Season of Change

That’s all of them, isn’t it?

It is said that change is the only constant, and I do find it especially true these days. Autumn is my favorite season, with the brilliant colors of changing leaves and bright blue skies. Here in Colorado, the weather also fluctuates wildly this time of year. It’s not uncommon to have snow followed by 75 degree sunny days, as happened last week. While there are times where change is difficult for me, as when something outside of me changes a schedule that has worked well; that every day, and sometimes every hour is different in the autumn is something I find exciting and energizing.

Along with the usual seasonal change, my local rec center is beginning a much-needed major renovation project. Opened more than 25 years ago, our town has doubled in size since then so extra space and amenities are much needed. The good news is that the pool where I swim will remain open during construction, and once the second pool is built, there will be more lap swimming opportunities. Meanwhile, the hot tub is gone until next fall, and there are all manner of inconveniences that are normal to the construction process. BA and I have done two additions at our house, one large and one modest. We lived in the house during the process both times, managed well enough and found the results worth the costs and inconvenience. I’m trusting that this will prove true with the rec center as well.

The rec center where I left my phone

Meanwhile, there is more mud than usual as the route from my house to the rec center is altered. This may well inform some running decisions. And there’s lots of heavy equipment to watch in action, which I and many others find fascinating. There were a number of preschoolers excitedly watching when I was there the other morning. Today, the heavy equipment pictured above is no longer in place, simply a wide open area. Most of the action was inside, where there are temporary walls going up in the pool area. It was odd swimming to the beep-beep-beep of maneuvering lifts, and a little distracting as construction workers walked by.

The surprising challenge today involved counting. Due to the construction, the lap lanes can only be entered at the deep end. My habit has been to use the shallow end. Once I’m in the water, it hardly matters. Except for counting, as the odd numbers are now as I approach the shallow end rather than the deep. I’m pretty sure I counted accurately today, as my time fit with the distance, but there were a number of times where I was briefly disoriented, not quite sure where I was. As I do a lot of pondering during my workouts, this is hardly unusual, and at the same time I was surprised and amused at the integrative challenge posed by such a minor change.

Overall, I am very pleased that this much-needed expansion has begun. I’m adjusting to the changes, large and small, and am challenging myself to remain interested and curious as much as possible during the process. In that spirit, I tried out the steam room after my swim this morning. Pretty hot and steamy, and I may be able to stretch effectively there, although it felt a little hard to breathe. Not the same as the hot tub, and more to explore. Here’s to change!

before the snow

early autumn snowfall in the high country