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June 1, 2009
Mighty Masters
Lately at masters practice there have been a few new kids in town. Fast new kids. Kids that...are you ready...
*swam in college*
Ouch.
If you swim masters, you know how it is. Everyone is very established in their lanes. You get comfortable swimming with this person or that and if you move around and mess things up, it causes a bit of a ruckus.
I love swimming with my masters group. They are a wonderful bunch of swimmers, all hard workers and positive and I know for sure they have helped to elevate my swim and have made me a lot more confident in what I can do on race day.
But back to these fast new kids - both of them female and both of them recently out of college. Both extremely nice and positive. Hard working. Both swam for Notre Dame. Both VERY fast.
And some how I keep ending up in their lane.
Why is this happening?
It's making masters hurt more than usual. Why? Well, they don't hesitate to always choose the faster interval to swim on. They do the workout hard and well and I...well I just hang on for dear life.
Today was a good example. The workout was moderate 600, 2x300 negative split, 3x200 descending and then either hard 600 or 6x100 on the fastest interval you could make. Either of the last two options wasn't going to be pretty. But I choose the hard 600 because, well, that's what I should choose and that's what everyone else in my lane was doing. Including fast college swimmers.
As we were starting out the moderate 600 Meredith (my favorite swimming partner of all time) says to Megan and Katie (fast college swimmers) - "I hope you don't lap us."
Oh crap. I hadn't even thought of that!
It was possible though, especially in a 600.
All I can say is, thank God for LONG COURSE METERS! :)
First moderate 600 isn't too bad and although Megan and Katie get very far ahead Meredith and I keep the damage to a minimum. I notice though, that I'm swimming awfully fast. Hmm...was that really "moderate" pace? Not so sure but we'll go with it. Besides, I really don't have much time to think because it's time to do the 300s.
The 300s and 200s go by in a blur. I'm having trouble doing the math in my head to even figure out what I'm swimming but when I do figure it out, it's fast. Mostly because I want to get back to the wall before Megan and Katie are starting again. No such luck. Boy was this workout going fast!
Now, it was time for the hard 600. Oh boy.
It was almost funny. I mean if I thought I was having trouble keeping those two fishies in sight on the moderate 600, I never knew what hit me on the "fast" 600. Again, I say, "thank God for long course meters" because had we been swimming short course I surely would have been lapped.
I swam and swam and swam as hard as I could and darn it if the fast fish weren't getting farther and farther ahead! Let it be known, there is a big difference between their "moderate" and "fast" but not so much of a difference between mine. :)
Anyway, I didn't get lapped but the fear of it pushed me to my fastest 600 ever. See what a little fear can do? Fear can be quite a good thing!
In a few weeks Meredith won't be able to come to masters as she is starting her residency and has to be at the hospital at like 2 am. (okay, not really but I'm pretty sure I would never survive residency) I will be so sad when she is gone. Especially because that now leaves me all by my lonesome with the fast fishes that swam in college. I'm scared! :)
But also excited. It will be a new challenge. Instead of trying to lead the lane or push to a new "best" on my own, I will be holding on for dear life. I will probably get lapped (I can only hope the pool stays LCM forever) but I'll do my darndest not to let it happen. And become stronger for it. Or my arms may just fall off. I guess we'll see which happens first. ;)
Posted by beth at June 1, 2009 8:27 PM
Comments
Yahoooo! Nice work Beth - WAY TO GO!!!! Hey - NO SHAME in getting lapped... especially by the collegiate swimmers. They are FAST :) Hang in there and just keep swimming! You CAN do it!!!
Posted by: marit c-l at June 1, 2009 11:25 PM
Oh man...that swimming thing...if we keep trying we will be like fish someday...I just know it!!! I would come and swim with you right away if we would live closer, because I have noone to swim with as well:-( We have the Australian National Team swimming next to us right now...let me tell you: their breast stroke warm up is my all out freestyle!!! CRAZY!!! I figured it out: we need: bigger feet and hands:-) How do we get that now, is there any food that makes feet and hands grow?
Nice work!!!
Posted by: Angi at June 1, 2009 11:39 PM
Hey nice swim. It will make you faster or sure. Just keep at it.
Posted by: Angelina at June 2, 2009 5:56 AM
Ohhhhh, it always hurts when the "swam in college" kids show up!! Nice work :)
Posted by: Charisa at June 2, 2009 5:07 PM
Fear is a great motivator!!! Darn ex-college swimmers!! Way to kick butt and hang in there!
Posted by: maija at June 2, 2009 7:23 PM