Thursday night at swim practice, I had another swim breakthrough!
The main set we were given to swim at this practice was 6 X 200 hard on 3:40. As soon as I heard that set, I knew I would never make the interval. I'm just too slow. I normally swim my 200s on 4:00. Besides, whenever we have a set longer than a 25 (sometimes a 50 if I am lucky), I never make the interval. This is because I am the slowest person in the slowest paced swim lane. I get lapped a miliion times. If someone created a swim lane slower then the one I swim in, I would easily be in the new lane.
Despite being very unlikely to make the 3:40 intreval, on the first 200 I was still determined to swim hard. I knew even if I didn't make the interval, I should still swim at the intenesty that the coach perscribed. After powering through the water as hard as I could (without sprinting, and slow enough to save energy for the rest of the set) I was suprised that no one lapped me. I was even more suprised that I actually made the interval!
Okay, that was a one time thing only, I thought. Let's just see what happens after this next 200.
Suprisingly, after another hard 200, I realized that I actually made the interval again! I was even more suprised by this feat than I was the first time I made the interval. Not believing this happened, I buckled down and swam a third 200 hard.
I couldn't believe it! I actualy made the interval for the third time! By this time, I was wondering if I could make the entire interval on 3:40. I was starting to get pretty tired by this point, but managed a fourth 200 on 3:40. I was completely amazed and knew I could make all the other intervals. By this point, there were only two intervals left.
On the fifth 200, the person in front of me was slowing down and starting to get tired. I stayed on his toes for a couple laps - almost passing him- but not sure if I should. The person who was slowing down right in front of me normally laps me about 100 times on every other set
By the time I finished the fifth 200 (yet again, making the set), I was starting to get extremely giddy and tired- both at the same time. The guy that I caught up to remained directly in front of me for another couple laps. By the time I got to the end of the last set, however, he sped up. I guess he didn't want to get passed by the slowest person (by a long shot) in the lane.
By the time I finished the sixth 200 (and made the set- again) I couldn't believe I had made the entire set. That practice on Thursday was the first time I have ever made the tough intervals on a full, complete mainset in swim practice!
