I posted this on the first page, but I think it's worth repeating. If you have any smaller gyms in your city, that advertise a pool, it could be worth it to check it out. Our local Y's, University, and Swim club are all crowded and booked too. Ironically, this place is 1/2 mile from my house, and I drove past it, every time I went somewhere else... never thinking the pool at a podunk converted grocery store for-profit gym would amount to much. 4 months ago, the boiler went out, at the pool I regularly swim at, and it was closed, and projected repair time was a month. This prompted me to finally stop by this small local gym, just to see what the word "Pool" on their sign really meant. Holy shit! 3 lane 25 meter pool. The guy said the only people who actually use it, are the water aerobic folks, at 10am. The place opens at 5am. I asked him what the protocol for reserving a lane was... and he laughed! He said that of the 2 years he's been working there, he never sees someone in every lane, actually swimming. Membership costs $22/month and I signed up on the spot.
Here's a picture of "my" pool, at 8:45 this morning. I showed up at 5am, and swam until 8:30am... and had it to myself. It's been this way every day, since I joined the place. It's a swimmers paradise. I have seen other folks dip in the pool from time to time. Usually a muscle head doing a couple laps of "cardio", or someone cooling off after sitting in the hot tub too long. But I have yet to see another serious swimmer there. I can't believe all the freaking pool hassles I've put up with for the last stinking year... when this place was right down the street, all this time.
Athlinks / Strava