Am I true salesman?
Can I convince someone with a stellar pitch?
We are about to find out my friends.
Tomorrow morning I am all set to go in and talk to the Clarion University Swim Coach at 8:30am. This meeting has been a long time coming.
I've tried to swim in the 86 degree water at the Oil City YMCA for the last two months. Most of the time I end up jumping up and sitting on the side of the pool deck after each set, panting like a dog, and swearing at the lifeguards under my breath (well, not actually swearing, but wanting to swear). I know it's not their fault that 90% of the people using this pool are 75+, but it doesn't help people like me who are actually trying to do a workout and not pass out or need to be resuscitated in the mean time. So anyway, unless push comes to shove, I'm done with that pool.
Back to the Clarion Pool and the women's swim team. As a division II athletic program, they are actually fairly renowned within the conference. The pool is wonderful, except that as a recreational swimmer (i.e. not on the team) I can go between the hours of 9am-12pm and 8:00pm-9:45pm. I've gone at night a couple of times and the cycle usually goes like this after work - "I'm soooo hungry, dang it, I can't eat I've got to swim, ok I'll just have a little something, whoops! I just ate that entire bag of chips and all the hummus" and then during my swim I burp the entire time and have an upset stomach. I come home at 9:45 or 10:00 only to have to eat my last meal of the day at that time and I'm usually too wound up to sleep! Not cool, especially if you want to get up early again and workout.
So, this brings me to tomorrow. A good friend of mine is the coach of the women's cross-county and track teams. He has already broached the subject with the swim coach about my situation, and the swim coach prompted said a big fat NO. However, I'm going to go in tomorrow and give it my best pitch. Something like...
Top Ten Reasons why I should be able to swim with the Clarion Swim Team:
1. I am not a recreational swimmer, I am an athlete, in training
2. You will not even know I am there (unless you hear me breathing because I am dying), and I will swim last in the slowest lane and try to hang on for dear life
3. I will give sports nutrition talks and individual counseling FOR FREE to the team
4. I do not smell bad (most days)
5. I desperately need social interaction these days, and this will make me a better athlete
6. I will try and be a role model or something.. whatever, after school special type person
7. I did the Ironman (yes, I will pull this out if necessary to reinforce number 1)
8. Please, Please, Please with a big old fat cherry on the top
9. I am a very positive person and that will come through my personality (even though you won't even know I'm there)
10. I am an athlete, in training...and once again, please, please, please
So, if that doesn't do it. Well, I don't know what will. I guess we will see tomorrow morning. Wish me luck!!
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