Always a G'day when wearing Speedos

[redheaded_aquaman]

Back again.

Still in Austin, TX. Changing ISPs and forgetting my password kept me away for awhile.

Enjoying my own pool with plenty of opportunity for hanging out in various speedos every day during the Spring and Summer. It's cold now so all I can do is longingly look at the freezing cold water and *wish* it were warm again. A new LAFitness is opening in S. Austin soon, so I'll be able to swim everyday, if I make the effort to drive in from where I live.

See you around.

[merken]

Austin represent!

I'm curious; why do you have to wait for the LA Fitness to open? There are plenty of gyms in Austin with pools.

[swimdude]

Welcome

[redheaded_aquaman]

Austin represent!

I'm curious; why do you have to wait for the LA Fitness to open? There are plenty of gyms in Austin with pools.

There are no easily accessible gyms with pools in *far* south Austin. On the weekends, I drive over to the "new" Westlake Gold's, but on a daily basis that just doesn't work. Nor does Lifetime Fitness work for me 1) it's too expensive and 2) the traffic to get there is a pain in the ass.

With any luck, a new Gold's or 24 Hr Fitness will go in near Southpark Meadows once HEB completes their build-out at the end of 2015 at the intersection of Slaughter and I-35. The yet-to-be started LAFitness at Manchaca and Slaughter (behind the Walgreens) will eventually be the pool I go to until Gold's or 24 Hr Fitness builds closer. I will tolerate the traffic to swim at the new LAFitness on S. Lamar during the week until another option presents itself that removes the southbound 1-35 / Ben White overpass from my commute.

Honestly, we should ditch the "Keep Austin Weird" slogan and instead adopt "Austin: Hope you're not be in a hurry to get anywhere. Welcome to the fourth (soon to be third) worst traffic in America."

[redheaded_aquaman]

Austin represent!

I'm curious; why do you have to wait for the LA Fitness to open? There are plenty of gyms in Austin with pools.

Just today, I drove up I-35 to the "new" Highland Gold's. They have a great pool. However, a mid-afternoon trip up (which took 25 minutes to get to) and leaving the gym at 4pm -- involved a return trip thru town on I-35 of an hour to return home, that's not acceptable.

I used to swim at Stacey Pool but stopped once they built the new bathhouse/changing rooms. It became an ordeal to go on my lunch break because homeless people discovered the free shower and those guys would take forever to get cleaned up. I could very easily go swim another 1000 or 1650 in the time it took them to shower. It's a great pool, but it was a hassle after awhile and I've not returned since. The fact that it wasn't heated was an issue too in the winter, even though I did brave it for two (winters). I really loathed my job then so, swimming was a way to stay out of the office for as long as possible during lunch and because it was a fitness activity, they cut me some slack to take a longer lunch break. Deep Eddy is too far of a drive, the traffic to get there and back sucks, but it is my favorite pool in the City and I go when I have the luxury of time.

The neighborhood/country club pool is outrageously priced for membership, isn't heated, and they have a ridiculously limited open season in which to swim. If I lived elsewhere in Austin, I would have better options. It's not as easy as one might imagine -- and believe me, I truly love to swim and have done my fair share of due diligence to find a solution to allow me to do so. At least I have my own pool at the house, but it's not a lap type pool by any measure. I can work on my tan and cool off, but I can't log distance or fitness swim in it.

[merken]

Nice summary of what's available.

The Gregory pool is the best by far, but it's probably the least accessible in terms of location and membership opportunities.

[mikesk40]

welcome and great pic

[Baltspeed]

I agree. Wearing Speedos and then I´ll have some fun - always at the same time.