Ample Warning

Coming out of the pool today from a monster swim, I had the opportunity to chat with another local Schenectady swimmer. This fellow, a gentlemen enjoying what is likely his 7th or 8th decade here in the Dutch country, came up to me:

"Hey there young felleh'! Whattya? Swim laps?" He inquired

"Ummm, yeah, I swim laps" I said, wondering laps as opposed to...?

"Heyahhah! I thought sah, I see you in that pool all the time! How many laps do ya duh?"

"Well... I swim by distance, so usually like 2000 to 3000 meters per session. So whatever that is in laps." I replied, and a bit unsure where we were going with this.

"Lemme ask yah, you swim on the high school team here sonny?"

"High school team?" I questioned, wondering if I really look that young. "Uh, no, not the high school team. I compete in..."

"'Cause I seen yah swim in there, and you could be on that team if you wanted to be!" He said with the utmost enthusiasm.

"But I..."

"Damn right you could! Did I ever tell you about the time I was on a swim team?" He started in, and I knew it'd be a long one.

About 20 minutes later, I found myself meandoring out of the building and to my car. Feeling the hot, humid air at 6:00 at night and contrasting it to the freezing cold, arctic airs blowing about at 6:00 in the morning back in January, I realized that I really have come a long way with this whole swimming thing.

So even though my newfound agent may have been "a little off" in his assesment, it was still a compliment I took to heart.

See you in the deep end.