Competitive Swimming
Anyone looking for an entertainment option for Tuesday night, you may be in business. You just have to drive out to the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center.
Because
Apparently, I have been talked into swimming the 100 yard IM for corporate challenge. I had planned on doing the 200 yard freestyle, but that is tonight and my unplanned trip to Tulsa screwed that up.
So now I get to do the IM.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Individual Medley, in entails swimming one length of the pool with the butterfly, one length backstroke, one breast stroke and one freestyle.
No problem.
Right…..
What is sad is that the stroke that scares me the most is not the butterfly – that was my favorite stroke back when I was a swimmer for the Burning Tree Barracudas as a kid.
The back stroke is what I am afraid of. Do you know how many times I rammed my head into the wall swimming the backstroke as a kid. Well, it was more than once. I can tell you that much. And while I can’t really say that it caused long term brain damage, I can assure you it has left me scarred psychologically.
Because ramming your head into a cement wall hurts. No matter how fast you swim. And if you take the time to look for the wall while swimming, you are costing your time.
And that brings up the other point.
I have never finished dead last at anything where the results are posted for the world to see (the internet). There is always some poor chap that is slower than me – sometimes I wonder how this is possible. But that could change. My freestyle is pretty strong right now, but the other strokes, not so much. All the times from last year in my age group came in at under 2 minutes. The odds of me coming in under 2 minutes are unlikely at best.
So my name could be posted at the bottom.
Great.
Something else to humiliate me.
But wait.
Because only the fittest of the fit swimmers even attempt to do the IM, there are not a lot of swimmers that compete. In fact, in the past 2 years, only one person in my division AND age group has competed in the IM.
There are only two of us signed up from my age group/division this year. And because KCCC scores everything based on division, guess who will be coming in no less than 2nd place.
That’s right!
And even better, if the other guy doesn’t show up, guess who will automatically be getting first place in his division.
That’s right!
But would I, of all people, brag about winning my division if, in reality, I know I finished in last place overall?
You bet your ass I would!
Come back Wednesday for results.
Because
Apparently, I have been talked into swimming the 100 yard IM for corporate challenge. I had planned on doing the 200 yard freestyle, but that is tonight and my unplanned trip to Tulsa screwed that up.
So now I get to do the IM.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Individual Medley, in entails swimming one length of the pool with the butterfly, one length backstroke, one breast stroke and one freestyle.
No problem.
Right…..
What is sad is that the stroke that scares me the most is not the butterfly – that was my favorite stroke back when I was a swimmer for the Burning Tree Barracudas as a kid.
The back stroke is what I am afraid of. Do you know how many times I rammed my head into the wall swimming the backstroke as a kid. Well, it was more than once. I can tell you that much. And while I can’t really say that it caused long term brain damage, I can assure you it has left me scarred psychologically.
Because ramming your head into a cement wall hurts. No matter how fast you swim. And if you take the time to look for the wall while swimming, you are costing your time.
And that brings up the other point.
I have never finished dead last at anything where the results are posted for the world to see (the internet). There is always some poor chap that is slower than me – sometimes I wonder how this is possible. But that could change. My freestyle is pretty strong right now, but the other strokes, not so much. All the times from last year in my age group came in at under 2 minutes. The odds of me coming in under 2 minutes are unlikely at best.
So my name could be posted at the bottom.
Great.
Something else to humiliate me.
But wait.
Because only the fittest of the fit swimmers even attempt to do the IM, there are not a lot of swimmers that compete. In fact, in the past 2 years, only one person in my division AND age group has competed in the IM.
There are only two of us signed up from my age group/division this year. And because KCCC scores everything based on division, guess who will be coming in no less than 2nd place.
That’s right!
And even better, if the other guy doesn’t show up, guess who will automatically be getting first place in his division.
That’s right!
But would I, of all people, brag about winning my division if, in reality, I know I finished in last place overall?
You bet your ass I would!
Come back Wednesday for results.
posted by Kevin at 9:28 AM
1 Comments:
I can't make it there (as of now) ... please have someone record it ... I'll pay to see this!
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