Thoughts while swimming in a pandemic OUTDOORS in October in Pgh, PA

When I started swimming again- maybe 1.5 years in I started going to Pitt's Friday practices. They kicked my ass. They were sprint based workouts, I was still identifying as a sprinter. (I was wrong) I recall Coach Bill having a set with 4 x100s on 1:20.

Just 4. I could barely make one. I swear in college we did a good bit of 100 x100s on 1:20. I figured if I could just do 4 someday---that would be good. I would be in shape. It would look like sprinting. It would be smooth.

Since then I have never had 4 on 1:20 in a workout. Sometimes on1:10 or 1:15 with fins. Or 1:30s without. But never 1:20.

Monday night's workout (thanks John Landreth) had groups of 3 x100s on 1:20. After the 3x 200s --they seemed short. I don't think i could have done 4 in a row.

But then we did 9 in total. 3 sets of 3.

It didn't feel smooth. It might have resembled drowning more than sprinting.

It is October 19th 2020 and we are still swimming outside in Pittsburgh Pa. It was 53 degrees out when we got in. And dark.

Nothing is as it is supposed to be.

We shouldn't be wondering if we can keep swimming after November 1.

We aren't supposed to be worrying about how to see our aging family members for the holidays.

And bring our college kids back home for 2 months.

Just as our elementary kids are finally going in for 5 days.

We aren't supposed to be wondering if the fabric of our country will stand fast in 2 weeks.

We shouldn't have health care workers in tears, exhausted because they don't get any higher pay to care for their Covid patients than non-Covid ones even though the medical docs can barely round and do phone visits; never touching those same patients. They feel that their responsibility to those patients is so much higher.

We should be able to screen more people with decent tests.

We shouldn't still be unable to bring our grocery bags into stores.

We shouldn't be wondering if damaged friendships will recover.

It should all be smoother. Right?

Because this is exhausting.

But I am going to suggest this. That maybe we all have another 3 sets of 3 100s on 1:20 in us.

4 in a row might be too much.

But we can do 3 sets of three.

Space it out in between the sets. Give your lanemate room before you push off of the wall. Take a longer shower after practice because it is chilly outside.

And have someone help you when you aren't sure that you can make it.

Space and Grace. Because this is NOT a sprint.

But we have got to hold it together as we go inside and head into the holidays coming out of the election. Because not holding it together is simply drowning. And we know how to swim.