Swimming, Life, and Other Stuff!

I will probably do a series of blogs about Nationals since there is so much to say!
Today I will dedicate my ramblings to all those swimmers who think they aren't "good enough" or "unworthy" to swim in the Nationals (or even in a swim meet).
I was excited when I found out Nats were going to be in Indy. The Natatorium is a wonderful facility, but most of all it is close to my home. If I did my 1st event and hated it I could bag it, go home, and act like I was never down there. ( googles, cap, swimsuit, and a coating of water are a pretty great disguise!) In the meantime I agreed to have 2 out of state (forumite and friend) swimmers stay at my humble abode. I just might have chickened out of the whole thing except when you have a couple of friends staying with you who are swimming it sort of engages you in the moment. Anyways.............I was nervous!
The 200 Free was my first event. I truthfully dislike the 200 free; the event is too short for me, the O2 debt freaks me out. Okay, well first of all I arrived at the Nat way too early. I sat around for 5 hours or so and started self-destructing. I watched former Olympians, world record setters, and top-notch swimmers with beautiful/dynamic stroke techniques swim; I really started getting negative with myself. As my 1st event drew closer so I entered the locker room and cased myself like a sausage in my B70-nero suit(I"m not worthy). I met a wonderful swimmerchick named Kimberly Stevens in the locker room; we struggled together to get our suits on! (we were successful thank God even thought they later popped!)
I reported to my block for the 200, again too early. I looked around for a diversion for my negative and self-destructing psyche, I found Barb Delenois who so graciously conversed with me for 10 minutes or so and helped eat up the painful time I needed to kill before my swim. (thanks Barb!)
Minutes before the swim Jimby T. and Bill W. (my dream houseguests) appeared with a video-cam to interview me pre-200 swim. This was a great diversion and made me as happy as a clam. I'm glad Bill noticed I was supposed to be on the blocks cause otherwise I would have missed the event!
Well...... the gun fired off and I dove in like a rocket! (a rocket with its head up and arms all akimbo) The rest is history.......my googles fell off and landed in my mouth.......for some reason this "cracked me up" so I surfaced, emptied my googles, re-attached them to my face, and then proceeded to swim the 200 free as hard as I could while giggling! I'm glad my first event was a cluster _uck; I approached the rest of the meet with the understanding/self-realization that master's swimming is an extremely supportive and accepting community of people. (in other words no one laughed or ridiculed me)
To anyone out there who swims but is uncomfortable to go to Nats or meets....all I can say is "just do it!"
Sometimes it's just a good thing to stick yourself out there in an "uncomfortable" place and work it out within yourself. Whether you are successful , or not (like I was in the 200) the important thing is that you got out there and did your thing. The warm fuzzies you get from your friends, and the completion of the failed task somehow make you understand that the world (USMS) and fellow man-kind is a good place to be.
TOMORROW>>>>>read how a failure @ the 200 free can end up as a National Champion in the 800 Free Relay!!!!! hint...(it's all in where you are, who you know, and great friends!)

ps.......Today I had a nice 1500 swim in the same heat with my idol "Chicken of the Sea"(she just did the Manhatten Island 28 mile swim!" The coolest thing about it was when Paul W and Donna H were there to greet me at the finish! This forum/blog is so fun! Thanks guys for your positive vibes!
ps...if the grammer or spelling is bad just know I'm sitting on my bed w/my pug drinking massive chard!