Since March this year, I’ve been slacking and letting my muscles atrophy.
Why March though? Well during that month, I was spending two evenings per week at the SAFRA Toa Payoh gym to work out. Part of national service obligation individual physical fitness proficiency etc. But I enjoyed the experience: working on those individual stations and running 6-7 kilometres each of those evenings on the thread mill.
But that was months ago, and after weighing myself recently on the bathroom scale, I realized in abject horror that I’d gained a bit around the waist. So, now that I’m taking a few days of child care leave this semester break to help take care of Hannah, I’ve also resolved to get a bit more physical and keep my tummy at minimally respectable girth.
Thing is, I can’t run. Since the last 3 months or so, there’s been some pain in my left sole. Think I must have fractured my left ankle from accidentally stepping on too many cables on the ground. So, I’ve turned to hitting the pool each day I’m on leave to swim laps around the pool.
And it’s quite a refreshing experience. As a child, I enjoyed swimming. My two brothers and I each completed our individual bronze, silver, gold and long distance swimming proficiencies before we turned 12 years of age. Unfortunately, after I got to secondary school, aside from the odd week where we’d all head down to the ACS swimming pool for our P.E. – that’s Physical Exercise, Matt ol’ bud – sessions, I haven’t swam much anymore.
Part of the problem is that I absolutely dread swimming in public pools. Way too much human traffic, and there’s been some letters to The Straits Times of the public complaining about how sections of the pool were routinely partitioned off for private swimming lessons.
So, the pool at The Rivervale has been a god-send, underused by the two of us it’s been since moving here. On weekday afternoons when I’m at home, it’s just me at the pool, alongside a couple of young children playing at the kid’s pool with domestic helpers keeping a loose eye on them and catching up with each other.
—
Oh yeah: the picture’s a HDR merged from 5 shots at +/- 1 EV. Went easy on the tone map settings too. Taken using the Sigma 18-250mm.
It’s a beautiful pool to be sure. I often stared out through the window, awaiting temptation to thrust me headlong into it for a refreshing dip, but never found the courage to do so.
Next time I’m in the neighborhood I’m going to drag Yang along with me!
We’re gonna make sure you use the pool on behalf of all of us at home when you’re here next year, bud.:)
Methings you got plantar fasciitis. :) Its from running too much, too soon.
Keep swimming CY! I’m terrified of public pools too – you see stringy bits at the bottom of the pool. Ugh.
oh dear take care of your leg.
and i could help use your pool too LOLLLLLL
A related letter from today’s ST Forum:
http://www.straitstimes.com/print/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_425611.html
Sep 5, 2009
Bad pool habits: Clear and concise rules needed
I REFER to last Saturday’s letter by Mrs Susan May Amis, ‘Promote swimming properly in our pools’.
Yes, Singapore has some of the best swimming pools and sports facilities among the 40 countries I have had the fortune to live and work in. The foresight of the Government in providing world-class facilities that are easily accessible at a reasonable cost should allow every Singaporean to achieve that perfect balance of a healthy body and a healthy mind.
Unfortunately, my bad experiences in public pools equal or exceed those pointed out by Mrs Amis. Bad habits have built up over the past 15 years, despite many attempts at intervention by the Singapore Sports Council (SSC), pool management and guards, and pool users themselves.
These bad habits include:
# Spitting and clearing nasal passages in the pool and drainage gutters;
# Smoking in the washrooms well after the smoking ban was imposed;
# Urinating in the showers;
# Not showering before entering the pool (some pools even close the showers during renovations); and
# Not coordinating between user groups, so a few users make it impossible for others to use the pool. These include closing the last 5m of a 50m competition pool for dance classes or beginner swimming lessons, when other teach pools are available and are probably safer for new users.
…
David Grant