Good-bye KMSC

Monday was a holiday here....a much needed three day weekend! A super busy weekend with puppet shows and concerts, good-bye dinners and lunches, and a trip to Kanazawa. And plus the excitement of a big earthquake only 200km away. The swim team usually practices Monday night but the pool was closed so I suggested to some of the ladies that we get together for some food and dinner! And of course it turned into much more. They picked up both San Tache and I 30 minutes earlier than expected and we went to Majorca, a Mediterranean restaurant in the next town over. It was super delicious--salads, pasta, paella, wine, dessert and coffee! Plus I got a few gifts--goggles, a cap, towel, and keyboard keychain! Super cute and useful!! The conversation was a bit forced at first but after the first bottle of wine everyone started having a good time. Unfortunately we drank two more and the next day I thought I was going to puke during my good-bye speech in front of 300 elementary school kids. But I made it through!! Here are some pics from the evening. They are a crazy group...I'll miss my Monday nights!!

KMSC 1700m

400s
200p
200k
100p
100k
100s
100k
8x50k
8xstarts

Total: ~1700 100min.

Today was it-last day! I brought Ferrero chocolates and left them on the sign-in desk with a little 'thank you' note for everyone. It was a pretty easy good-bye compared to others earlier in the day. I made plans with two of the women to go out drinking--finally!! There were a few requests for good-bye hugs and kisses by older men that I politely declined. The women commented on how thin I've become, not sure if they are making conversation or maybe the stress is starting to add up!

During the starts practice I finally got some help--they noticed my all time biggest problem. When I do a start I sit down, stand up and then jump. It's so slow and it's something I've always done. I just can't break the habit! But I think I figured it out. I am too flexible, so I don't start in a low enough seated position. I start with my legs too straight and not bent enough. I need to start with my knees more bent. And I don't look up, I just go. I have absolutely NO IDEA how I get from the block to the water. It's like a black out for that split second. I have no idea where my arms go or how my body enters the water. The masters swimmers say it looks 'beautiful' but I have no idea...I can't feel it!

KMSC 1950m

300s/200p/200k/300p/100s

11x50 pull/kick/combi/dash(x2)+ez(x3)

10x25 starts

50s

Total: 1950m 1hr. 30min.

No coach again today, but not many swimmers either. July is "start" practice, so I think attendance is down. Anyway, we had 15 minutes to swim after everyone finished their warm-up before we practiced our starts. So I suggested the 50s. I think everyone in the lane finished.

I hate practicing starts because I feel totally incompetent. I need to go to a week-long start clinic, a one-on-one start clinic with a really friendly and very patient coach. Today after I did about 6, I was given the whistle! Hurray! Wow...they trusted me with the whistle! A few people came up and had to correct my style...but I got it down by the end. A few others were given 'whistle' privileges and really screwed them up. We were almost peeing our suits on the deck! A few swimmers almost fell off the blocks in hysterics because the whistle call was so off!! After the official practice was over, I stayed and watched more people do their starts. It's really amazing how people have such different styles for the same basic function...jump off a block and dive into the water.

I think next week might be my last practice! Sad!

KMSC 2450m

300s/300p/300k/150s

200IM k
200IM p
200IM drill
6x100 IM
50ez
6x25 2nd 25 FAST, all others EZ

Total: 2450m 1hr. 20 min.

I was seriously debating going to practice tonight. But I checked my horoscope and it said I shouldn't cancel any plans because people are expecting me. So I went. Maybe it's a lame way to make a decision, but it got me to the pool. I told myself I would resist any attempts to ask me to 'coach' tonight. I was in a bad bad mood and didn't want to do anything but swim. After the warm-ups and everyone started gathering at the end of the lane...they started asking. I told them I wasn't feeling well and didn't want to tonight. That only lasted for a few minutes. They tried cajole a few other swimmers with no luck so they came back to me. Agh! I said again I wasn't in the mood and I had a bad day so therefore I'd be really strict tonight. Could they handle it? They didn't seem concerned.

So we started with the 200's. Not bad, but of course nobody could swim them without stopping because there are too many people and too many slow people in the lane. I was lucky if I could swim a full 25. Sometimes I ended up sculling just so I wasn't passing people. Nobody passes people here at swim practice!

Then I announced the 6x100 IM set. Everyone groaned and laughed and said 'impossible'. And apparently it was for almost everyone. Only two of us actually finished it. All the women gave up after the 1st one and decided they would do every other 100. And one guy disappeared to use the bathroom. And another guy just disappeared. I warned them. When the women weren't swimming they were standing at the end of the lane cheering us on. Ha ha ha. Nothing like swimming with your cheerleaders in the water with you.

Anyway, after everyone finished, we did a small little 25 set for the last five minutes. And I announced that if you completed the workout it was 1400m. I'm not sure anyone has swam that much before at practice, but of course only the new kid in his 20s finished it with me. But everyone was saying 'tanoshikata.' Whatever! I think they'll be glad to see me go next month!.

Nothing like taking out a bad day on a group of innocent middle-aged masters swimmers!

KMSC 2650m

Warm-up:
500s/100p/300k/100p/100scull/100p

Sets:
5x50 kick :10 rest
5x50 pull :10 rest
10x50 every 3rd choice :10 rest
8x25 4th at 60-75% :5 rest
50scull

Cool Down
200s

Yep, I swam at a meet yesterday and got back in the pool today. I gotta stay in shape, or more like it....get in shape!! Not too many people showed up today, and none of the 'coaches' showed. I thought after all of yesterdays criticism about my strokes I would NEVER be asked to coach again. But hair dryer man stopped me and assigned me to be the 'teacher' for the fast lane. Everyone was tired and sore, so tried to keep them moving without too much excertion. It was all supposed to be pretty easy, stretched out and long. But not everyone could do it and with so many people in one lane, it was hard to stay on the :5/10 rest. It was more like :20-25 for me. But everyone seemed happy that they had swam 1250m at the end!

And after practice I got some pictures from Reiko. I took pictures of the pictures because I hadn't bothered with many photos yesterday. I posted those below in the meet posting.

富山県マスターズ水泳短水路大会2007

Toyama Masters Short Course Swim Meet 2007

Before meeting the team behind the Kurobe City Hospital at 6:45AM, I ate rice and nattou, packed a few snacks and checked my bag again to make sure I had my goggles and cap. At the hospital we paid up, 2900Y to swim two events plus a relay and lunch. And then I climbed in a car and zoned out for 40 minutes as we drove to the pool. I got the required, "Where are you from in America?", "Where's that?", "My daughter went to American once." conversation and then everyone stopped talking. I was absolutely fine with that because I hate talking to people before 8AM.

As soon as we got to the pool, claimed our prime real estate in the bleachers right above the 25meter bulk head, I changed into 3 suits and got in for a warm up. Even with three pools, and 7-8 lanes for swimming, it is hard to do more than a 50 without having to stop and wait for someone to get out of the way. But I managed to get in a 950m warm-up.

900m
2x start + 25m

About 30minutes after opening ceremony and the start of the meet I headed back down for another 200 warm-up. Luckily or not, my races were almost back to back. So I didn't have to wait around a lot in-between. First up...the 100 breast! There was only two heats of women. I was in the second or younger heat. And yet again, I was seated next to a super fast woman from Uozu, the next town over. But I just realized who she is. She is at the pool on Monday nights privately coaching two sisters before the Masters team starts. I've chatted with her a few times, not realizing that she is my archenemy in breaststroke! Ha ha ha, well, it doesn't really matter cause she kicked my ass again!! I think she finished a full 6 seconds before me. And she holds the record in my age group and hers. I didn't swim a great race. My turns kinda sucked, I'm not sure I did a full underwater pull. And my last 50 I got super tight and slowed way down. Also after watching the video twice at the dinner party...I was told my pull is all off and I don't tuck my head enough (or at all). But even with those flaws I managed to get first in my age group. Although I'm not sure if there was anyone else swimming! :)

A teammate blow drying his hair in the stands.

Again, I jumped in the cool down/warm-up pool, swam another 2-300m and got out for the next event. The 100m IM is more of a fun event....or it's supposed to be! I have signed up for it the last few meets because it's something different I haven't done before. This time around, my goggles slipped. It wasn't horrible, but they started filling up with water during my fly, luckily it was only 25m. During back they were able to drain a little and I was able to turn my head enough to squeeze them back on with my arm during its rotation. Of course my back was the slowest and I was really far behind. But during the breast I was able to pick up speed and catch up to the woman next to me and we turned at the wall at the exact same time (video clip). This got us both going for the last 25, my competitive edge kicked in and my only goal was to out touch her. I did! But watching the video makes it look like I was just enjoying a lazy swim through the pool. My arms are barely moving. I really need to work on arm turnover. So, I survived the goggles and came in first in my age group again. I'm guessing the girl I out touched was also my age group, so maybe I really did get first in that one!

Lunch Time!! Well, I hate to eat too much, but I had almost two hours before the next race. So I scarfed a few white bread sandwhiches from a convienence store. So healthy, I know! But that's what they had for our lunch. Either that or a rice ball or a Japanese bento. And I just can't do Japanese food in that situation. The last thing I want to taste in my mouth is fish or soy sauce as I'm diving into the water! San Tache has arrived just at the end of my breast event, but caught the IM. We hung out in the bleachers and watched the meet for awhile until I went back down for a final warm-up.

My last Masters event in Japan with the Kurobe Masters Swim Club was a 200 Medley Relay. I swam 50 breast. I wasn't really paying attention to how far ahead our fly swimmer was of the pack, but I was the first one in the water, and I was the first breast swimmer to touch. We finished first in the only heat! But we didn't break the record which was set last year by a team with San Tache on it! Bummer!!

The 200 Medley Relay Team: Yoshiko (fly), Me (breast), Ueyama (back), Takamatsu (free)

So, all in all, I placed first in all my events! That's a lifetime personal best for me! I've never gotten first in anything! But, since I've started practicing with the Masters team my times have gotten worse!! I was much slower this year than I was last year! That's a bad sign.

At the dinner we had a mini-awards ceremony. Everyone was super excited that I got first in all my events (as was I) and the Club President asked if I got an PR's. I honestly didn't know. But looking back on my times...they are some of my worst!! Depressing! But I guess given the practices it's not super surprising. I might be better off to swim in my own lane on Monday nights and do a real workout. But I have less than 2 months left. I might as well keep swimming with them. And hope that the next team I join in the next country I live in pushes me more!

Hairdryer man and I pose with my 1st Place Awards.

Reiko-chan is so super cute!!

A photo of a photo that Reiko took at the dinner!

Overall Results:

Total: ~2000m, all freakin' day!

100m Breast 1:35.75
100m IM 1:31.21
200m IM relay 2:19.66 (I think my split was a 43 or 46?)

(I'll try to post a few pics and maybe some video soon)

KMSC 1550m

500s
100k
300p
4x50 medium-fast pace

Time Practice
50 Brst 46.08
100 Brst 1.41.03
100 IM 1.36.55

200s

Total: 1550m 1hr. 10min.

Yikes, my last Masters meet is this coming weekend. I am not prepared at all. But tonight we had time practice so at least I got to practice to swimming each of them. And I did them all kinda back to back. They didn't feel particularly strong, but hopefully on Sunday it'll be better. Wearing one suite and shaving down should help! I hope!

Sunday....I have to be at the hospital to meet the team before 645. Ugh!!!

KMSC 1650m

350s
8x50 k
2x50 scull
6x50 25 r arm/25 l arm
6x50 brth every 3/5/7/3/5/7
200 cool down

Total: 1650m 1hr.

Wow, it was like a real workout tonight. I showed up late, so I barely got a warm-up in. But as soon as the clock struck 7:40 we were off the wall and doing 50s. I wasn't watching the interval, but we were leaving on an interval. Wow! That's a first! And everyone was almost making it. We only lapped two people by the end of the kick set. Impressive. The drill set was kinda boring, but again, we stayed on time. And the breath control set was fine. We swam more than we've ever swam before and we kept our heart rate up. Of course everyone was complaining and saying the two young swimmers were the only ones enjoying it. And it's probably true. The young coach was actually swimming tonight and I was right behind her. We were enjoying it!!

I got asked to help volunteer at the upcoming road race. Not to run...to help with traffic control!! Sweet!! So anyway, I had to exchange digits with a woman after practice...the woman who is always looking me up and down and calling me sexy. So tonight in the locker room, we are exchanging numbers and she announces my birthday. Ehh?? How did she know that? She said she's in love with me. And then I asked if she knew my address and she said not yet, but when she finds it she'll send me love letters! Whoa!! This is funny for a few reasons...1) Japanese people rarely joke about gay relationships 2) rarely does anyone joke like that with me because of the language barrier 3) she seems just slightly serious and I love it but 4) I know she's not serious at all!! Man, oh man, if and when this country starts coming out...it's gonna be wild!

KMSC 1875m

500s/500p
2x4x50 IM order 75%
4x50 IM order 1/2dash 1/2 easy, stopping at the wall if needed
3x25 sprint relay starts
200s

Total: 1875m 1hr. 15min.

The schedule this month is labeled as 'speedo' month. And it isn't referring to the swim brand. So tonights workout was much faster paced than usual, but after every mini-set, everyone stared at each other and said, "Well, what do you want to do next?" I tried to stay out of it tonight. Seriously people...shouldn't someone be in charge of setting the workout before the workout? And I was told during the 50 IM order set that my butterfly kick was anything but smooth--more like uncontrollable and extremely jerky in her reenactment of it for me. Thanks, it's nice to get some honest feedback, I guess.

I finally got a video tonight. I think it's from last summer's session. Should be interesting to watch!

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!!

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?

KMSC 2100m

Warm-up
500s/300k

Sets
2x200p
8x75s 4&8 fast
100s
2 flip turns

Cool Down
200s

Total: 2100m 1hr. 20min.

Whoa...I'm surprising myself here! Three times in one week-amazing! And I had an epiphany tonight. I got to practice and was warming-up...no coach...another 100m...no coach...shit, do I have a workout?...another 100m...still no coach! Damn...they're gonna ask me! And they did! Sure enough, everyone stopped and said, "please!" So, I decided against doing any drill sets and try to actually accumulate some meterage tonight! And then it hit me, coaching swimming is just like my role as an English teacher in Japan. The Japanese teacher/coach does the drills, gives the students the structure, the building blocks-over and over and over again! I come into class or jump in the pool, and I get to make them use it! My job is to create an environment where they can put their skills to use. Give them sets that are doable but a challenge! So tonight we did 1100m...we have been doing 500m tops!!

And just like with teaching English, at first I copied what the Japanese teacher/coach was doing. And now, I have seen the light and try to approach the classroom/pool with an entirely different methodology!

Note: I've just written a 20+pg. paper for my MA about syllabus and methodology...so it's on my mind! Maybe not such a huge epiphany, because I've heard it all before about the Japanese style of teaching and coaching. But today I actually realized it!!

1500m KMSC

500s/200k/300p

Set
10x50 free k/p drills

Total: 1500m 90min.

A really frustrating practice. Our normal female coach went to the slow lane, and another guy jumped in our lane to teach us! Blah! We spent 50 minutes on 10 50's! Boring! I was cold the whole time. So I didn't bother with a cool down...I needed to get in the shower and warm-up.
I wasn't impressed! Why do we bother with drills EVERY week? Shouldn't we work on some strength and endurance training?

KMSC 1450m

Warm-up
500s
200k

Set
15x50 fr kick drills

No Cool Down

Total: 1hr. 15min. 1450m

Surprise surprise, it was crawl night! And all we did was kick drills. Good...because I need to strengthen my kick. Bad...because I hate kicking. But I managed to maintain my position in the lane. Nothing to unusual tonight. No cool down because a swimmer had photos from a dinner a few months back she wanted to give me. And once I'm outta the pool...there's no going back!

KMSC 1075m

Warm-up
75m

Sets
14x50 brst drill
4x25 start sprints

Cool Down
200m

Total: 1075m 1hr.10min.

I almost didn't go tonight. I'm tired and have a cold. So I left it up to the fairies (fortune cards). I randomly selected "body movement"--shit! I jumped in the car and got to the pool right before the workout started, about 30 minutes later than I normally get there. Hence the really short warm-up. But tonight was also breaststroke drill night--my fav!! Eek, tonight everyone was calling me "number 1." The coach realized I was going to fast on one of the drill sets so instead of using the board the real way, she had me hold it vertical in the water for resistence. It was a bit harder, but didn't really slow me down. Yeah for breaststroke!! I love it!

Anyway, no crazy comments from the older men tonight. BUT in the pool, I got "beautiful" in reference to my swim from one of my favorite ladies...no biggie until in the locker room she looked me up and down and said "steki" or great. I looked at her funny because there was nothing steki about what I was wearing--old cords and an old sweater. She responded with, "nice body." What?? Where did that come from?? She cracks me up. She's kinda cute too!! :)

KMSC 1550m

Warm-up
500s/300p/50k

Sets
10x50 back drills

Cool Down
200s

Total: 1550m 1hr.20min.

Eek, I hate back drill day. And I do it all wrong too...so the coach is always correcting me. Apparently my hand over reaches across my midline. And no matter how hard I try not to, I still do it. Oh well. I hate back!

No crazy comments from the men today. But an older lady in the locker room just started chatting me up, going on and on about how nervous she was to go to practice. Or at least that's what I was pretending she was saying. I actually couldn't understand a word of what she was saying. And then another women randomly stopped me in the pool and commented that she could be as old as my mother and indeed she's right. She's as old as my mom. Glad we cleared that up.

Well, with my current schedule I just can't get to the pool more than once a week...well, I might be able to. Anyway, I board on Saturdays and swim on Mondays. And until the next paper gets done, that's all I'm really gonna hope for. But starting in April....I'm gonna try to make an effort to really train for the last Masters meet of my Japan Masters career. It's in June! That gives me two solid months.

KMSC 2050m

Warm-up:
500s/500p/300k

Set:
10x50 butterfly drill (7 kick only, 3 alt. arm)
50s fly

Cool Down
200s

Total: 2050m 1hr. 35min.

It's my first KMSC workout in months!!! And luckily I didn't have to coach tonight. But it kicked my %*#. My lane pushed me to the front for the first 50 of fly drill. But when I reached the wall, the woman behind me said I needed to go faster....dozo!! So she was in the lead the rest of the night. I struggled and made it, but just barely!

It turns out the next All Japan Masters meet is the March meet and tomorrow is the deadline. Oh well! And apparently last night they had a big New Years enkai...thanks for the invite! Oh well, especially after the two old guys both made comments about wanting to go out with me! Ick!! The quote of the night, "How can I touch you?" He meant to say, or at least I want to think he meant to say, "How do I get in touch with you?" I'm tried not to be irritated!