Swim Lessons

So, three's a charm--today was my third 6 a.m. swim morning, my fourth swim this week. Mornings are still more serious but I can really feel the workout. And I'm learning more about pool etiquette and locker-room culture . . . and myself. Things I've discovered:

• I have trouble walking in flip-flops. But I don't want to go barefoot in the locker room. At least some of the other swimmers liked my tie-dyed flip-flops.
• I like the pool above 82F. It was cool this morning! (They post the temp and the lifeguard's name everyday).
• When you want to share a lane with someone, it's polite to ask or at least tell them, so you don't bump into each other. Then you swim on your side of the lane--it's not a "circle swim."
• I like the lane near the wall.
• I like my own lane because I do backstroke half the time but don't swim straight when I do.
• I like taking my breaks in the deep end, which often includes stretches and a little relaxing floating.
• Apparently, I scared the lifeguard the first day I jumped into the pool--he didn't know if I could swim and saw me go straight to the bottom before I bobbed up. But I don't like slowly climbing in on the ladder and we aren't allowed to dive, so I jump. I assured him the next day that I could swim and the worst that would happen is my back would seize up and he'd have to come get me.
• My lane mate yesterday strongly suggested goggles because the chlorine is so strong. I hadn't really noticed but, since I do open my eyes under water, I'll probably get a pair. For now, my hair is surviving the dip sans cap.
• I'm a faster freestyler, but backstroke feels better, so I do one lap one way and one lap the other.
• Even though the swimming is intended mainly as exercise for my back, I'm feeling it most in my abs (which probably explains why my back has trouble).
• If I could read the timer, I'd be curious how long it takes me to do 50 yards. But I can't see that without my glasses.
• The sign on the locker room door says that kids 5 and up have to use their own gendered locker room. I'm not sure when I'll be comfortable sending Bud all alone through a relatively public male locker room (and who knows when he'd even want to do that by himself!).
• My cute little purple swimsuit, with the little skirt retains a lot of water, which means I drip everywhere even when I wring out the skirt as I leave the pool. No wonder I would make a puddle by my locker. But watching other (naked) women, I realize that that's why they are naked--they shuck their wet suits in the shower and dry off completely. Well, I'm not gonna walk around like that, but I have been changing in the shower area now.
• The worst part of swimming isn't the early rise or figuring out the locker room or the water temperature or even the exercise--it's "gaining weight" as I get out of the pool after my 30 minutes swim.

Tomorrow will be my first weekend swim; it should be interesting to see if it's different.