Swim meet.

When was the last time you did something for the first time? This was the motto of my first triathlon ever. The Seattle Danskin. It has stuck.

In getting back into things, it truly feels like everything is "new". A little scary, a ton of unknowns, followed up with a small sense of accomplishment. Attempting to find a routine normalcy, different from what I have become accustomed to the last 7 months. Finding myself feeling like the ugly duckling going into anything, a little awkward, a little gun shy, a little insecure.

With the help of some friends I went back to my roots to get going. Okay, swim meets are not new, but it has been 10 years since doing a swim meet. I figured "muscle memory" would take over...boy was I wrong!

Started with the 100 free, and luckily my swim buddy was in my wave, whom led me through Fat Salmon in July. Ironically we got the exact same time, however, he paced it WAY better than myself. Where I faded by 4 seconds in the second 50....oops.

Then it was the 2011 200 freestyle relay (video) of the year....boo yah! Mark lead us off (no blocks for this guy because those goggles were going to stay on!) His FIRST swim meet ever. Then two law students, Megan and Brent (check out the air-kick that has us crying and laughing in synch). I anchored and the speed off the blocks has gone bye-bye!

50 butterfly was just minutes later and was my favorite event of the day. Then the 100 back. Using the wisdom I acquired from the 100 free earlier in the day, the second 50 was nearly the same as the first. Success!

By my last event, the 50 free, I was TOAST. Slower than the relay, slower than the first 50 of the 100 free performed earlier that day...it was time to call it a wrap!

Thanks to TYR for goggles that stayed on, the suit that let me play, and the bag that carries all the goods!

So much fun to be racing, diving off blocks and laughing with friends again. Forgot how freezing it is getting in and out of the water and having a gazillion towels weighing 100 lbs each after the meet. The good ole' days were celebrated, but it will be another year or ten before you see me doing this again (then again nationals is in April....tempting!)