From Soreness to Shakes: Triumphs for Wheeling Mens Swimming - Week 9
It’s Sunday night, and here I am, lying in bed, thinking about this past week. It’s been packed with competitions, classes, a rare Monday-Tuesday break, and way too much soreness. I had Monday and Tuesday off from school, which was a huge relief, but Coach didn’t exactly see it as a time to rest—he hit us with extra practices, and they were no joke. I barely had energy for anything else those days. But honestly, it felt good. We focused on yardage, which I think is crucial for my swimming. It even reminded me of the intense practices back home in Sweden.
Wednesday came, and it was back to classes. It felt nice to be in the classroom again for about ten minutes… then I was ready to fast-forward to the weekend. The schoolwork hasn’t been overwhelming, but practice has started hitting that full two-hour mark, so it’s definitely been a grind.
Thursday was a treat because Coach gave me the morning off since I had completed all my swims, plus a lift session on Sunday. But that was short-lived, as Friday started bright and early with a 5:30 a.m. swim. Coach brought some fun to the mix by making us draw random races from a bucket. I got lucky with a 100 breaststroke, but some people ended up with the dreaded 200 IM – let’s just say, I dodged a bullet there! Later that day, we got to unwind a bit with a visit to a Halloween store. Halloween is a big deal here, and even though we didn’t end up buying any costumes, it was pretty fun to look around and check out all the crazy options.
This weekend, we competed against Bethany and Chatham. We came out with big wins, 131-28 and 124-37. I had a pretty solid meet, though I did take a second place in the 100 freestyle, clocking in at 50.4 seconds. Not thrilled about it, but it’s something to build on.
After the meet, we headed out to Steak 'n Shake for a small celebration. It was great to relax and refuel with some well-deserved calories after all that effort. The burgers, fries, and shakes hit the spot, and it was a fun way to unwind with the team after a solid competition. Spending time together outside of practice and competitions made it feel like a real reward for the hard work we put in this week.
Sunday was a slower day but still productive. I met up with a few friends to work on starts and breakouts. We recorded each other to spot any issues, and I definitely saw some things to work on—like hitting the water at a better angle and starting my stroke earlier as I break the surface. I also noticed my catch could use some improvement, so that’ll be on my list to focus on this week. We wrapped up with some core work, stretching, and push-ups. The best part is that more teammates have joined Arvid and me for these extra sessions, which definitely makes it easier to push harder and get more out of it. Looking forward to the gains!
