To tell you about my secret swimming ?

[Ridarooster]

I've been going go the local lido during my lunchtimes and early eves. The water is amazingly refreshing in this heat. I've done 220 lengths over the last 5 days. I've not told any of my friends IRL as they may want to come and that then gets into issues with bookings (I'm a lido member, they are not. That means i can get first refusal as a member and the swim sessions fill up asap, so friends may not get booked in easily) and planning around each other for times etc. Plus i just like to go and not have to speak to anyone,I just enjoy the tranquility the water brings, going in my own time when I can each day with no other pressures

Sounds amazing-enjoy!

I’m so jealous. Have a fabulous time.

Nothing wrong with enjoying something on your own.

Fabulous. It’s your down time. You are perfectly entitled to keep it to yourself. Sounds like bliss and good for your physical and mental health. Tell no-one. You’re allowed to have your quiet time.

Why is this remarkable? You don’t have to feel guilty about having something for yourself. I wish women wouldn’t beat themselves up so much about selflessness. Men don’t.

Sourpuss

I’m delighted for you OP, sounds glorious. Also a reminder I keep meaning to make it to the lido at weekends.

Sounds like a lovely bit of me-time. No shame in having something lovely just for yourself. Enjoy!

Indulge and enjoy! I love swimming alone. I find company irritating #alsoasecretswimmer

Oh that sounds blissful. I wouldn't tell anyone either.

Thanks all. It is totally bliss. I get to the pool ready for the session to start. The pool has no immediate prior session which means it's empty when I arrive. I can usually get 1 or 2 lengths in the pool before anyone else gets in. The water is so very still as I glide through it. For the first 2 lengths I pretend it's my own pool. I usually do around 30 lengths each time, that then gives me time to sit on the bench by the pool to dry for 10 minutes so I'm not soaking as I get changed.

8

Why am I a sourpuss? I am a cheerleader of women not feeling unnecessary guilt 🤷🏻‍♀️ if you don’t agree then I’m afraid you are part of the problem.

It's great! Good for you
But I really don't know why you have to justify not telling your friends. It's your exercise/relaxation time so no need to invite them and no need to feel bad about it or have to explain why you "can't" invite them (because of the membership of the lido/having to find times when everyone can go etc). You don't want to invite them because it's your time and that's it.

I swim very regularly too and I have never invited any friends to go with me because I am there to swim, it's not a social occasion (if you don't want it to be)

Thought this might be like Julia Roberts in Sleeping with the Enemy.. But glad it's a happy one, it sounds lovely and is perfectly reasonable to keep it as a solo activity

I took my daughter to a lido last week and we just had a lovely time in the water. Icecream and fizzy drinks. It was beautifully clean and soul cleansing stuff. Keep your secret to yourself and enjoy.

This sounds lovely. But no need to keep it a secret, don’t lie about it if it comes up. ‘Oh I can’t do z’
why not?
i go swimming then.
oh I’d love to come!
i need my membership to guarantee getting in, so you couldn’t really, but also it’s really my time in my own head. Happy to come to some other swimming that’s easier to book as well if you’re keen!

Just to add - I also have a v CF friend who I wouldn't put it past asking me to 'borrow' my membership to swim for herself. If she doesn't know, she won't be asking me.

Sounds brilliant, you don't have to share everything in life with friends. Everyone is allowed to do things on their own occasionally.

You don’t have to take your friends everywhere you go OP. Don’t they do things without you or each other?

It sounds nice anyway, just the thing in this heat

Sounds lovely. I go swimming very early morning as soon as the pool opens and just love the calmness of it.

There's no reason to tell your friends. I'm sure there's plenty about your day to day life you don't tell them, and they don't tell you equally. Just keep quiet and enjoy it.

You don't shower after swimming?. What about all the chemicals. My skin would be as dry as the sahara

It sounds lovely OP, but are you and your friends overly involved in each other's lives for you to be posting about it in AIBU - I go swimming a few times a week and don't think it would cross my mind to tell my friends about it unless they specifically asked!

You aren’t a sourpuss, @Screamingabdabz, some people just need to slap guiltfree women down.

@Luana1 I think my friends would be upset that I never told them. They tell each other about going to the gym etc and I just keep quiet about the swimming. One of the group once got a bit funny with me when she heard that I had joined a gym but never told her ''You got to X ? oh, you never mentioned it or told me that'

Wouldn't even occur to me to tell my friends if I went swimming!

Anyway, it sounds absolutely lovely

That sounds amazing and I totally get why you wouldn't mention it to your friends. I started an early morning swim and once people knew about it, they kept trying to make it into a social event. This meant I had to care about what time it was, make small talk, and I couldn't not go if I just didn't fancy it that morning. Nightmare!