Day eleven: 7/30

Duration: 2.2(0.8x2, 0.25x2)

Tensions are high.

This is the final day of revision, and the coaches' faces and attitude bore even more resemblance to those of a drill sergeant's. I was barked at for playing with the lifesaving equipment. The head coach lost it and yelled at the team for the very first time as everyone completely butchered the Heimlich maneuver. I was the victim during that round, so I can't do anything except grit my teeth and hope it'll be over soon. He promptly apologized after the first lesson.

Every coach was voluntary, even the founder of the association. The profit they receive can barely cover the charges from insurance, equipment, rent etc. The head coach is currently a father of two toddlers and an elementary school teacher, and he had to balance all of them on top of his plate by sleeping only three or four hours a day, sometimes even less. I can literally see the stress creeping up in his expression, especially that we have a test tomorrow. If he were to be viewed in others' eyes, he seems like he doesn't have a care in the world about anything anymore, or just dead inside. I say it's stress. I hope the situation on his end gets better soon.

We revised various lifesaving methods, maneuvers and procedures again and again and again. Everything was a blur to me, except for the reminders and methods that were forcefully etched in my head, clearer than ever. After hours of training, I went home, both mentally and physically tired. The only happy thought in my mind was that everything is going to pass by, including this day.

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Additional notes:

* Sometimes when I'm swimming, I reach a certain point of exhaustion that either I completely give up, or adrenaline kicks in and I swim even faster.

* The last days are always the most difficult and tiring ones. Again, just grit your teeth and hope it'll be over soon rather than focusing on how arduous they are. I don't think anyone's going to have the perfect mindset of trying even harder as shown in motivational quotes anyway. Just get over it.