An afternoon at EMU!

Due to multiple meets at U of M, I asked my former head coach Peter Linn at EMU if I could join them this afternoon.  Just driving to my former pool put a smile on my face.  I love that facility.  I've swum some of my best times there and it's widely considered the fastest pool in Michigan.  I have so much history there, it was great to come "Home" in a sense.  The moment I walked on deck, swimmers smiled at me.  It felt good.  I feel the mutual respect from every swimmer I know there.  Over the years I've stayed involved in the EMU program, helping out in any way I can and I feel like the swimmers there know that.  Each time I come to EMU, I get handshakes, smiles and uplifting conversations from everybody; the mens and womens team as well as the coaches.  It's just a great feeling.  If anybody from EMU reads this... you guys are awesome.

Today I got to talk to the new Graduate Assistant Chase.  During the practice I found Chase's coaching style to be incredibly good.  He stays involved, helps swimmers with strokes and reminds swimmers what they should be working on during a hard set.  Besides all that, he actually knows what he's talking about... always a benefit!  After practice I approached him and gave him a glowing review of his coaching style as well as reinforced specific parts of his coaching that I found especially good. 

The practice was classic Peter Linn.  Easy to read and follow, mostly aerobic and challenging.  I chose to do backstroke on most of the freestyle sets.  I chose to swim with the sprinters although most of the team was doing the same practice, the MD/D guys were doing FRIM (Free-IM) instead of just free.  As soon as I joined a lane with two sprinters, I immediately heard them call out "Last" followed by the other calling out "second to last", meaning, they didn't want to swim in ahead of me... it was funny.  Most of the swimmers seemed to know I was training with CW even though I never really told anybody.  Word gets around apparently.

I found myself leading my lane of sprint freestylers by swimming backstroke.  I think part of this lane domination was because I was back at EMU and wanted to prove that I had been busy training at CW.  The other part was just because I have made some significant progress in the last few months training.  Either way, the rest of the practice went the same way, I lead the lane while doing pulling and freestyle as well.

The last set of the day was 12 x 50y on the :50 with the 6th and 12th one MAX.  I was actually excited to swim this one.  It was right up my alley.  I get a little rest, then one fast swim with more rest before another one.  On the first fast swim, the guys got up on the blocks while I prepared for my backstroke start.  I knew I would swim fast.  There was no question it would be a 23 second 50 back.  I had a perfect start and underwater kicking to breakout and power my way to the wall followed by a fast turn.  When I looked over while doing underwater kicks, I was next to the fastest sprint freestyler on the team and a bodylength ahead of another freestyler.  I surfaced shortly after and spun my arms to the wall, conscious of how my hands and arms were entering the water as well as how I was connected in my stroke (a new Doak feature).  I touched about the same time as the best freestyler, in a 23.40.  Not too shabby.  I was satisfied with that time and warmed it down with another few 50's of the set.  I hoped to go faster on the 2nd one but found myself still tired after the next five 50's.  I needed another few minutes to improve upon that 23.4.  The last swim of the day went a lot the same but I definitely got beat by the freestyler.  I touched in a 24.0, still a respectable time.  When the set was over a few of the guys in the 2nd heat asked me what I went, I responded "23.4".  They smiled and shook their head in disbelief.  One swimmer blurted out my time in amazement "23.4!  Are you serious?!".  I smiled and warmed it down.

I thought the whole thing was kind of funny.  It's not that I was really that blazing fast, but for practice, it was pretty respectable times for the end of practice.  In the locker room I heard much of the same with more smiles and laughs.  One sprinter exclaimed "Doak you were making me look like a clown over there beating my freestyle times while swimming backstroke, but then again you're coming off a 5 year alumni taper".  It wasn't true but still funny.  I promptly reminded them that I was training hard at CW each day just like they were here.

Overall it was a great afternoon with my former team EMU.  I got to swim in my favorite pool and see some old friends at Eastern.  Thanks for letting me crash your practice!