reliving memories from childhood

This may be a shock to many of you, so just know that I warned you. I think I sort of decided today to join the swim team here at North Park. Hahaha, I know. Sort of funny for many reasons.

1. I haven't worked out consistently since my jr. year of HIGH school...(you do the math)
2. I am super old swimming with these 20 year old girls
3. I sort of hated swim team as a kid. I mean, I always did it, each and every year since I was 4 years old. I swam for the Ripon Sea Lions, some year round team in Ripon, CA, The Kirkwood Swim and Dive Team (I don't think we had a mascot, now I think of it), The Foxridge Swim and Dive team (below), the USS year round team at the YMCA in Kirkwood, MOand finally Cherry Creek High School...home of the mighty bruins... (again, below) I think that on every one of those teams, I somehow won the "biggest whiners" award or "most excuses" award. One year I even wrote a book with my best friend Lindsey because of that award. It was 101 ways to get out of swim practice. We actually tried to sell it for $2 to the other girls in our lane. it didn't work so well. Side note: I think that my favorite excuse was to say that there were sharks in the dive tank...that or stick your ear plugs up your nose so far that you need to go to the doctor.
   
4. I am freakin' sore tonight as I write this. I mean, not all the "I worked out today and I feel sore, but really it is a good sore". No, this is the "I worked out with girls 10 years younger than me and tried to do fly in some of my sets" sort of sore.
   
5. I actually got a cramp in my leg today while I was swimming. It was right after 25 fly...and I was doing free back...and then came the cramp. I faked a lot of cramps so I could sit on the wall, but for reals, I had a cramp that took me out. no wonder when I was in lifeguard training, they warned us to watch out for people getting cramps.
6. I still have my high school racing swim suit. yep, sort of hard for me to fit into the size 28 suit (for some of you that have NO idea what I am talking about...this is basically the same as a size 2 or 4). Why the heck did I try to fit into that as a high schooler, let alone college graduate? Don't worry, I don't wear that suit.
7. I did laugh to myself, but sort of cry when I had to pull out my very last CREEK swim cap. My other cap ripped the other day. I was saving it, but I am not too sure why. Maybe because I thought I would think about joining a swimclub when I was old and wanted to look cool wearing my High School Swim Team cap. Good thing I kept it, huh?
   
8. Don't diss my high school team. Creek has won 162 state sports championships...21 of them being women's swimming. (we won 3 of my 4 years at Creek). I guess we are most famous for Amy VanDykan being on our team. (she was an olympic super-gold medalist...)
   
9. Finally, the last reason this is funny is that I am super stressed out about it...even though there were only 2 of us at practice today. Me and the girl who is starting the club. Halfway through practice, she recruited another girl to swim with us. So, basically we don't have enough for a relay yet, but I am sure this girl has vision.

Meet my new pool at North Eastern Illinois University...across the street from North Park.
I am sure that I will have just as many excuses as childhood, but hopefully I will be able to surpress these and keep them to myself. Gosh, what have I gotten myself into?