With the new bright lights at Lee District, that little jacuzzi cubby space on the right is the perfect place for nap time. (Photo by Paul Tenorio/The Washington Post)
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Today was a good end to a good week. It was the second week back in the normal schedule, the 4:30 a.m. workouts with the full Jeff King-group and there were, as expected, plenty of lessons gleaned from the variety of workouts I experienced for the first time.
I have to remind myself at times to step back and take a look at the big picture. To realize that I’ve only been at this for about two months and that by the time I swim in the November Open I will have basically doubled my time in the pool. So as I face the ups and downs of the workouts, I need to try more to look at the entirety of the experience and what the blip means, and not allow my frustrations to overcome me.
Or, as Matt from Bethesda said — whine less. I laughed when I saw his comment because I would have thought it was from my mom if not for the user name. And I guess I do complain every once in a while about how tough it is — in the pool or balancing things with work.
I do, however, want this blog to be about what I’m really experiencing. I want to be able to look back at these entries and remember the exact emotions I was feeling, as I was feeling them.
Practice started off with a true Jeff King experience: NAP TIME! Everyone walked over to the jacuzzi, found a nice, comfy spot on the floor and napped. I think we got a legit 15 minutes in. And anyone who doubted that I fell asleep had no doubts when I stood up with tile marks on my stomach.
For the second consecutive Friday, I could feel the week in each stroke. I was tired. Obviously, everyone in the pool was. We started with a warm up of eight 100s and moved into a set that went 100, 200, 300, 400. Everyone had different splits; mine was to do it on 30 seconds rest, 20 seconds, 10 seconds.
Then we did it again dropping the 400, and I finished with a 100, 200, 200 and, finally, a 100 all out.
After finishing the 100, Jeff told me to take four minutes and get ready to sprint a 50 for time.
It’s funny because I gave him this look like, “Thanks, bud. After the final workout at the end of the week,” and he just laughed and shrugged. The race itself fits into his bigger plan of the lessons I’ve learned this whole week. How to push through when you’re tired.
So I prepared, and I felt the same nervous butterflies I always do when I swim for time. My time wasn’t great. Actually, I was pretty frustrated when I heard it. But Jeff told me that he was happy with what I did considering when I did it and how I did it.
Next week, I think there will be a day when we build the workout around a 50 race. And I’ve decided in my head a number I want to hit. I’m not going to lie, I’ll be disappointed if I don’t get to that goal. But here’s my thinking: I did my best time in a 50 race at a meter pool. Based off that time, the work I’ve put in and the fact that I’m going in yards now, I’ve come up with my ideal number.
I’m not going to say what it is, but it’s my goal in my head. I think I can hit it if everything goes right, and Jeff even said the number when he told me that if he had catered today’s practice toward that final race I probably would have hit it.
I just want to have that surprise of going a fast time again. So it’s time to put the work in, get the dry land going hard and try to get stronger so I can push through and get faster.
Hopefully next week I can tell you I hit that number.
Washington Post reporter Paul Tenorio will train with a swim club over the next few months and chronicle his journey as he attempts to transform from regular guy/sports reporter to competitive swimmer — everything from his waistline to his best times.
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