#open swim

[mindovermiles]

              Cross-Training Tuesday: Swim Night

I feel like this picture is misleading, because it was actually really crowded here tonight.  Also, that is not the Loch Ness monster in the pool.  It’s just someone’s arm mid-freestyle stroke. 

[njswimschool]

Njswim Brick is located in the Laurel Square Shopping Center next to Planet Fitness between Rt 88 and Hwy 70.

Open family swim is a perfect way of bringing the whole family together for some poolside fun. It's all about having a great time! Open family swim in Brick at NJ Swim is a perfect time for kids to showcase skills they've learned. Contact us for slots and sign-up information.

[ky3pad]

Nervous before a competition? Here are 3 strategies to channel that energy.

https://www.ky3.com/content/news/Strategies-for-Athletes-to-overcome-nerves-before-competition-510370201.html

[dnldyr]

Open Swim with Erin-Episode 5

A chat with Daniel Dyer of A New Way to Live Forever! On connecting with fans, a wide range of influences, and more! Check out their music and upcoming shows here: http://anewwaytoliveforever.net/

Interview with Erin Lee on 104.3 The Shark’s Open Swim show.

[santoriniheights]

Santorini Events: “Santorini Experience”

A major sport event takes place in Santorini. The “Santorini Experience” is an event that includes sports activities such as running and swimming. 

Locals, visitors and professional athletes participate in the two days sport event in Santorini and discover the landscapes of Santorini through running and swimming as far as the volcano for a unique athletic Santorini Experience.

For further information, visit www.santorini-experience.com.

Choose Santorini Heights Luxury Suites in Santorini for your accommodation during this amazing sports event in Santorini.

[triathlonbeginner97]

The swim was just amazing. Last night, I couldn’t sleep because I was thinking of today and how it would go. I was mostly stressed because of the open water swim. Turns out today that it was the funnest part. Even though I could see all the algae, I wasn’t scared or anything! I actually found it really nice the fact that the water was so clear that we could see the algae. The swim went by so fast. It is definitely the part that I loved the most. After 750 meters of swim (sprint triathlon), I wasn’t even exhausted ! Not once I was thinking about how many distance was left, I was just enjoying the moment.  

PS : Thanks for my dad for all these pictures. 

[openswim]

Bang Bang: Hamlin Park and Chase Park

Of my many summer activities, the one I often neglect to bring up is job rejection; one particular morning, I woke up with the intention of pulling off a north-end “Bang bang” by hitting Hamlin Park and Chase Park in one day before playing a show back in the Ukrainian Village. Before any of that could happen, I had to wait for a call from a local company that I had interviewed with the week before. Earlier in the week, I had a spidey sense it wasn’t going to happen.

I’ve had the same spidey sense about every job I’ve hunted out. Not that I’ve been hitting the pavement that often, but positions that make sense to me in terms of employment just aren’t panning out. I spent most of my thirties in a unique and uncommon job, and now I’m out of it, and I’m still breathing from being out of it. I had one incredibly generous job offer from a kind and wonderful friend, but I balked at it because I felt that I would actually fuck it all up and let my friend down. Outside of that though, it’s been interviews, occasional freelance things, or these nebulous meetings where it’s concluded “well, (we) don’t really have a position open, but (we) did want to meet you.”

I leaned the back of my waist up against my counter and ate some oatmeal. “This isn’t going to happen. It should, it easily could, and it’s not going to.” One foot curled around the other, eyes affixed on a “Punk Flyer” my friend Michael drew. Dead silence. Phone rang. Job offer was passed on, I was given a reason why, I told them I completely disagreed with said reason, thanked them and  hung up.

“Fuck. Fucking failure legs.” I cried a little bit, while repeating two mantras



“That wasn’t what you thought it was going to be.”


“This is how it’s going to be.”

I grabbed everything I needed for the day--change of clothes (playing a show later,) swim gear, charger, notebook, phone, sunscreen, bike accoutrements and set out.

I have no idea what I want

I have no idea what I want to do next. I know what I’m good at, I know that what I’m good at doing can be mutated into various forms of work. My skills are fluid and are applicable to many different arenas. The center is usually dealing with people—making people feel comfortable, welcome, safe, and confidant in knowing why they’re in my realm and why I’m in theirs; this comes from both my parents and what they’ve done and continue to do. It’s just when you step out of this womblike world you’ve been in for eight years, and you’re alone, uncertain but also feeling quite comfortable in your new found freedom (look it’s not all bad! I sleep like a cherub most nights) finding “what’s next” or having to answer the inevitable “so what are you doing now?” feels very hollow.



“So what are you doing now?”


“Oh I’ve been at the pool.”  

The last six years of my employment saw many summer days at Hamlin Park. Tuesdays or Fridays, with my lovely friend Claire and then eventually Meredith, or sometimes Angie. Heck, the first time I kicked it with my friend Alissa (who’s a wonderfully kind and sweet yoga instructor living in Oakland) was at Hamlin. It was conveniently located by my work, and the swim times jived with whatever you would consider a “lunch” period at a place that didn’t necessarily exist within the Nine-to-Five paradigm. Claire sold it to me as “It’s a pool with mostly trophy moms” which meant kids in the shallow end, the large deck being left for those tanning and the deep end largely left to its own—a quiet, vast, welcoming area free of troubles. It was a good way to see Claire, get our lives and dilemmas straight in that way that only really close, solid friends can help you navigate through. 



This time though, it was different; and maybe it was just one thing that had me tripping, or maybe it was this one thing that my soul was feeling.  Maybe one thing begat the other, so let’s start with the obvious.

You see that? That’s the deep end now; a once mighty, noble, deep end, cold as the reality that’s being presented to me, blue as my insides turned hanging up that stupid phone call this morning, once nine feet in depth now reduced to five feet. 



I stood there in disbelief. Standing in a place I often would over the years, poising myself for a jump to initiate that afternoon’s small slice of bliss, knowing that if I were to jump now, I’d probably jam a foot, or a shin, left to only limply wade along whatever you want to call this “deep end.”



I looked around. No one cared. They were all young, attractive, seemingly had their lives together. One of these people could have easily looked at the notes of an interview, or looked over my resume without any prior knowledge and said “pass!” Realizing my bitterness setting in, I bailed. I said goodbye to my past; a place that once gave me joy, happiness, a peaceful respite  for my friends and I—a pause button from the constant thud of a brutal world—said goodbye cuz I’m never going back to this five foot dump again.  Twenty minutes, flat. Spent more time locking up my bike and changing.



City of Chicago, stop it with all the leveling of pools. Deep ends exist for many people for many reasons. 

Hamlin Park—it was grand, but see ya.



 


Hamlin Park 3035 N. Hoyne Ave. Facility Hours: 11:00 AM-7:00 PM Facility Phone: [phone]  Biking north on a straight shot up Damen, eventually cruising through the always charming Ravenswood viaduct, I reached Chase Park. Knowing I had a handful of free time, I went easy, giving myself time to breathe, to drink a fizzy water, and trying my best to make do with a frustrating start to my day. 

My friend Catie met up with me. Last year, Catie taught me how to sew—I still need to work on that. I figured it would be a good way to keep my hands busy while trying to quit smoking. Years ago the band I’m in, Fake Limbs, played a show in St. Louis and there was one particularly shifty looking punisher (a punisher is someone that doesn’t stay in their lane, doesn’t pick up on cues, will make sure you’re fully aware of their presence, etc.) that took a liking to the various aspects of my performance. He was trying to convince me to sneak into a very fancy looking building with very tall columns that had a soft light cycle illuminating it’s entrance. With a seemingly casual look of “dear lord, help me” Catie saved me from a potentially difficult situation. 



Chase Park is by no means, a destination; it is very much a neighborhood pool. I argued that this is a pool “For Losers” to which Catie became incredulous to our presence there. I didn’t necessarily mean “Loser” in a sad sack, “woe is me,” Bill Dautrieve/Jerry Lundegaard fashion. I meant it in a tribute to the disenfranchised, the outcasts. In high honor, the same league as Caddyshack, or Chris Gethard or Archie Shepp, “Loser” that you don’t find on a t-shirt. “Loser” that you find when you start your day with rejection, with loss, with hopelessness in your world. This is a pool for that. To remind you that “oh sure, life is a garbage, but at least you have this place that’s SHARES A FENCE WITH AN AUTOBODY SHOP that you can jump nine feet down into.” You won’t hear someone talk about how they only get all the oil and butter for their various diets exclusively at whole foods, but you will hear Peter Gabriel’s “Big Time” blaring from the garage next door while various drills and clangs go off.



It’s some loser vibes, and that’s TOTALLY OKAY! Alright look, here’s a conversation that we had. Catie: “It kinda sucks that none of the pools in the city have a night time swim strictly for adults.” Me: “I know! Like, what’s one more hour? The park is open til 11! But I imagine there’s some sort of budget crunch or maybe a curfew thing?” “It’d just be cool to find a pool where you could swim after dusk and maybe have a drink.” “I think there are some of those in Philly. Like bars that have pools. I can’t imagine what--” “Like, the insurance? I mean it does only take what, three inches of water to drown or something?” “Yeah, I bet the insurance is astronomical. Unless they make you sign some sort of waiver.” “I’d sign a waiver if it meant I could drink at a pool.” “Oh totally. I think I just discovered what my life is valued at. Just worth enough to give over to a bar.”

It’s an okay pool—efficient, small (But still a deep end!) and a kind staff on hand. What’s more, they have on record, the warmest shower’s to get into before and after your dip. Can’t say that for 90% of the pools that open swim has been discovering. To note: the last time I went to this pool was two years ago, because I had a break between playing sets with two different bands at a BBQ that was nearby. Like I said, not a destination, but a place when you’re in the hood, and feel like you need to hit it. Chase Park 4701 N. Ashland Ave. Facility Hours: 11:00 AM-7:00 PM Facility Phone: [phone]

[openswim]

River Park

River Park was essentially the reason why I started “Open Swim.” Over the spring, I started taking my bike along the north west side’s lauded North Shore Channel Trail; it’s a beautiful pathway along the North-north west side traversing up and down through treelines and riversides. Highly recommended in terms of early morning rides chasing the sunrise. A couple months ago, I had to have some work done on my automobile so I went to the only autoshop I can trust, Norm’s; I figured this would be a quick job (how long does it take to replace a drivers seat?) Without a book, or ipod in hand I was informed that the job would take “at least two and a half hours” dumb struck I decided “Oh, I’ll stroll through the park” as Norms was right across the street from Legion Park. Walking along the Channel Trail, I found myself venturing south from Legion to River Park, I discovered this little slice of heaven in the form of a giant pool tucked towards the back of the Channel Trail.

I frantically texted friends “I found a pool. We need to go to this pool.” For months, I thought about what this would look like in a full summer bloom. The river on one end, and this old ass brick Fieldhouse keeping watch from the east? The wide open skies of Chicago’s north end? How could you soundtrack this place? (Note--I think about soundtracking pools, but never really make mention of that here because this is about pools, and not really about music. That’s a rude thing to do, to insert your own curated soundtracks to places such as this. Open Swim don’t play that. Make your own soundtracks!) It was a constant daydream until last week.

Not too shabby River Park! Now, if you’re a person whom apparently “daydreams about swimming pools” you might say “why did I wait a whole month since outdoor swimming took off to come here?” Well, the main reason is the River Park Schedule did not have a single listing for an “Open Swim” time. You go to like, Smith Park or some such where there’s “Open Swim” and “Family Swim” and in a place such as that, “Family Swim” you get turned away unless you have a child. That’s some B.S. but I don’t contend with the rule in a situation like that, because there is open swim available and I’m not with my partner to argue the “Family” element. However where there is no “Open Swim” I’ll try to fanangle my way in. While I was successful, going on a lark based on my own theory of social contract/public policy can create anxiety. Getting turned away for simply trying to swim is heartbreaking, and the more hours I can log in a day free of public humiliation, the better. Return from a wonderful lunch and joyfully tenderhearted afternoon with my hermano, “The Aspirin Kid” (visiting from Panama) I ventured westward and pressed my luck.  

The nice thing about swmming during “Family Swim” is that most of the other people there are parents with their kids so the shallow end is packed, while the deep end is relatively desolate. The deep-end here is your typical six lane/nine feet dealie, but the tranquilty of it--the woods, the intimacy of the park itself, the natural splendor that it sits around is all too welcoming.

I cannot recommend this pool enough, but you have to be quick with it as the family swims are typically only an hour in length; if you’re looking for a good lap swim after a big old North Channel ride, River Park offers plenty of lap swim time. Easily the most tranquil pool I’ve found all year. River Park 5100 N. Francisco Ave. Hours: 11:00 AM-7:00 PM Facility Phone: [phone]