4:30AM

4:30AM is early... Very early in fact. Twice a week, for the past month, I've been up and out of bed at 4:30 in order to get 45 minutes to an hour of swimming before work. 

It's a terrible feeling at first, waking up that early. Your not sure if it's the end of a long night out or the beginning of a very very long day. Either way, you get the instant feeling that you should still be sleeping. I can honestly say that I've really taken to the "Early Bird" role and waking up with the "chickens". 

It's become routine for me to pop up out of bed, get dressed, pack stuff for work, and make the 30 minute drive up to the Westside Aquatic Center in Greenville. I look forward to the exhilarating jump into the chilly 70 degree un-heated water of the competition pool. To some, this sounds a little nuts: jumping in a cold pool at 5:30 in the morning and swimming for an hour before working for 24 hours. To me, it is awesome. 

I've never considered myself a swimmer whatsoever but, like waking up early, I have taken to the role with a smile on my face. I've transferred well into swimming from my long-distance running background. I've found that, like running, I can get lost in my thoughts and get into the "zone" pretty easily. At first, all I can think about is my technique, my breathing, and how fast I'm swimming. I start to panic a bit and I just don't feel comfortable in the water. The moment of panic is just that, a moment. Like going on a long run, in only minutes I "zone out", relax, and just swim. My mind will wander and I'll start to think about a lot of different things: friends, work, Ashley my wife, my Mom & Dad, my brothers & sisters, anything and everything. Before I know it, my breaths are easy, my strokes are flawless, and I'm gliding through the water with ease. Consequently, after "zoning out" time has flown by and it's time to shower up and head to work. 

The invigorating morning swims have become part of my weekly routine and will continue to be until I hit the waters of the Ohio River in Louisville next summer. I had better get used to the 70 degree water now in September because, it's bound to be much colder in January.

Competion Pool at the Westside Aquatic Center - Greenville, SC