First Heat, No Time.

LT had his first ever swim meet this week. As he told us recently, "I get up early, it's just what I do" so getting to the meet was no problem (they always start early). Kar and Adler came to meet us at the pool a few hours later after the little one woke up.

He'd only been to three or four practices and didn't have any qualification times. So he was placed in the first heat of 8 and under 25 meeter freestyle (heating goes from slowest times to fastest so the last heat of any event typically has the best swimmers). He's definitely not the best swimmer in 8 and under but (proud dad moment) he's pretty darn good for having just started. And that may well be the last time he ever swims in the first heat. He absolutely obliterated the other swimmers in his heat, all whom were also first timers with no qualifying times. He finished several body lengths ahead of the nearest competitor. Just a week ago I was worried he wouldn't like it, wouldn't be good, and maybe wouldn't even be able to do it. But he did great and I'm really proud of him. He also swam 25 backstroke, 25 breaststroke, and the free relay. He held his own in all his events and, most importantly, he seemed like he really enjoyed it.

He doesn't have his team sweats yet but he showed up, unfazed by the 6:45am arrival time, looking like he knew what he was doing nonetheless (thanks to his mother) sporting sweats over his team suit, flip-flops, and his neatly organized backpack.  

One of his friends from school is also on the team. Swim team was a central part of both Kari and I's summer social lives growing up and I think we both kinda hope our boys can have similar experiences.

I thought I was shooting a video of his first race but apparently I still need to learn to use my new phone because it had switched back into photo mode after a test video and I only have this one picture just before the start of the race.