my half of the lane and didn't have to worry about anything (even though I had a rather obnoxious battle with the damned lane line because the clown in the next lane over was quite the enthusiastic arm thrasher and dolphin kicker...). About 15 minute in I felt someone squeezing my arm and I gasped under water-- bad news. She was asking me to circle-swim because a third person had joined us. After clearing the water from my lungs I agreed and so we went. It wasn't fantastic, I won't lie. I was irritated, but I was able to finish the workout. Not gracefully...and I didn't feel good about it, but I finished it, which is an improvement from last time. We'll see.

On my way home from the gym the other day, I stopped by the pool that is a half mile from my apartment to watch how the 'adult lap' swim went down there. It's an outdoor pool so I was the creeper outside the fence watching. Can you guess? Crowded. A lifeguard walked by where I was standing and he told me that they never use lane lines because they don't have them (while the lane line really pissed me off today, they're very necessary in my opinion.. boundaries are huge). I asked if there are at least black lines to follow on the bottom of the pool and he replied "there are white lines... but the bottom is white, so you can't really see them." wtf. He said the best way to do it is to get there super early and get in first to get a spot by the wall to help guarantee you'll go straight. The wall?? No thanks. I avoid the wall at all costs anywhere else. We'll see, I might venture over there at one point or another. I still want to go back to the pool I LIKE a lot, but can't justify dropping $80 to do so. Dumb.

I managed to weasel a way into the Harbor Lights Triathlon on July 19th! Registering was not the issue, rather getting off work that weekend. I will work from 3-7pm on Saturday the 18th, but that will have to be okay because that's the only option. This will allow me to get my packet on Saturday morning. And a friend of mine agreed to let me use her car on Sunday which is HUGE and I am SO grateful. She definitely said "I'll show you how to make it work if it goes funny..." I furrowed my brow and said "...oh?" and she replied "yea, there's a specific spot on the engine you have to hit with a hammer sometimes... and other stuff like that." HA. It's a car and I am SO excited.

AND I switched the weekend for the Chicago Triathlon in August. That was one I didn't want to have to stress out about last minute.