"SKiPS 200s" That was it. Nothing more, nothing less. A 200 each of swim, kick, pull and a final swim. Those words meant, and still mean, only one thing. It meant the last practice of our high school season; the end of taper and the last day before your shave and taper meet. It didn't matter whether you were going to the JV invite or to State. You were done. Months and months of sets, turns and meets were over. SKiPS 200s marked the end of a lot of work. That set remains the most revered amongst all others.
I started of my workout with a SKiPS 200s last night. (I added some more sets for a nice 1,950 yard workout.) The thrill of an upcoming meet is back. I'm enjoying being able to compete. (If not with the young kids, at least I can compete against myself.) Last year, I set a standard in the 500 free at 5:48. This year, I plan on bettering that time, and if I do, I hope to continue to drop time in coming years.
I can feel a bit of a nervous, excited energy today. Until last year, I was nervous that everyone was laughing at my gut. Now the pre-race jitters are welcome. It will help to keep me focused. Ya know? There might be something to this whole training and competing thing.
