Breaking Point

MY FAVORITE CAP DIED TODAY!

Anyway, recently I have learned a lot about coping. Three AP classes, one honors, two concurrent enrollment, and swim practices on top of that creates a lot of stress. Add in attempts to not only get by, but excel in all of the above things is pretty heinous. But recently I've decided that I'm okay.

Reports and pressure to get teamates to practice have been piling on top of each other for quite some time. Recently we switched from basic practices to stroke lanes -- a method I have never experienced. In afternoon practice, we now do the workout with the stroke we specialize in. Today I maxed out on the bench. Today, in a nutshell was one big metaphor.

105 pounds is my limit. 110 pounds is five pounds too many. It is a small difference, but it is enough. I am not at my emotional maximum; I guess I'm doin' all right.

Today at practice was an extreme cycle set. We do sets of sprints at our limit times and repeat the set of sprints several times. I swim the butterfly, the most demanding on upper-body strength of the strokes (normally I don't admit it, but I want to set the mood). We had to go through the set six times and my muscles were screaming by the end. Some people at practice tend to stop when they're tired. That's their decision, none of my business. But I've made the promise to myself not to stop unless I have to (i.e. charlie horse, goggles break, etc.). I managed to get through five of them, though I was rather short on oxygen. While adjusting my cap before the last cycle, it snapped. Perfect excuse to skip the last part. But I decided not to. Caps are silly things anyway, right? Well, not so right, but that's okay. On the last set, I pushed it harder than I had before, even with the added five pounds of wet hair trailing behind me. But the set that had looked to horrible going into it didn't break me. I made it through with flying colors.

This may not seem like a big deal to those of you that don't swim, but it is to me. And there, at the moment I hit the final wall, I knew that I was going to be okay. I'm under my maximum by quite a ways yet, and I am still unbroken.

And it's a great day to be alive. I see the sun's still shinin' when I close my eyes. I've had some hard times in the neighborhood but why can't every day be just this good? ... I guess I'm doing all right.