The swimming community

So yesterday I began my entry into the swimming community.

It started last year in august when I decided it was time to learn how to swim.

As part of project "meet a girl", I would randomly pick up women from everywhere. This created in my mind a 'random' style of odds on meeting someone potentially compatable. This resulting from not having any women where I spend the majority of my time (ie. pool, martial arts class and work) so I sorta have to luck out and find someone who matches.

As this appeared to not work (randomly, I don't see alot of compatable women either), I figured that if I could find some course at Grant Macewan (where all the girls are at) then everything would somehow work out. Which lead to swimming lessons. Girls need to learn how to swim... just like everyone else... and only skinney girls really want to become life guards and the like.

So I created the year objective of learning how to swim.

Unfortunately, shortly after discussing this idea with friends; my best friend convinced me to spend the same amount of money and time online dating instead... and promised better results.

But the proposed side effect - learning to swim - was never realised.

A few weeks ago I spent a week in Calgary, staying in the Sandman Downtown. In one of the lower levels, there resides a pool and hot tub; of course I would go down every night for an hour or so, sorta splash around (doing some mock laps... cause the pool was about the size of my hotel room) and call myself a swimmer. Patting myself on the back the whole time in congradulatoins of my swimming ability.

I walk into Coronation pool yesterday evening... ready to do something similar... after all, how difficult can swimming be? like really!

Purchase some fancy goggles (so I don't burn my contacts out this time); jump into the water and here goes... swim.

Needless to say swimming laps is alot harder work than I have ever given anyone credit for. Never mind the fact that my heart was absolutely racing half way throught, the actual work on my legs and arms was supprisingly difficult.

And of course, after 3/4 lap, this old chineese woman started making fun of me. "don't stop, don't stop... :" (it was my break time)

Sitting in the hot tub I came to realise that swimming itself has a subculture. With stereo-typical swimming people, everyone knowing eachother's names. It was like sitting with the regulars at a dance club or something.

The really neet thing though, is that unlike the dance club; you can really find everyone from all walks of life at the swimming pool. And they're all accepted. No judgements on size, height, weight, ethnicity. It was sorta cool.

I got out, dressed up... walked home (and wow was I shakey!)... I'm a swimmer.