... the end will be sweet

It is official.  Birthday season is over.  This not only means a decrease in the amount of cake and various desserts around my house but also a change in festivities.

From August 26th to October 5th we have three birthdays in my house.  The first is my mother's, the second (and most important) is mine on September 28th and the last is my dad's, falling exactly one week later.  This time of year marks exceptional desserts and cheerfulness.  With my mom's birthday there is always a fantastic cake and dinner (she makes them extra good considering she is honoring herself).  This year it was a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting.  Delicious.  For my birthday it was a strawberry cake, and my dad had an angel food cake with lemon frosting (not all that delicious).  But now, as the happy birthday balloons are deflating and the leftovers are dwindling, the mood is changing.

No, not for Halloween, but for championship season.  Maybe one of the most stressful times of the year.  The big swim meets are coming up.  Three weeks from yesterday is the regional meet, and perhaps the most nerve-wracking meet of them all.  This is the meet where the state qualifiers are decided.  Everyone in the top 24 people in each event gets a spot at the meet.  You would think "That's not that hard, it's a lot of people," but you are wrong.  Qualifying for state is real tough. 

My freshmen year I was fortunate to have qualified in one race, the 100 yard backstroke.  I was the twentieth qualifier, and had I gone three tenths of a second slower I would not have made the cut at all.  Last year was more successful.  I qualified in the 100 yard backstroke and the 100 yard butterfly along with two relays, the 200 yard medley and the 400 yard freestyle.  However, this year things are different.  There are a lot of fast backstrokers, which makes the qualifying time much faster and the competition fiercer.  The race I have always seemed to pull out for state is in question. 

The stress is not overwhelming me though.  I have an almost sure spot on the state team.  Our medley relay is super fast and basically as long as we do not get disqualified at the regional meet we will get to go to state.  The only thing is, it is kind of a disappointment.  I realize people would kill for one spot at state, but since I went in four events last year it would be kind of upsetting to do less.  Not that some great swimmers have not missed qualifying times before.  One swimmer at our rival high school qualified in the 100 back as a freshmen and sophomore but not again until she was a senior. 

But there is still hope.  I always drop a lot of time at regionals, and sometimes other people do not.  This means the time slows down a little bit.  So I can qualify, it just might be difficult.

No matter how you look at it, swim season is almost over.  This, after all the grueling practices, makes me happy.  There is only one more week of our regular two-a-days until we start the fantastic taper.  One practice a day, and an easy one at that.  We are resting so we can be flying for the meets at the end of the season.  And I am okay with that.  Frankly, I could use some rest.  And after taper, swimming is over!  I am sure everyone on the team is looking forward to their first day of freedom as much as they look forward to Christmas.  So I am optimistic that after all the hard work, when the end comes it is going to pay off.  And then I will have some well deserved rest.