Day 2: Recap

Day 2 of my tryout.  Today I realized I've never actually "tried out" for anything.  I was part of a few dinky sports teams when I was 7 years old, and lets face it, they don't cut even the worst kids off those teams, otherwise, it would have been me.  At age 8 or 9 I joined a swim team and I've been welcomed on each team since then.  This is a very foreign experience for me.  It's exciting and stressful all at the same time.  The serious possiblity of being cut from the team (if you can call it that), keeps me on point and motivated like never before.

Today, I was ready for more dryland, but it never happened.  I showed up in plenty of time to get my world rocked with more boxing and ab workouts but no swimmers ever showed up.  I used the time to stretch and do shoulder rehab.  I was down on deck in time to start the workout.  Today was mostly aerobic and was a welcomed change for everybody in the pool.  I did primarily backstroke today which was nice since my freestyle falls apart pretty quick.  There were less benchmarks in the sets so it was easier to keep up with these guys who are used to the workouts (read: faster than me).  Once again, I did not excel and again, found myself at the back of each group.  At one point, the coach instructed me, and a few other swimmers to put paddles and fins on... probably not a good sign for any of us.  The extra equipment was a great idea though.  I was able to get a workout and keep up with everybody.  The workout seemed to go fast, we were out in 2 hours flat, rather than the 3 hours the day prior.  We swam over 6,000 LCM, I lost count after a while.  No feedback was given by the coaches today.  At one point I saw some intervals being taken but weren't reported, or at least not to me.  Overall, it was a pretty laid back practice compared to day 1.

I've made some nice connections on the team.  I'm pleasantly surprised how nice everybody is.  Each person I've met has been cordial and a few have gone out of their way to ensure I have what I need equipment wise or to explain a set to me.  Honestly I wasn't sure what I would get while dealing with swimmers who KNEW they were fast.  Perhaps I assumed there would be an ego problem at this ability level.  I'm happy to report I haven't seen it yet.

I'm still loving this experience.  I'm very run down after only two days, but I'm still motivated and ready for more.