Getting Chicked... Again and Again AND AGAIN.

I had quite a humbling experience in the pool today. It's not that I've never been passed before, because I definitely have... many times. Girls and guys alike - it's not new to me. I've never been chicked like this before, though... woah boy...

Lots of gear out on the deck today, aka SEE (swim enhancing equipment)

Some Background: since I'm out of town on Friday and most of Saturday, I've decided to try and swim at least 3, maybe 4 times before Friday (at a lower distance) as well as to finish strong before the xmas holiday (out of town for 8 straight days). Today's workout mirrored yesterday's swim-workout, albeit with an extra 100m cool-down. Let's set the stage for maximum chicking:

Ladder Workout - 2100m
500m - warm-up
500m - 9:03 (1:49min/100m avg.)
400m - 7:15 (1:49min/100m avg.)
300m - 5:24 (1:48min/100m avg.)
200m - 3:33 (1:46min/100m avg.)
100m - 1:37 (1:37min/100m avg.)
100m - cool-down

I was pretty gassed from yesterday's swim-gym combo so I didn't expect my times to reflect any great improvement, but then again I would also be pretty disappointed if my times took a serious hit. HOWEVER, I was very pleasantly surprised to see that all of my times fell below the 1:50 mark. Very nice! I was really gassed by the end though, so the 200m and 100m sprint just did not feel like my best work.

[I then hit the gym for 30 minutes and then the trainer for another 30 minutes (no knee pain!). PROGRESS again on the knee...]

Back to the chicking thing...

This girl in my lane was relentless. We may have well as been swimming 3-wide in the lane - people going down, people coming back and this chick just passing people in the middle. It really hit home though on my last 100m. Like I said above, I wasn't feeling my best at this point. I went BALLS OUT from the wall. About halfway down she comes cruising right by... no hard-breathing, no erratic form... just cruisin'. Faaaaaaaaaaack! I hit the 50m mark and I see her there on the wall pulled up in front of me resting. She then takes off again - thankfully, otherwise I would have been chicken TWICE in only 100m. 

Me = IMPRESSED.

The price I paid for swimming right up against the lane-marker in fear of the ultra-swimmer who kept chicking me.

All things considered, it was kiiiiinda hot.... i'm just sayin'...