As I swim

I push off of the wall into the water and completely submerge myself. For the tiniest fraction of a second the only thing I can see are bubbles. As I breathe out, I can feel them stroking my face, they are so little and delicate. But their presence is just as quickly forgotten as my body recognizes the that fact that the pool’s temperature doesn't coincide with the way I’m feeling. I’m still very sleepy, it being five thirty in the morning and all, and the water feels like ice on my skin. I instantly wish that I was still at home under the covers, warm and resting. I know that everyone else wants to go to sleep just as much as I do, but this is the only time we can practice during the week. I love swimming, but getting in is always the hardest part because you don’t except the pool to be cold, but it always is.

Swimming vigorously for the next couple seconds I try to warm up, my thoughts slowly becoming more and more coherent. After the first lap I settle into a comfortable pace. I attempt to use what little concentration I have on counting my laps for the warm-up, but my mind wanders. I think about my arms moving through the water, my goggles slowly begin to fog up and my cap starts shifting higher and higher on my forehead. My eyes start roaming restlessly. I can see the lifeguard and the flags out of the corner of my eye. My gaze shifts to the bottom of the pool. The tiles are gray and old, and the water looks bluer. I look over at the lane beside mine and I don’t know who it is, but I can see them ahead of me. I decide to catch up with them to not finish the warm-up last. 

Suddenly something in my brain starts telling me that I’m reaching the end of the pool. I tilt my head up slightly for confirmation. I watch the wall get closer and closer, and I instinctively calculate how many more strokes I can take before I have to do a flip turn. Somersaulting lightly I look to the lane beside me to see if we are going at the same pace. I push off the wall, and I notice that the water feels warmer now. I wonder what type of workout we’ll have today. I forgot to check the workout sheet laid out, but I’ll just look at it in a second. I have one quarter lap left and I kick harder. The wall gets closer and I reach out with one hand to grasp the edge. When I touch the wall I immediately stand up, a little out of breath. Good, I’m done with the warm-up! I look at the workout sheet and take a deep breath, readying myself for the next hour and fifteen minutes.