Day 23

Hey guys,

So, today was a pretty solid day. When I woke up this morning, my jaw felt a little better than yesterday. I was able to get up, chill a little bit, then climb on the bike. I rode 25 miles out into Smithfield, where my summer league swim team was having the League Championships, at SRAC. I got there on time for warm-ups, and got in a swam some, for the first time in a couple of weeks.

You know, it felt amazing. I was so glad to be back in the water, with some people I love and doing a sport that I love. It was a really special experience, and I knew I could do well. My first event was the 50 backstroke, due to the fact that I got entered late into the meet, so I could only do two races. So, I strapped on a Speedo, and got to stretching. Now, I have a scar from the crash on my hip that is just below the speedo, high on my hip, but very much exposed. It is about 2 inches across in a circle, so I got a good amount of questions about what it was, which I was happy to answer. Anyway, the event rolled around, and I had to think back to my days of a year round swimmer. I started, hit 5 dolphin kicks off the wall, and went as hard as I could. I took 2 strokes under the flags, flipped, and hit another 4 dolphins off that wall. I finished in 29.6, a good time for a 50 back, I think. But, I won the heat, always a good sign. The next race, the 50 freestyle, is a classic. This is just a straight up, balls to the wall race. I dived in, hit 4 dolphins, and came out of the water like a machine, throwing water behind me, going as fast as possible. Once I flipped, I was a good half a body length ahead of the guy on my right, and so I knew I needed to move on the last 25 yards home. I went harder, and hit the wall in 24.9, which is solid for no blocks. So, it was a great day. I'm recovering pretty well.

Happy training!