People of the Pool Alert System: Hot. Cold. Just Right.

People of the Pool Alert System: Hot. Cold. Just Right.

“Jamie. Have you been to the pool today?”

I was at the bank making a deposit. Searching for my account number sifting through all the little slips of paper tucked away in the pockets of my billfold.

A friend standing at the teller turned around to speak and she asked the above question.

Coincidentally, I had indeed decided to swim this afternoon. I needed to get back in the pool after an extended break.

We are very fortunate to have a new aquatics center while living in a fairly rural county. Such a boon for us aging athletes. Take my mother — please. No silly. My mother is a loyal water aerobics devotee.

And there is an assorted tribe of us who like to swim laps.

I hadn’t been swimming for a few months and needed to start back.

Paula’s question at the bank made me pause. “Have you been to the pool today?”

Was that code for the water is FREEZING? Dear Great God in Heaven, please no. I can’t take that.

Just then while I was still filling out my deposit slip, up walked another friend, Brillo, who answered the question bouncing around in my head.

“It was hot. Like 92 degrees hot.”

Ninety-two degrees? At the county pool? Is that even possible?

We spent a few pleasant seconds chatting how it was so nice to get into a warm pool but that after a few minutes . . . you broil.

It occurred to me all of us — the county swimmers, water aerobics participants and dog paddlers —  would benefit having a finger on pulse of the water temperature at the pool.

Then I thought of a plan. I thought it up quick. A great one in fact. A great plan and quickly. Unusual for me.

We needed to form a Facebook group.

Or even better, a text alert system. Anyone in the pool early in the day, say the 6 a.m. crowd — Emily, David or Joe. This front line could send out a TEMP OF THE DAY text to the People of the Pool.

Something like this:

WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGE

Like today. Though it was too warm, by slowing my pace and going heavy on the backstroke, I was okay.

So if I saw red, I would proceed to the pool as planned.

If I received this alert — NO WAY — would I take my little #BreakTheInternet swim trunks to the pool.

A few times the heater has been out and I’ve swam. Never gets warm. One time it was so bad I would have left but the guy in the next lane got in —

I didn’t want to perpetuate a stereotype and let TEAM GIRL down; so I swam in misery.

But the vast majority of times,

It’s just right.

Any swimmers out there? Hot, cold — what can you tolerate?