Piedmont Swim Moms RULE!!

This weekend was the Rocket City Swim League’s Championship Swim Meet. AKA “City Meet.”

During the festivities, they have Coaches’ races and Parent races. I was in the Moms’ 4×100 Freestyle Relay this morning. I swam the 2nd leg.

They asked me on Friday if I’d be willing to swim, since I swim laps during the lifeguard breaks when I’m at the pool with the girls. I’m not fast — at this point I’m just trying to strengthen and continue with the rehab of my knee — but I said sure and exchanged cell phone numbers with the team coordinator so that she could send me a text message to tell me what time to be there on Sunday.

Apparently, our team’s moms have a reputation for winning this event, and talk trash like crazy to the other teams. I did not know this until I was standing nearly naked on the side of the pool. HOLY CRIPES, people. I’m not fast. I’m not an athlete. I’m just doing this for fitness. And now you expect me to maintain a reputation!?!

So. I get there and warm up. My first time in this huge pool EVER was during warmups this morning — I never qualified for City Meet as a kid, either. I was terrified my goggles would fall off or I’d have a wardrobe malfunction. Nikki, our coordinator (and a childhood friend) told me to “go AS FAST AS YOU CAN across the pool, and try not to breathe, and just make a game of it. WE HAVE TO WIN. Oh, no pressure, though.” (You’d have to know her. She’s hilarious.)

I’m on the starting block in this picture, the one closest to the camera. To my left is another childhood friend — her parents and mine used to go camping almost every weekend when we were little.

Bizarre to look around and see so many people I knew as kids in their grownup versions.

Anyway. The race started, and our first leg was FAST, and we were quickly in first place! I was getting coached by about four people “PUT YOUR GOGGLES ON!” “PUT YOUR TOES OVER THE EDGE!” “START ROLLING NOW!” “GOOOOO!” as it was my turn to dive. I went in, and got a big mouthful of water.

So much for not breathing.

I held it as long as I could, and managed to make it halfway across the pool before I had to breathe.

Jerry got a few pictures. Here’s the best one; I’m almost center (not the one diving, though that’s cool, too):

I only breathed three times, and I could FEEL that I was out in first. That’s an exhilarating feeling — not being an athlete, I haven’t had that sensation before. NO WONDER people get addicted to it. Wow!

I maintained our lead (which is impressive, given that Krista was next to me — she’s always been athletic, but she’s skinny where I’m kinda muscular so I guess that helps in swimming), and got to the other side without any mishaps.

Nikki was our anchor, and my GOODNESS she can MOVE — she didn’t breathe the whole way across and just windmilled. What chance we had of losing was completely obliterated. We won our heat, and won overall! Bragging rights for another year!!!

And I am SO DEFINITELY doing this again next year. It was WAY too much fun.