2400m

700s
200brst
100bk
100fly drill
200k brst
200k fr
~400 lunges in the walking lane
200p
100s

Total: 2400m (including the walking) 1hr.

San Tache and I headed to the pool today. Originally, I was hoping to bike and go for a little mini-jog/run, but the weather is nasty and I woke up with a sore throat. So we just did the pool. I was feeling a bit tingly in my limbs and short of breath. We tried the walking lane today. I've never done it before. Not sure it is very effective, but let's see if I can feel the lunges tomorrow. I hope so!!

I have the next week OFF!!! My goal is to get to the pool a lot and hopefully by bike!! The next meet is just over a month away. And I signed up for a relay marathon in two weeks...i'm nutz!!

Congratulations Mad Ducks & Dogs

This is a little late, but a huge congrats to my college swim team for it's 9th & 6th straight Mid-West Conference Championship! When I joined the team in 1996, it has been a few years since the team had won and with a new coach, the team was still re-building and growing. I was there when the winning streak started and it was so exciting to watch and be apart of...even if I wasn't part of the scoring swimmers! I honestly believe that one of the reasons we were so successful was because our team-spirit was was contagious! It was a full-time job cheering for swimmers and divers. If you weren't warming-up or cooling down, you were at the end of the lane or at the side yelling for someone! And before every home meet, the team stands around the pool and leads everyone in pool hokey-pokey. The lyrics are almost the same, but adjusted a little: right foot, left foot, right hand, left hand, head, butt, and mad dog/duck (use your imagination).

I miss the team-spirit. I hope someday I'll be able to join a more competitive and team-spirited masters team. Hmm...I wonder if there are Masters teams in the Middle East?

(I found these pics on the internet...thanks someone)

1500m

500s
200k
300p
4x4x25 IM
200s

I've been so so tired all week! Struggled to get to the pool tonight...the only reason I did was to sign up for the Masters Meet in June. I'll be swimming the 100Brst and 100Medley. I gotta start really swimming!

~1200m

I can't remember everything I did, but it was nice and relaxing after the long pull on Thursday! After the swim, a friend and I went to a hot spring and sat for about an hour! It was wonderful!

2500m

500s
1000p
400k IM
4x100 IM
200s

Total 2500m 1hr.

Overall a good swim. The kids team was in the pool and took up4 lanes, leaving 2 lanes to ALL the lap swimmers. This looked to be a problem, but another Masters swimmer and I bullied most everyone out of the 'fast' lane. That was part of the reason I decided mid-swim to do a 1000p..."I'm not stopping for ANYTHING-MOVE OVER OR GET OUT!" Motivated to keep people out of my lane, I tried to keep a hearty pace tonight.

Have I mentioned that the entire kids swim team has matching practice suits?? And the their coaches/swim teachers who are all on the Masters team also wear matching suits (albeit different suits than their team suits or their team practice suits). Sometimes I think..."Wow, what a good idea, promote team spirit and also a sense of equality among everyone." And then my mind shifts to a scene: standing in front of a group of parents in North America and suggesting all their kids wear the same suit...and I bust up laughing! I can't imagine trying to get North American parents to go for something like that! And that's exactly the reason why I wear 4 suits instead of going out and buying a new suit that matches all the other Masters swimmers!

Biking & Yoga

Hurray, the bike has been out on the road everyday this week (minus today)! Not far and not long, but it has been out and about. It feels great to be back on it. I really really missed it! It's been a bit chilly, but feels great to ride in the fresh air. And traveling by bike inspires a different kind of life...I had a few extra minutes before I had to be somewhere...so I just rode to the beach! It was great! My goal: bike everyday from here till I find a new home for it unless the weather prevents it! Example: I tried to ride it Saturday but it was so windy I thought I might get flipped over, so I came home and did yoga. That felt great too...it's been awhile. I love the stretching. What's my problem sometimes? I just get down and out during the winter and forget that these things exist and stop doing things that make me feel good! Frick...I need to live in a warmer climate where I'm inspired to be out and about all the time.

Total Week km: 30km

KMSC 1600m

500s/300p
12x50 back drills/brst drills/free
200s

Total 1600m 70min

Another new sub coach tonight. I was just glad they didn't ask me...I wasn't in the mood. But she had me demo several of the drills. Glad I could help out! The big topic of tonight...my four suits!! I've upgraded. When I first started last year I was wearing two, then a few months back I upgraded to three, and since last week--I'm wearing 4 suits! One has knots in the straps because it was getting so baggy! Ha ha ha...lots of comments tonight!! When I first started swimming I didn't see ANYONE doubling up. They are all about high fashion swim wear! The practice in $150+ suits!! And almost all the women wear the half-leg suits! But recently I have noticed a few swimmers doubling! The little girl who trains alone every Monday night has started wearing two. And the woman who calls me 'sexy' and 'beauitful' in the locker room started wearing two. And I caught another Masters swimmer wearing two!! Hmmm?? I don't want to take responsibility for starting a trend, but one might wonder why they are starting to double up all of a sudden! The question is...will they follow the triple or quad suit trend????

I'm too cheap to buy new suits! I'm still wearing my racing suit from college. It would be about 7 years old now! Now, that's quality! I bought a few in Korea last year. I've worn one down to the threads, the other two I'm saving until these four really can't be worn any longer!!

1700m

500m
300k
400p
3x100IM
200s

Total 1700m 45min

San Tache and I headed to the pool together tonight! It was great! Just a nice slow swim! Thanks for getting me to the pool!

KMSC ~1500m

500s
200k
300p
200s
200s
3x30sec cord swim (on video)

Total: ~1500m 90min.

Small group tonight, apparently they are all scared of the video camera. It was set up differently than the last time. We wore a cord and there were two cameras, one recording from above, and one underwater. We did free, breast and fly for 30 sec. each. Free and breast were fine. But by the time I got to fly I was exhausted I ended up swimming backwards and then just gave up! Everyone was laughing...good times! No idea if I'll ever see the video...I never saw the last one! Hmm?