Waterblogged

Chlorine Tears

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:55:00 +0000

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 baby in many ways, and so I feel frustrations there like injuries to my children. And hell, everyone needs sleep. As "tough" as these things feel when I am going through them, I am lucky beyond measure that these are the things I have to cry about. And I am blessed that I found swimming as a way to process them.

Today I thought about this coming Sunday. On Sunday a few of us are planning to visit Heidi. Heidi, who was always present at 5:45am workouts, and who always told me how much she loved reading this blog. Heidi, who swam and swam and swam and traveled and enjoyed life on an uber active scale. Heidi, who suffered a massive stroke and is now unable to speak or swallow much less swim. I look forward to being there for her, to being present with my teammates and allowing her to listen to us talk about the pool and people that surround it. But I know that I will have some tears to cry for Heidi during my swim on Monday morning. I am preparing for them already.

*warmup:
500 free, 100 kick, 100 stroke

*main set:
500, 100
400, 100, 75
300, 100, 75, 50
200, 100, 75, 50, 25

*end set:
8 x 75s
fast easy fast, easy fast easy, all easy repeat.

February!!!

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:33:00 +0000

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!

Sh*t Triathletes Say

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:25:00 +0000

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

Shower Power Plays and Shower Etiquette

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:30:00 +0000

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, it had ceased to be the good shower. Mysteriously, its water pressure wilted and like an athlete past his prime, was ignored. No one queued up for it any longer.

After that era, the shower directly across from the condemned took flight. The strong water pressure and temperature seemed to morph that way. Then, there was a little bit of a locker room renovation and for no known reason, the city decided to grant only the first shower in the row closest to the lockers (call it shower #1), a new handle. Behold! It was a handle that enabled the shower to stay on continuously. The water was hot and the pressure was good. It still is.

Which brings me to the human side of this drama. There is no 5:45am swimmer today that does not know that shower #1 is the most coveted shower. It is so much more satisfying to shower in it, that I personally admit to jumping out of the pool before warm-down from time to time to snag it. (I have not yet sunk to placing all my shower gear in the shower to try to reserve it however).

Why do I sometimes sacrifice a few burned calories to get into the locker room early? Because, just as showers should not take longer than 2-3 minutes when other folks are waiting their turn (long shower takers be damned!), who gets which shower should be determined based on a FIFO system. If I want my choice of shower, I need to get in there first. Alas, we have some folks refusing to take lesser shower stalls that are wide open, and instead to verbally declare to all that approach the stalls that they are "making the decision to wait for shower #1." They then hover near the person who was lucky enough to snag #1 and is just trying to enjoy their quick 2 minute shower, and refuse to use other stalls while guiding folks who walk up to the line toward them. This, to me, is basically like saying "HA! Too bad, I'M NEXT for the best shower because I decided I deserve it more than you do!!!!!" even though, to be honest, you're not actually next. You should have taken the first empty shower, baby.

The people who wait for shower #1 are generally the same people who shave their legs in the shower, and spend time talking to others instead of washing their hair. But my absolute favorite etiquette breach is toothbrushing. Not only do I not want to think about the fact that if one is brushing their teeth now, they likely didn't brush their teeth before they breathed all over me between sets in the pool, but I really don't want to slip all over their spit as I follow them in line (another good reason to skip warm-down, obviously).

In the end though, these same people are also often enough, the very same who do the covers. And that, I will admit, trumps all. If you get to 5:45 workout EARLY and are willing to risk toe injuries and frozen hands to prepare the pool for me, I salute you. And of course, I should always offer up shower #1 to you when presented with the opportunity. If I don't, just go ahead and tell me to step aside. You deserve it.

*warmup: 600 free, 200 IM

*main set: with pull gear
2 x 200's match time (3 min interval)
1 x 300 flow (4:30 min interval)
2 x 200's match above time -5 sec
1 x 300 match 300 time above
2 x 200's match above time -5 sec
1 x 300 match 300 time above

*last set: gear option
9 x 50's descending in groups of 3 on the :45

4AM Coffee

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:16:00 +0000

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 Dislove Breaststroke

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:28:00 +0000

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

Winter Swimming

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:45:00 +0000

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

Bobbing

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:09:00 +0000

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

Resolution

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:32:00 +0000

It's the LAST day of the year and I haven't posted since February. SHAME ON ME! I've been swimming (and keeping up my festive suits, such as this celebratory one that Kathleen Liston bought me last month for my 40th birthday), but I've also been working too much, and writing too little. So this is my NYE resolution: write. Part of that resolution includes this blog. Help me keep it! When you see me in the locker room, and I'm feeling especially vulnerable (naked), berate me for not posting enough. That should help. Hey, if I can get back to writing today, after 5,000 yards this morning and 10,000 yesterday morning, I should be able to do it any old day, right? Right.

Lane lines are our friends. Right?

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 15:40:00 +0000

I just want to start by saying that pulling on lane lines during backstroke doesn't mean you're a bad human being or anything. I can't say I understand it, especially with Tim standing up there recording on his clipboard who is a puller and who isn't (what else do you think he's busy writing down?), but it's not the worst thing in the world. Still...why? Why cheat now, at this age? Didn't we all learn that pulling on the lane lines was a no-no when we were in the 7-8YO age group? Do these same people also run with scissors whenever given the chance? Anyway, again, normally watching folks next to me yank on the lines and break off little shards of plastic is mildly amusing at most, but today, well, I got a piece of lane line stuck in the crotch of my suit mid fin set. No bueno. Sharp. And uncomfy. So hey, lane line pullers? Grrrr.

*warmup: 2 x 400's free (second 400 is every fourth length backstroke)

add fins for:

*100 back kick, 100 backstroke, 100 kick on stomach, 200 free
repeat 3x

*100, 200, 300, 200, 100 same pattern as above

remove fins for:

*4 x 50's back drill, backstroke, free drill, freestyle
repeat 2x

Overheard

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 15:52:00 +0000

Overheard this week in our lane:

Guy 1: "I did 18,000 yards yesterday."
Guy 2: "Oh. I went to work."

Yah. So how do you people with jobs do this February Can Do nonsense? (I love it Tim, I'm just saying.) I suppose I could take one day off and just swim. Sure. But 30 days? 20? Even 2? Impossible. I think I should get 1,000 yards credit for every hour I work. At that rate I'll be winning the contest.

*warmup: 7 x 100's

*3 x 200's free, 4 x 50's IM transition, 5 x 100's free
*1 x 200 IM, 2 x 150 free, 3 x 100 IM

*5 x 100 free with back/breast at the start and end

Still more camels

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:29:00 +0000

Sometimes different areas of our lives just can't resist from converging. This week has been a large week of camel references for me, and I just can't help but share. First, The Blogess, a crazily popular crazywoman blogger that I love (because, yes, I'm crazy), wrote a blog post about Juice in the City and was able to work in a reference to the camel I was once almost traded for in Istanbul. Then, today, Tim used a "two hump camel" as a reference for our double pyramid set. I mean, what are the chances? Have you ever heard Tim use the camel example? Because I haven't. So, I feel that a third camel experience may be coming my way this week. All I can do is make certain it won't have anything to do with my pants.

Today's double hump workout:

*warmup: 200 free, 100 stroke, 50 kick

*50, 100, 150, 200, 200, 150, 100, 50
repeat twice

*100 strong, 150 float, 50 stroke

I have been seriously overlooked by the WSJ

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 22:06:00 +0000

Noah and I definitely should have been interviewed for this piece.

Reasons for swimming

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 17:39:00 +0000

Swimming reminds me that sips of cold dark morning air - okay, any air - are gifts.

Just another cliched indication that yes, the best things in life are free and also must be earned with hard work.

Today's workout:

*warmup: 200 free, 75 breast, 200 free, 50 breast, 200 free, 25 breast
*200 free, 4x25's fly to breast, 3x50's fly to breast, 100 fast free
Repeat 3x
*4x100's free including varying degrees of fly and breast

Why Today?

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 16:13:00 +0000

I haven't posted for months, so why today? Maybe it is because the swimming was so gorgeous this morning. On my back, fins flipping, the sky was a deep dark bruise of black that made me grit my teeth and enjoy the speed. I love the dark winter mornings, when sips of 32 degree air stolen from above feel like gulps of sweet ice water and every exhale is its own cloud. I love watching the moon fade with every 50, the sky turn the color of blueberry skin, then indigo, and finally the shade of a light blue tuxedo rimmed with white. And I love, especially, the coffee waiting for me just down the street.

*warmup: 200, 150, 100, 50 free each followed by 50 back

*25 kick half underwater, 50 sprint free, 25 kick half underwater, 75 sprint free, 25 kick half underwater, 100 sprint free
repeat 3x, 2nd time back, 3rd time half and half free/back

add fins for:
*3x50's kick on the 45
*100 back recovery
*150 free sprint
*100 back recovery
repeat 3x

Another beautiful weekend of soccer

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 15:41:00 +0000

Some people think this is over-scheduling, but I beg to differ. We've got two games today, one of which I need to coach. Tomorrow there are three games, one of which I need to play in. In addition we'll be watching the Stanford football game tonight, and attending a dear friend's birthday party tomorrow. Somehow I've got to find time in there to work. BUT I LOVE MY BUSY WEEKENDS, and there is only one way to start them off...with a great swim.

warmup: 300 free, 3x100's kick, back, breast, 6x50's paced at same interval

at threshold pace:
*200, 2x100's, 4x50's
at recovery pace:
*3x50's kick, back, breast
Repeat 2x

at threshold pace:
*100, 3x50's
at recovery pace:
*150 easy
Repeat 2x

My second favorite thing

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 15:24:00 +0000

My first favorite past time is, of course, swimming. Coming in at a close second is readingandeating. No, I can't separate the two. I'm sorry. They are a direct tie. That's why kepler'sandcafeborrone, sitting right next to each other in the heart of Menlo Park, make me so happy. I read while I eat, browse books after I eat, and just generally could spend pretty much all of my days right there in Menlo Center. If you're anything like me, or you just know how to read and like a good meal once in a while, I really don't understand why you wouldn't buy today's JITC deal. I mean, there, I said it. It's right there to the right on my sidebar.

As for this morning's workout, I've now got some help from a friend who is dabbling in physical training, and so I've been doing some leg and ab work before swimming in the morning. Today I did some mixture of lunges, calf raises, crazy ab twist thingies and squats called "Derek Jeters". Fun. THEN I was hit with the following:

*warmup: 300 free, 100 kick, 200 free, 100 stroke

add pull gear for:

*800 steady
*2 x 100's on the 1:15
*600 steady
*2 x 100's on the 1:15
*400 steady
*2 x 100's on the 1:15

remove pull gear (thank goodness) for:

*2 x 50's easy
*400 strong broken as:
100, 2 x 75's, 3 x 50's with 5 sec rest in-between

Birthday cupcakes and soccer snack schedules

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 15:15:00 +0000

Really, do we need all the snacks during and after every sports event and mid-day during school on every birthday? I'm just plain sick of it. Today's locker room discussion after the swim was centered around the fact that one parent's school had decided that all birthdays during September should be celebrated on a single day. Therefore, all the moms of September birthday kids had to organize which day to bring all the junk to school, and who would make it. Of course, scheduling issues and food-related bickering ensued. I don't understand the teacher-directed "parents, you organize and bring treats for your child's birthday" behavior. Do we really need to have ANYTHING brought to school for a kid's birthday? No. I never did it growing up, and I have never done it for my child at their school. It's ridiculous. And I applaud my kids' school for banning all birthday food as of last year. Hurrah!

And don't even get me started on the sports snack schedules. I believe this snack schedule thing was created by some evil-doer non-parent who decided to screw the rest of us with one extra duty, generally on the weekend, to add to getting the kids and all their gear to their respective games on time with the correct uniform on. So that's number one. Number two, handing out crap after a simple sporting event just makes no sense to me. What are we teaching our children? Go run around for an hour and then I'll give you some food IMMEDIATELY because you can't survive until we have a meal? Do we really want to feed our kids more calories than they've just burned off, as a treat for being active? No wonder more kids have weight problems than ever before. I may not have reduced the calories much, because I do give my soccer team Gatorade after a game to appease the snack-obsessed kids and parents - and that stuff has unneccesary syrup in it as well (hey, what's wrong with water!?!?!) - but at least it's hydrating. And at least none of the parents has to worry about their DREADED SNACK DAY!

Speaking of burning calories, here was today's workout. I also have decided to do 5 minutes of abs and 5 minutes of lunges before most swims, because I think meneeds some major strength training for soccer season, which began yesterday!

warmup: 100 free, 50 stroke
repeat 5x

50 technique, 100 aerobic, 200 threshold, 100 technique, 50 sprint
repeat 3x

250 done as 5x50's straight in above pattern
repeat 3x

Swim to Eat

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:06:00 +0000

Today's workout was just the kind of thing I needed to justify eating a ton of Italian food at half price (check out the deal to the right there - this place is really good and is downtown PA). So here goes:

warmup: 300 free, 200 back to breast, 100 IM, 50 stroke

add pulling gear for following descending set (all 100's strong):
200, 175, 150, 125, 100
175, 150, 125, 100
150, 125, 100
125, 100
100

remove pulling gear for following descending set (all 25's sprint free or fly):
125, 100, 75, 50, 25
100, 75, 50, 25
75, 50, 25
50, 25
25

total: 3,425 yards

Open Water Swim Wish List

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 18:47:00 +0000

Just found this list of 50 great open water swims (one in each state) and had to share. Oh, to have the time.

Alabama – That Dam Swim in Muscle Shoals
Alaska – Pennock Island Challenge in Ketchikan
Arizona – Arizona Open Water Series in Pleasant Harbor Marina
Arkansas - DeGray Lake Open Water Swim in Bismarck
California – Trans Tahoe Relay in Lake Tahoe
Colorado– Horsetooth Long Distance Swim in Fort Collins
Connecticut – St. Vincent's Swim Across The Sound in Bridgeport
Delaware– Lums Pond State Park in Bear
Florida – Swim Around Key West in Key West
Georgia – SwimForYourLife in Lake Lanier in Atlanta
Hawaii – North Shore Swim Series in Honolulu on Oahu
Idaho – Lake Coeur d'Alene in Coeur d'Alene
Illinois – Big Shoulders in Lake Michigan
Indiana – Masters Championships in Morse Reservoir in Noble
Iowa – Lake Okoboji in the Iowa Great Lakes Region
Kansas – Shawnee Mission Park in Shawnee
Kentucky – Cave Run Lake south of Morehead
Louisiana– Aqualung Open Water Swim in Bush
Maine – Peaks Island to East End Beach in Portland
Maryland – Great Chesapeake Bay Swim
Massachusetts – Boston Light Swim in Boston Harbor
Michigan – Mackinac Island on Lake Huron
Minnesota – Lake Minnetonka near Minneapolis-St. Paul
Mississippi – Gator Bait in Eagle Lake in Vicksburg
Missouri – Swimming' in Moonshine Open Water Swim in Table Rock Dam in Branson
Montana – Whitefish Lake Open Water Swim near Glacier National Park
Nebraska – Cornhusker State Games in Holmes Park in Lincoln
Nevada – Slam the Dam in Las Vegas
New Hampshire – Squam Lake near Lake Winnipesaukee
New Jersey – Pageant Ocean Swim on Absecon Island in Atlantic City
New Mexico – Mescalero Lake
New York – Lake Minnewaska near New Paltz
North Carolina – Triangle Open Water Swim Series in Jordan Lake
Ohio – Ohio Open Water Championships in East Fork Lake in Batavia
Oklahoma – Tallchief Open Water Swim in Sand Springs
Oregon – Cascade Lakes Swim Series in Elk Lake
Pennsylvania – Search for Monongy in the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh
Rhode Island – Second Beach Swim in Sachuest Beach in Middletown
South Carolina – Death Valley Open Water in Hartwell Lake in Clemson
South Dakota – Sylvan Lake in the Black Hills
Tennessee – Swim the Suck in Tennessee River Gorge in Chattanooga
Texas – Highland Lakes Challenge in Austin
Utah – Deer Creek Open Water Marathon Swim near Heber City
Vermont – Kingdom Swim in Lake Memphremagog in Newport
Virginia - Jim McDonnell Lake Swims in Lake Audubon in Reston
Washington – Fat Salmon Swim in Lake Washington in Seattle
West Virginia – Summit Lake near Richwood
Wisconsin – Manitou Monster Lake Swim in New Auburn
Wyoming – Jenny Lake in Gran Teton National Park

A bad day to be tired

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 22:10:00 +0000

After a weekend of birthday parties, work, lots of driving and head lice, I was tired today. It was a bad day to be tired.

*warmup: 400 free, 300 back to breast, 100 dolphin kick

*2 x 200's free on the 2:40; 2 x 100's IM on the 1:35
*2 x 200's free on the 2:50; 3 x 100's IM on the 1:45
*2 x 200's free on the 3:00; 4 x 100's IM on the 1:55

*100 free; 50 stroke
repeat 2x

Nails

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:20:00 +0000

Random question here, since the JITC deal today is a mani/pedi. Why do my pedicure paintings last for a month of swimming but any polish put on my fingernails is gone after a single swim? Really, I don't get it. I love having nice nails and wish I could get more manicures, but there just doesn't seem to be a solution with swimming. Life is hard, man.

*warmup: 100 free, 25 kick, 25 stroke
repeat 5x

*6 x 100's on the 1:25 for L2

add fins for:

*6 x 100's on the 1:25

*3 x 200's on the 2:50 descending
repeat 2x

remove fins for:

*200 IM

GO People

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:02:00 +0000

This weekend some of our dearest friends made it possible for us to stay in SF for the weekend, right off Union Square. A while back, we figured we'd capitalize on this opportunity, and plan a (drinking) scavenger hunt/mission game for a group of friends. I shamefully bought a photographer deal on Groupon (ACK!) and got Joey to come take photos of the whole gang in Clarion Alley before we kicked off the game. Even with no beverages in their system, people got a little nutty posing with their loved ones in front of graffiti. Alleys with murals will do that to you.

We then headed to the awesomely friendly Luna Park to take over a long wooden table for 20 for drinks. I believe there were shots had, though I mercifully escaped those. We then split into 3 teams and were sent across the Mission district to find stuff, answer funny trivia about Noah, and perform....missions. There were actors and video taping involved. And now, with beverages in systems, things got just plain kookoo (exactly as I had hoped). Videos recorded included the following things: (1) my brother, shirtless but wearing my friend's bra, pretending to roller blade down the street; (2) myself and a friend re-enacting the video game Frogger by hopping like toads across Valencia and dodging cars; (3) a re-enactment in broad daylight of Justin Timberlake's "D--- in a box" video, and finally (4) flagging down a police squad car and convincing the officer to pretend to arrest one of us and force us into the back seat. Those are just a few highlights. There were more.

We got all of this done before 6pm, and I can't really talk about what happened during the next 5 hours when we all met up at the Pheonix. Let's just say it's a miracle that I made it to swim practice this morning. Let me also say here that N and I have the BEST of friends. The whole experience was heightened by the fact that quite a few of the most dear people to us flew out for just one night of debauchery, and quite a few others drove quite a ways, arranged for drivers, or spent money to spend the night in SF. AND, everyone got super into the spirit of the night. It was just perfect, and we love them all!

And here was the miracle set:

*warmup: 100 free, 50 back, 50 kick some number of times, not sure, I was late

add pull gear for:

*5 x 50's slow to warm up
*100, 200, 300, 200, 100

remove pull gear for:

*100, 200, 300, 200, 100
*5 x 50's backstroke alternate hard/easy

Long and Simple

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 03:24:00 +0000

Today was long, repetitive, and a mix between pushing ourselves and letting ourselves float within the rhythm. In direct opposition to one of my very least favorite workouts on Monday (the horrendous breaststroke marathon), this was one of my favorites. Yippie!

warmup: 500 done as 50 free, 25 drill, 25 kick
4 x 200's descending
repeat 4 times (that's right, 16 x 200's. phew!)

Alcatraz Wishes

noreply@blogger.com (sarah) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:59:00 +0000

The Alcatraz Challenge is this Sunday morning and I wish I was doing it! The swim from the island plus the run across the Golden Gate is just, well, the most picturesque course. But alas, my newly 40 YO husband has asked that I not do the race Sunday morning so that I can properly party on Saturday night. We are having a scavenger hunt in his honor across the Mission neighborhood in the city. It should be...interesting!

warmup: 200 free, 2 x 50's drill to stroke
repeat 3x

add pull gear for:
3x150
400
4x100
400
5x50
400

take off pull gear (thank goodness) for:
250 IM done as 25 fly, 50 back, 75 breast, 100 free