Hangin' With My Swim Buddies

Wow, I miss one day of swimming - Monday, which was a holiday actually - and my swim buddies are all over me.  What was my excuse?  Not anything I'd hang a hat on, that's for sure.  "Where were you, Christine?  We were here....(implying "you were definitely not.")

I guess I've found my tribe.

On a regular weekday, there are workouts available, and each one is slightly different than the others.  My group gets in at 5:30 AM and goes for 90 minutes, doing sets of pulling, kicking, drills, and swims.  Go anywhere in the world, and this is what swimmers will be doing when they work out. The intensity of the 5:30 group is consistently good and people are in the pool to improve, swim hard and get fit.

The 9 AM group is pretty much the same, but they only go for an hour or so.  Some swim fast, but most don't.  Most of them are people I've known for a while, and they're a fun group, but the focus is more on socializing and doing a shorter workout.

Then there are the 11 AM and 12 PM groups.  One or two people do both hours, but most people in those time slots are floppers and don't really care about the workout that's up on the board.  Their disinterest is, unfortunately, contagious.  Attitudes affect others pretty easily in groups; swimmers at noon are  certainly influenced by them.

We who swim in the earliest group are the biggest group and the most intent on getting a solid workout.  The only thing I miss is sunlight, but even that has its downside:  I get more distracted by almost everything when I can see it all; predawn limits my field of vision.  Our pool is outdoors, no roof, so it'd be nice to get some sunshine and a tan which translates nicely to Hawaii when you go.  If you go, that is.  

This is about the one-month mark in the semester, and those who had misgivings about swimming early have quietly dropped away, leaving slightly more room in the pool now.  Each lane still has three swimmers or so, which is a good number for a pool of this size and level of ability.  We have sorted ourselves out by pace, so when we circle in the lane (you have to stay to the right of the black line or end up with a concussion after smacking into someone), we are all swimming at the same pace, less likely to catch up with and pass anyone.

With our routine well established and everyone familiar with each other, it's getting easier to tell when someone doesn't show up who is usually there - like me yesterday.

You know, it's not like they'd sit and wait for me to catch up with them in the workout, because they're almost all faster than I am.  I hold my own and swim hard, but my pace is not quite up to their speed just yet.  Someday, I'll surprise 'em. The point is, they know I'm part of the group, and I'd left a hole by not being there.

It was pleasing in a certain way to know I'd been missed, that I mattered and had created a blank space by my absence.  Team-building, even if it occurs by simply showing up, gradually creates a willingness to make an extra effort.  You sense that the work has an importance that's greater than yourself where loyalty and trust are intrinsic parts of the whole.  Those qualities get you through difficult work sets and challenging efforts that you almost always lighten up on when you're by yourself.

I've heard people say, "I always go harder when I'm swimming with someone (and/or) there's a coach up there on the deck."  Camaraderie and friendship are the most valuable aspect of sports teams, the elements athletes miss most when they retire or a season ends.  The strengthening bonds of friendship reinforce group ethics.  Our group's ethic is don't miss a workout, as I found out.

It was good to be missed, to be included in a group of people I admire and respect.  I'll really hear it if I miss a practice, and believe me they will hear from me if they miss now, too.  The kidding is fun, but the underlying message is:  We're in this together, we need each other, so show up and do your best.