Gearing Up For My First Swim Meet in 20 Years

So I've been gearing up for my first swim meet, which just so happens to be going down this Saturday. As in, two days away, Saturday. Eek!

Photo by ashleigh290It's a really strange position to be in at this point in my life. I guess I never thought I would find myself here again. I mean, I haven't competed in a MEET-meet for, ummmm, dare I say it ... twenty years.

Yep, in 1990 I was a sophomore in college, which was also the year my shoulder gave me all sorts of painful problems and ended a swimming career that had begun when I was just seven years-old.
 
Since I have been back in the pool, those old memories have come flooding back - both good and bad. For the most part, my little journey back into swimming-land has been quite enjoyable. I love the exercise factor, and the satisfaction I feel after getting in a good swim in the morning before I head home to start the work day, is very rewarding. But woah, the competition factor is like a whole new ball game for some reason.
 
I am not sure why. From what I hear, US Masters Swimming meets are pretty chill, laid back and fun, in comparison to age-group era meets that I grew up with. I am excited about experiencing the whole scene and to see what I am capable of accomplishing in this 39 year-old body. But there is just something about the race factor that keeps butterflies a-fluttering when I envision it all happening.

I was telling my good friend Tiger how nervous I was feeling about it and he gave me lots of reassuarnce, as well as great advice from his days as a professional golfer *(this is not the Tiger of the Woods-variety, mind you. This is the authentic, legal-birth-named Tiger who is not in the habit of being caught in tabloid scandals. It seems that this other "Tiger" fellow jumped the train in the name-game of pro golfers; uh-huh, that's right).

One thing he said really resonated with me when he advised, "Just remember, it's you against the course (or water in your case)."  When I read it, it totally hit me that all of these nervous little anxieties that I have been letting eat at me aren't really necessary if I just simplify it down and focus on doing my best.
 
Since I have been training on my own, and not with a team, I haven't really been able to gauge if I'm ready for this whole shebang, but if I take it back to Tiger's advice and make it about me and the water, that's really the true test, isn't it? All I can do is what I can do.

I'm sure that the competitiveness that still lingers somewhere inside of me might peek out once I begin (at least, I hope it does); but at this point, I'm just stoked to see what I can squeak out and IF I can finish my events.
 
I shall keep you posted on what goes down and on how many other bald, tattooed, cupcake-lovers show up in my heats. ;)