Gyms / Leisure Centres

RedB

Just wondering if many Tri people are full or casual members of Gyms or Leisure Centres?

I do all my running outdoors and go to a pool as a casual customer but its a bit awkward to get there during lunch time (have to drive from city centre to suburb and back). They have a masters session there so that's also an attraction. However there's a closer pool to work that would be more convenient but also more expensive and it would also facilitate any morning runs/cycles en route to work (no shower at work). I have a turbo and don't usually do any weights.

Is it worth approx €200 extra p.a. to have the convenience of a nearby gym / leisure centre? Do A/R/Tists use them as regularly as they intended when they joined?

I only went to the pool approx 50 times (:() this year so having one nearer might give me less of an excuse and if I became a member I might be more motivated to use it more frequently..........on my own .

Any advice welcome

Izoard

It depends on your setup I guess, but I find them a lifesaver.

Family commitments mean I have limited time at weekends to train, so I have to get through some volume during the week.

Also, I don't get to any group sessions, so it is all solo.

I do most/all my swimming in the Trinity pool beside the office- love it.

Also a member of Ben Dunne's Carlisle (scene of the Viper shooting:eek:) for gym and treadmill activity.

Bit of a luxury, but means I can generally get 2 sessions + bike commute in per weekday, if I'm in Dublin.

RedB

Izoard wrote: »

I can generally get 2 sessions + bike commute in per weekday, if I'm in Dublin.

:eek::eek:

Ok now I understand a bit more what I need to be doing! Where's that membership form?

shotgunmcos

RedB, get a pool only membership for 6 month at the Arena and then head down to the morning swims twice a week. That will get your value's worth and get you swim fit too in time to zip the wetsuit up for OW swimming in Castleconnel

catweazle

Due to a change in job circumstances I have changed gyms and I am hardly swimming at all lately. I used to find the lunchtime swim in the local gym great, take away 20 minutes for changing and travel and I was always able to get a solid 35-40 minutes in during weekdays which was great. A lot of the time I would go either in the morning or that evening as well but always lunchtime. Its killing me these days as its 20 minutes in traffic no matter when i go just to get to the new gym

Plus i used to save another tenner a day as well not heading off with the rest of them down to the local carvery for lunch

Izoard

Also meant to add that I've canned the golf membership.
Playing twice a year for approx €700 per round, wasn't going down too well, particularly now that I've started to grease the WTC wheels...:)

AntiVirus

Izoard wrote: »

Also meant to add that I've canned the golf membership.
Playing twice a year for approx €700 per round, wasn't going down too well, particularly now that I've started to grease the WTC wheels...:)

Am I glad I never got this golf bug!

Oryx

I had pool membership this year at a leisure centre, I suppose I got the value of it. But they want e350 for the next year, up by e100 so I wont be renewing. Will go casually to the council pool which is bigger but always freezing

Other than that I own a treadmill which is a bloody godsend.

pgibbo

catweazle wrote: »

Due to a change in job circumstances I have changed gyms and I am hardly swimming at all lately. I used to find the lunchtime swim in the local gym great, take away 20 minutes for changing and travel and I was always able to get a solid 35-40 minutes in during weekdays which was great. A lot of the time I would go either in the morning or that evening as well but always lunchtime. Its killing me these days as its 20 minutes in traffic no matter when i go just to get to the new gym

Plus i used to save another tenner a day as well not heading off with the rest of them down to the local carvery for lunch

Get your lazy ass out of bed in the morning and you'll make it in 15 minutes. Plus the pool is very quiet that hour of the morning!

pgibbo

Sounds like MCOS answered your question. In Galway, pool time is very expensive unless:

1. You live or work near Leisureland in Salthill
2. Can make it to the very limited public swim times of the other pools.

As a result I joined a centre near work with a 25m pool to save money and time around swimming. I only use it for swimming though. Shame there's no swim only option! :mad:

Bambaata

Im in Northwood in Santry/Ballymun myself. I onyl use it for swimming and i go every Mon/Wed/Fri morning. At 290 for 13 months it wasnt a bad investement. Im there almost 3 years now. When i had to renew last they hiked the prices up so i waited two months and low and held the price came back down. They generally sting people that way. They offer great value only at renewal to jack it up.

hunnymonster

I'm actually a member of two gyms at the moment (joined 2nd when 1st was closed for flooding) and I think I get good enough value from them. If I could change one thing it would be to get them to open before 7am as I'd prefer to get a longer morning session. I get the impression that gyms aren't feeling the recession. Our memberships are up and I rang both gyms saying we are only going to join one of them for 2011 and neither is willing to do any negociation. The more expensive one is having a pile of renovations done in 2011 so the track will be out of action but still they won't budge.