We had a killer Masters session today. It took all I had to finish the workout and my arms are TIRED. There is such an interesting phenomenon going on in my lane these days. Luckily we have our pecking order down pretty good and the "natives" seem to have accepted us into their tribe.

For some reason I did not arrive in time to complete the warm-up, despite being in the water at 5:30. I was able to get in 200 swim, 200 kick before Paul was explaining the first set. 16X25 drill work in clumps of 4 (not to be confused with "sets" where you get rest time in-between). When I first started with this masters group I kept getting killed on the warm up set, I could never hang. I was trying to do the drills but never making the intervals. One day I said "Okay today you are just going to try to hit the intervals on the first set, just try to hang one set and whatever happens after that is okay". Well, I did, and it's been easier ever since. Now, I totally swim the opening set fast as heck with the girls and I can hang. So we get the 25's over with.

Then onto 2X200 pull w/o paddles working on stroke count and turnover. Cake, nailed it.

Then the best one: 2x100. First 100: by 25's: fly kick, fly, back kick, back. Second one (you guessed it): breast kick, breast, free kick, free. It made me think that someday I am going to have to do repeat 200's where you smash those two together. That would be fun!

Main Set: 4x300. Oooh, Mondays are the worst where he throws these up, but I'm like okay, I can do this. Paul says our interval is 5 minutes. I take off third in the lane. The first two girls are out for blood. We come through the first 100 in 1:28. Wonderful. I hang. I'm lucky that I'm drafting, but I'm fighting to keep the bubbles in sight. We come in at 4:28. Okay, get some rest and take off again. Another repeat...hang on Sonja, you can do it. 4:30ish. Then a third. Whew, hung on for that one too. Lead girls are wearing out 4:40, but I'm still biting their ankles. During the rest on this one we look at the board and there has APPEARED a 3x300 underneath the 4x300. Ouch. Another set. Lead girl says she's cooling down. I'll keep my words to myself. Second girl takes off keeping to the 5 min interval. I stay on her. 4:40. She calls it a day.

I stand there for a little while. It's one of those "moments". What am I going to do? Well. Can't stand around too long. I take off and start the next set. It wasn't pretty, but I tried to stay motivated and gave myself several pep talks while swimming. I get done with two of the three and look at the board. Another MIRACULOUS set has appeared: 2x300. Well, there you go. I finish the 3rd in the set of three and stand at the wall again. Should I? I look at my watch. I've got time.

So, into the set of 2, I go. People in the fast lanes are getting out of the pool, done with the workout. I slog on. I don't make the 5 min interval on either of them, but I do them, and I put what I can into it. 5:12, 5:18.

And when I finish I look at the board again. 1x100 Easy, 300 all out. Really, wow, are you kidding me? I backstroke a 100. I'm pretty much the only one left in the pool. But that's what you get for being in the slow lane. Swim faster, shower sooner. At least the showers are always warm by the time I get there ;).

So, there's no use in quitting at this point. I do the 300, and I go all out, like I'm gonna die all out. It's wasn't so much a lung thing as a "My arms can't pull harder" thing. I worked hard, and I came in at 4:43.

So, this interesting phenomenon that is happening in my lane...???? Well, the lead girls get out of the pool at 6:20, I get out when the workout is done at 7. So I end up swimming super hard for the first bit, and then loosing my lane mates. Luckily, the lane that is one faster has 2-3 people that always complete the workout. So I just have to get myslef a little bit faster where I can hang with them. Right now, when I try to swim one lane up (sometimes Tyler makes me), I am right back at the point where I'm getting dropped on the opening drill set. The one nice thing about people getting out of the pool ahead of you is that you always question getting out yourself as well. It's good for your mental game to have that test, and I can say that on most all days...I pass it.

Patience oh little one, my time will come.