This isn't me at practice, but it's the perfect Santa/swim picture! (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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The wobbly legs hit me at about hour three of walking around the mall yesterday, just as I knew they would. I was getting some last-second Christmas shopping in with my little brother, John, and in the morning coach Jeff King had put me through a brutal kick set.
Surprisingly, I walked away from the pool feeling pretty okay. The soreness wasn’t setting in too early, but I knew that it was too good to be true. The set (200 kick, two 25s swim, 400 kick, two 25s swim, 5 minutes vertical kick) had been designed to continue to give my shoulder rest and recovery time but also to really pound the legs. This “okay” feeling would not last long.
When the kicking ended, I did dry land for 30 minutes, and when my right calf started to cramp up in part two of 30, 20, 10 step ups, I figured I was in trouble. But I worked the cramp away and kept going and walked away in a good mood and with no cramps.
Then, after three hours, I walked out of Macy’s and the soreness hit a new level. I dropped my little brother off in D.C. to go to the Capitals game and when I got home and walked up the stairs, holding on to the handrail to make it up the stairs, I really felt it.
But it was that soreness that I love. That, “Okay, I did kick hard enough to make myself pay for it,” soreness. It was important for me to feel that pain because it meant that I had worked hard enough.
This morning I woke up and the calves were being mean once again, and so when I was handed another kick set it was kind of like an, ‘Okay, I’ll try to empty the gas tank,’ type of thing. The funny thing is that as I did vertical kick this morning my calves were so sore that it was a new kind of weird feeling during the workout. I could feel my calves actually shake in the water and that was what hurt. I know that sounds weird.
Today was my last official workout until 2010. That’s even weirder.
Since June I have worked my butt off in the pool every day, missing just four total workouts – two for Monday Night Football, two for sleeping in. So even though I knew I was going to Tampa to watch my Northwestern Wildcats play in the Outback Bowl (Go CATS!), and I would be gone from Dec. 29 – Jan. 2, it felt weird to hear Jeff say, ‘Okay, well I guess I’ll see you next year.’
The good news is that my girlfriend’s sister goes to USF. She has an apartment in Tampa and her complex has several pools, so I should be able to get in and do some kick, do some abs, do maybe a couple of easy 25s just to keep the body used to getting in the water and doing work.
But I’m sure it’ll be different that first day back in the pool – and that first day back with a 3:40 a.m. wake up call. I’m actually going to miss it.
After practice today I sat down with Jeff and reflected on how much this year has meant to me, how much swimming has become a huge part of my life, and most importantly, how big a part of my life the group and Jeff have become.
His impact on me continues to have an effect on my daily life, and I care about the kids I hop into the pool with, too. Talking after practice with one of the swimmers I could just tell how much I wanted them all to do well, to push themselves to the highest possible level.
I hope they all know that, especially at this time of year.
For now, though, I am going to head over and enjoy some Christmas Eve festivities with my girlfriend’s families.
I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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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