For the past year and a half, i have been stuck with one time in the 200 breast: 2:58.46. For a year and a half, the state time for that has been 2:58.09. What has been my problem? I have no idea.
Story time.
Once upon a time there was a little kid who swam the 200 breast in a meet and was extremely happy that they broke three minutes. When they learned that the state time was a 2:58.09, they worked to get that time. however, for a year, they remained at exactly 2:58.46. They thought that when the last chance meet came along they would finally get the state time. Well, the race came and went and still, they had a 2:58.46. Their friend told them about a wonderful invention called time trials. So this little kid paid five dollars to swim a race. shaking and confused behind the blocks they waited, until it was time for them to swim. they gave it their all, and when they hit the wall..... they still had a 2:58.46. full of despair, they left the meet felling lesser than when they had come.
So for the next year-ish, they worked and practiced till their legs fell off (almost literally). Then one day, the day of that last chance meet came. they were very pumped.
But once again, the race came and went and they STILL had a 2:58.46. They were extremely frustrated; almost to the point where they didn't want to swim the time trials at all. but with much persuasion from coaches and friends, they paid the five dollars and stood behind the blocks until they thought that their head was going to explode out of stress and frustration.
Wen they finally touched the wall after the race, they slapped the ledge seeing the .23 thinking that they had made the time, forgetting that little .09 detail at the end. when they discovered that it was in fact .09 at the end, they yelled in agonizing frustration.
So, they did not go to state in the 200 breast that year. instead, they went to B.C.
On this day, they had just gotten over swimming the 100 fly and free. they were in a fairly good mood, because they had dropped 9 seconds in the fly, having not swam it for a year. And for some reason, they were not scared, stressed, or anything at all. they had simply gotten the advice from their coach to "Just make the time already.". So, they dove into the water with one goal and one goal only: to just get the time already.
Yes, they probably went out way to fast.
But sometimes you have to break the rules.
The wall had been mightily smacked with their hand, and their head looked at the score board. 2:51.00. (Stealing first by a clear mile)
Victory; sweet and simple.
the smile didn't go away for a few months; and the smile from their coach made their year.
The end. True story about me.
~Expresso
