the sweet smell of chlorine before dawn

This morning like most Wednesday mornings I headed to masters swim - it is never easy getting up at 5am but I am so glad I did. Since my shin issue is still on the mend I have missed my hard runs of late and in general getting my heart rate up and work hard. So when I saw the workout this morning I was so happy. There was some steady stuff but there was also 8 x 50 kick hard - oh how I LOVE kicking. It felt soooo good to use my legs and really helped loosen them up after not doing much the last week.
Then after some easy stuff the main set was 16 x 100 with odds hard/fast and evens easy and even better fallowed by 8 x 50 with odds hard/fast and evens easy. I could not wait to push myself, go all out and breath hard.
Ok so the only weird thing about masters for the last month is there is a guy in my lane that seems to have the hardest time not being the fastest. He makes these comments about oh "I don't want to hold you up" but then always wants to lead even when he says he is slow. Drives me crazy. I have worked really hard the past year and have finally gotten stronger and faster to be able to on most occasions to be able to lead (as long as Cathleen is in the next lane faster lol). It just seems to really bother him when I lead or probably more accurately when he is not leading. Sorry dude but leave your ego on the deck this is masters there is always some one faster then you. Seriously cracks me up every time.
So back to the swimming I start the first set of 4 (broke the 16 down by 4 sets of 4 to keep track easier). The first hard 100 was wonderfully hard I could feel my heart rate go through the roof, I had to focus, and it just felt challenging. I managed a 1:30 100 yrds :) which is really good for me.. next up easy recovery.. then another hard effort just as much fun as the 1st and again I hit 1:30 wooo hoo..
Then this guy offered to lead.. fine what ever I will give him a couple extra second head start. So it was not as hard an effort for me especially since in no time I was right on his feet drafting. Once he starts leading it is hard to get him to let anyone else lead so I had to give him more and more space to start so that I could still have a hard effort. Pour Laurie was great at staying on my feet through the entire set. But all in all it was so much fun to swim hard.
The final set was 8 x 50 odds hard and even easy and I took back the lead (Laurie was done for the day). So the last couple short hard efforts were wonderfully challenging especially at the end of about 3000 yrds.
I finished up the morning with a couple minutes in the hot tub stretching while eating a pumpkin muffin Laurie brought and talking with Loree, Laurie and Kainoa. So glad I got up before dawn to swim :)