Two years ago I started practicing with the US Masters team that trains at the pool where I coach. The swimmers were generally gung-ho about going to meets and competing, and asked me a few times if I wanted to join them. And I generally answered them, a la Seinfeld's "I choose not to run!" excuse for why he never agreed to re-race his former classmate Duncan.
I hope you enjoyed the Scandinavian subtitles as much as I did.
It's not that I didn't feel the swimmer's/racer's competitive itch any more -- I don't think that ever leaves you. But I just didn't feel a desire to race at that point.
But after continuing to coach high school and club swimmers, feeling and feeding off the energy at meets, and feeling myself improve at practice, I decided to give a meet a try again. For the first time in 12 years.
It didn't hurt that the open-invitation Colonies Zone Short Course Championships took place at George Mason University, about 15 minutes away from my house.
I registered, finally, with US Masters swimming and signed up for a pretty tame slate of events. No need to go out of control the first time out.
As for entry times, I made them up entirely, based on what I've either done or think could be done in my present condition in practice. Turns out I set the bar a little low.
Swimming between 5 and 20 seconds faster than my seed time was, admittedly, a little ego boost: It felt good to win decisively. Then again, I was typically the youngest in my heats by at least a few years. There was a 70-year-old a few lanes down in the 200 free.
No, I didn't only race senior citizens. But honestly I wasn't paying too much attention to either side. This was about going out and racing for me, myself and I -- seeing what was there, what happened when I pushed on the accelerator.
I had simple goals, starting with the 100 freestyle. I just wanted to go under a minute. The first time I was 12. Once in college I managed to push a :59. Since then, nowhere close. In the last few months in practice, I've pushed as fast as a 1:05. At this meet, I went 55.73, good for 10th out of 16 in my 30-34 age group. Goal achieved.
The rest of the events, by the numbers:
200 IM: 2:26.04
50 Breast (200 medley relay) :35.64
200 Free: 2:05.63
100 IM (YES!) 1:05.44
50 Free: :25.1
