Okay, so I decided to jump into the Southeast Zone Masters Swimming thing. I’ve been swimming laps on my own for a while, but I wanted to see what the competitive scene was like, even if I’m no spring chicken anymore.
First, I looked up some local meets. Found one that seemed like a good fit – not too huge, not too small. Then came the registration. Gotta admit, filling out all those forms felt a little daunting. Name, age group, events… it all felt very official!
Next, I actually had to, you know, train. I mean, I swim regularly, but this was different. I started pushing myself a little harder, doing some timed sets, and even trying to work on my turns (which are still pretty rusty, to be honest).
- Upped my yardage a bit each week.
- Forced myself to do some sprints, even though I hate them.
- Watched some YouTube videos on flip turns – still need work!
The day of the meet arrived, and I was a bundle of nerves. I showed up at the pool, checked in, and found my heat and lane assignments. It was a little intimidating seeing all these other swimmers, some of whom looked like they’d been doing this their whole lives.
Standing by my lane and stretching as much as I could to shake off the anxiety, then names started being called out.
My first race was the 50 freestyle. I dove in, swam as hard as I could, and… well, I didn’t win. But I also didn’t come in last! And you know what? It felt pretty good. The adrenaline rush was amazing.
I ended up swimming in a couple more events – the 100 free and the 50 backstroke. Again, no medals, but I managed to beat my own personal best times in both, which was a huge win for me.
By the end of the day, I was exhausted, but also exhilarated. I chatted with a few other swimmers, swapped some stories, and even made a couple of new friends. It was a great experience, and I’m definitely planning to do it again. Maybe next time I’ll even try a relay!
