Cans and Yards-A-Plenty

For most people, this past month is been February. As you all know, for us it's Can-Do February. And boy are we doing some swimmin'.

This Can-Do February has been a Menlo Masters "thing" for years. This thing was originally started because Coach Tim firmly believes that one can change and improve one's swimming, and of course overall fitness, with about 5-7 hours of swimming per week. This translates to about 100,000 yards for the month. Yah. I'll say. That's a lot of swimming (and I love it!).

Over the years this aerobic training has evolved into an “event.” Tim added the 100,000 and 50,000 yard club for motivation. It's amazing how much allure being able to say "Yah, I'm part of that club" can have. Swimmers are fans of clubs.

Then Tim added something even more inspiring than the promise of bragging rights: swimming for a cause. These days, for every 2000 yards each of us swims, we donate a can of food. In past years the team has donated up to 3000 cans at the end of the month. This year is the first year Menlo Masters as an organization will be matching the canned food donations from the individual swimmers. The beneficiary of this food will be the Senior Center in East Menlo Park.

When it's all said and done, I'll post a wrap-up of the yards and cans we accumulated, but I can go ahead and tell you right now: we rock.

I'll leave you with this. Here's what I'm talkin' about: donated frosting. Now that's giving.

Comments

Oxygen Depletion

I hate fins. Why, as a soccer player, I can't kick or use my legs in the pool, I don't know. But I can't kick. I seem to go backwards when no fins are on my feet, and I feel like my lungs are going to explode when I do use fins. Go figure. Today I'm also losing my left big toenail, which is always a fun sensation while finning. *warm up: 300 free, 200 back to breast, 100 kick, 50 strong add fins for: *3 x 50's free on TIGHT interval (35 s) 150 recovery *3 x 100's free on TIGHT interval (1:10) 150 recovery *3 x 150's on TIGHT interval 150 recovery *3 x 200's on TIGHT interval remove fins for: *150 easy *2 x 50's hard repeat 2x

Tell me about yourself...

This is fun. I don't get to swim on Wednesdays so here's some (mostly) non-swimming information about me that I hope you will not use inappropriately against me. It's really fun to answer these questions if only for yourself. Do it. Then post them here because I'd love to know more about all of you! 1.) Q. Can you cook? A. Well, I can read, so I can follow a recipe. Can I make anything without a recipe? Yes: Cinnamon toast. 2.) Q. What was your dream growing up? A. To be happy. 3.) Q. What talent do you wish you had? A. I wish I could sing, big time! 4.) Q. Favorite place? A. California (home) 5.) Q. Favorite vegetable? A. Sweet Potato 6.) Q. What was the last book you read? A. To my kids: The Important Book, to myself: Slow Man 7.) Q. What zodiac sign are you? A. Sagittarius, but I put zero stock in signs 8.) Q. Any tattoo's or piercings? A. Yes, both 9.) Q. Worst habit? A. Never cleaning out my car 10.) Q. If you saw me walking down the street would you offer me a

For Heidi

I was nervous about visiting Heidi. I remembered her as an always upbeat, caring person who lit up the locker room at 5:45am and made me glad I had gotten out of bed. I knew she took great trips, and lived actively. I knew how happy she was about her son's marriage. Beyond that, I figured I didn't know her very well. I never saw her outside of Burgess, and I consider her a teammate and acquaintance, more than a dear friend. That said, thanks to the environment Tim has created, we teammates at Burgess definitely feel like a part of something bigger - a family, a support system, something. But as Sunday drew near, I considered the fact that I felt a chest cold arriving, and that I would have to depart from my children (who I see too little during the week) for hours to go visit her in San Leandro. I wondered what I would say to her and around her. I wondered if she'd even care to see me. And I almost didn't go. I will forever be glad that I went. And I encourage every one

Waterblogged

Search This Blog