The Fastskin Fit

A few days prior to finals, I broke down and bought the kids Speedo Fastskins. I had been toying with the idea for a couple months and decided that I wasn't going to do it. First, the kids are 10 years old for God sakes. Second, they already have pseudo-fastskins by TYR. Third, these suits only get worn at finals and really BIG meets, definitely not more than a couple times a season. And fourth, these suits are ridiculously expensive.

Don't worry, these aren't the LZR Racers worn by the Olympians...I haven't totally lost my mind. But they do claim to "mimic the rough shark denticles to reduce drag in key areas and features a Turbulence Management System" according to their website.

Seriously. A Turbulence Management System. That's what it says.

Whatever. They're 10. I get it.

I'm not at all convinced that these suits can help them swim any faster at this age. But you know what...they FEEL faster! I continue to be amazed at the psychological component involved with this sport. It's the whole Swim-Final Package: carb-loading, pre-race bath (with ocean-crystals to make your skin slippery) and shavedown, visualization, and of course - the Fastskin.

It's totally a mental thing.

So anyway, I caved. I found them slightly discounted at one of the metro area swim shops and I surprised them both the night before finals. They freaked out!

One other tid-bit of information about the Fastskin...you're supposed to fit them in a suit that is 2 sizes smaller than what they wear for practice.

This is the part that gets funny! Seriously, check this out:


No, Maddie is not holding one of Beckett's onesies. Nope, Will doesn't have a 2T bottoms. Really - they are not baby clothes.

It took a lot of muscle and sweat to get them on for the first time. And I won't even elaborate on what was all involved in accomplishing a trip to the bathroom during the meet. But believe it or not, they fit perfectly.

Who really needs to breathe, anyway?...

Wow.

What an exciting day!!! My stomach still feels like it's in my throat. I'm not sure my mind or heart can handle any more drama.

The kids had swim finals today in Edina. Will went into the meet having to drop 0.36 seconds in his 50 Freestyle and 0.53 seconds in his 100 Freestyle. He got the 50 by about half a second and squeaked in by the skin of his teeth on the 100. And by squeaked, I mean that he needed a 1:12.29 and he swam a 1:12.28.

OMG - I almost had a heart attack.

And Maddie - that little trooper was my champ today. She has had the most amazing weekend...getting personal best times in 7 of the 8 events she swam. She had a magical weekend - it was almost like watching a transformed swimmer out there...but it was actually my kid! She dropped approximately 62 seconds in all these events combined. Maddie's bittersweet moment of the weekend was when, on Saturday, she dropped over 10 seconds in her 200 Freestyle; and then came back today in a time-trial to drop another 2.75 seconds. The heart breaker here is that this amazing near-13 second time drop still left her just short of her state qualifying time by 0.31 seconds. She needed a 2:36.69 and swam a 2:37.00.

And then I almost had another heart attack.

Never in my life have I realized how incredibly joyous or heartbreaking mere fractions of a second can be.

So, they're both going to State Championships in a couple weeks - Will in 2 individual events and 2 relays, and Maddie in 2 relays. They are thrilled!

Right now, I couldn't be prouder of these kiddos. They cheered for each other, hugged each other and truly were happy for each others victories. They've worked their butts off for the past 6 months. And during these past 2 days, I've been reminded of the shear strength and determination they each possess.

And now...we're going to take a few deep breaths and have an early night to bed. I think it'll be a good night sleep for everyone!

Too many numbers in my head...

OK...it's 4:02 am.

I've been tossing and turning since 1:27 am.

My alarm is going to start blaring in 23 minutes.

The kids have swim finals this weekend and we're supposed to be in Edina by 6:30 am.

All my mind can think of is: 0.36 seconds and 0.53 seconds...the times my little guy needs to drop to get his state cuts; and my girl wants to cut between 2 and 3 seconds in 3 events to reach her goal. My elbows are already wiggly (that's what happens to me when they swim:)...must be a nervous-energy kind of thing.)

This is their "final test" for the last 27 weeks of hard work.

Considering the new 3.5 inches of snow that seems to have fallen overnight, it'll take us at least 60 minutes to get there.

Maybe it's time to make some coffee.

...or try to cover up these 2 big bags under my eyes.