Waterblogged

My 5YO has been taking hip hop from a guy I could tell from day one was a rarity in Menlo Park. After a friend and I attempted to sit through many of Lee's classes for our kids (we were actually bouncing in our seats due to the stellar music), we decided to beg Lee to teach a class for US and our girls (yo). "Think you can get 10 ladies out here?" he asked. "Oh. Yah. For sure," my friend and I said. Fer shizit we did! Last night, after many of us nearly fell asleep reading bedtime stories to our little ones, 14 MP Ladies worked it to a fun routine and very loud music (we can still take it!). When it was over, we were left drenched with sweat at 9:30 at night, later than many of us had been up in a while. It was heaven for me. Long ago I gave up all but the occasional once a year clubbing in the city, and my dance-twitch muscles have been atrophying ever since. The funk has slowly been dying (though I do still crank Rihanna and Eminiem in my minivan), and the ca...

Took a kickboxing class at my husband's gym yesterday ( this gym rocks by the way - they were doing an open house and even doing FREE eyebrow waxing in the lobby to show off their skin services - score!) and I. AM. SORE. which made today's workout extra fun: *warmup: 2 x 300's *3x100's free, 4 x 25's weak stroke *3x150's free, 4 x 50's weak stroke *3x200's free, 4 x 75's weak stroke *50 weak stroke, 200 free *50 weak stroke, 150 free *50 weak stroke, 100 free

For Postal. Enough said.

I had a lot of them last night so, well, today was tough, especially when doing flat topped pyramids with fins. Those pyramids...they sound like a little and feel like a lot. *warmup: 800 straight add fins for: *25 underwater kick, 50 fast, 75 one arm, repeat on reverse *25 underwater kick, 50 fast, 75 one arm, 100 kick, repeat on reverse *25 underwater kick, 50 fast, 75 one arm, repeat on reverse Okay, there was much more, but seriously? I can't remember it all. I like those long sets like yesterday: 3x200 250 500 750 1000

Need some awesome family photos taken by a swimmer? You're in luck. This is our second and final Bay Area deal running today, 1/20. Today only, click here to get this deal : pay $175 and get the deal certificate for a $400 photo shoot (and you get to keep all the photos on CD!!) with this uber hip photographer who also happens to be my BFF and a frequent visitor to our workouts. She rocks and so does this deal!

Guys - there are only a few more hours to get this deal . Click here for 50% off dinner there. It can only be bought today but can be used any day. p.s. buying the deal helps me out too as the deal is through my company. This should help us all feel a little better about practice being cancelled this morning due to lightning.

Okay, it's a stretch. But you have to love our chutzpah for posing in our suits Charlie's Angels style while Tim guffawed at us and the rest of the team stared awestruck (not as in "OMG they're HOT!" but as in "What in the good G-d damn are they doing?"). Note the sleek goggles in lieu of sunglasses, please. Speaking of being wet, today we are. And this morning was a great long wet freestyle swim whoohooo! *warmup: 1000 straight *800, 600, 400, 200, 100 various warmdown issues :)

Last night my 7YO son was lying in bed with me, reading his (adult) Sports Illustrated, and he put the magazine down for a moment to have this conversation with me: W: Mom, my teacher says in some countries you can be arrested for saying the name of the president, like Barack Obama, instead of President Obama . That seems wrong. Me: Hmmm, well in some countries you can't say whatever you want or disagree with the government. W: What about sports? Could I read a Sports Illustrated in another country and disagree with the rules in a sport? Me: Yah well, I'm not sure about that. W: Because I do NOT agree with the forward progress rule in college football. Just a little snippet from my 7YO going on 50. He also asked us the other night if we could start playing Farkle "as a drinking game". Hm. Anyway, workout today: *warmup: 6 x 100's first and last 2 free, middle 2 back/breast add paddles for: *500, 400, 300, 3x100's, 200, 2x100's (I messed this one up while ...

I told you all you HAD to listen to this song (Swim) a while back and if you still haven't, you must! I finally got this T-shirt from the band after having Noah badger the Jack's Mannequin singer's sister for a month. All worth the annoyance we caused her! I'm going to the concert up in Seattle in a few weeks, and I'll be wearing my SWIM tee! As for actually swimming, this morning's workout was just too varied and hard to remember to write down. Looks like tomorrow is some long free though, whoohoo!

It's just this simple, people. Kids, mud, and tilted surfaces make for infinitely more fun than any high priced video game or toy. This is a new bike ramp our buddy got for Christmas. Never a bike has it seen. But boy does it provide hours of good dirty fun (and quite a few quality injuries) for little boys. This is MY kind of toy! Speaking of toys, I dislike them in general. I remember about 3 things from my childhood as being fun to play with (LEGOs, marble runs and that god-awful makeup doll head one could give a makeover to), and the rest of the time we spent playing soccer, ding dong ditch (okay I know that's not right), fort-building and doctor (again, not exactly "right"). I also dislike swim toys. Fins, in general. I cannot figure out why, as a soccer player, I cannot KICK in the water. Why, I ask you, is Lanshin lapping me before we're at the 400 mark? This is also, not right. But the ramp...that's RIGHT. Full circle post, see? *warmup: 600 free add f...

Is anyone into biking and needing to switch up the swimming? Not me of course - I don't bike and I never need a pool-break. But if I did bike, I'd do this very cool biking getaway that my friend is putting on. Chris is just a fun guy anyone would be stoked to spend 75 miles of butt-numbing biking with and he puts on a fun post-workout party. Seriously, there's nothing better than the combo of grueling exercise followed by food and beverage consumption and a night away. Check it out! As for me, I was able to stay well (screw you strep throat!) after yesterday's fun 500's and will be back at the pool tomorrow for more. Also, beware of some insane looking chicks gathered around Tim Charlie's Angels style on Saturday after the 6am practice. That's all I'm sayin.

It is so pathetic how bad I feel when I am out of the pool. When I missed the 100x100's last week I nearly cried. It was as if the sky got darker the moment I realized I wouldn't be able to do it. I literally had to remind myself that around the nation people were dying, right, that, minute, and all I was doing was missing some swims and feeling fairly ill. That made me feel better. Sick, right? I mean really. As if getting back to the pool today wasn't enough, I also got to hear Rebecca's daughter (a real, hip, college kid!) say she reads this blog and thinks it's funny. I love when people admit they read the blog. Love it. *warmup: 400 easy, 4 x 100's moderate *3 x 400's free *4 x 300's free *2 x 50's free, hard *2 x 25's free, hard

I am SO bummed to be starting the new year by NOT being able to do the 100x100's. This was going to be the year, and I have the suit to prove it :). But, New Year's Day my chest cold annoyance turned into an all around flu, and though I went to sleep last night with my alarm set for 5 AM to see if I could swing it, the fever and chills I had in the middle of the night told me I wouldn't be able to. I know most people think we're crazy, but I was loving the long swims this year, and I really wish there was a make up day next week! :(