There are two lessons I wanted to share with my kids yesterday after my grueling swimming lesson.

1. I cheated during our sprint sets.

Granted, the entire group knew I was doing it and I gave them someone to chase as I would false-start when the coach announced there were five seconds of rest remaining before we were meant to go. Sadly, (for me) it only took about 3 seconds for everyone to catch up to me, over-take my lead and leave me in their wake. If you’ve been reviewing your math flashcards, that means the swimmers who started after me, actually made time stand still for two seconds. Also, isn’t admitting my shameful indiscretion punishment enough?

2. Coming in dead last is no big deal.

I decided that finishing a race regardless of ranking is better than not trying and never finishing. I decided this after coming in last place each and every race. It occurred to me that a year ago at this time, I never could have gotten through the hour session without a lot of vomiting and fake bathroom breaks/injuries/pretending my hand was a phone and I was receiving an important call from the president, (from a water resistant phone!) to give myself a much needed rest.

It’s okay to come in last as long as you try.

Cheating is fun for everyone. If you do it right, it makes other people feel good about themselves so it’s a win-win.