6 April 2024
I was very slow to “officially” post pool #670 on my #1001Pools quest, the interesting, spacious and aptly beautiful Beau Sejour Leisure Centre in the Bailwick of Guernsey.
(Click on images to enlarge)
I was slow mainly I was trying to figure out my swims from a weekend of racing.I have decided to stop over analyzing and just sum it up like this: started out Friday night quite disappointed, got buoyed up with one swim on Saturday and finished strong (enough) on Sunday.
Far better than the swimming was Guernsey itself: we had great weather to explore a small portion of this quaint, gorgeous and calm island. And we ate VERY well 😋!
My Friday night “main event” was the 400 free (though I also swam the 50 fly). Encouraged by a 4:32.12 I had gone in Birmingham the first weekend in March, I believed I could get under 4:30 … but ended up at 4:35.28. ☹️
A few hundredths of a second helped turn my mood around on Saturday. After a slower than expected 50 breaststroke, I tried a different race strategy in my 100 freestyle and just dipped under the minute barrier - 59.98 - something I have only done twice since turning 50 (and both times when I was fully rested/tapered). I know it could have just as easily been 1:00.01, but it’s FUN to be under those “barrier times.”
By Sunday morning, after some more fine food and an even finer night’s sleep in one of the best Airbnbs we have ever rented, I strolled about 40 minutes to the pool (because the busses didn’t start early enough to make the 7:45am warmup). I had a very fun 800 race with “young guy” (e.g., 41) where he went out ahead at the 200, I had passed him by the 400 and he returned the favour to pass me in the last 200. Yeah, I tried to stick with him at the end, but I couldn’t hang. Having him there, though, helped me get to 9:28.24, less than a second over my “Age 50+” best.
All’s well that ends well, right?
Comments