Waterblogged

Well, I know members of Team Sheeper are off to Hawaii for the Half-Ironman, and I wish them good luck. In solidarity with the team I participated in too many 200's with pull gear on this morning. Consider that my official good luck send-off! *warm up: 100 free, 25 stroke, 100 free, 25 kick repeat 3 times *4 x 200's pull (on fairly loose interval) 100 easy *4 x 200's pull (reduce interval by 5 sec) 100 easy *4 x 200's pull (reduce interval by 5 sec again) 100 easy

Pshaw! to those who didn't show up for yesterday's duathlon. You missed something I've always wanted to see - a bunch of drenched men running barefoot (mostly) through Burgess Park with Speedos on. I've also always wanted to see someone race in one of those old time flowered caps, and I was able to check that off my list as well yesterday. Flowered caps look best on tattooed men, FYI.

Well, we did 3 x 200 IM's today but that wasn't the hard part. Yikes. *warm up: 4 x 150's free with last 50 stroke *4 x 200's free on *tight* interval with the following "caveats": 2 lengths begun with 7 underwater dolphin kicks on back, 2 lengths begun with 7 underwater dolphin kicks on tummy, 2 lengths begun with 2 breaststroke pull-downs. Yes, this was the hard part. Seriously? Hardest thing I've done all year. *4 x 100's easy free (feel the anticipation of something nasty to come) *3 x 200 IM's fast (something nasty) *3 x 25's choice, 2 by 50's transition, 1 75 fast

From time to time, my best and oldest friend Debbie visits from Central CA. Sometimes she comes for the weekend, and sometimes she is just passing through to or from SFO on her way to or from one of her many trips. Always, she comes to stay and swim with me. Often we only see each other on the ride to the pool and for coffee afterwards (she needs to get home to her kids and work, and me to mine), but knowing she is there in the water with me, a few lanes away, suspended in the same pool of people after all these years of our lives together, is, like, spiritual. We met when we were twelve, and now, rounding the corners toward 40, we are still like sisters. Being together feels like being at home, and I am infinitely grateful that we share so much, including swimming. I am also infinitely grateful to Tim and all my teammates for welcoming her every time she comes. Her visits and our swims together are a part of my life I could not do without. And now, the workout (which was not as good,

If for no other reason, than to allow your kids to see you loose gracefully and cheerfully, like me here in this photo at our last meet :). You may have to be persistent, as the online meet sign ups didn't actually allow me to process my registration, but I'm going to keep trying (400 Free whooohooo!). Speaking of whoohoooo, today's workout was: 500 warm-up with 1 length fly, 1 length breast, 1 length back 1000 with 10th length fly, 20th length back, 30th length breast 800 with same pattern by 8's 600 with same pattern by 6's and finally, 6 x 100's fast with one length stroke

Okay, yes, I was impressed with myself and the whole crew this morning when we knocked down multiple 500's, 400's, 300's, 200's and 100's (and a 600 warm up!) with paddles to total 3600 yards. But, more impressive even...are the team's results from Nationals (Jana - give someone else in your age group a CHANCE will ya?) and Wildflower. I have the results from Nationals below, and aside from knowing that Kelly Couch was fourth female overall (WOW) with a time of 4 hour and 45 minutes, Wildflower results are on their way. 2008 USMS Short Course Nationals =========================================================================== Pl Name Age Club Seed Time Final Time Points =========================================================================== Women 45-49 200 Freestyle 1 Matena, Jana 45 MELO 2:01.41 1:58.79 11.00 27.40 57.36(29.96) 1:28.10(30.74) 1:58.79(30.69) Women 45-

Go swim today. Love it! *warmup: 400 done as 50 free then 50 back to breast, repeated 4 times *500 free, 5 x 100's free repeat 2x, improving second round *3 x 100's done as 100 broken IM, 100 strong IM, 100 comfy free repeat 3x