Free Write Blog

Swimming

To start out here’s a definition of swimming in my words. You could even call it a quote if you want to. “From the inside you can’t explain it, and from the outside you can’t understand it.” It’s a sport that you can’t just up and decide that one day you want to become a swimmer. You have to either grow up swimming, or it’s in your blood and soul.

There are multiple levels of swimming, starting out from the lowest/slowest level, Districts. It’s basically a meet that anybody can swim unless you’re too fast. The next level up is Junior Olympics where if you have these qualifying times then you can’t swim at districts. This is the level that average speed swimmers are at. After Junior Olympics comes states, the level that I’m at. This level is where fast swimmers are at and were most kids goals are. After states you get into the unreal territory which is Zones, Sectionals, and then Junior Nationals. My sister is a Sectional swimmer and my best friend Caroline is a Junior National swimmer. They are insane!

This weekend is the SMAC Last Chance meet, which is literally my last chance. If I don’t get the rest of my cuts this weekend then I’m going to have some problems. My parents have decided this year that if I don’t have four or more State Cuts then they won’t take me to states. I guess I can understand that mainly because they’re all the way in Grand Rapids which is two hours away. This weekend my goals are to get my cut in the 200 I.M., the 200 Back, and to go my time in the 100 Back. I haven’t gone my time in the 100 Back since November, at High School Conferences.

My coach, Greg, seems to think that I’m scared to swim and go all out because of my back, but that’s not it. I really don’t know what it is, but I’m going to find out this weekend I guess. Maybe it’s my heart rate. I now know that if my heart rate isn’t high up before I swim then I probably won’t go that fast. Also my turns have been off, so I’ve spent the last week trying to perfect them, as well as my starts. The only thing I can do know is to visualize my races and focus. It’s not like I’ll be completely upset if I don’t go my time or get my cuts, but it would be really nice if I could.

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