1600m

500s
100brst
500p
300k
200s (25fr, 100brst, 25fr)

Total: 1600m 45min.

A crowded evening at the pool. My arms are a a little sore from Monday, but not much else to say.

1200m

500s
400p
200k
100s

Total: 1200m 30min

Nothing wild and crazy but after a forced 1 month respite I'm back in the water. Same old same old in terms of crappy lane etiquette. The big challenge now will be forcing myself to take the bus to get to campus to use the pool because now I have NO classes and NO reason to go to the main campus!

Coming soon

I'm feeling it. A swim will be coming soon. I am feeling much much better. I'm not nearly as exhausted as I was and have been. But the rash is STILL visible so technically it might still be contagious. The only downside is the next week is SUPER busy with academic stuff and might prohibit a pool visit. But I'll be back in soon! I NEED to be back in soon!

A Case of Shingles--blah!

Gross! It's been confirmed by a doctor. I have shingles. I had my suspicions and had checked the internet for symptoms--looked like it might be shingles, but I was hopeful I was mis-diagnosing it. All the doctor did was quickly glance at the rash and confirm it is SHINGLES. Yuck!!

So far it seems to be a mild case and hopefully it will stay that way. I've started taking anti-virals to reduce the growth of the virus, but it doesn't stop it. I just hope and pray I don't get those nasty boils that seem inevitable! I guess this rules out the pool for at least a week or two...until the rash has almost entirely disappeared. I'm so totally bummed about that!

Just when I was looking forward to getting back in the pool after last week's study hiatus...I get a highly contagious skin disease! Just my luck!

Something Nasty

Over the weekend I contracted some nasty red bumpy itchy but painful rash on my right side under my breast and armpit wrapping around to my back. Not sure what it is or how to care for it but I think it's best to avoid dirty locker rooms and chlorinated bath water for awhile. Hope to be back in the pool in a few days.

1400m

500s
300p
200k
200s
100brst
100s

Total: 1400m 35min

This is my first visit to the pool this week. I have a good excuse. It is reading week and I've been studying at the library close to my house to avoid the bus commute. But today I took a midday break and went to the main campus and jumped in the water. This week I decided to shave my winter coat...first time in always feels great with a fresh shave! I'm going to London tomorrow for a weekend of drinking and debauchery! Be back in the pool on Monday or Tuesday!

2200m

1000s
500p
300k 25fr/25brst
100brst
100bk
4x25fly drill
100s

Total: 2200m 48min

Week Total: 7200m

I made it--Day 5! Yahoo! I don't think that has happened since I was in college. And it's the most meterage since Japan! I'm moving up in life! The pool was pretty quiet this afternoon so it was easy to stay longer and do more. The guys I was swimming with were all pretty polite too! A nice change of pace!

I don't think I've showered at home all week--I've got that chlorine perfume going on. I should bottle it and market it to swimmers. Too bad it makes me sneeze!

1100m

500s
500p
50k
50s

Total: 1100 23min

I KNOW!!! Lame!! But I was rushing to get to the bus. Not sure if I did the math correct, but I think I worked out that 1100m in 23min is the equivalent of doing 22x50s on the 1:02. Not exactly race pace! But that includes pulling, stopping at the wall for slow swimmers, doing a little breast stroke in a traffic jam and short breaks in-between. Hmm? I'll have to start paying more attention to that. See if I can't pick up the pace. Although I don't feel like I'm taking it easy. In fact, I feel like I'm pushing myself a lot. My heart is usually racing and I often feel very short of breath--lapsing into breathing every 1-2 at the walls instead of maintaining my every 3 pattern. And this is day 4 this week. I'm going tomorrow...make it 5!! Yahoo!!

1500m

500s
500p
200k
200s (25brst/25bk)
100s

Total: 1500 40min

Long day today and I went swimming at the end--not much energy or motivation, but got in anyway. Nothing much to report minus a run-in a the wall in my last 100m. The swimmer in front of me pulled into the wall on the left side, she didn't attempt to even move to the middle as if she was turning and continuing. So I moved to the middle to pass her and as she turned to push off she ran into me. I apologized and said I thought she was stopping. Not sure if she was pissed or not. I kept going after my quick apology. Awareness of what's happening around you is central in lap swimming. People need to be on constant look-out for other people. It doesn't seem to be an innate skill.

1500m

500s
5x100p
200k w/brd
100k no brd
100brst
100s

Total: 1500 35min

Another busy lunch hour. My arms were a bit tired from yesterday. The water felt thick and a bit like swimming in honey! I don't know if people are getting to know me or if today was an unusual day, but everyone was very polite. People were pulling over, letting others pass, moving at the wall so others could do flip-turns, and even turning back to see how close the next person is in line. It was a huge improvement over some days!!

2000m

800s
600p
300k
100brst
200s

Total: 2000m 50min

Yowzers! I made it to 2000m after 7 months--about time! Feels good to be back 'in it'. The pool was pretty quiet this afternoon, perfect for swimming long. I needed to stretch out and do some aerobic swimming after the quiet weekend! Plus it is monday...so there is potential to swim 5 days this week. Now, that would amazing--haven't done that since college! Hmm...let's see, it's still early in the week!

1600m

500s
500p
200k
3x100IM
100s

Total: 1600m 40min

Even though I had just eaten lunch (thai curry with rice) I was still hungry and felt the hunger pains throughout my swim. There were a few flailing swimmers in the one lane, so I was constantly trying to swim around them, or trying to be polite and swim behind them until the wall. It is a constant battle between swimming at speed and being polite. The forecast predicts snow this weekend, I don't buy it. But either way, probably will avoid campus if at all possible. So it'll be Monday before I get back to the pool.

1600m

500s
300p
300k fast
100brst
3x100 IM drill
100s

Total: 1600m 40min

I had a little friendly competition in the pool today. While I was kicking another guy was kicking too. We were both going as fast as we could to try and stay pack with each other. He ended up passing me and got about 1/2 length ahead because I let other people pass. But it was fun to have someone pushing me like that. I don't think he liked the fact that my brst kick was so fast! Seemed to piss him off! A little friendly non-verbal competition is always fun!

I won't go into all the ettiquete problems there were tonight! Oh my!

1100m

400s
400p
200k
100s

Total: 1100m

Ok...I know. It was a pathetic excuse for a swim. But I was exhausted (no explanation) and in the midst of cramps. So...it was a slow lazy day. But I got in and stretched out a bit. This might be a slow going week.

1700m

1000s
300p
200k
100brst
100s

Total: 1700m 45+min

I'm breaking records left and right...4 days in a row! Have I ever? Wow, I should go tomorrow just to make it 5 days in a row. I ALMOST bailed on the swim today. I had a presentation this morning and went for my first fish 'n chips lunch on-campus with some women from my department. I was feeling tired and sluggish to say the least. And really looking forward to starting my quiet Friday night at home watching a free library DVD! But I pushed on. I wasn't hopeful because I went to the 'general' swim. But there was only 1 other man in the lane the entire time I was swimming. It was fabulous--my best day in the pool since I joined. So, I just kept swimming and swimming, hence the 1000m. Felt great to just keep going without anyone in my way, without having to pass people, and without having to 'eye' people at the end of the lane to move on over. It was lovely! And to top it all off...I walked home, several kilometers uphill in the windy cold. Walking was purely motivated by my desire to find the Asian Grocery store. Success--instant miso tofu soup, udon noodles and tofu! Fabulous!

A good day! And a successful 4 days at the pool!

1600m

500s
400p
200k fr/brst alt
200brst
100k fly
100k brst
100s

Total: 1600m 45min

Three days in a row--I'm on a roll! Yahoo! I'm on campus late tonight and tried the evening swim. Much better than the lunch swim. There are a few more serious swimmers, one guy was lapping us all and even did a few 25m sprints. But I think he was swimming in boxer shorts! Ha ha ha! With so many people in the lane, I find I swim faster and harder. I rest a lot less because there are so many people waiting around at the wall....no need for akwardness and I don't feel like being social. I still can barely understand what anyone says around these parts! English-English feels more foreign than Japanese or Tamil! It does feel good to be back in the water again. Although I doubt I'm going to be doing any sets like I was doing in Japan. The lap lane set-up just isn't conducive to swimming on the clock. This is going to be about endurance swimming--long and fast!

1400m

500s
500p
200k
200s

Total: 1400m 40min

Jumped in quickly. Things do seem to be getting busier and busier. That's always a good thing. I hate sitting around. I tried a new technique today. When other swimmers were blocking the entire two lanes just standing at the wall, I would lift my head and stare at them as I came into the wall. They usually noticed and moved so I could do a flip-turn. One swimmer even aplogized. Not sure they 'got it'. But maybe I can leave my mark in the UK.

1200m

700s
300p
100k
100s

Total: 1200m 25min

Short and sweet. In and out. I had a study group I had to get to. Swam hard and fast, lapped the girl in a bikini doing leisurely breaststroke several times! Yes, she was in the fast lane! Patience....I must learn patience!

1200m

500s
300k
200brst
200s

Total: 1200m 30min

Frustration again today! I hadn't experienced 'general' swim before, but it was the most convenient time slot today. Essentially, it is the same as lap swim except they only keep one of the lap lanes in the pool! This creates an open water like atmosphere that makes it virtually impossible to kick without choking on waves of water! And those of us who opted to swim in the 'lap lane' were mostly swimming laps. But there was lots of resting at the wall, no flip-turns, and very little speed. The most irritating thing (today)...people who don't move to the sides of the lanes so others can do flip-turns, or at least do a touch turn. They were all lined up there (two lanes worth) without an inch of wall space. So I just kept swimming into the wall, did a touch turn between two people and pushed off....but someone else pushed off at the same time! Agh...who are these people?? Seriously, there should be a class in lap swimming etiquette. I think San Tache and I need to teach it! Maybe even write a book on it!

August 2007-December 2007 Interim

After leaving Japan and the Kurobe Masters team I wasn't totally lazy for 5 months. I tried to stay active while I was traveling, although I had days of just sitting on trains, buses or in jeeps. When I wasn't sitting around I did some pretty cool things, (I must admit):


Great Baikal Trail: camping and trail building in Siberia near Lake Baikal for two weeks, hiked 3-5km into camp with LOTS of gear: tents, sleeping bag, tools and food! Built a bridge and 67m of NEW trail.

Leo Hostel "Secret" Great Wall Tour: hiked 2-3 hours up to and around the great wall in an area that has NOT been rebuilt. It was a tough trail and you really had to watch your step! But beautiful views!

Annapurna Circuit: trekked 18 days around the Annapurna Mtn. range in Nepal. It was about 300km and took us from about 800m to 5416m over the Thoroung La pass.

Annapurna Base Camp: trekked 7 days up to Annapurna and Machupuchre Base Camp and back.

Rafting & Canyoning at The Last Resort: 2 fabulous days of white water on the Bhote Kosi in Nepal. The second day was much more intense and unfortunately my mom fell out! We also tried canyoning which was lots of fun!!

Triund Trek: while staying in Dharamsala, India I did a lot of walking EVERYDAY. But one Saturday a student and I walked up to Triund, about 18km in 6 hours.

Lazy Swimming: and I did a few laps of luxury at Ideal Beach Resort in Mahabalipuram! Oh, I love that place!!

And now I'm walking all over campus in the UK! An exciting life continues in another country!