Last Day of Swimming

Farewell treats and card from MEMO:.

Thursday:  Last day of summer swim session and last day of swimming with Marcia.  And of course, Marcia had to end it all with a big splash of a 4x100yd swim test!

This morning, I was the antithesis of "waking up like a tiger."  I must have hit the snooze button three times.  Once I was actually physically in the pool, wet and cold, there was no going back to bed.  Trust me, I have dragged myself out of bed before, driven to 5AM rowing practice, decided that I was not going to have any of this rowing shit, drove right back home, and went to bed.  Granted, I was also pregnant at the time, and I had the hardest time getting up in the morning, even for work.

The 4x100yd swim test was not as bad as I had feared.  I managed to stay aggressive for all four pieces.  On the last piece, I knew that I lost time on the flip turns, not holding a tight streamline off the wall, but it happens when you are tired and oxygen deprived.  4x100yd:

1. 1:10 min.
2. 1:09 min.
3. 1:09 min.
4. 1:09 min.

Consistent, but not able to go 1:08 min like I did the last time, two months ago.  I had feared the swim test because I knew I was not in as great of swimming shape as I was in May.  Almost two months of training for SW Regionals will make you faster rowing, but probably slower swimming.

Why should I be anxious for a swim test?  Same reasons why I get anxious for an erg test.  One, because I know how much it will hurt.  And two, fear of personal disappointment.  Cool if you can swim fast, but Marcia could careless if you swim a 1:50 or a 1:05 as long as you are doing your best and digging deep.  Marcia will care if you fly and die, e.g. 1:30, 1:35, 1:40, 1:45.  She will say, "(insert name here), what's happening?!  You are getting slower!!"

I am sad to leave Marcia and the awesome swimmers and lane mates from MEMO:.  Here are a few things I have learned from swimming with Marcia:

1. A really good coach is with his or her weight in gold.  Most masters swim teams have a coach, but you are mostly swimming on your own.  You swim whatever workout is written on the board.  Trust me, 200yd warm-up, 200yd kick, 200yd pull, 5x500yd, etc. gets old real fast without Marcia yelling at you.
2. I should never race backstroke.  Or, if I do, race "unaffiliated" so I will not embarrass anyone else besides myself.
3. Fast swimmers come in all shapes and sizes.  But if you want to be national team/Olympic fast, you might need to start looking like Michael Phelps.  
4. It is always easier to improve when you are relatively new to a sport.  Not so easy when you begin to plateau or when you have already been at it for many years.  
5. It is always more fun when you are fast or are getting faster.  
6. You always swim better, faster, farther when there is competition around.
7. A week off, a month off.  You might be still be fit, in-shape, but you will have to re-build that edge again.  Athletes worry about peaking at the right time.  You cannot be at your peak all the time--that's called a plateau.
8. Details do matter.  Keep your eyes on the bottom of the pool, head tucked in.  Tight streamline and four dolphin kicks off the wall.  You need less air than you think.  
9. When tired, hold onto that technique and KICK!
10. Masters swimming races are divided into age groups of five years, e.g. 30-34, 35-39.  Triathlons typically have similar age groups.  Running has age groups of ten years.  Cycling tends to only have three age groups, but has different ability categories.  On the other hand, rowing has these AA-G(?) age handicaps.

Thank you, Marcia for so many things!  And, go Lane 3!!

The Princess attacking the goodies...