66 Thoughts You Have During the 1650

Athletics – Men's and Women's Swimming, Underwater Action Shots, Chatham County Aquatic Center – Fall 2013 – Photography by Stephanie Krell, courtesy of SCAD DVD and SLEEVE TITLE = Athletics: Swimming, Action Shots #1 (underwater), Fall 2013
Photo Courtesy: Stephanie Krell/SCAD Athletics

By Kelly Lennon, Swimming World College Intern

Originally posted May 29, 2015

We’ve all been there. Whether you’re a distance swimmer or just unfortunate enough to be one of those kids that gets thrown into every event at every meet, you’ve likely swam the mile at some point in your career. Sixty-six laps and 15+ minutes leaves you a lot of time to think, and if you’re anything like me, your train of thought probably goes something like this…

  1. Oooooookay here we go, 66 laps, I can do it, no big deal, just a quick mile.
  2. Don’t take it out too fast!!!
  3. No, seriously slow down, you will die.
  4. Why is everyone else going so fast….
  5. We literally just started
  6. Is this the mile or the 50 what are you people DOING.
  7. Should I pick it up too?
  8. Is that a risk I’m willing to take?
  9. No, no, definitely not.
  10. But I don’t want to get lapped…
  11. EVERYONE SLOW DOWN.
  12. I THOUGHT WE WERE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
  13. We’re allll in thisss togetherrrr once we know that we are we’re all STARS…
  14. Focus.
  15. But I’m probably fine…right?
  16. No, I’m definitely fine they’ll all crash and I’ll be great.
  17. I’M FINE.
  18. I wonder what everyone else is thinking about.
  19. Are they as tired as I am already?
  20. Based on the way they started out sprinting I would assume so.
  21. Yet everyone is still ahead of me…
  22. They’ll get tired eventually, right?
  23. OK, focus on something else.
  24. This is YOUR race.
  25. Sing a song!
  26. CAUSE I GOT A BLANK SPACE BABY
  27. AND I’LL WRITE YOUR NAME
  28. And I’m bored again.
  29. Wow, I’m also exhausted.
  30. Don’t. Think. About. It.
  31. Aaaaaaand I’m thinking about it.
  32. This is painful.
  33. HALFWAY THERE
  34. Ohhhh living on a prayer take my hand and we’ll make it I swear..
  35. Except we really might not make it
  36. I literally just have to do what I just did one more time.
  37. I could probably do that
  38. Without dying…right?
  39. This isn’t even that bad.
  40. I’m totally cruising.
  41. Practically on autopilot.
  42. I’m also basically already done.
  43. Except I’m in A LOT OF PAIN.
  44. I don’t actually think I’ve ever felt pain like this before.
  45. The last time definitely wasn’t this painful.
  46. Maybe it was and I just blacked out.
  47. I could always stop.
  48. Or do an open turn and get some oxygen.
  49. Is it worse for me to finish and have a bad time or not finish at all?
  50. Which is coach more likely to yell at me for…
  51. If I stay in, I might drown.
  52. If I get out…
  53. Yeah, I’m definitely gonna stay in.
  54. What’s that quote? When you want to stop remember why you started?
  55. Well I only really started because my coach made me, but still!
  56. Just start kicking and kick your way to the finish.
  57. OK, your legs AREN’T working today.
  58. Why are you shaking the counter?
  59. If I could go faster don’t you think I would go faster????
  60. I’m not TRYING to go slow, it’s just HAPPENING.
  61. Almost there, finish strong.
  62. Think about all the food you’re going to eat after this.
  63. Literally, so much food.
  64. And oxygen.
  65. That wasn’t even that bad I could probably do it again. Why is everyone complaining?
  66. THOSE RED BLOCKS ARE SO BEAUTIFUL.
84 Comments
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8 years ago

If you’re counting for yourself, there’s a whole different set of thoughts.

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8 years ago
Reply to  Michael Amis

I was thinking the same thing….. What lap am I on?? Was that 24 or 26 lol

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8 years ago
Reply to  Michael Amis

And do you revert to the lowest lap count you think you may have done? Did I really do a 1650? Maybe just a 1600 (wow! I beat my time!) or 1700 (crap, didn’t feel that fatigued…)

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Dist-swimmer
8 years ago

Awesome! I usually have a good song in my mind.

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8 years ago

This is freaking hilarious.. and so true

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8 years ago

So true. Also dam I’m hungry

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8 years ago

Open water…. Wait was that a shark? Oh, in a lake! Alligator? ?

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8 years ago

When having to split a lane…. ‘Why ate they taking their half from the middle?’

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8 years ago

Great article Kelly

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8 years ago
Reply to  Sean Doyle

Thank you!

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8 years ago

Welcome to Swimming World Kelly. Nice Job!

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8 years ago
Reply to  Swimming World

thank you!! happy to be here 🙂

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Yosa
8 years ago

Yes, number 4

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8 years ago

That’s SO funny. That’s what I thought when I was doing cross country…so much time! Swimmers go thru the same stuff I guess. Good article

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8 years ago

Anneliesse Bruns it’s more like 1-66 just keep swimming just keep swimming, oh my body is numb, well that just means no more pain. And I can go faster. NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPETY NOPE NOPE definetly can’t. Them again maybe a little bit at a time, alright here we go feeling good, here it is last lap, hey that’s a person I’m passing cool. Done finally done give me burger now please!

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8 years ago

I am cracking up – that is so gonna be me!!!!

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8 years ago

So funny….so true!

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8 years ago

This is great! !! I always wondered! !

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8 years ago

This is so true!

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8 years ago

Do you think anyone would notice if I skipped 2 laps?

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Yep, every single one and then some, each and every time I swam it, lol.

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8 years ago

So true! But I love the mile.

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8 years ago

As a distance swimmer I never allowed myself to think about pain. I went out a little slow until the midpoint, then looked for the nearest swimmer to pass. After passing, I picked the next swimmer and then the next. Focus on pain and you’re done.

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8 years ago
Reply to  Ben Van Dyk

Something I’ve learned the hard way!!

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8 years ago
Reply to  Ben Van Dyk

Me too!

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8 years ago

Being a little bit older, this happens to me (more than often) around lap 10 after a little coughing:
*Why do I still keep forgetting to fix my dentures? *

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8 years ago

1650…I think all that during the 200 breast!

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100% accurate!

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8 years ago

If you drove like you swim, you’d be taking a field sobriety test right now.

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8 years ago

I like number 58…

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8 years ago

Always wondered what you thought about!

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8 years ago

58 & 59 r what I think in like every distance event!

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8 years ago

🙂

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Lmao, this was beyond accurate. And also applied for my 500

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So funny! And that only accounts for 1 thought per lap!! I bet there’s more where that comes from!! LOL

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8 years ago

Listening to IRON Butterfly’s Inna Godda de Vita,….

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Dee Rossman Brodt-Macnider i remember us having a conversation about this very topic.

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8 years ago

Michele Heller…
I’m sure this is Annie and Claire.

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8 years ago

Julie Payne Sparks…this will be us on Sunday!! Lol

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Bryan Rossmanith did you see this?!

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8 years ago

Kat Gerstmar Alex Hendrick Maddy Wigg Ryan Gifford Jason Hicks

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8 years ago

Karen Chu Miriam Benjamin

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8 years ago

Lol Bernadette Chiavaro Jaeger – you should show this to Connor!

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8 years ago

Is this real life Wendy Bartlett?

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8 years ago

Thea Schuster 1500 ?

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8 years ago

Hahahahah, du får det ikke mer korrekt enn det altså…. ??????

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8 years ago

Dan Ax recognize this guy?

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8 years ago

Karli

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8 years ago

Carolyn Bonfield Mckenna Newsum Schoenberg

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8 years ago

Chris Cook

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Shelby Fruge death by mile lol

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8 years ago

Connor Harrigan

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Rachel Suhs you know

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8 years ago

Only one: get this damn thing over with

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8 years ago

Elyse

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Ryan Miller

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8 years ago

Kevin Nguyen

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8 years ago

Francisco Salinas