400 IM- Not as Fast as I used to be.

Okay, here it is,  my first 400m IM in a long time. I'm in the second lane with the green cap. This is the first of the 3 events I raced at the Brantford International this month.  It is difficult for me to watch, especially the backstroke and the freestyle, as those two strokes I struggle with.  The last 100 metres was definitely the hardest!

As someone who swam well competitively as a child and young adult it can be difficult to awaken to the realization that I am not what I used to be. As I have said in previous posts though, it is time to start anew.  To find a new baseline and work from there.  As an adult we do not have the luxury of sleeping on the bus/ car on the way to the meet, or going to 6-10 workouts a week with our only other big responsibility, doing well at school.  Many of you, just like me, have full time careers, kids, and homes to manage. Our current goals should be based on the amount of time we can commit to the sport,  for me, that is 4 hours swimming per week, not the 20 hours/week of long ago.  Be the best you can be for the time you can commit.

Be Bold. Feel Uncomfortable. Better Yourself.

Results Women 17&Over 200m IM- Brantford International

Last weekend I stepped FAR out of my comfort zone and attended a non-Masters swim meet. It wasn't a club time trial, or a local B level event.  It was the Brantford international.  This is an early season swim meet that has some top tier  competitive swimmers from Ontario/Quebec in attendance.  Of course the talent pool varies; there is a big discrepancy in times from first to last place.  Because the time standards were fairly easy to make, I had times from last season that made the cut. I thought this a good opportunity for me to practice racing, as that skill, that at one time was top notch, has declined dramatically. My goal going in was to see what I needed to work on in practice and try to come top 12 in at least one of my events.  It turns out there are many areas in need of some "work".  These areas include, starts, turns, pacing, breath control, endurance, and I'm sure there are a few more. I managed a top 12 finish in 2 of 3 events. Not bad for 4 hours swimming per week.  Luckily, World's aren't until August, I have some time to better my performance.

What I found most uncomfortable during the competition were the quizzical looks I received from other competitors and officials.  As the next oldest competitor at the meet was 21, I stood out in regards to my age.  A couple of the marshals thought the heat sheets had a typo, until we met face to face.  All of them wondering how I got into the meet,  and shouldn't I be swimming masters? After a simple explanation that there were few Masters races to choose from, and I paid my additional fees to race at non-Masters events, the adults generally understood my reasoning, yet still were skeptical of my ability to keep up with the kids. 

The athletes, at first, thought I was a coach just jumping in to swim during warm-up. Then most had surprised looks when they realized I was in their heat.  The expectation of the athletes was that I would be last by far in all my races as I was not as young (or actually, I was an older lady) as they were. What these kids didn't know is that I was determined not to be last in the event. That I had a realistic goal of top 12.  

By the end of the competition, I had earned my place at the meet with the athletes and officials.  I had several swimmers congratulate me with good race, great job after my swim, as I had exceeded their expectations of my ability.  Several of the officials were also masters swimmers, they congratulated me on my efforts and  being bold and confident enough to race with the younger athletes.  After all, the age category was 17 & over, there is no age cut off only time standards.

It is important that we take risks.  They don't have to be big risks, like jumping from an airplane, or betting the house on the roulette wheel in Vegas.  Small risks, taken to improve our performance or expand our comfort zone help us to grow and continue to learn.  These small risks, improve our overall confidence in ourselves and our ability to learn from mistakes and persevere to succeed. It is never easy to jump in with both feet, so start by dipping in your big toe. Find something your interested in, an area you want to improve, a job you want to go for but not sure if you'll get it (that happened to me this week too),  an exercise class you want to try but your friends can't go with you for moral support on the first day.  Be bold, feel uncomfortable, and feel confident knowing that you are bettering yourself with each step you take forward toward learning something new.  That's what keeps me going every time I jump in feet first.