Waterblogged

Okay, so my Killer Quad suit arrived in the mail yesterday and I'm ready to go for Saturday. It is ridiculously cute, and also...ridiculous. I expect to get quite a good bit of teasing for wearing it (especially from my husband), and especially if I don't finish the darn Killer Quad, but I'm going for it. I personally think that everyone in Lane 2 (if not everyone in the pool) should be wearing this suit. And hey, here's the link to order this bad boy if you feel you would like to join me. Come on people! Today's workout: *warmup - basic free but I missed the instructions :) *9 x 100's free descending by 3 add fins for: *9 x 100's free alternating on 1:15, 1:20 *9 x 100's free alternating on 1:10, 1:30 *250 back warmdown

Prepping for the big Halloween swim...I love this time of year. I also love that Tim gives us these patterns to work through during timed swims. Need to remember to use the patterns on Saturday for the hour-long! *warmup: 8 x 100's odd with last lap kick, even with last lap stroke *12 minute swim with pattern 25 2 count, 25 moderate, 25 push *12 minute swim with pattern extended to 50's *12 minute swim with pattern extended to 100's *4 x 50's easy/hard

As I swam this morning I thought about the phenomenon going on at Gunn High School right now. The fact that four kids in four months have killed themselves by stepping in front of the train (and eight to ten other attempts have been prevented by police!!!) is just mind-blowing. Teen suicide in general is awful and tragic. Teen suicide in clusters - in a trend that seems unstoppable - is scary as Hell. Suicide in clusters where the method is standing in front of a train...I just cannot imagine the level of self-hate and despair and anger? these kids must have been feeling. As a kid who experienced depression but couldn't even play chicken with another bicyclist without getting freaked, I just cannot imagine what it takes to stay on those tracks and let the train roll through. I feel for those kids, and the ones who are left behind. This morning's pull set was indeed therapeutic for me. *warmup: 800 free add pull gear for: *300, 400, 500, 500, 400, 300, 200 second half of "...

I've threatened to buy a Killer Quad suit for a while now and, well, I ordered one yesterday. I am a complete tool, I know, but these silly suits make me laugh and actually look forward to getting up early and doing crazy amounts of yards during the Killer Quad. Here, for your viewing pleasure, is a preview of the suit. I expect double extra credit for getting super into the spirit of the Quad. And today's workout was... *warmup: 300 free, 50 other, 200 free, 50 other, 100 free, 50 other *kick sets - so painful for me I can't remember, but tomorrow is long free, so we're good.

*warmup: 400 free, 200 3 count, 100 IM *10 minute swim with every 6th length up tempo *4 x 75's alternating IM and 3 count free *10 minute swim with every 5th and 6th length up tempo *2 x 75's alternating IM and 3 count free *10 minute swim with every 4th, 5th, and 6th length up tempo

Well, Gary and I made it into the melons again, but we only finished in fourth place. More disappointing than our placing was the fact that no inappropriate comments about my chest size and melon earnings were made during the award ceremony this year. No fun. Anyway, it was another year of thinking the workout would be so low in yards that I'd need to supplement later in the day...until the workout was over and my arms hung so limply at my sides that I could barely carry my melon. Thanks Tim!

I'm a fan of swimming in the rain, but this morning somehow I slept right through my alarm and didn't get to swim during the storm. I plan to tomorrow morning, so I'm hoping it keeps thrumming down, but in the meantime, we had two great workouts yesterday and the day before that I want to make sure to get down (at least as much as I can remember of them): Sunday *warmup: 150 free, 50 quick repeat 4x add pull gear for (odd swims fast, even moderate): *400, 300, 200, 100 300, 200, 100 200, 100 100 remove pull gear for: 2 x 500's done as 25, 25, 50, 50, 75, 75, 100, 100 with first one easy second one fast Monday *warmup: 250 free, 200 IM, 150 free, 100 kick, 50 free *4 x 100's IM with floating 25 kick and a descend 1-4 *4 x 100's free with floating 25 kick and a descend 1-4 *4 x 25's kick in IM order, 100 IM, 4 x 25's kick free, 100 free repeat twice *I know there was more but it escapes me

I can't shake the suspicion that if more people had shown up for practice this morning we would not have had to pair up in perfect 2's per lane and practice the dynamic duo, which is always harder than it sounds. But, that's what happened. And so... *warmup: 400 free, 300 IM, 200 kick, 100 stroke *100, 75, 50, 25 *75, 50, 25 descend *alternating with your partner, 20 x 50's sprint!

It's not even old school week and today I got an Old School Treat :). This is good, because last night I made "Monster Cookies" from a recipe I found here , and I ate up nearly the whole batch. They were really goooooood. Swum them off with: *warmup: 400 free *3 x 300's descend 1-3 Repeat 3 times, with 9th 300 strongest *3 x 50's descend 1-3 Repeat 3 times, with 9th 50 strongest *3 x 25's descend 1-3 Repeat 2 times because it's time to shower

PHEW! Judy has saved lives by swimming, and now saved me from needing to come up with a blog topic for today. I'm so slammed at my normal job that I can barely get to the pool, let alone write about it. I promise to be better after this week. Until then, here is the great story of Judy and John and Nancy and tons of other MM studs that got out to swim on Saturday! Guest post by Judy: Swim Across America, We made waves in San Francisco Bay to fight cancer! 2009 At 5 am I drove to the Edgewood Road Park and Ride to meet Menlo Master Eva Gottstein. We loaded the gear into her tiny classic car and drove up to San Francisco. Eva and her husband are expecting their first child and were married just about one year ago at Crissy Field, she decided that perhaps the Bay Swim would need to wait a year. Eva has a stuffed animal company called Sigikid, to support Swim Across America she is donating 50% of the proceeds from their Guardian Angel product line. This will continue through December. ...