Quote:
Originally Posted by CRussel
Ah, lap swimming is a Zen. When you get good at it, you can go for an hour or more, back and forth (or in the case of my Endless Pool, straight into the current). Totally zoned out, almost a meditation. At which point the book actually can be a distraction and what you want is quiet music.
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The most beautiful and best pool in the US, which just happened to be in my town, closed forever at the end of summer 2013 (that bit qualifies as a rant). So, last summer, I swam in a lake and very idyllic it was, too. I'd swim out to the middle and head in various directions while listening most likely to Simon Vance reading Aubrey/Maturin until I wore myself out. But I'm quite sure I got more exercise in the pool, where the laps over time let me know when I was slacking off. The Zen of the middle of the lake didn't have the same cardio-vascular benefit.
The beloved pool also was quite idyllic, covering over an acre with a grass and trees surround, sloping sides, stone bottom and potable water, but it also had a few lap lanes. *sniff*