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| Claire Mills |
As with any Northern Colorado swimmer, my day starts at around 5:15 in the morning, when I figure that I shouldn’t press “snooze” on my alarm more than twice. Because of the absurdly early hour, the last thing I want to do is blind myself by turning on the light, so stumble around in the dark, looking for a shirt, a pair of sweats, a sweatshirt, and a pair of shoes. After I eat a spoonful of peanut butter and brush my teeth, I make the trek over to Butler-Hancock for morning practice.
It’s always good to get there early, so that I can lay down and take a “micro-nap” before we commence to stretching. The worst part of morning practice by far is jumping into the cold water, especially knowing that most people are still curled up in their nice warm beds. But after the initial shock of cold--which prompts me to sprint the first 150 of warm up--the water isn’t a terrible place to be.
After a quick rinse in the shower, I change back into my cozy sweats and hoodie, ice my shoulder, and head over to Holmes Dining Hall for the best meal of the day--breakfast. During the entire walk from Butler to Holmes my mind consumed with thoughts of double ham and cheese omelets and a desperate hope for french toast or chocolate chip pancakes.
I have time to grab a quick shower before my 9:05 Chemistry class, and by 8:55 I’m hopping on my bike, beginning the marathon of going from class to class for the day. The rest of the morning and afternoon cruise by as my head is filled with chemical equations, scientific publications, anthropological theories, ankle wrapping techniques, and ethical debates about youth and professional sports. Throughout the day I snack and hydrate so I’m ready for practice at 2:45.
Stretching and dry land are typically filled with comical comments and nicknames for warm up exercises--such as “Whisky squats,” “spine crushers,” and “black outs.” By 3:30 I’m in my suit and ready for the 300 SKIPS or 4-3-2-1 that will likely begin a tough distance workout.
Although practice was tough and I have a long list of complaints about it, I’m proud that I made it through and I’m ready for the next best part of the day: dinner. Generally, I eat with several of the other freshmen, where we talk about how good (or bad) dinner is, what was going on with that pull set, and any noteworthy things the football or baseball guys might have done in study hall or in class.
After dinner, I retire to my dorm room, where I do laundry, read my book, or start on an assignment for chemistry, scientific writing, or anthropology. Between 9:30 and 10:30 I usually decide to call it quits and crawl into bed, hoping that the morning doesn’t come too soon.
As a freshman, coming into a new team at a higher level was an adjustment, and there is no denying that it was pretty tough for most of the first semester. I learned to throw all prior training out of the window, and trust that I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing, even though a lot of it is a different style than I have ever experienced. I’ve also learned that no good comes out of a pity party, especially because there are 30 other girls who have your back, unconditionally. College swimming is tough and without the team, it might very well be impossible. It’s also important to have fun and laugh whenever possible, because it keeps your mind off of how tired and sore you are; plus, what’s the point of the college experience if its all doom and gloom? It takes a strong person--physically, mentally, and emotionally-- to be able to balance 15 credit hours, 20 practice hours a week, mandatory team study hall and an attempt at a social life; all on about 6 and a half hours of sleep a night, and this season I think I’ve proven myself as one of those strong people. As a freshman college swimmer, I’ve learned things the hard way, the easy way, and all ways in between, and I’m still learning new things every day. And I wouldn’t do a thing change any of this season’s experiences. Just one year of college swimming has shaped who I am as a person; I can’t wait to see what the next three years have in store!
