 |
| Canadian Masters Swimming Championships 2014 Terri MacDougall, Sheila Treleaven, Sara Little |
Canadian Masters Swimming Championships ended a week ago. It was held in Windsor, Ontario at the new pool that's been built for the 2016 World Swimming Championships. Beautiful Pool!!! What also made this pool fantastic, for the Master Swimmer, or a few of us anyway, was across the hall is a great water park! This really helped with providing a little balance. My sister, Terri, and I went up on Friday morning, had a great dinner at the Casino then a good sleep. The next day our families came to watch the competition. My husband, girls and I played in the water park during the meet then I went back across the hall to swim my races. This allowed for me to still swim and not be away from the family for 4 days. It also kept the kids busy, because watching a swim meet, when you aren't competing, can at times be like watching paint dry.
Competing at Nationals I feel as though I am a teenager again. Running behind the block to swim, chatting with friends in the bleachers, looking forward to seeing those I only see at the meets, and striving to improve my times.
Coming home brings back the reality of my responsibilities and the continual struggle of balancing it all. Sometimes it can be hard transitioning from breaking records to making lunches and rounding up clients. Actually, the biggest struggle for me is squeezing in the time for me.
As it is currently, to add in sports to my schedule I am searching out pool times from city to city, as I travel for work, squeezing in a 12:05- 12:55pm swim when possible or going late in the evening, or missing altogether. My family is supportive on Sunday mornings, which allows me to go for a swim at the YMCA and then go out with the group to learn how to "comfortably" manage a triathlon bike.
So how do I keep it together (most of the time)?
- Lists!!! Have an ongoing list. Check off each task when competed then move to the next.This is the number one trick that keeps me sane. Without it, it feels as though I've always forgotten something
- Schedule in advance when possible. Use one calendar for everything. School, work, activities, workouts, competitions, etc. That way you are aware of where everything fits in and avoid overlap.
- Keep workout gear in the car at all times for that unexpected opportunity to hit the gym
- Delegate chores to the kids
- Prepare meals on the weekend for the week, or have food out and ready in the morning for easy preparation of dinner that night.
- Eat Well!!! Don't leave home without bringing healthy, energy packed snacks, regardless of what is on the agenda for the day. A well fed body will keep you strong for workouts and your mind sharp for your other daily responsibilities.
My system isn't perfect, as I still struggle to find balance. I know part of the struggle is that I would like to spend more time in the pool or on the bike. But the question I have to ask myself is "what will I be sacrificing to do that?" If I take an extra hour to swim this week, what effect will that have on my kids, or my job performance. Part of my struggle is learning to be content with my results based on the amount of time and effort I am able put in.
Canadian Masters Swimming Record
Women's 40-44 100m Butterfly
May 16, 2014
