Blood in the water...no really

I must remind you that I'm running the Boston Marathon this year on a charity number so I need to raise money in order to participate. If you are so inclined/motivated please click the donate button at the top right of my blog to donate to my cause and thank you in advance. Now onto the blogging goodness.

Look, I don't like to swim. Well actually that's not true. I'm happy to get in the pool and thrash about like an idiot as we all are apt to do on a hot summer day but I dread heading to the pool to swim laps. Laps being that joy of water time required to become a more efficient swimmer and therefore a better triathlete.

I have discovered that of all the sports and sporting endeavors one can participate in, swimming is the one you CAN'T muscle or fight your way through. It actually requires you to calm down. Have you met me? Calm down? What the hell is that?! I'm the same guy that was upset that I couldn't name my blog "Fueled by Anger"! But, I drag myself to the pool 2 or 3 times a week to swim. I'll be honest, I don't do "flip turns", I'm not fancy, I just try my best to get though the required distance of the day without looking like a complete retard.

Well today I guess my body was finally starting to feel like I do about swimming because while struggling through a "pulling" 100 my nose exploded. Not that I noticed of course. I was too busy focusing on trying to extend through the stroke and bilateral breathe and "relax" and all that other crap. While swimming I did feel something across my face. I wiped it away and kept going until I hit the end. Upon standing, winded and angry, looking back down the length I just swam I noticed a red trail. A red trail sitting on top of the water leading right to me. Unfortunately the other people in the pool noticed it at the same time, followed it to me and noticed that my face, unbeknown to me, looked like a crime scene and pointed in horror. Really, my WHOLE face was covered in blood as were my hands from wiping away what I thought was water. Great times. I grabbed my nose and left a wounded animal blood trail all the way to the showers where I spent the next 10 or 15 minutes trying to get rid of the "evidence". Then, once cleaned up I had to unceremoniously clean up my mess from the showers to the pool. All the while being looked at like a leper because you know there's no telling what's in my blood. NOW I totally understood what Charlie Brown meant when he uttered "ugh" in the Peanuts cartoon. After all the cleaning, I grabbed up my gear and left with my tail between my legs.

You normally beat me Mr. Pool but today you bested me beyond belief...ugh.