"Everybody listen up," Coach Jennings voice fills the pavilion, and we all quiet down.
We were all currently putting on our googles and settling in our assigned lanes while we waited for Jennings to come out of his office. The practice was supposed to start fifteen minutes ago, but Tanner our assistant coach, had a lengthy and unpleasant conversation with Jennings in his office. "We will be going into this upcoming season with a different mindset. To those whom much is given, much is expected, a quote from one of our past presidents. As we begin this new chapter, our goal is the same, but our mentality isn't."
We all began to look at each other confused by Jennings last words because our mentality has always been the same (at least from the two years I've been here). "I don't care who we're up against this season, we will jump in and compete. Compete as if every meet was the last meet you were to swim, we will treat every meet as if we were at Nationals. There's no going easy on anyone this season, not even GSU. If Winston and the other commentators at ESPN want something to talk about, we will give them something to talk about."
"The pressure for this season is now on, more than ever before guys," Tanner spoke and I smell the five am early practices from a mile away. "For our practice schedule, we will be training two times a day the five days of the week. That includes an early five am practice and a four pm practice combined with physical training in the gym. You will have the weekend free, but if you wish to train during the weekends as well the pavilion will remain open for all of you to use."
"With that being said, this means no excessive partying and drinking during the week. This goes to you four boys over there, especially you Dant." Coach Jennings points to O'Connor, Connery, Dant, and Becker. They kept a straight face and nodded, but I was certain they would be making a weekly appearance at the block parties at Ackerman Road. Ackerman Road is filled with sororities, frat houses, and other non-relevant houses (to most BGU students) like the art club. "Now, let's begin practice with a fifteen-hundred-meter freestyle warm-up and I want it at an eighty percent rate."
At least it wasn't three thousand meters I thought to myself. I walked over to the lane I shared with Reagan and three other girls from the team and I jumped in the freezing cold water. I adjusted my cap and my goggles before I began to swim the warm-up. "O'Connor, did you forget to use a two-beat kick during summer break? You are swimming 800 meters freestyle this season, get a grip, you'll have an empty tank by the time you reach the 400 meters if you keep kicking like that."
As I swam back and forth, picking up my pace every time I flipped at the end of each 25 meters, I could hear Coach Jennings shouting at everyone and we were just in the warm-up portion of practice. "Green, you're reaching too far with your recovery arm. You're causing additional turbulence and unwanted drag."
There it was. I was finding it strange that Coach Jennings didn't point out my (very) bad freestyle technique.
Tanner and Jennings didn't come to play nice today at practice. We ended up doing 200 meters of a kick set (25m underwater kick, 25m back, 25m breast, 25m free, 25m fly, 25m back, 25m breast, 25m free) just to start practice after we all finished our warm-up. Then for the next set, we did 300 meters of pull drills (one of my favorite drills if I'm being honest) it focused on bilateral breathing and training with slight oxygen debt. For this drill we ended up doing 50m free catch-upâbreath at three strokes; 50m free fingertip dragâbreathe at five strokes and 100m free with paddles (no kick); 100m free.
And to finish off the second hour of our practice today we moved on to (the most dreaded set) Coach Jennings main set. Every single time we hear those two words at practice most of us would love to have a time machine to have the ability to skip over it. Coach Jennings's main set is a high intensity non-stop set of 1600 meters. Its main goal is to help us swimmers build endurance, but it was a killer. The only "rest" we got was until the next interval started. He divided it in ten intervals: 50m on 1:00, 100m on 1:45, 150m on 2:40, 200m on 3:10, 300m on 4:30, 200m on 3:10, 150m on 2:40, 100m on 1:45, 50m on 1:00 and 3x100m on 1:30.
After that killer set, we were all chugging down our water bottles. My face was red as a tomato and I felt like my body was on fire (literally). I haven't swum at this intensity since last semester and it showed. Regan was hysterically laughing at my heavy panting. "Everest, you look like you're about to pass out. I thought you were used to Jennings's main set by now."
"Does it look like I have gotten used to it, Regan? I spent most of my summer stuffing my face with shrimp tacos from the little taco truck back home. That was most of my cardio (or any cardio for that matter)."
"That will be it for the sets on today's practice." Coach Jennings said while he held his famous orange clipboard with BGU's logo on it. Thank God. I thought to myself. My body couldn't handle swimming another high intensity set like that one. "But don't go thinking practice is over, Tanner and I want to see how you're doing in competition-wise situations."
"That's why we paired you up in teams of four to do a mixed relay race. The only twist in this exercise is that you will not be swimming your style of specialty." Tanner said showing us the list of names in his hands. Oh brother.
After the most lengthy yet dreadful fifteen minutes, Tanner successfully paired us up with our teams. I had one thing going for me in this out of the blue exercise Tanner and Jennings had both come up with, O'Connor and Regan were on my team. On the other hand, what I didn't have going for me in this one was that I had to swim breathe-stroke. Terrible fell short describing how bad I was at it. My specialty was backstroke, I had endurance and the most important one of all, speed. Tanner and Jennings were both setting me up to fail and I definitely wasn't looking forward to it.
"Everest, change the pessimistic attitude, you're a pretty decent breathe-stroke swimmer. You'll do fine." Regan reassures and I smile weakly. She must have suffered some sort of memory loss during summer break because last time I swam breathe-stroke I heard an earful from Jennings.
"Try to not take it that serious Everest, it's just a meet simulation. It's not that big of a deal." O'Connor tries to reassure me as well. Says the guy who has beaten many records. It's no big deal Everest, not a big deal at all.
We ended up coming in third, thank God, Tanner made the team coming forth in each meet do one-hundred push-ups. Regan and O'Connor were incredible, I on the other hand swam pretty decent (for being pretty terrible at it I did). I beat Dant in the last 25 meters of breathe-stroke, he had a whole body advantage but I managed to catch up. Coach Jennings was surprised as I was, he even gave me a compliment (sort of), Coach Jennings never gives compliments or praises. Not even to Matt Connery and we all know he receives plenty.
After we all finished the meets we did 300 meters of cool down and then we stretched. I showered in the locker room once practice was over and I thankfully had another change of clothes in my locker. It was only a pair of shorts and a t-shirt but I would take that any day over having to shamefully walk across campus to get to my apartment. I had a shift at a small coffee shop near campus in two hours and I needed to look decent (at least try to).
I was walking through the hallway that led to the exit in the pavilion when I received a text from Peyton, EVEREST I just dropped Stensby off do you want me to pick you up at the pavilion? I quickly replied to my best friend with an all caps YES. I didn't mind walking back to the apartment, but I was beaten from today's practice. Peyton replied with an OMY and I waited for her in front of the pavilion with a wide smile.
"Nice win Everest, that is if you would even count that as one," Dant speaks making me turn around. Does he ever take a break or? "I obviously felt like I had to slow down. I wanted to save you the embarrassment and the 100 push-ups."
I roll my eyes at him and I look at Connery who was also standing beside him. He was just standing there like always with a neutral expression on his (gorgeous) face. "You are clearly looking for attention Dant, are you going through some sort of dry spell? Have the girls stopped giving you their time of day?"
Dant laughs at my comment. "If you're so curious to find out, you should ask Peyton. I bet she'll love to tell you all the details."
That took me by surprise, Peyton would never. Even if that comment caught me off guard I kept my composure. "Dant we all know you have many fantasies but please do keep them to yourself."
Connery snorted with laughter and before Dant could say anything Peyton pulled up in her black Honda Civic. "I have to go, but before I do, Connery and I both know that you're just bitter and salty that you lost to a girl. I'd be worried if I were you, we wouldn't want you to cost us Nationals again."
I turned my back on Dant and Connery but not before enjoying the look on Dant's face when I talked about him costing us Nationals. Like I said before, Dant costing us Nationals was everyone talked about last semester. He was lucky Winston and ESPN didn't blame him for our loss, he blamed the four of them and Coach Jennings's poor coaching skills as they called it back then (still do).
"What was that all about? Dant looks like you ran over his puppy or something." Peyton points out as I get into the passenger seat. "Was he hitting on you again?"
"It was nothing really, he's just bitter that I beat him today at practice." I shrug. For Peyton's unfortunate luck I still hadn't forgotten what Dant told me just a few minutes ago. I was definitely going to push for details. "He did mention something very interesting."
Peyton laughs. "Since when does something interesting come out of Dant's mouth. The only language he speaks is fuck boy and he's not even that good at it."
I give Peyton a curious look and I raise my eyebrows. "How would you know how good he is at it, Peyton?"
"I've heard things, Everest, the girls at the house have told me about it." Ah yes! The girls from the Kappa Kappa Delta house. Peyton rushed in our freshman year and almost dragged me into rushing with her, but I kindly passed.
"Do you know because the girls told you or because you did him, Peyton Reese Sawyer?" Peyton's face was priceless. I bet she never expected to get caught red-handed.
"It was only one time Everest, I was drunk." Peyton defends and I give her an I know you're lying look. "Fine, I wasn't drunk. I just ask to keep your comments and judgment to yourself."
"I wasn't going to say anything Peyton, what kind of best friend do you paint me to be? I am questioning your sanity a little bit though."
Peyton was the sweetest friend and she dropped me off at work after I had gone home and changed into appropriate work attire. A creme sweater and a pair of blue washed jeans were good enough for me. The coffee shop was not at all crowded today, it was a Wednesday after all, and we were only into our second week of the semester thankfully. It only got worst from here. One of my good friends Stacey was also working the afternoon shift with me so I wouldn't be totally bored out of my mind on a slow day like today.
To my luck I was on cash register duty for today's shift, I was a pretty decent barista but Stacey made some mean iced coffees. I was standing by the cash register when my phone vibrated in my back pocket. It was Stensby. EVEREST YOU ARE GOING TO THAT KEG PARTY. PEYTON TOLD ME HOW YOU BEAT DANTS ASS TODAY AT PRACTICE. WE HAVE TO CELEBRATE.
Stensby and Peyton have been insisting that I go to today's keg party at the Alpha Phi Sigma house tonight. I have politely declined the first twenty times but they are getting on my nerves about it. I honestly wasn't planning on going, I was beaten and we had a five am practice tomorrow morning. KEEP DREAMING STENSBY! MY BED AWAITS AFTER I FINISH MY SHIFT. I replied.
I heard the bell on the front door ring so I locked my phone and I put it on my back pocket again. When I turned my gaze to the figure standing in front of me I sort of froze. Connery or should I say a greek god was standing right in front of me. Connery was definitely good looking, tall, sharp-featured, and well built. And let's not forget about the blue eyes. I must've been awkwardly staring because Stacey snapped me out of it by discreetly kicking me while she made coffee. "I'm sorry, hi, what would you like to order today?"
Connery chuckled softly to himself before he spoke. "I will have a medium iced coffee with three pumps of vanilla and sweet cream."
He was wearing the new orange and blue hoodie we got for this new season with a pair of black Nike sweatpants and slides. "That will be a total of 3.55."
I offered him a smile and he handed me a ten-dollar bill. "You can keep the change."
"Thank you," Being in his presence was very intimidating. Sure, he's just a regular guy, but how I'm I supposed to make conversation with BGU's Olympic prospect? Stacey was pretty fast at making orders, but for some reason, today she was taking forever (at least that's what it felt like).
"Good practice today Everest," Connery says trying to make conversation and it takes me by surprise. He knows my name? And then I remember, the name tag Everest. The name tag. "It was pretty awesome watching you kick Dant's ass today."
I laugh. "I must say, it felt pretty good."
"I still don't know how you did it though, he had a full-body advantage over you and you managed to catch up to him in the last 25 meters. That was pretty sick."
"Thank you, you better watch yourself then Connery. I might just come after your throne." I joke and Connery laughs. Stacey hands Connery his drink and he mouths a thank you before turning around and heading for the door.
Connery stops midway and turns around. "Hey Everest, the house is having a keg party tonight if you want to swing by with any friends. It's nothing too big, very low-key, that is if you're interested."
I nod and Connery offers a smile before he turns around and walks out of the coffee shop.
"If you're not going to that party, I can definitely go for you." Stacey teases.
I pull my phone out of my back pocket and I text Stensby.
LET'S KEG.