Waterblogged

I can finally say I'm glad the 50 x 100's are over. After doing it three times this week I am being saved from a fourth run by the fact that there are no more opportunities to do it. Thank goodness. Because I would. And my neck would hurt...more. I figure I turned my head to the left about 3,000 times over 600 laps within 3 hours and 45 minutes this week. That is a lot of left-breathing, even if it was spaced over three separate days. MASSAGE PLEASE! I'll tell you what kept me going through all the 50x swims. It was the knowledge that this was the "short one" and the 75 and 100 x 100's are coming.

Today some of us did the 50 x 100's for the second time this week and it was goooood. However, both swims did prompt me to do a special post about etiquette. I love you all, and it's all in good fun, but sometimes, I mean, seriously? Here are some signs, just the real obvious ones really, that you should mayyyyyybe shift down to a higher numbered lane for repeat 100's: You are incapable of leading 5 x 100's at the interval selected by the lane, so you never do lead. Instead you continue to hang at the back. You need fins to keep up. There are about 25 yards between you and the person in front of you by the end of the 100. You get lapped within the 100 yards.  Okay, again, no offense. :)

I love Thanksgiving, and not just because it's my birthday. (A lot because it's my birthday, but not all.) I love talking about what we are thankful for (which I try to do all week with the kids), and volunteering for those not as fortunate (coming up later this week), and of course eating all the appropriate foods, and some not so appropriate foods such as multi-tiered and candy-decorated birthday cakes. This, in short, is the time of year that I am thankful for swimming. Because without it, I might very well weigh 300 pounds. *warmup: 400 free, 400 alternating free and drill fly (this is too much fly for a warmup, and right away I'm worried about upcoming sets) *100 drill free, 4x50's free, 100 drill fly, 8x25's fly *100 drill free, 3x50's free, 100 drill fly, 6x25's fly *100 drill free, 2x50's free, 100 drill fly, 4x25's fly (yes, I was right to be worried) *100 breast arms, flutter/fly kick *3x50's free with 4 fly strokes *100 breast a...

Really, enough said. This is November, people. The weather is just insanely great. But of course, my reluctance to leaving this area isn't just because of the weather. It is because this is my home - where my family and best friends are - and also where my pool is. Kathleen and I were recently in Tahoe doing a step aerobics class circa 1989 (don't ask) on a 68 degree day of perfection, and talking about how tempting it is to think about picking up and moving to Pittsburgh or Savannah or anywhere really where we could afford to slow down and own an acre of land. Then we got into talking about simply moving to the East Bay, where I grew up, and where a house just like mine here in Menlo Park sells for way under a million bucks and is considered "expensive". "I mean," I said, "we don't need to leave the state, just the Peninsula." "Hell," Kathleen said, "we just need to move a few towns over, really." Then we looked at ea...

I was in the city yesterday (see photo) at Delores Park and it was HOT, as it will be today. I made the mistake of wearing a short sleeved sweater and I was definitely the only one in one of those (also probably the only one who wasn't under 30, high or either shirtless or about to take off my shirt). Aside from the Hell of parking (took an hour) within a mile of the park, it was great to visit the other side of suburbia and see what the young people are doing. Good thing I didn't bring my kids. So, you noon swimmers are in for a massive treat today. 82 degrees in November. Now THAT'S why I'll never live anywhere but California. That and I couldn't bear to move away from this particular pool. Great workout today thank you Tim! warmup: 2 x 250, 2 x 125, last 50 stroke add pull gear for: 50 scull, 100 drill, 200 strong 50 scull, 100 drill, 400 strong 50 scull, 100 drill, 600 strong remove pull gear for: 3 x 25s drill, 3 x 75s strong repeat 2x

It's 5:12AM on Halloween and I'm off to start this year's Killer Quad wearing my two year old KQ suit. Whooohoooo! In about an hour I will be done, armed with coffee, and ready to weather a lot of kid costume parades (though not close to brave enough to attempt the Giants victory parade in the city), a night of chili and trick or treating, and maybe my own special treat for the night: an massive apple fritter. Happy Halloween!

Sometimes I show up in the morning and I just need a pummeling. With the Giants World Series Win giving me an excuse to sit around and drink red wine and eat chocolate last night, this was one of those mornings. Okay fine. I always want a pummeling. Seriously? If I'm going to pry myself out of a warm bed and jump in a cold pool in the dark before the rest of the town has even thought of getting up, I had better get a good goddamn workout. That's just me. Last week we had a 2 x 1000 set "for mental toughness". I know, I know, most of you think it's boring to go back and forth forty times and keep count of the laps. But not me. Long back and forth action is just what my mental state calls "perfect". Call me simple and escapist but I don't really want to daydream or think about real life. I want to move strain and count. But 25's easy with breathing and body positioning exercises? For me this is a Hell requiring extreme mental toughness to just ...

It's a lie around and read with the puppy morning around here, so I'll be off on a run/yoga excursion later. It is crazy how much I miss the pool on mornings I don't make it. AND I'll be away at a Halloween soccer tourney this weekend so the only pool I'll have to swim in is an indoor (yuck!) hotel shortie. I am already looking forward to Monday swim wise. However, can't wait to enjoy a weekend one on one with my youngest soccer stud!

I don't know if I'm coming "back" to posting regularly or not - reserving the right to see if I can get it done at least a few days in a row - but this holiday card was simply too good not to show all the swimmers out there. Crazy. And I'm sure not too far off from the card quite a few of our parents thought about sending back in 1970-something. Wow, thanks Mom, for NOT doing that. Today's workout was also my favorite kind: long long long. Here it is: warm up: 2 x 50, 2 x 100, 2 x 200 main set: 2 x 1000 straight up! end set: 2 x 200, 2 x 100, 2 x 50

It's a record for me: three swims this week at noon. Jana told me yesterday that I was going to start actually liking swimming in the middle of the day, what with the sunshine and warm weather coming. Ha! How can that possibly compare to swimming in the cold dark rain? Okay so it's growing on me. Still I feel almost disloyal, even though I have no choice unless I want to leave my seven year old home alone in the dark, for swimming with a different gang. And then there is the waiting. As soon as the kids are at school I'm asking myself: What time is it? Is it almost time to get my suit? How much can I do before 11:30? What will I eat right before I swim that isn't lunch but gets me through the workout? I'm hungry at noon, dammit. The noon swim is this big old commitment in the middle of the day that must be prepared for. And my coffee from Borrone does not taste the same at 1:30PM as it does at 7AM. Actually nothing tastes right after I swim at noon. I think this is ...

People keep asking me about leaving Juice. "You can't leave," they say, "it's YOUR company!" I calmly tell them that because of the way these investment things go, it hadn't really been mine for a long time, if ever, and that yes, I can and did leave. Then the conversation quickly moves to how exhausted I have been for years and how it's a good thing that I'm home now. "Yes, you've been sucked dry for a long time," are words I often hear. It surprises me every time even though it's just people affirming what I've just told them. I kind of thought I was hiding the fatigue and frustration pretty well, under that veil of very real excitement and adrenaline that comes from constant hard work and creation. I loved what I did at Juice. I also hated it at times; whenever the actions people I depended on turned my trust into disillusionment. I know that from the outside, folks saw the way I thrived on the work. Apparently they saw c...

This morning I decided to take my kids and my camera to practice. The kids happily woke up at 5:15 and dressed warmly, ready to see some power swimming (and play on my iPad). Everyone in my lane said "Sarah, how could you do that to them? Aren't they freezing? What a mean mom!" Ha! Kids today are too soft. We spend all weekend and most of our evenings watching their games and practices. They should watch one of ours once in a while, don't you think? (Okay or at least use the iPad while sitting next to our practice at 5:45 am - after all, it's what I do at theirs.) And truly, my kids begged to come. The other week when Noah was out of town they asked to go each morning. Each morning I got up and half heartedly poked them. No response. So I left them alone, thinking it was a bit early to rouse them on a school day. And each morning when they woke up and saw the sun they were furious. "We want to watch you swim!" they said, "you have to try harder to g...

I heard about The Secret Life of Swimmers in our locker room the other day and immediately had one of those annoying "damn, why didn't I think of that?" moments. But I didn't think of it, and we're all lucky a woman named Judy Starkman did think of it because it's genius. She's taken photos of swimmers from her pool both at the pool, as she knows them, and in their "real life". I've included one of my favorites above but you have to take a look at her work. We all experience this kind of "Whoa, I think that's the guy from Lane 3" when we see fellow Masters swimmers out at Target or our kid's baseball game, or, as has happened to me and I suspect many of us here in the Valley, in a pitch to a local VC. At first glance, I am always shocked by the almost-indecency of seeing someone I may not know well but usually see naked or clad only in a swim suit, fully clothed and doing something other than gliding through the water horiz...

As Easter and Passover approach, my kids want to both dress up hunt for eggs and eat cinnamon buns, and also eschew all bread products for eight days and perform a Seder. We're on track with one "pre-Easter" due to a grandparent's upcoming trip and absence during actual Easter, another egg hunt at another grandparent's house on real Easter, and a few ideas for Passover. My main problem is thinking about whether I can really give up cereal for an entire week. Carbs are good friends to me, and if I do ignore them for even a day this will be a real sacrifice indeed. Any Passover recipe ideas welcome. *warmup: 400 free, 100 kick, 300 free to stroke *4 x 25's, 100 IM, 100 free, 50 kick, 50 scull/eggbeater with hands in air repeat 4x, for 25's do in IM order (4 fly, 4 back, etc.) *6 x 75's: 3 free, 3 IM descending

Saw this ecard and had to post it. Of course it does not apply to us; Speedos are only bad on the beach in Greece. They are just fine surrounding me at the pool in the early morning. *warmup: 6 x 125's free with last lap breast *2 x 25's kick free then breast 2 x 50's sprint free then breast 75 breast with max underwater pulldowns 125 free Repeat 4x *100 free with 4/3/2/1 breast pulldowns at each wall 75 breast with flutter kick 50 max streamline 3 x 25's sprint Repeat 2x

I've been done with work for about three days and I've already heard this at least thirty times. I get it: people think I'll be bored because I've been running so fast for so long with work. But it tickles me every time I hear it anyway. Bored? I've got a schedule, people. I'm leaping over new hurdles, like getting through the hundreds of books on my reading list, and trying to write more myself. I'm trying out new things. I haven't cleaned or organized my house since having children ten years ago. I have no idea what it's like to meet a friend for coffee in the middle of the morning. I could, if I wanted to, actually think about buying my first piece of furniture or learning to cook something more exciting than spaghetti and meatballs. I don't want to, but still, I could and probably will (I did buy some new sheets yesterday and tonight I'm going to whip up chicken chow mein for my first time). And there is never enough time for all the work...

So I'm dog sitting Nancy's dog Mugsy and he is ADORABLE! Even, as I learned when I woke up for swimming this morning at 5AM, when he has vomited in multiple places around the house (on the carpet). Seriously, if you still want to keep the dog after cleaning that up, you know you need to get a dog of your own. So I think we will. *warmup: 400 free, 4 x 75's stroke, 4 x 50's kick, 4 x 100's free descending *3 x 50's strong on the 3 minute interval (so this was really 3 x 200's) *4 x 25's strong with 3 minutes rest between them (so 4 x 25's then a 200) repeat 3x *8 x 25's strong on the 45 second interval

Nothing inspires me more than seeing swimmers older than I am kicking butt. All you twenty-somethings can do this uber workout thing, of course. You're young. But as we get older, it gets harder, and we all worry about how long we'll be going strong. 58 is nothing of course - Leslie has some serious gaming left to do - and given this article I expect to see her in the pool for 30 more years at least. Way to go Leslie and all you Menlo Mavens! Speaking of going strong, or maybe of slowing down in my own case, today's workout was ROUGH, especially following Lanshin. I never ever ever break the set and rest, but today I did. You got me Lanshin. *warmup: 9 x 100's most free with every 3rd one IM add fins for: *700, 600, 500 first, middle and last lap done as underwater or fly *150, 200, 250, 300 first and last 50 kick, rest hard remove fins for: *fast 100 IM *easy 100 free collapse in shower.

Well, it's my first day as a SAHM and I got to spend it on a board call. Hm. It can only go up from here. The day did start out great though, with a good hard work out led by Jana! Jana, I THINK I'm spelling your name right, and I'm psyched we will get to see you every Tuesday morning from here on out! warmup: 400 free, 200 kick to free, 200 IM main set: 4 x 50's free descending 200 free strong 200 IM recovery (*note: if you ask me, a 200 IM inherently cannot be termed as "recovery") *Repeat 3x last set: 200 IM, 150 IM minus fly, 100 IM minus fly and back, 50 IM free part only

I'm going to have more swim time. Sure, lots of it will be at noon, but there are worse things than a tan back as we head into Summer. (I have secured, however, a promise of four early morning swims a week even though I will no longer be going into an office right after. Phew.) Today is my last day at Juice in the City, and it is bittersweet. I think I'll have plenty to say about that as time goes on and the lengths let my thoughts process more completely, but today was a short breast stroke day and anyone who knows me knows that none of the below were my ideal "processing sets". So, on to a long free day for more thoughts. *warmup: 400 free, 300 free to breast, 200 free, 100 breast *6 x 25's half length fist sprint, free to breast *4 x 25's full length sprint, free to breast *2 x 50's free and breast sprints *300 easy Repeat 3x

I've been waiting my whole life for a nail polish that does not come off in the water, and have been long perplexed over the fact that my toenail polish stays on for months while a single swim demolishes a professionally or personally applied manicure equally abruptly. I don't get it. (And yes I've heard of Gel or Shellac polish, but that still requires a massive spa commitment. I need quick polish I can do myself!). I've found the solution and it...is...funky. As you can see. These babies are called "nail dress" and they are STICKERS. That's right - they cost about $6 for 18 of them (you get the toes too) and supposedly they stay on for 10 days. When you're done, you just peel 'em off. I don't know about 10 days yet, but I did test them this morning in the pool and they survived! You can get them at any CVS or drug store. This brand is called Kiss but Sally Hansen makes them too. What the nails survived this morning: *400, 300, 200, 100 *Four...

I'm still confused about what I did in today's workout. I have never seen half the lanes do the entire set wrong before, but there is always a first. All I know is that we did a ton of kicking, and I'm not a fan of kicking. Still a great workout, as always Tim! But seriously, I can't write it down even though I did it. There are just some sets that I can't wrap my brain around, and this is one of them. So if you're following these workouts and using them for your own swims, just go out there and KICK today. Enjoy!

Today I was particularly reminded of one of my...issues. I don't trust anyone with a personalized license plate. Okay, I do: my dad has one and he's the most trustworthy guy I know. But I definitely question forging a new friendship with someone that has one. I can't avoid it; those plates give me pause. They scream at me on the road - I am forced to drive behind them, brake around them, figure out their codes or feel cheated. Each day, whenever I see one, I feel wondrous. I wonder what I could possibly want to broadcast to everyone badly enough to take the time to order something that says "I*heart*MYKDS" or "FNWAGON", or, as my dad's vanity plate sports, his ham radio handle. I know you probably have one, and I'm offending you, and I'm sorry (you too Dad). But if we can't air our pet peeves then the real troubles come out. And that's a bad thing sometimes. *warmup: 250 free, 2 x 75s IM repeat 2x add fins for: *3 x 50's kick, 200...

Spent the weekend in San Jose watching lots of soccer then racing to my own first soccer game of the season. Yes, I am sore. And no, today's workout didn't help! *warmup: 225 free, 25 fly repeat 3x *main set: 100 kick/scull, 1 x 50 fast free, 8 x 25s fly 100 kick/scull, 2 x 50 fast free, 6 x 25s fly 100 kick/scull, 3 x 50 fast free, 4 x 25s fly 100 kick/scull, 4 x 50 fast free, 2 x 25s fly *end set: 4 x 25's free, 1 x 25 fly 3 x 25's free, 2 x 25 fly 2 x 25's free, 3 x 25 fly 1 x 25's free, 4 x 25 fly

Today I wanted to pass along Tim's words about Heidi. See below. Beautifully said, Tim! *** Heidi Renner has passed, and we miss her. This past Saturday as the final members of our team were leaving the pool after a morning full of lively, refreshing swimming...Heidi took her final breaths. Heidi's time with Menlo Masters was nothing short of remarkable. She embodied a true teammate, embraced the sport she so loved and scattered her genuine joy for life throughout the team for well over a decade. Heidi spent most of her life bypassing sports because she did not feel she was capable nor was she worthy of such pursuits. Her first stroke at the age of 8, set up this way of thinking. Through the loving hard work of her family she fought back to live a healthy, super-productive life, and was encouraged by her sister late in life to try swimming. Swimming ignited Heidi's spirit and it was the place in her life where she felt the most graceful. Her absolute joy with the sport, her...

Notice joy is singular. Here it is: when you break a bra strap after swim practice and have to go straight to work, you can simply go braless. I'm feeling quite free today, thankyouverymuch. And also wearing a thick coat. *warmup: 500, 200, 100 *400 free, 4 x 25's stroke 300 free, 4 x 50's one lap stroke 200 free, 4 x 75's one lap stroke 100 free, 4 x 100's one lap stroke *3 x 50's free descending, 2 x 25's stroke repeat 4x

The other day in the locker room, Rebecca said something I am stealing right here and now. She mentioned that while she's been faithful to her husband for decades and doesn't have much to say about sleeping around...she certainly swims around. This was in reference to her lane swapping. Rebecca is known for mixing it up and throwing routine to the wind - hopping over to lane 5 or 2 or even 1 once in a while to experience different paces and people. I am not known for that. Not at all. In fact, I prefer to never move even one lane left or right to lanes 1B or 2B, even when 2A is overcrowded. I like my lane and I'm sticking to it. Sorry Tim. I do however, love the term "swim around" for a different reason. I, too, have been monogamous with a husband for decades. It's the best - he's the best. I wouldn't change it for the world (really). But that doesn't mean it's not fun to exercise with a warm pool full of attractive others. What? Don't tell...

The CaringBridge update for Saturday, February 25 - the day Heidi died - is titled "Heidi is free". I cannot imagine a more appropriate title. As I wrote after visiting her a few weeks ago, it was clear to all of us who saw her since her November stroke that Heidi was quite literally trapped inside her body. She knew who was visiting her, cried tears of joy and sorrow upon seeing and hearing and touching things she loved, and simply could no longer survive without 24/7 care and feeding from others. Knowing there was never any hope for change, she chose to go. I can't predict what I would actually do in her situation, but I'd like to think I'd be brave enough to make the same exact choice. This morning Janet was at the pool, getting in a swim, as Heidi would have encouraged her to do. I did not know yet that Heidi was gone when I saw Janet in the locker room before practice and gave her a big hug. She said they were "hanging in there" and I assumed she me...

Here's where I've been swimming the past week. This is the "performance pool", just after the single pair of lane lines were pulled out. Not bad eh? I love club life. And I love coming home. Yes, it was 83 degrees in West Palm Beach (and the pool was 85), and I had full access to the club buffet after a swim, but I love our February killer workouts, and my lax 3,000 yards done at 9am didn't compare to times like this morning: get up at 4, swim at 6, pound out 4,000 tough yards while trying to chase Lanshin in fins. NOW, I need a lounge chair. *warm up: 400, 2 x 200, 3 x 50 add fins and paddles for 4 x 600's fin option for 6 x 100's descending

This image is really unrelated to the entire following post, although I was able to wrap "time" into the title. Clever no? Anyhoo, I had to put it up because it will be my only unpaid modeling gig ever. And of course because you can get these awesome watches at an insane price on JITC today . Okay, so now on to the "cold" portion of the post. It's cold. And Louise asked me to blog about cold this morning in the locker room. Ask and you shall receive. Here is my morning cold story. The 30 degree temperature is not bad on the walk from the house to the car. Generally I've got gloves on, and a swim parka over my jammies. Taking a seat in the car is a bit tougher as the leather has been chilling for about 12 hours, but with the seat warmer cranked up to high my back side is quite happy by the time I pull into the Burgess parking lot - just in time for me to exit the car and freeze my ass off again. It gets a bit tougher on the walk into the locker room, as I lea...

For those of you who noticed I wasn't swimming at my normal pace this morning (I know, people really keep tabs on that and are always looking at my splits. Not.), this was sadly not due to a hot Valentine-inspired late night of sex. It was instead due something much more illicit. Last night I ate two large and very delicious cupcakes that Noah brought home for me as a "gift". Yes, I loved them. But no, much like having a steamy affair with another man, I shouldn't have conjugated with these cupcakes. It was too much - and I felt terrible after I was done with them. During the act? Great stuff. One had a scoop of extra sugary cookie dough on top they called frosting. On top of that was a mini chocolate chip cookie. And beneath it all was cup sized cake that tasted like barely cooked chocolate chip cookie dough. The other one was basically an incredibly fresh Ding Dong. More sinful than sex? Yes, sadly, I think actually they were. Well, at least more sinful than sex wit...

Aren't they? This is what awaits me every morning when I return from the pool. No, they aren't always wearing matching shirts. And let's be honest, they don't always present me with homemade cards that tell me they love me (see below - what more could a mom want for Valentine's Day than a gangsta inspired note ("You're da best"?)). But, they are always awesome, even when, well, they aren't. *warm up: 300 250 200 *main set: 75 fast free, 75 easy free, 50 fast stroke, 75 easy free, 25 fast kick, 75 easy free 75 fast free, 100 easy free, 50 fast stroke, 100 easy free, 25 fast kick, 100 easy free 75 fast free, 125 easy free, 50 fast stroke, 125 easy free, 25 fast kick, 125 easy free 75 fast free, 150 easy free, 50 fast stroke, 150 easy free, 25 fast kick, 150 easy free *last set 25 fast, 25 easy 25 fast, 50 easy 25 fast, 75 easy 25 fast, 100 easy 25 fast, 125 easy

Having recently addressed the unspoken rules of the locker room, it is now officially time to tackle the fundamentals of swimming with other people (again all in good fun, though this is a tad more serious I have to admit). Sure, I get it, some of you assume there are no rules - that swimming with others is just like lap swimming alone, except that there's someone next to you whom you can count on to remember the set. No bueno. There are rules (at least according to me). And you should know them. Here are six of them. I think there are many, many more so leave a comment with what I've forgotten! 1. Brush your teeth before practice. Duh. 2. Don't swim up on the person in front of you, especially if it's me. If you want to swim faster than me, go before me. If you want to swim behind me, stay far enough behind me so that you aren't drafting off of me, and more importantly, so that you NEVER EVER touch my toes. If you do, I will probably kick you. 3. Please avoid push...

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...

I never know what exactly I'm going to think about when I get in the pool. February - month of long sets that reach into the depths of my neck muscles - is generally best for long deep thinking, so I look forward to what those repeat 500's will bring up in my psyche. Lots of folks claim to cry during massage or yoga. Not me. I cry while swimming. It's a fact, not a choice I've made, but were it a choice it would be a smart one, if I do say so myself. I'm already wet and underwater. If I cry, who will see my tears? Over the years I've screamed underwater, and sobbed (as much sobbing as one can do while also trying to keep one's breath regulated during high heart rate sets), over callous remarks made by friends, perceived mistreatment by co-workers, frustration with business, colicky children, and pure lack of sleep. My friendships are deep and infinitely important to me, and so I feel any bumps along the road like personal injuries. My company is my third bab...

100 because Tim was out and ready for us early birds, before warm up. *warm up: 200 2 x 150 3 x 100 4 x 50 *main set: 300, 75, 50, 25 repeat 3x *last set: totally can't remember, but it was 850 yards total. must be the fish tacos i just ate. can't wait for tomorrow!

Triathletes are so annoying. I know because I was one of them. Check out this video - so true. warmup: 200 free, 100 IM 150 free, 100 IM 100 free, 100 IM pull gear for: 500 free descending, 200 drill 450 free descending, 200 drill 400 free descending, 200 drill gear off for: 2 x 100's fastest ave possible 1 x 50 drill repeat 3x

First of all, this is all to be taken with a big grain of salt. Some of my favorite people on the team violate my shower etiquette rules, and I still love them. But, I still think this stuff is fascinating. So, I don't know how it is in the men's bathroom, but up in the women's, we only have one good shower out of six. The odd thing is, the good shower location rotates. By far, the good shower used to be the handicapped one in the corner. It stayed on continuously, so one didn't have to perform the annoying 20 second interval pump to keep one's shower going. It's a large area, which allowed those who violated shower etiquette to have plenty of room for leg shaving and exfoliating. Most importantly, the water in that corner shower was hot, and the water pressure was strong. Today, that shower is cordoned off by ominous yellow caution tape, as if a heinous crime had occurred there (we have no idea why the tape is actually there). But even before it was condemned, ...

This morning when I woke up at 4 to work and started to make my normal cup of hot water to drink I wondered "what the hell am I doing drinking hot water right now? I deserve some coffee." So I busted out the new single drip cone system and Philz coffee that Noah has adopted since taking up coffee drinking, and powered down a few cups. Boy was workout fun this morning. I was en fuego. Couldn't be stopped. That caffeine stuff really is a drug. Forget steroids, they should start testing Olympic athletes for illegal Philz coffee intake before races. warmup: 600 free main set: 2 x 200's free, match the time 400 free match combined time 2 x 150's free, match the time 300 free match combined time 2 x 100's free, match the time 200 free match combined time last set: 750 free broken as: 200 moderate, 2 x 50's speed to match, 150 moderate, 2 x 50's speed to match, 100 moderate, 2 x 50's speed to match warmdown: 150 drill

I just don't like it. I wish I did; done right it is a tough workout. Even though non-swimmers think it is the "easy" stroke, that doesn't make it an easy stroke. Or maybe I'm just not coordinated. Either way, I cannot help but groan when Tim says "breaststroke". I've sworn I wouldn't kvetch any more about it many times, but it happens anyway. Thank God for the nice solid reps of freestyle in between the breast. warmup (all distances free with last 50 breast) : 200, 150, 100, 50 main set: 100 breast kick, 75 breast double kick, 50 fast breast, 25 breast on your back 3 x 200's free descending 100 breast kick, 75 breast double kick, 50 fast breast, 25 breast on your back 3 x 150's free descending 100 breast kick, 75 breast double kick, 50 fast breast, 25 breast on your back 3 x 100's free descending last set: 2 x 50's breast, 2 x 50's free

The car thermometer read 38 this morning - balmy! When I see 29 (and that's happened a few times this winter), I admittedly get happy. The lower the temperature, the higher my desire to just get the fuck in the pool as I'm standing on the deck in my swimsuit. It's dark and cold, and sometimes my feet go numb. At that point an illuminated turquoise rectangle of 80 degree water looks like Bahamanian paradise, and I'm in as soon as Tim or a lifeguard shows up. When I try to swim at noon, or even in the 40's, there is less urgency, and potentially less of a positive temperature shock when I enter the water. So there you go. Winter swimming in the dark is the BEST! warmup: I digressed and lost count, but I think it was a cut down by 50's from a 250 to a 50. main set: 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 300, 200 free in between each, a 50 of stroke drill to kick end set: fast 75 IM, fast 50 free, fast 25 stroke

Good news: bobbing made it back into the workout today. Sure, it's not a great stamina builder (especially not at the one-time 25 yard distance), but it makes me feel like a kid again. Somehow the entire hour became a game when Tim called out a 25 of bobbing. It's the little things. Warmup: 250 free 4x50's swim, kick, drill 250 free Main: 300 free to stroke 150 one arm to kick 100 IM 4x50's max speed free 300 free to stroke 150 one arm to kick 100 IM 8x25's max speed choice 25 bobbing (the ole horizontal bob is back!) 25 max choice 25 sideways eggbeater 75 max choice 25 backwards free 25 max choice