pool

Yeah Yipppeeeeee.............I am on my way out the door and into the pool......
nothing, and I mean nothing feels as good as doing my grand dive off the starter block ( only two older ladies watching).....and slicing into the warm waters of my little towns pool.........
The ladies give me a score on my dive....usually an 8....sometimes a 9............................
When my back was sore I only scored a 4........its okay though........I still made it to the Pool...
one day I will explain my attachment to our little 25 meter pool.............................
Okay, after the slice, I slowly warm up with a bit of freestyle.................trying to pace myself, and YES, trying to remember to kick.....................after a brief warm up, I pretend......I am in the olympics, and some little Australian is right in my peripheral and I have to pull harder, kick like mad...I have to win...My Dad is watching...my coach, my family.......agggghhhhhhhhhh, no time to breathe....one more stroke and then a quick breathe...my arms ache but frick the end is right there.......Pull harder.....then slam into the end........quick look........yessssssssssssssssss....the little Australian was a whole whooping quarter of a second to freaking slow......I won............but I must be gracious........shake hands...try to breathe...sputter, cough, shake, shake, "good swim" I say pretending I can breathe............now I looke...look.....and look....did my Dad see??????......where the hell is he..............I spot him..........thumbs up............from my Dad.......I love this moment...
I feel warm, I did something...I am good in my Dads eyes....I pull myself out of the pool and quickly, but not to quick make it to the bathroom stall and finish what started a half hour before the race....nervous gut....nervous, nervous, nervous.............another race done......

Oh yeah, I am not there...I am almost a middle age woman who can only get 30 laps done, and that is with great mental..." I can do it", "only 10 more", ...............self encouragement................
well off to the pool.........