Saturday Afternoon Swim
August 26, 2017
A few weeks ago, I scheduled an afternoon facial at a friend’s house in Pasadena (she has a long time friend who is an esthetician, and my friend will occasionally set up Saturday facials at her place so it’s a great deal to get a fantastic service without the salon expense!). If a trip to Pasadena happens on the weekend, I have typically included a swim at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center, because when in Rome, right? Well…Pasadena, I guess.
The weather was quite hot in that neck of the County (98 degrees when I arrived, versus 76 at Village Green) so I walked as fast as the heat would allow to the locker room, and then to the pool. When I got out on the deck, I saw something I’d never seen before: three jets of water arcing over the pool with the spray hitting various lanes. I was so surprised…and mystified!
I decided to choose a lane that had spray landing in it because I wanted to imagine it was raining and jumped in. The pool temperature was a stark – but welcome – contrast to the temperature outside. The water felt so cool and refreshing. Off I went, and as I swam, I would pass under the landing point from the water jets. It was such a strange experience to have the water hit, especially with such force. When I rains, things are pretty gentle, but this was like PLOP PLOP PLOP PLOP PLOP! The sound under the water was similar to a rainstorm, thought, so that was quite pleasant.
Halfway through the swim, I stopped at the end and saw that another swimmer was also stopped. I asked her if she knew why the water jets were going. She said that they turn them on when the outside temperature reaches a certain level as the water jet help keep the temperature of the pool down. She didn’t seem too jazzed about the situation because she was unable to swim backstroke without getting pelted in the face, but I found the explanation pretty fascinating. I did a quick google and it looks like pool aeration can help – in some instances by cooling a pool by 5-10 degrees.
I was expecting the jets to turn off during the swim, but they remained on. By the time I got out to my car, the temperature had climbed to 104. So I guess I am thankful for the water jets!
The Workout:
- 3 rounds, 300 pull, 200 free
- 5x100, mix of stroke, free, drill