Weather, gyms, swimming

The weather turned foul again. It is amazing how much difference a day makes. We are once again covered in wet and cold fog. Not the type of weather one would like to biking in. Fortunately the pool is always at the same temperature.

I swam 3,000 meters today, slightly more than 1.86 miles, all freestyle, no breaks, and keeping a good pace. It was faster than last time, taking just over one hour to do the distance.

There was a news report the other day on dropping gym memberships because of the poor economy. The newscast implied many people won't be able to keep to their New Year's resolution of working out more.

It is amazing to me how many people equate gyms with workouts. While I occasionally work out indoors at the club, I always try to avoid gyms. Gyms are not good places for cardiovascular exercise in my opinion. Stationary devices without adequate cooling induce unwanted stresses. Most people avoid these stresses by reducing their intensity, which defeats the purpose.

Commercial gyms are places where people socialize, consume energy bars and drinks, and watch TV or read magazines while moving their lower limbs. Sometimes, there are a few hardcore body builders to make things look good. Unless you are into body building, you don't belong here.