Managing my monthly play budget: LifeTime or Swim Club
People, this a huge one for me.
I have X amount of $ that I use for this stuff. I use about $70/month for a 24/7 superb gym. But, I'm considering dropping that and using the $70 to join a local pool that is top shelf for competitive swimming. I'm gonna throw some pro's and con's out and you tell me what you think....
Price- Charter member at Lifetime, $70. Monthly fees for masters (and thus full access to the pool), $75.
locations- Lifetime's gym is conveniently located on the way or nearby the places that I work, making it very convenient to pop in when ANY time allows. SwimAtlanta, not quite as easy ( 2 pools close to work locations, just not as perfect as the Lifetime locations and this may be due to the fact that the pools aren't 24/7 more that it's about their location), would add a bit of stress here because of getting to/fro the pool (at the right time), a little more travel time which I worry would keep me from using it as much as I use Lifetime.
Hours- Lifetime, 24/7. SwimAtlanta, Masters the usual early morning workouts, and lunch workouts, evening workouts, and a Saturday workout. My schedule would allow 1 lunch workout during the week, and most of 1or2 morning workouts. I say most because I'd have to be out of the water by 6:30 and in the car by 6:32 to keep this from affecting work. The Saturday workout doesn't help much cuz of what we do around here. And, there are open lap swim hours that are usually business hours and available when not with the masters crew.
Resources- Lifetime, everything I like except a swim coach and deep water access. Deep water has slowly become a needed part of my year when I'm rehabbing injuries or using deep water running as a substitute for our easier run days. I like having the weight stuff around but that's not a requirement because Im more than OK with just doing pushups/pullups/core/etc with my stuff at the house. Warm/Cozy/Solid treadmills are probably the second biggest pro after having 24/7 access to swim lanes. SwimAtlanta has SC and LC setups, and deep water, and coaching.
Bottom Line - I'm nowhere close to being a super triathlete, trying to dominate. But, I do want to 'improve'. However, the foundation of ALL of this is that swim/biking/running is a great multisport lifestyle that will help keep me sharp for years to come. I'm not a weights guy, not saying that I won't ever be, but I wouldn't bet on it happening. I like to keep moving too much.
Biggest fear is that I cancel Lifetime, don't get to SwimAtlanta nearly as frequently as I was getting to Lifetime (thus missing out on lower admin of getting to a pool and missing out on warm/dry running on the treadmills), choose to go back, then get gouged at new member pricing. 
As I proofread this, I realize how lucky I am. It really is a good problem to have, isn't it?
Comments
... The older you get and the faster you get, the more valuable *some* judicious weight training becomes.
... If you are getting injured so often you see deep water access for rehabbibg as critical, maybe you need to addres the root cause of WHY you are getting injured.
... Back when I worked full time, especially when I had a job that took me all over Puget Sound, I really valued having a club that had locations easily accessible on my way to work, and near all the locations I traveled to. Not only a time saver, but a workout saver.
FYI, Chris, once again I'm responding 2 days before my IM, AZ this time. Actually a good way to stave off anxiety, and not dwell on it.
Ha, too funny. Reminds me of the scenes in the movie world where it's my role to distract you as the imminent gloom&doom is moments away.
U'r points are spot on. I forgot to mention that I do have the luxury of dropping in to SwimAtlanta for masters/deep water running, it would just be a few extra $ per visit.
U'r second point is still a phantom to me, tho. I've gone to many people, from running specialists to PT to ortho peeps, to get a handle on my calf/achilles. I'm done paying all that $. I'm accepting my role as that ol' dawg that's been hit in the highway too many times, limps around all the time, but stays fiesty. I really need to learn a 'new' way to run. But, as an old dawg, new tricks come hard.
Al, stay in the moment in AZ. I hope Tahoe still has a bitter taste in your mouth. First level of victory is that you do all this stuff. Now, the next level is that you get to the finish line, no matter how good or how bad your previous finishes have been. Then, any time goals are icing. Good luck. Stay in the moment.
Chris,
Where are you in ATL? I live in Roswell and the swim Atl location is a pit and packed most of the time, although it has been years since I went there! I would go to the facility that you will not have to make an effort to get to. Take that excuse out of the equation! I swim at Lifetime Fitness in Woodstock and love it. Although I am a loaner most of the time I am the only one in the pool.
I'm up by Lake Lanier/Buford/Suwanee. I frequent the Johns Creek and Sugarloaf Lifetimes. And the SwimAtlanta pools that I'm referring to are the Sugarloaf pool (mainly) and the Johns Creek pool (not as often as Sugarloaf).
I do most of my swimming at LT but I do drop in on occasion to SwimAtl foe some laps and the deep water running.
And try to catch my thread in the Southeast region forum about trying to get some local ENers to get together to ride.
C
Much easier to stay at LifeTime and drop in at SwimAtlanta than the other way around (practically impossible).
Thanks all!
You can swim your butt off and maybe get 5 - 10 extra min knocked off your IM time for 1-2 years of work at the new place. Your run and bike investment is a bigger payout in the now, add in core work with a tad of lifting.
IMO
I'm noticing a trend with the feedback I'm getting. Yep, think I'll stay put and just work in the occasional SwimAtlanta workout on my off days from work.
I'll sleep fine with this decision, thanks for the help!
High Admin --> Low Desire
Stay with Lifetime.
So true.