Challenges of Competitive Swimming & Education: Lessons Learned - Week 7

This past week was pretty quiet overall, as we focused on preparation for our second competition. One odd thing did happen, though—some guy managed to knock over a streetlight. I’m not exactly sure what his problem with that poor light was, but since Monday, it’s been lying on the ground. I’m guessing it was the result of drunk driving, which is really sad and incredibly irresponsible.

The morning of the competition started off with a lovely surprise (sarcasm intended). Someone thought it would be hilarious to dump a trash bin right outside someone’s door in our hallway. It smelled like death, and for a moment, it felt like we were living in a pigsty. It’s honestly sad to see how poorly some people treat our home. It was infuriating, but I guess that’s part of dorm life. Some people definitely need to grow up.

As for the competition, it didn’t go as well as I had hoped. I swam the 100 breaststroke and then immediately had to do a 200 fly. Let me tell you, that back-to-back combo was a nightmare. Somehow, I forgot how to swim breaststroke and ended up doing something that looked more like a seizure than a stroke. I’m still surprised I wasn’t disqualified! That race took so much out of me that I threw up afterward.

Then came the 200 fly. I don’t think I’ve ever been so exhausted in my life. I got into the water and tried my best, but every stroke felt impossibly hard. I pushed myself as far as I could, but after a while, I just couldn’t go on and had to get out. More puking followed. The short 5-minute break between the two races didn’t help, and with no cool-down area available, it was a brutal experience. The school only had one pool, so recovery wasn’t really an option.

On a brighter note, the pool itself was great. It had better starting blocks, nicer water, and a deeper design than ours, which made it much better suited for competitive swimming. But the pool deck? It was impossibly small. The pool was nice, but the surrounding facility felt really cramped, making it less ideal overall.

Also, our pool fridge got restocked! I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. Our coach brought in protein shakes, bagels, snacks, and drinks—it’s such a relief to have that snack cabinet available before or after training. Little things like that make a big difference when you’re pushing through tough practices.

Outside of swimming, I had my first midterm test in business class, and thankfully, it went well. Adapting to the U.S. school system has been a challenge, but I think I’m starting to get the hang of it. Preparing for exams is a bit different from preparing for swim meets. I usually try to write down as much as possible when I study. I love writing, and I feel like I retain more information that way. I also enjoy researching, though sometimes I get a bit carried away. I tend to dive deep into random topics, learning everything I can about niche subjects, even if I lose sight of the broader picture. It’s a habit that’s very "me," and for the most part, I think it’s a good thing—at least most of the time!

In some lighter news, we freshmen have found a new way to unwind together—by playing Minecraft! It’s been a great way to bond and de-stress after a long day of classes and training. With the little free time we have, we've been logging in and getting lost in building our own little world. It’s funny how something so simple can bring people together, and it’s been a lot of fun. It’s become our go-to activity whenever we can squeeze in a break.

This week hasn’t been much out of the ordinary besides that. Preparation is key both in swimming and in school. Whether it’s tweaking technique, isolating muscle groups, or adjusting training, it’s all part of being an athlete. It’s tough when you don’t see the results you want right away, but I’m working on fixing that. It’ll probably take some time, but I just hope I can keep my mindset in check and not let the frustration get the best of me.