This my perspective on the Minnesota Challenge. Alfredo's will be comin shortly.
So a few weeks ago, after the Northfield Mini-Invite against Grinnel, Andy sent out the taper groups via email. He said he would sent it mid afternoon. It was a very unproductive day - I just sat by my computer and pressed refresh every five minutes from 3pm till 9pm, when the email finally came. As usual, I skipped the paragraph that says "now more than ever we need to act as a team" (by the way, upon further checking, its the exact same wording he used in previous years - can you say copy and paste?) and checked the lists. Alas, I didn't make the conference squad.
I was extremely bummed at first. I remember being bummed my freshman year, not only because I partially thought I should've been on there instead of someone else, but also because I worked so hard. But this year, the squad was fastest 17 people who would score, so my sadness was mostly because I really had worked my ass off this season.
So I was bummed for a while, and then finally got over it and recognized (with some help) that my attitude was extremely selfish and not helping the team at all. I turned my frown upside down and started to truly enjoy the taper. Well Andy got a little crazy, telling some new taper-tales and also making up a new Carleton Cheer that he is obsessed with (we humor him and do it at meets - he goes crazy).
The two-week taper went by fast and then BAM! It was game time. The MN Challenge. I agree with Alfredo that it was one of the hardest meets I've swum, because I had 8 swims total (all relays and then 3 indiv events) but it was all finals, so it wasn't as much rest as conference. My meet went like this:
Session 1 / Friday Night
50 free in the 200 freelay - 23.5
50 free (indiv) - 24.26
100 free in the 400 medley relay - 51.94
Session 2 / Saturday Morning
50 fly in the 200 Medley relay - 26.32
100 fly - 58.71
200 free leading of the 800 freelay - 1:55.64
Session 3 / Saturday Night
200 fly - 2:18.08
100 free in the 400 freelay - 52.74
(Full Results)
Overall, I'm delighted. Lifetime bests in my 50, 100, 200 frees and my 100 fly. My 200 fly time is a second off my best from last year at conference, but my 200 fly wasn't as strong this season in general as it was last year. I kinda choked in my indiv 50 free and my 100 free in the 400 freelay, but I'm really happy with my swims overall. After I didn't make conference team, my goal times were readjusted to just beat my times from conference last year, which I was hesitant if I could do because of the dramatic and short taper. But the non real events/warm up day on Friday really got me pumped.
It was dual pool format, which made cheering kinda difficult because there was sometimes a lot going on at the same time and wasn't as straight forward as conference. But being at the U really got everyone excited, to be tapering or to be so close to Conference. I'm so pumped for Conference. It's going to be great, but tough for us as a team. But I think it helped for A) our strong freshman class to see how good the Carleton Taper can be and B) what its like to swim at the U.
The bus ride home was ridiculous. After such a long day, we were all delirious. Almost rocked the mini-sugar loaf bus over when the pizza guy arrived straight to our bus door. It was a crazy ride home. Then a bunch of the team met up and the taper group drank while the conference people danced more crazily than the drunks and then many people went to mid winter ball. You really couldn't tell who was drinking and who wasn't. It was a blast.
And so my focus changes a bit. I'm gonna catch up on work this week, and then turn my attention towards Conference. Afterwards, I'm really gonna work on staying in shape. As I said to Ian Holman when he got back from Spain after the fall. "I feel like I haven't seen you since last WINTER because last spring you were always training for the triathlon and I was always... drinking." So I'm gonna try to still do the same amount of drinking. Maybe more? My (2nd) 21st birthday is coming up! But just lift and run more.
Now on to midterms and sleep. Now Tim, let's hear about that first day on the job soon!
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