The joys and pains of swimming

Photographer: Charles Hutchinson. Models: myself and Skatebabe

I  fractured a wrist last December. It is fully healed now but my physiotherapist recommended I should take up swimming to strengthen the joint. I am not a great swimmer but I can swim and like doing it. So I joined my local pool as a member, to get me motivated to go regularly and started swimming, usually in the evening to avoid school kids and casual swimmers. I have now done five weeks of swimming and am quite enjoying it. I can see the effects on my upper arms which are getting more toned. And the mobility of my wrist has definitely increased.
 I usually swim in  the medium lane because I only do the  breaststroke and want to concentrate on doing it properly. At my local pool we normally do circle swimming.
Now, you would think that people, especially adults,  go the pool to swim. But no. You will not believe how many people just dip into the water, do a couple of lengths then stop by the shallow end and stay there chatting. When they get tired of chatting in the water they finally get out of the pool. This irritates me no end.

Photographer: Charles Hutchinson

 First they make it impossible for me to reach the end wall of the pool without hitting them so I have to cut short my length and turn back before touching the wall. Second they do this not in the casual swimming part of the pool but in one of the lanes, usually the medium. I really have to keep my cool but I often feel like telling them to get out of the way and not so politely either.
Then there are those people that think the pool is theirs alone, everyone else can sod off. They swim splashing water around completely oblivious of others. They believe they are the best swimmers ever, wear expensive goggles, do the front crawl and are simply appalling in their technique, not to mention attitude.
I am not a fast swimmer but I have great resistance. I swim continuously for at least 45 minutes, without a break. Earlier this evening I went as usual and this guy gets into the pool and decides he is going to practise butterfly stroke. I have never seen anything as bad. The splashes were so high I just had to slow down so much it became impossible to swim in the lane so I moved to the casual swimming part of the pool where people were just floating to relax. There I was negotiating my way in a lane full of floaters. They hated me, I hated them, I was about to give up but finally the butterfly stroke guy ran out of breath and got out. Bliss!

Photographer: Charles Hutchinson

Sometimes all you need to do is patiently bide your time.