So since at least two people on this board are interested in my adventures in joining my University's team I thought I'd create a thread (much like ande's swimming blog) to detail all of it. Yeah.
Since the season doesn't actually start regular practice for another week and a half, this is mainly an intro post - and I'll update it with what happens when I go meet the other girls on the team and such! Stay tuned! It'll be better than any general hospital or passions!
Today I actually swam for the first time (since my freshman swim test last year) in the University pool. It was huge. And cold. Over the summer I got used to swimming in health club pools with water hovering around 80-85. Not exactly the most comfortable water at times, but at least nice and warm. The Ratner pool here is...freezing by those standards. I'm guessing the water temp is 75 at the warmest. Gives new meaning to the term "warm up".
I was really nervous when I first got in - the girls and guys returning members were having informal practices and I was sort of afraid they'd notice me. Although, I don't think they did. Or maybe they did and I just didn't hear what they said about me. Haha.
I also swam a 600 for the first time in a long time. I mostly stuck to 400s and below in my summer workouts (yeah, I know, I'm a little bit of a wimp). Unfortunately, that couldn't last. The coach suggested when I met her that I get in the water and swim 6-800 straight every day this week as part of my workout. It kind of hurt. Actually, it was one of the odder experiences of my life. For the first 200 or so my chest was tight from my asthma and I was freaking out about the distance (I was also really cold). Then all of a sudden I started to get really into it and just kept on going. I probably could have done 1000 if I wanted to.
The workout was cut short - only about 2300yds - because I promised my friends I'd come home and cook dinner for them tonight. And that's where I leave it tonight.
Background: For those who didn't see my posts on the board throughout the year, I'm a soph. in college who has been going through the prepartion to join my school's team. I attend the University of Chicago (a div 3 school) and was a competitive swimmer for seven years before high school. Burnout put me out of the water for almost 5 years, however, and I'm only recently getting back into it.
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I hope so. Right now, I'm focusing on the second half of the season..just to keep me sane. I've pretty much accepted that I won't be competing in the next two meets we have...I mean one of them is scheduled before my MRI, and the other a week after. Even if my MRI is just wonderful, I probably still wouldn't be up to competition shape by the second meet.
We do have five meets between January-February though, and if at all possible (if I can will myself into being healthy) I would like to compete in at least some of them.
I know that if I do indeed have a herniated disc.....well, I guess it depends. If the herniation isn't bad...perhaps the disc is just bulging..then I hope to be in good shape for January. If not...well I'm trying not to think about that.
Next year is already conflicted in my mind. I want to study abroad, and there are two programs that I was looking at. Each are a quarter long. The first is a program on Roman Civilization for a quarter taught in Rome during the fall quarter, the second is a program in Greek Civ taught in Athens in spring quarter. Originally, my best friend/roommate and I were going to try to get into the fall rome program together. Traveling abroad with one of my friends would be amazing, and I still really want to do it.
However, that obviously conflicts with swimming...and..I don't know what to do. My being accepted to the program isn't a certainty, but it's not one of the most competitive programs out there (like Cape Town, or Barcelona). I'm just not sure what I should do. Should I try with my friend for Rome and Athens, knowing that if I go to Rome I'm probably abandoning my next season? Or should I look at only Athens (and perhaps other programs) and swim next year? I just don't know. Fortunately I have a couple of months to make up my mind...
Well, on to the present!
Today we had a dual meet against Illinois Weslyan. Unfortunately, ...it ended in a rather depressing way. We lost to them by 1 point. Our record for the season is now 2-2.
We swam really well, and we were leading them into the last two events of the meet - the 200 *** and the 400 relay. Saddly, we were outclassed in the breaststroke (a surprise), and we lost ground on our turns during the relay.
I guess, the good news is, that our swim team hasn't been close to beating IWU for the past 8 years. So, even if we lost, it's still pretty amazing and I think we rock.
I spent the meet working as a timer...(I joke that I got personal bests in all of my events...I rock at pushing buttons!) chatting it up with a former assistant coach and the rest of my teammates. Perhaps I don't dominate the pool right now, but I certainly dominate the touch pad plunger! Ooooh yeah!
Well, now it's time for me to grab dinner and head off to my other activity - volunteering at Doc Films as an assistant projectionist. We're showing Crash tonight, and I'm rather excited about seeing it!
Oooh...and my new suit from Kiefer arrived, I get to go pick up the package now!
I hope so. Right now, I'm focusing on the second half of the season..just to keep me sane. I've pretty much accepted that I won't be competing in the next two meets we have...I mean one of them is scheduled before my MRI, and the other a week after. Even if my MRI is just wonderful, I probably still wouldn't be up to competition shape by the second meet.
We do have five meets between January-February though, and if at all possible (if I can will myself into being healthy) I would like to compete in at least some of them.
I know that if I do indeed have a herniated disc.....well, I guess it depends. If the herniation isn't bad...perhaps the disc is just bulging..then I hope to be in good shape for January. If not...well I'm trying not to think about that.
Next year is already conflicted in my mind. I want to study abroad, and there are two programs that I was looking at. Each are a quarter long. The first is a program on Roman Civilization for a quarter taught in Rome during the fall quarter, the second is a program in Greek Civ taught in Athens in spring quarter. Originally, my best friend/roommate and I were going to try to get into the fall rome program together. Traveling abroad with one of my friends would be amazing, and I still really want to do it.
However, that obviously conflicts with swimming...and..I don't know what to do. My being accepted to the program isn't a certainty, but it's not one of the most competitive programs out there (like Cape Town, or Barcelona). I'm just not sure what I should do. Should I try with my friend for Rome and Athens, knowing that if I go to Rome I'm probably abandoning my next season? Or should I look at only Athens (and perhaps other programs) and swim next year? I just don't know. Fortunately I have a couple of months to make up my mind...
Well, on to the present!
Today we had a dual meet against Illinois Weslyan. Unfortunately, ...it ended in a rather depressing way. We lost to them by 1 point. Our record for the season is now 2-2.
We swam really well, and we were leading them into the last two events of the meet - the 200 *** and the 400 relay. Saddly, we were outclassed in the breaststroke (a surprise), and we lost ground on our turns during the relay.
I guess, the good news is, that our swim team hasn't been close to beating IWU for the past 8 years. So, even if we lost, it's still pretty amazing and I think we rock.
I spent the meet working as a timer...(I joke that I got personal bests in all of my events...I rock at pushing buttons!) chatting it up with a former assistant coach and the rest of my teammates. Perhaps I don't dominate the pool right now, but I certainly dominate the touch pad plunger! Ooooh yeah!
Well, now it's time for me to grab dinner and head off to my other activity - volunteering at Doc Films as an assistant projectionist. We're showing Crash tonight, and I'm rather excited about seeing it!
Oooh...and my new suit from Kiefer arrived, I get to go pick up the package now!
