After the last race, and giving up all my time to the winner in the swim phase, I knew it was time to start beefing up the swim training. Yesterday I even swam twice! I swam with these guys first, for about 45 minutes total. These are little sunfish.

I swam with these folks in the evening, for about 70 seconds total. These are summer rec league swimmers at our meet.Guess where I felt more at home? Oh yeah, give me the open water. These swim meets are just SO humbling!! I've done the summer league the last few summers, since I started swimming for triathlon. This year I was really not into it and I left the decision up to my son Spencer who said he "wanted me to swim so he could cheer me on." Translation: if I have to do this, you should too. I lack the basic competitive swim skills of your average 8 year-old. I can't do a flip turn without getting vertigo, I have a phobia of diving off the block (fear of my goggles coming loose), and my reaction time needs a lot of work. There are all so many technical rules in swimming too - touch with two hands on breast stroke, you get one pull underwater, blah blah blah. There were two heats of us older "girls" and I was lucky enough to be in the one with the swim coaches, the moms from the multi-generational swim families, and one Virginia Tech swimmer who I think finished in 24 seconds. (Yeah. How is that even possible? And WHY can't I do that?!)I finished last in my heat but came in second out of three in my age group in the 50 free. I didn't take a picture of those results but I think it was 32 or 33 and change. I always fare better in breaststroke. I try to make up for lack of technique with a crazy frantic super-high stroke count approach but it gets the job done, lol!Spencer did well in his events and he has a body position and ease about him that I envy. Focus is another story. I find him talking about some new technology as his feet climb the block! I'll be back for next week's meet. I am prepared to be humbled in the 100 free and backstroke (I'm not a butterfly-er). Then it's two weeks until the Colonial Beach International tri -- my first Oly distance race of the year and my only prep at that distance before Nationals.