Waterblogged

Finally got to Whole Foods to see "my" bottles on the shelves and show the kids. Fun to show off for your kids, isn't it? :) Also, after my swim on Saturday I finally ran into Dave with his and Lori's baby. I hadn't seen him for long enough to talk since I sent them the bottles a couple of months ago, and I was pleased to hear that the AdiriTM Natural NurserTM is the only one they've found that works! Yay! And even better news, which I think you all already know...Lori is cancer-free and back to swimming. Double Yay! As for today, I'm resting for tomorrow's 100x100's today. Hope to see you all there tomorrow!

As you can see, my five year old has learned to ride a two-wheeler. This is a picture of his first few seconds with no support, balancing on his own, experiencing that flying feeling of equanimity. Kind of like swimming, or at least what swimming feels like to me. Yay. Today's workout: *warm up: 100, 200, 300 free; 50, 100, 150 stroke *3 x 200's free building by 50 *3 x 100's stroke building by 25 *4 x 200's threshold free *4 x 100's threshold stroke *2 x 200's free

I'm actually getting tired of swimming, after the 75 x 100's and a number of follow up days, and the 100 x 100's coming up in less than a week, and I hate the feeling! I much prefer looking forward to getting into the pool, but tis the season to dread the morning alarm...and feel glad you didn't ignore it once you're in the shower! *warm up: 4 x 200's first one free, second with 50 back, third with 50 breast, fourth with 50 fly *3 x 200's free, easy, moderate, hard 100 IM recovery *2 x 200's free, moderate, hard 100 IM recovery *2 x 200's free: moderate, hard 100 choice recovery *2 x 200's free: broken at 100 for 30 secs, then broken at 50 for 10 secs 100 choice recovery *250 IM: 25 fly, 50 back, 75 breast, 100 free

Okay, I've just about had it. Last week I left the recovery room on a gurney after my son woke up screaming from his tonsillectomy. Today I had to bring home my husband from surgery to repair a deviated septum. I walked out okay, but let's just say I wasn't feeling altogether together . When he fell off the roof and split his thigh to the bone six years ago I had no issue with remaining in control. But I didn't yet have kids, and it seems that becoming a mommy has made me a "hospital procedure wimp" or some sort of thing. Anyway, the nausea is receding now, just in time for me to change my husband's bloody nose bandages and administer Tylenol to my 3 yr old with an ear infection and 5 yr old who is still recovering from that tonsillectomy. I think it's safe to say that this morning's swim was the highlight of my day. *warm up: 4 x 200's free (we pretended not to hear the breastroke part) "fun little set" of: *50 kick, 50 free with 5 s...

Today I feel like I finally understand the trauma of birth (from the infant's perspective). Emerging from the warm and calming blue of the pool at the end of the workout and being slapped by the cold rain on a dark morning, I wanted to scream. Thank goodness for hot showers (and warm hospital blankets, I guess). *warm up: 3 x 200's free add paddles for: *300 steady followed by 200 strong descending repeat 3 times *200 steady followed by 100 strong descending repeat 3 times remove paddles for: *25 kick, 25 stroke, 50 fast repeat 4 times

Lots of fins today: on my feet, on others' feet, and in my face and on my head. Let's just say there were a number of mishaps (miscounting - by myself included - and directional pull) in our lane which resulted in casualties to my face and head. Who knew swim practice could be so hazardous? (I also spied a sawed off half of a fin near the other side of the pool in our lane. We all saw it, but somehow neglected to discuss how that could have been there, and why it just stayed there. Bizarro.) It must be the cold. *warm up: 600 free with 6 lengths of backstroke in there add fins for *800, 400, 200 done as: 50 3 count back, 50 3 count free, 50 regular back, 50 regular free remove fins for *6 x 100's free with last length as backstroke (on the 1:30) replace fins for *6 x 100's free with last length as backstroke (on the 1:15) fin option for *300 done as 10 lengths easy back, 10 lengths strong back, 10 lengths easy free, 10 lengths strong free

Already I have worn my new candy cane striped "Happy Holidays" swim suit (with the token blue star for Hanukkah on the back), seen that J.Lo has bought "my" bottles for her livin' the high life twins-to-be, and swum some serious butterfly (don't ask me to recount the sets because they were comprised of lots of short stuff I can't recall). :)

Here is was :) *warm up: 75, 150, 225, 300 free with two laps stroke in there add pull gear for: *125, 250, 375, 500, 375, 250, 125 250 and 500 are strong, others are breathe every third stroke, work on balance pull option for: *125, 100, 75 *100, 75, 50 *75, 50, 25 first swim is stroke to free second swim is strong third swim is catch-up

Today we were all part of a big set design and memory game team. Thanks Tim, for giving us more to think about before 6:45AM than many of us normally have to think about all day :). *warm up: 2 x 300's #1: fit in two laps one arm and two laps kick #2: fit in two laps sprint and two laps stroke *5 x 300's #1: 5 underwater dolphin kicks off each wall #2: underwater U-Turns at each wall #3: broken by 50 for 5 sec, descending #4: 20 strokes fly, 20 back, 20 breast, swim rest free #5: fast *2 x 300's #1: combine any two strokes (such as free pull with breast kick) #2: sprint no breath free until you have to stop; sprint free until you have to stop; fly until you have to stop; repeat (stop = complete stop hanging vertical on lane line until you can continue) *12 x 25's 3 underwater 3 sprint free 3 fly 3 whatever

There are so few times that we get to swim in the pouring rain, and this morning was one of them. I know the rest of the world thinks we're crazy, but I love that pelting pinpricking feeling of drops against my arms as they reach up for air. And I really really love the feeling of the hot shower afterwards. So, here's to rain (and yay for long free!). *warm up: 7 x 100's with one 100 as catch-up, one 100 as IM, one 100 fast *600, 500, 400, 300, 200, 100 4 swims are designed, one each as follows: -50 "on", 50 "off" -top speed -kick -stroke down, free back *6 x 100's: 3 done on tight interval