{"id":35,"date":"2012-07-28T10:37:39","date_gmt":"2012-07-28T14:37:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wallyword.com\/?p=35"},"modified":"2012-07-28T10:37:39","modified_gmt":"2012-07-28T14:37:39","slug":"failure-to-yield","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wallyword.com\/?p=35","title":{"rendered":"Failure to Yield"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Sorry if you clicked on this expecting some sort of commentary on cars and driving.\u00a0 I\u2019m actually referring to the challenge of exercise each day at one\u2019s local pool.\u00a0 Although you\u2019ll note that this tale does involve designated lanes, \u201cdrivers\u201d keeping to one side and the occasional head-on collision.<\/p>\n

Having been a swimmer well before the $400 suit days, I decided a few months ago that swimming was a great way for me to get back into regular exercise. I enjoy it, losing some weight, the equipment\u2019s cheap, there\u2019s a sense of accomplishment (once in shape that is) and its something I can discuss with my son who swims in college.<\/p>\n

The only time of day for me to workout is 6:30am. During swimming season early morning lanes are scarce as the swim team takes up about half the pool. \u00a0Unlike driving, they don\u2019t issue licenses to swimmers – basically anybody can jump in the pool and flop around – making adult lap swimming like a version of aqua bumper cars.<\/p>\n

In general there are a mixture of swimmers; clueless paddlers; equipment junkies who spend most of the workout session adjusting the zillion dollars worth of equipment they bought to try this sport; and others who have swum before and operate within the unwritten rules (you guessed it, me).<\/p>\n

Unlike the swim team days of circle swimming with many kids, in the adult world it\u2019s two to a lane, and keep to your side \u2013 or else.<\/p>\n

At my pool, one can categorize the lap swimmers as follows:<\/p>\n